The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team struggled to overcome a poor first-half effort as the Bobcats fell to No. 10 NC State 82-45 in their season-opener. 

The visitors struggled to contain a powerful NC State team that featured four McDonald’s All-Americans, in the first half, allowing the Wolfpack to use their size to outscore the Bobcats 24-6 in the paint in the first 20 minutes.

The Bobcats opened the contest in a man-to-man defense, but then switched over to a 3-2 zone, which did a better job on the Wolfpack offense. 

While NC State was dominant on offense, it was the Wolfpack’s defense that set the tone for the game. NC State used its athleticism to wreak havoc, holding Quinnipiac to 5-27 shooting from the field as well as 0-11 from three in the first half.

Quinnipiac was missing its best player in graduate student guard Mackenzie DeWees with an injury, who usually does a significant amount of ball handling for the Bobcats, and it showed, as the Bobcats turned the ball over 13 times in the first half. 

However, Quinnipiac looked like a completely different team when the third quarter started. 

After trailing by 30 points at halftime, the Bobcats turned up the heat from the perimeter, knocking down four straight threes to open the half on a 12-0 run. The comeback was led by senior forward Cur’Tiera Haywood, who hit back-to-back deep threes to cut the deficit to 18.

Haywood was solid for Quinnipiac all game, tied for  the team lead with eight points alongside sophomore guard Jackie Grisdale. 

After Quinnipiac was able to get the NC State lead under 20, the Wolfpack responded with a 12-7 burst to end the quarter and take a 56-32 advantage into the final frame.

The Bobcats were able to outscore NC State 21-17 in the third, but the home squad essentially put the game away early in the fourth quarter when it sparked a 20-8 run, cruising to an 82-45 victory. 

While the Bobcats didn’t play up to par, their third quarter efforts did give a solid glimpse into what this team can be when they are playing together at a high level, especially against a team that expects to compete for a spot in the NCAA Final Four. 

Graduate student guard Rose Caverly and senior center Mikala Morris, two of Quinnipiac’s most prolific scorers, were quieted by the NC State defense, as they combined for just 11 points on 5-18 shooting.  

The Bobcats return to action on Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. when they host in-state rival Central Connecticut State in their home opener.