NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Not many teams have scored as many as 23 points in a quarter against St. John's this season. The Red Storm's defense had allowed that to happen just four times in a total of 12 games (48 quarters) heading into Thursday. The Yale women's basketball team made it five, jumping out to a 23-20 lead after the first quarter. But after that the Red Storm buckled down, allowing the Bulldogs only 33 points the rest of the way en route to taking a 75-56 win in a matinee at John J. Lee Amphitheater.
Playing its first game in 12 days, Yale (2-10, 0-0 Ivy League) looked anything but rusty early on. The Bulldogs shot .643 in the first quarter, sinking nine of 14 shots, and lead by as many as five. Junior forward
Grace Thybulle accounted for 11 of Yale's points, just three away from her season high.
But St. John's (7-6, 1-0 Big East) responded in emphatic fashion in the second quarter, putting together an 11-0 run. The Red Storm took the lead, 30-29, at 4:22 of the second and never looked back. They lead 40-31 at halftime.
The Bulldogs got within six twice in the third quarter but would come no closer. Thybulle picked up a pair of fouls in that quarter and would eventually foul out in the fourth, though senior forward
Brenna McDonald (16 points) picked up a significant chunk of the scoring load.
The Red Storm built their lead to 22 in the fourth before a late and-one by McDonald made the final 75-56.
Notes
- McDonald's 16 points were a career high. She added a team-best eight rebounds.
- Two other Bulldogs – Thybulle (11 points) and senior guard Jenna Clark (10 points) – scored in double digits.
- St. John's committed only eight turnovers, helping the Red Storm to a 31-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
- Junior guard Nyla McGill had a season-high six assists. She added five rebounds.
- Yale's .471 shooting percentage was a season high, and the fourth-best by an opponent against St. John's this season.
Quotes from Coach Eshe
- On letting an early lead slip away: "We had a really good first quarter. Then foul trouble and turnovers started to plague us, and after that we could never really get our footing."
- On post players Brenna McDonald and Grace Thybulle combining for 24 points: "Both have started to figure out their offensive skill set and how to use it. We're better with both of them on the floor. Grace was having a really good game but got in foul trouble. Brenna has started to find her rhythm."
Up Next
- Yale hosts local rival Quinnipiac Saturday Dec. 30 at 1:00 p.m. It is Youth Day, and there will be a post-game autograph session.
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