Led by MC McGrory, the seventh seeded Bluejays upset the #2 seed Villanova in the quarterfinal action in Chicago on March 6th. McGrory led the Bluejays with 20 points, while sophomore Sydney Lamberty recorded her second “double-double” of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds. A major key to their success was their ability to hold Villanova to 31% shooting from the field and 12% from the three-point line.

Mc McGrory scored 14 of her game high of 20 points in the second half. She did it in a variety of ways, from traditional three point plays to banking in threes, and everything seemed to be going her way. When asked about her mindset she stated, “I think just trying to stay aggressive.” According to head coach Jim Flanery, McGrory has been their “money player” since December. With the continued absence of Marissa Janning, McGrory recognized that she needed to take over the team for them to be successful. 

“I knew when she got injured I needed to step up, especially from a leadership standpoint,” McGrory explained during the post-game interview.

Sophomore Sydney Lamberty owned the glass all night, recording 13 rebounds, but it was her clutch shots down the stretch that sealed the win for the BlueJays. Villanova cut their deficit to two at 47-45 and Lamberty stepped up. She made a midrange jumper to stop their comeback. She was also effective in defending Adrianna Hahn forcing her to shoot 3-12 from the field for the game.

The Bluejays defense tonight was a main reason they were able to win the game. If they can continue to hold teams under 40% shooting from the field and three-point line, the Jays should put themselves in positions to win every game.