Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. - It certainly was a new year for the Queens College men's basketball team and head coach Darryl Jacobs, as he earned his first win at the reins of the QC program on Saturday with a 73-69, overtime win over Mercy in Dobbs Ferry. A pair of Patrick Parker free throws at the end of overtime helped seal the victory.
The first six-and-a-half minutes of game time saw the score knotted at 9-9 as the Knights got points from Jeremiah Mordi, Dejuhan Gray, Parker, Kyheim Chaplin and Amir Tarif. Queens led at halftime, 30-25, but they led by as many as nine points in the first half when Chaplin scored two of his game-high 22 points to put QC up 20-11; with 6:36 remaining.
The Knights extended their lead to 15 points across the first 3:31 of the second half with a 10-0 run, capped by a Patrick Modzelewski layup off an assist from Ronald Washington, Jr. which made the score 40-25. Eventually Mercy would even the score at 54-all when Chaz Morrish made a three-pointer at the 3:58 mark. Tarif responded with a quick basket to give QC the lead again, but eventually the Mavericks led 60-58 with 0:55 left in regulation.
Queens evened the score twenty-two seconds later Tarif found Chaplin for a layup. The game went into overtime tied at 60-60, as Mercy missed a three-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation.
In the extra session, the Mavericks jumped out to a 65-61 lead with 3:18 left. Queens responded with a three-pointer from Modri that brought QC within one, 65-64. Less than a minute later, Modri scored again and the Knights were up, 66-65. Mercy scored the next three points to go up by two, by Chaplin came through again with a trifecta that put Queens ahead, 69-68 with 0:47 left.
With 0:24 showing on the clock, trailing by one, LeBrandon Smith tied the score for Mercy when he made the second of two free throws. The score was even at 69-69.
Queens called a timeout with 0:18 seconds left and following the respite, Parker was fouled and sent to the line. The senior calmly drained a pair of foul shots and QC lead 71-69. They added another bucket off a steal a second later and won 73-69.
Chaplin scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Tarif posted his third double-double of the season; with 11 points and 12 rebounds. In his second game of the season, Mordi scored ten points.
The Queens College men's basketball team returns to action on Saturday, January 18, when they travel to the nation's capital to face UDC. The matchup with the Firebirds is slated for 1:00 PM.
