The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team improved to 8-5 after beating Monmouth, 68-54, in the first game of the weekend series.

Junior guard and potential MAAC Player of the Year candidate Mackenzie DeWees lead the second half surge with a career-high-tying 20 points, five rebounds, and a season-high five steals.

It was a rocky first quarter for the Bobcats, who hadn’t played a game in two weeks because of COVID rescheduling. The Hawks steadily tacked on 20 points while Quinnipiac kept its players moving with constant subs, trying to find a rhythm.

“You can see that we were a little shell shocked,” DeWees said. “Monmouth had just played recently and they were able to get back on their feet so for us, it was good to get knocked over once in the first quarter and get into gear for the rest of the game.”

After finishing the first quarter trailing 20-19, first-year forward Tiera White made an immediate impact off the bench by keeping the ball moving for the Bobcats. White notched a career-high in points (eight) and minutes (15).

“She’s an immovable force down on the block and she has fantastic hands,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “[White] was critical for us to keep it close going into the locker room.”

The second half is where the Bobcats finally found the rhythm they were searching for in the first 20 minutes. An offensive flow lead by DeWees and sophomore forward Mikala Morris (15 points, six rebounds) gave Quinnipiac another 18 points and a 51-45 lead with one quarter remaining.

The final quarter was an extension of the third, and the Bobcats sealed the win over the Hawks with another 17 points. Quinnipiac outscored Monmouth 35-20 in the second half alone.

But while the late game offensive efforts were dominating, it was the defensive shift for Quinnipiac that made the biggest impact. The Bobcats forced 22 Hawks turnovers compared to its own six and held them to single-digit scoring in the fourth.

“[Monmouth] has been so dominant on the inside in terms of rebounding and we had 20 offensive boards,” Fabbri said. “That was a real key for us today and I was excited about that.”

Game two of the home series against Monmouth continues on Sunday at 2 p.m.