In a high-scoring affair, the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team fell to Princeton 79-70 Wednesday night, dropping to 2-5 on the season.
Junior forward Grace LaBarge was a bright spot for the Bobcats, notching a season-high 20 points on flawless 6-6 shooting.
Princeton wasted no time establishing its dominance, jumping out to an early 15-5 lead over the visitors. The Tigers displayed lights out shooting, making all six of their initial field goal attempts. However, the Bobcats showed resilience and managed to close the first quarter with a late surge, reducing the deficit to 19-16.
Freshman forward Anna Foley played a pivotal role in Quinnipiac’s offense, contributing six points on an efficient 3-4 shooting in the first ten minutes.
The latter part of the first quarter included a commendable defensive effort from Quinnipiac. The Bobcats utilized a combination of zone defenses, which played a significant role in their 11-4 run to end the quarter which prevented Princeton from extending its early double-digit lead.
Despite Quinnipiac’s efforts, Princeton quickly regained its double-digit advantage in the second quarter. Princeton was almost impossible to contain, shooting at an astounding 83.3% from the field in the frame. The two teams continued to go back-and-forth, with Quinnipiac keeping pace, led by Foley’s nine points. However, the Tigers took a 44-34 lead into the halftime break.
LaBarge caught fire and delivered an outstanding performance in the second half, knocking down every single shot she took, while scoring 11 of the Bobcats 36 points. Despite LaBarge’s stellar offensive performance, Quinnipiac’s inability to get enough stops on the defensive end hampered its chances of closing the gap.
The end of the third quarter saw Princeton maintaining its hot shooting, connecting on 60% of their field goals (9-15) in the frame. Quinnipiac’s defense continued to show signs of promise, but the team struggled with defensive rebounds, allowing the rare Tiger miss to turn into a second chance basket for hosts.
In the final quarter, Princeton pushed the game out of reach with a quick 6-0 run, extending its lead to 16 points.
Unlike the first half, Quinnipiac couldn’t keep pace. The visitors turned the ball over 12 times in the second half alone. Ultimately, the Tigers proved too much for the Bobcats to handle as Princeton closed out Quinnipiac for a 79-70 victory.
Despite the loss, the Bobcats continue to display resilience against a tough opponent that was ranked No. 25 in the country just last week.
Quinnipiac aims to bounce back on Sunday when it hosts Holy Cross. Tip off is slated for 2:00 p.m.
