FLUSHING, N.Y. – Suffocating defense during the fourth quarter turned a four-point deficit for the Queens College women's basketball team into a 67-58 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas at Fitzgerald Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

The win extends the Knights' streak to five games and puts the team level with Roberts Wesleyan for third place in the East Coast Conference standings. Senior guard Kristen Korzevinski led the Knights with 23 points and three steals. Not only did Korzevinski lead the team in scoring, she surpassed the 1,000-point plateau with a bucket in the fourth quarter, becoming only the 11th player in program history to do so. MacKenzie Rowland helped out by posting her sixth double-double of the season with 11 points and 15 rebounds. The senior forward also added six blocks and three steals.

A close game throughout, the Knights flipped the game on its side during the fourth quarter, outscoring their opponents 18-8. After an early three-pointer by Jenna Erickson put the Spartans up by four, 53-49, with just under nine minutes remaining, Queens began making its stand. A jump shot by Korzevinski had the Knights within two for a while as both teams struggled to score before Madison Rowland took over the offensive load from Korzevinski, who had carried that burden for most of the game. Madison scored nine points during the frame, none bigger than her clutch three-point shot with 57 seconds remaining that put the Knights ahead by five, 63-58, and essentially put the game out of reach for the Spartans. 

Queens held their opponents to a paltry 21 percent shooting clip in the fourth and recorded six steals to buttress Madison's scoring on the other end. With the win, the Knights improve to 7-3 in ECC play and 10-6 overall. St. Thomas Aquinas, meanwhile, dropped to 6-5 in conference and 13-6 overall. 

Playing a home game for the first time in over two weeks, Queens College had little help from the rims in Fitzgerald Gym. The Knights connected on only six of their 19 shots in the first frame while the Spartans shot 47 percent. Still the Knights were able to hang with the visitors, grabbing five offensive rebounds for seven second-chance points and snagging three steals. At the end of one quarter, the Knights were behind by only two points, 15-13. 

Turnovers and more missed shots by the Knights gave room for the Spartans to expand the lead at the start of the second. Back-to-back hoops plus the foul by St. Thomas' Kaitlyn McCue and Alex Bertolino gave the visitors their largest lead of the game, 23-12, with only two minutes having gone by in the quarter. Undaunted, the Knights forced their opponents into missing field goals and took advantage of the Spartans' inability to connect from the free throw line to get back into the game. Either by scoring the ball inside or getting to the line, Queens College went on an extended 12-2 run that brought them within one, 25-24, with just over three minutes to go in the half. Back-and-forth play between the two teams ensued, hitting a peak when Korzevinski connected on a four-point play from behind the arc with 12 seconds remaining. Heading into halftime, the Spartans led 34-32. 

Neither team was able to find much separation throughout the third. Again the Knights dominated the offensive glass, hauling in seven rebounds on that end to stay afloat despite streaky shooting. Korzevinski was the exception, connecting on four of her five shots during the frame for nine points. St. Thomas Aquinas scored two layups in the final minute to recapture the lead, 50-49, heading into the fourth. 

In the absence of consistent shooting for large spells of the game, the Knights compiled 15 offensive rebounds, 14 steals and ten blocks to help come away with the victory. For the Spartans, Bertolino led the way with 14 points and Samantha Burden chipped in 12 of her own.

Queens College will look to make it six in a row this Saturday, Jan. 30, when they take on conference foe Mercy College at home.