Quinnipiac women’s basketball team kicked off its 2025-26 campaign on the right foot with a 65-55 win Monday night against Boston University.
Despite losing guard and premier long range threat Gal Raviv to the University of Miami in the transfer portal, this year’s Quinnipiac squad is still a team filled with great perimeter shooters. That talent on the outside was the difference in the season opener, as the nine three point shots Quinnipiac hit translated to 27 of the Bobcats 65 points.
It was a tale of two halves for head coach Tricia Fabbri’s squad.
For the first half of the opening quarter, the Terriers were able to stay even with an experienced Bobcat squad. They found success in the close range, with eight of their 13 points coming inside the three-point line.
But as the quarter went on, Quinnipiac gained some distance. An 11-4 run that started with a three pointer from freshman guard Ella Ryan and ended with a jumper from Ryan, resulted in Quinnipiac holding a 21-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Opening the second, Quinnipiac picked up right where it left off. Graduate student guard Jackie Grisdale and junior guard Karson Martin would find the basket less than three minutes into the quarter.
Following Martin’s layup, both squads fell into a scoring drought that would last for nearly half of the frame. Despite the drought, Quinnipiac kept shooting and junior forward Ella O’Donnell would put her sixth point of the game, breaking the scoreless streak.
Both teams were quiet for the rest of the half, as they headed into the locker room, with the Bobcats holding a 12 point lead.
When the third quarter began, the pendulum would swing in favor of the Terriers.
Back to back three pointers from junior guard Inés Monteagudo and senior forward Anete Adler would cut the Bobcat’s lead in half. Quinnipiac would also find themselves struggling to play clean, having O’Donnell and junior center Anna Foley both enter foul trouble.
The Quinnipiac squad would further struggle to hold onto the ball, turning it over four times leading to five of the Terrier 21 points in the third quarter.
Despite the resurgence from the home team, Quinnipiac’s perimeter offense kept them at bay. Grisdale and Martin would find long range success, nailing two crucial three’s from both corners and warding off the surging Terriers.
The revived Boston University offense continued its hot streak into the fourth quarter. More fouls for the Bobcats allowed the Terriers to close the gap from six points at the start of the frame to one by the time it hit the last five minutes of play.
The leadership of an older, more experienced Bobcat team showed as the quarter was closing. Grisdale, Martin and senior guard Sydney Ryan scored 18 of 19 points in the fourth quarter.
Despite the fight coming from the upper classmen Bobcats, the Terrier team continued to fight to the very end, even regaining the lead with two and a half minutes left in the game.
But it was a Ryan’s three pointer with ninety seconds left that was the final deflating blow to the Terrier squad. Martin would add an insurance score with under a minute to go and the Bobcats would hold on capturing their season opener 65-55.
Quinnipiac returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 6 as it travels to New Jersey to take on Rutgers. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
