HAMDEN, CT — The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team beat the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers 49-45 on Sunday afternoon, extending the Terriers’ losing streak to eight games. Both teams struggled in shooting, as neither team shot above 31% from the field.

The leading scorers for the day were St. Francis Brooklyn freshman guard Tyra Myers with 18 points and Quinnipiac senior forward Cur’Tiera Haywood with 12 points.

The Bobcats remained undefeated at home this season with the victory. Three players reached double digits in scoring for Quinnipiac on the day. Haywood was accompanied by graduate student guard Rose Caverly and sophomore guard Jackie Grisdale, who each put up 10 points.

The first and second halves of this game were two completely different battles, with the first half centering around the Terriers’ defense and the second half focusing on the Bobcats’ offense.

A very slow start for the Bobcats had them trailing 12-7 at the end of the opening frame. Haywood and sophomore guard Reiven Douglas were the only Quinnipiac players to put up points, with four and three respectively.

The Bobcats’ offensive woes continued into the second, as the Terriers opened the quarter on a 5-1 run that was only stopped by a Grisdale three-pointer. They went on another offensive tear to close the quarter, outscoring the home squad 7-1.

Going into the second half of the game down 26-18, the Bobcats knew that they had to make some changes if they wanted to come away with the win. Caverly explained postgame that her team’s mindset and play style changed going into the final two quarters.

“I think we got all the shots we wanted to in the first half, we just couldn’t hit anything,” she said. “Our coaches (told us to) crank in on the defense and let that dictate our offense…we know we’re good shooters, we know those are the shots that we’re going to make.”

Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri echoed those sentiments.

“We just exuded some more patience and let the offense and the shot come to us,” she said postgame. “We were able to play with a lot of poise, especially out of halftime. Really, that’s what we did was just collect ourselves, play with more poise, and stay patient in what we were looking to do.”

These changes didn’t really shine through in the first half of the third quarter, but the Bobcats were able to use the final five minutes of the frame to go on a 14-4 run. When the fourth quarter started, they were within one point of the lead, trailing only 38-37.

The fourth quarter was when Quinnipiac’s offense exploded, and the momentum shifted significantly. The Bobcats were able to hold the Terriers scoreless for nearly nine minutes to kick off the quarter.

St. Francis Brooklyn was able to put up seven points toward the end of the quarter, making this a game that truly came down to the final seconds. The Terriers called a timeout with seven seconds to go while trailing 47-43, but it was too late, as the Bobcats held on to come away with the victory.

In addition to the offense lighting up, Quinnipiac’s defense did its part in securing the victory. Senior forward/center Mikala Morris became the school’s Division I all-time leader in blocks and rebounds during this contest.

Fabbri spoke about how important the first few games of the season have been in figuring out what this team’s identity is, and how this game against St. Francis Brooklyn helped them on that journey.

“Seven games in, as we’re still working really diligently every day on us becoming the best version of ourselves, we’re starting to see it take some form, but we still have a long way to go for us to be our best Bobcat,” Fabbri said. “We’re finding ways to win games.”

The Bobcats will be back in action on Wednesday at 6 p.m. when they host longtime rival Yale. Fabbri knows that this will be a challenge, but she thinks her team is up to it.

“We need to play much better if we expect to win that game,” Fabbri said. “It’s going to be an absolute battle, there’s no doubt about it.”