by HAMDEN, Conn. — Lilly Thomas scored 16 points Sunday afternoon, but the Quinnipiac Bobcats fell 91-67 to UMBC at M&T Bank Arena.
Thomas, a Cheyenne & Arapaho center, started and played 26 minutes, shooting 5-for-6 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. She finished with four rebounds, one assist, one turnover and four personal fouls.
UMBC took the lead for good midway through the first quarter and led 20-14 after one. The Retrievers stretched the lead to as many as 16 points late in the second quarter, at 39-23, and took a 45-34 lead into halftime.
A Thomas jumper early in the third quarter cut the deficit to 11, but UMBC answered with a 9-0 run in just over two minutes to go up 56-36, and the Retrievers closed the quarter ahead by 22. Their lead peaked at 28 points in the fourth quarter before the 91-67 final.
Thomas tied Elle Snyder for the Quinnipiac scoring lead, with Snyder adding a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds. Dagny Slomack led UMBC with a career-high 22 points off the bench, including five three-pointers, and Heidi Williams added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Kennedy Austin and Angela Williams each scored 12 for the Retrievers.
UMBC shot 54.2 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range, making 12 threes, and outrebounded Quinnipiac 35-25. The Retrievers improved to 3-0, their first 3-0 start since 2018-19, while Quinnipiac fell to 1-2.
Quinnipiac hits the road next, visiting St. John’s on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y.
