FLUSHING, N.Y. – Returning home after a three-game road spell, the Queens College men's basketball team were aggressive in the early going before falling to conference-leading St. Thomas Aquinas, 78-65, on Wednesday night.

Junior Diego Maldonado connected on three three-pointers and was 5-of-8 shooting overall on his way to leading the Knights with 15 points. Meanwhile, fellow junior Tyree White solidified his hold on third place in the nation in steals per game by racking in seven takeaways. The ballhawk also added eight points and eight rebounds, coming close to an unconventional triple-double. 

Back home at Fitzgerald Gymnasium for the first time in two weeks, Queens got off to a steady, free-flowing start. The Knights assisted on every one of their first eight field goals, and jumped out to a seven-point lead, 21-14, after a three-ball by Malcolm Moore tore through the net. It capped a 7-0 run for the home team and forced the visiting Spartans to take their second timeout of the game with just over nine minutes remaining in the first half.

Over the next six minutes, however, St. Thomas Aquinas rolled off a 17-2 run to tilt the score 31-23 in their favor. Point guard Chaz Watler converted on eight of his 14 points during the span, galvanizing the Spartans to take a 36-29 lead into halftime. 

Needing to replicate their performance to begin the game, the Knights instead found themselves on the wrong end of a dunk and made jump shot by redshirt freshman Justin Reyes, who tied for game-high honors in scoring with 16. Down by 11 with under 18 minutes remaining, Queens mounted a comeback off the energy and effort of White. The junior from Brooklyn, NY, grabbed an offensive rebound for a put-back score before pitching in two blocks on consecutive defensive possessions. A jumper and a pair of free throws by Maldonado had the Knights back within five, 42-37, with 15 minutes to go.

St. Thomas Aquinas responded defiantly and definitively, tearing the game open with a 16-2 run that spanned just over two minutes of game time. Fellow leading scorer, Shaquille McFarlan had eight of his 16 points during the Spartans' offensive flurry and St. Thomas Aquinas strode to a 78-65 victory. 

With the loss, the Knights now sit at 3-7 in East Coast Conference play and 5-10 overall. On the other end, the win nudges St. Thomas Aquinas to the top of the conference standings by a half-game with their 9-2 ECC record. The Spartans are 15-4 for the full season. 

Queens stays home for its next game on Saturday, Jan. 30 against Mercy College.