HAMDEN, Conn. – The Yale women's basketball team kept on the heels of Quinnipiac for most of Monday evening's contest at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, but the Bulldogs had to play catch-up one too many times in the game, as the Bobcats pulled away in the second half to claim a 75-59 victory. Junior Yoyo Greenfield led all players with a season-best 17 points for Yale.

With their second-straight loss, the Bulldogs fall to 4-5. Quinnipiac improves to 4-5 with the victory. Yale defeated the Bobcats last season at the John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, as the home team has now been victorious in the last five meetings in this series.

“We haven't been ourselves recently”, said Chris Gobrecht, the Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball at Yale. “We need the real Yale Bulldogs to show up after Christmas”.

Greenfield, who knocked down three three-pointers on the night, was joined in double figures by senior Melissa Colborne and freshman Megan Vasquez. With her 14 points, Colborne moves into sole possession of seventh place on Yale's all-time scoring list with 1,267 career points. The Calgary, Alberta native passes her former teammate, Erica Davis '07, who graduated with 1,262 points in her illustrious Yale career. Vasquez netted an even 10 points.

Junior Mady Gobrecht and sophomore Michelle Cashen were a force on the glass, grabbing 13 and 10 boards respectively. Gobrecht's baker's dozen of rebounds matched her career high. The junior also scored eight points, while Cashen added five. The Yale offensive was rounded out by freshman Allie Messimer's five points, the only points that the Bulldogs would get from their bench compared to 34 points from the Bobcats' reserves.

As a team, Yale shot 21-fr-67 (31.3%) from the floor, 6-for-23 (26.1%) from three-point range and 11-for-15 (73.3%) from the free throw line. The Bobcats went 26-for-55 (47.9%) from the field, 2-for-7 (28.6%) from long range and 21-for-29 (72.4%) from the charity stripe.

Kathleen Neyens posted a double-double for the Bobcats with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Lisa Lebak and Courtney Kaminski each had 13 points for the home team, and Ryann Simmons was the fourth Bobcat in double figures with 12 points.

Quinnipiac started the contest on the offensive as an early Yale drought of over five minutes without a field saw the Bobcats claim an 8-4 advantage. Quinnipiac dominated over the first 12 minutes of action, shooting 50% from the floor while holding the Bulldogs under 30% shooting, en route to taking its largest advantage of the half at 23-13. Yale finished strong the opening stanza strong, however, as a 16-6 run, capped by a Greenfield trey, knotted the score at 29-29 entering the intermission.

The Bulldogs shot 10-for-29 (34.5%) from the field, 3-for-9 (33.3%) from three-point range and 6-for-8 (75%) from the free throw line in the opening frame. Greenfield and Vasquez led the way offensively with seven points apiece. Cashen had seven first-half boards to lead a Yale effort that outrebounded the Bobcats, 22-21, in the first half. Colborne dished out a half-high three of Yale's six assists. Simmons had eight points prior to the intermission to lead all players as the Bobcats shot 12-for-30 (40%) from the floor, 0-for-3 from beyond the arc and 5-for-11 (45.5%) from the charity stripe.

The squad's traded baskets to open the second half before Quinnipiac made the first run, a 9-0 spurt to claim its largest lead of the contest at 47-36. The lead grew as large as 14 points at 65-51 with 4:25 left, and the Bobcats hit their free throws down the stretch, including a 9-for-9 showing by Kaminski in the second half, to pull away with a 75-59 win.

The Bulldogs will take a seven-day hiatus from competition before returning to the court on Monday, Dec. 28 at Sacred Heart. Tip-off from Fairfield, Conn. is scheduled for 7 p.m.

report filed by Drew M. Kingsley, Yale Sports Publicity