OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. - Freshman Abe Akanmu (Staten Island, N.Y.) led four Queens College men's basketball players who scored in double figures Wednesday night at Recreation Hall, but it was not enough for the Knights, who dropped a close 69-65 decision at East Coast Conference foe, New York Institute of Technology.

Akanmu netted 14 points (7-for-9 FT) to lead the Knights, while also pulling down six rebounds from his point guard position. Senior shooting guard Edil Lacayo (Bronx, N.Y.) buried three trifectas en route to a 13-point night, while junior Daniel Watson (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) checked in with 12 points and nine rebounds. Senior forward Khalil McDonald (Queens Village, N.Y.) added 10 points for QC, moving his career total to 973 markers.

Queens carried a 36-32 lead into the locker room at halftime, and led by as much as four points (63-59) when Akanmu banked home a layup with 2:32 remaining in the contest.

Head coach Kyrk Peponakis's Knights are back in ECC action Saturday afternoon (Jan. 28), when they travel to Rockville Centre, N.Y., for a 3 p.m. tip-off at Molloy College.