The cold, snowy conditions outside of Fitzgerald Gym on Saturday surely reminded those in attendance of the Christmas holiday just four days prior but those INSIDE the gym knew they were witnessing a Christmas miracle when Bria Jackson (Rochester, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) buried a desperation three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to force overtime against Bowie State.  The Knights would eventually prevail in double overtime, 72-71 to improve to 4-5 on the season.  Jackson finished with a game-high, season-high and career-high 49 points.

Queens, outmanned from the start, with only eight players in uniform, fell behind early as the Lady Bulldogs jumped to 13-2 lead over the first eight minutes of game action.  Bowie State pushed the lead to as many as 16 points when Cortney Baynard sunk a pair of free throws at 3:32 to make the score 33-17.  Bowie State led at the half, 35-25.

Like Sisyphus and the boulder, the Knights began to chip away at the deficit early in the second half as Jackson scored the four points in the first two-and-a-half minutes to bring QC to 36-29.  They got as close at two points, at 36-34, when Marie Byrnes (Brooklyn, N.Y./Rutgers Prep) notched the first of two foul shots at 15:05.  From there, Bowie State built its lead back up to eight points when Bria Robinson netted one of her team-best 17 points, to make the score 51-43, with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.

Queens used a 12-4 run over the final five minutes to force overtime and Jackson scored all eight of those points, none bigger than three three-point field goal as time expired to tie the score at 55-all and force overtime.

The first overtime opened with Robinson giving Bowie State the lead with a pair of foul shots.  Kristen Korzevinski (New Hyde Park, N.Y./New Hyde Park) promptly evened the score with a layup.  About two-and-a-half minutes later, a total of 42:18 of game time, the Knights took their first lead of the contest as Byrnes broke stalemate with two foul shots to make the score 59-57, Queens.

The closing seconds of the first overtime saw the Lady Bulldogs take a one-point lead as Jasmine Jacobs sliced through the paint for a layup.  The Knights responded by getting the ball to Lisanne Comeau (Toronto, Ontario/St. Basil-the-Great) who made one of two free throws to force a second overtime.

The second extra frame saw the Knights come from behind once again as a Channell Mackey three-pointer put Bowie State ahead, 67-64 with 3:24 left.  Joya McFarland (Bronx, N.Y./JFK) made a layup with 3:00 left and Queens was back within a point, 67-66.  The Lady Bulldogs responded with a pair of free throws to lead 69-66, but Jackson made a par of buckets and two foul shots to ensure the one point win for the Knights, 72-71.

Jackson, who finished with 49, made 14-of 27 shots, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists, all game highs.  The Knights improved to 4-5 with the win and they return to action on Saturday, January 5, when they face East Coast Conference opponent LIU Post at 1:30 PM.