[media-credit id=2278 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]After six games on the road to open the season – which included a one-point loss to No. 10 Texas and a double-overtime win against Harvard – the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team (4-4 overall, 0-0 MAAC) returned home on Sunday, losing to Central Michigan (7-1 overall, 0-0 MAC), 67-52.

Despite the loss, head coach Tricia Fabbri praised the Central Michigan program for bringing the fight throughout the whole contest.

“Central Michigan is a great team,” Fabbri said. “We didn’t respond out of the third quarter and that’s been a bit of a signature for us. We’ve definitely responded when we’ve come away with wins and when we’ve come out flat, we’ve gotten results like this one.”

The Bobcats came out in the first quarter and shot 33.3 percent from the field and went 1-for-6 from three. Central Michigan found its rhythm right away as it shot 43 percent from the field despite going 0-for-5 from three. The Bobcats bench also scored the first nine points of the game.

The Bobcats found some life in the second quarter, as they shot 50 percent from the field and cut the lead to 28-27 and end the half trailing 35-30. Redshirt senior guard forward Jen Fay went 2-for-3 beyond the arc, but had a lot more on her plate than basketball.

Fay, is the latest Bobcat to join the 1,000-point club and was honored before the game by the university. Fabbri discussed how much she has meant to the program and realizes how much she’s going to miss Fay.

“She’s just been so good for all season long,” Fabbri said. It was really nice for her to get that accomplishment and in a packed house, it was nice to be recognized in front of a nice home crowd. Shout out to Jen Fay, well deserved and well earned.”

Freshman guard Mackenzie Dewees made an impact, scoring the highest point total for a Quinnipiac freshman in two years with 13.

“Mack (Dewees) has been coming, and we needed to find her some more minutes,” Fabbri said. “I’m really pleased with her continuing to get better, and the results she got in the game today because that’s what’s been happening in practice.”

The Chippewas regained all the momentum in the second half, and that started with senior guard Presley Hudson, who finished with a game-leading 25 points and seven assists. Senior forward Reyna Frost finished the game with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Micaela Kelly finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Next up, Quinnipiac will travel to Princeton (2-7) on Saturday at 7 p.m. Before Sunday, Princeton was the last team to beat Quinnipiac in the People’s United Center, 358 days ago.