ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Jan. 11, 2019) - The three-pointers fell in bunches for the Queens College men's basketball team at the Voller Athletic Center in Rochester on Friday (Jan. 11). When forty minutes of basketball had been played, Elijah Bovell and Dwayne Henry, Jr. had combined for 44 points as the Knights knocked off the Redhawks by a 95-90 score in an East Coast Conference match-up.

Things did not start off swimmingly for the Knights (3-12, 3-2 ECC) as Queens found itself down immediately in a 10-2 hole as Jean Toussaint scored six points in that five-minute run for the host Redhawks (6-5, 2-2 ECC). Queens spent most of the first half playing catch-up as Roberts extended its lead to double-digits several times over the opening frame despite attempts from Bovell to bring the visitors back into the contest. With six minutes remaining in the opening half, the sophomore guard threw down a breakaway slam dunk on a steal and pass from senior forward Jordan Curtis that brought QC within a seven-point deficit at 33-26. Mere minutes later, however, a three-point basket from Isaiah Lewis gave Roberts a 43-30 lead. Queens did not fold, though, as the Knights ended the half on a 11-5 run thanks to trifectas from Henry and Tyrese Crosdale as well as a lay-up in the paint by Chris Brizan. Roberts Wesleyan led 48-41 at the halftime break, but momentum had shifted slightly in favor of the visitors.

It took the Knights almost halfway through the second half to capitalize on that momentum; nevertheless, a three-pointer from Keenan Gorski evened the score at 59-all with 11:15 to play in regulation. Following a missed trey at the other end by Peyton McLaurin, Henry converted on a lay-up to put Queens ahead---for the first time in the contest---by two points. The sophomore guard then knocked down an electrifying three-pointer to give Queens a 64-59 advantage at the mid-point of play. The second half then took on a reverse feel of the first half as Roberts played catch-up but Queens would continue to have an answer for each Redhawks rally. In one such instance, a jumper by McLaurin brought the hosts within a six-point deficit with over four-and-a-half minutes to play only for Crosdale and Bovell to start a 6-0 run to push Queens ahead by twelve points just one minute later. The 82-70 lead was bolstered to a 90-78 advantage with one minute to play before the hosts staged their final effort to steal the victory. A three-pointer from Lewis led to a turnover and steal which gave Reggie Clark two free throws to bring Roberts within a 90-83 deficit. Jelani Williams would be fouled and make one free throw, but Lewis knocked down another three-pointer to make the score 91-86 with 44 seconds remaining. Another giveaway by the Knights led to a McLaurin lay-up at the other end and the Redhawks found themselves in a one-possession game at 91-88 with thirty seconds to go. A pair of missed free throws from QC allowed McLaurin to drive towards the basket, but this time the lay-up was too strong; Curtis secured the rebound and Bovell made two key free throws to ultimately ice the game as Roberts would not steal the 'W'.

Bovell posted a team-high 24 points for Queens in the victory, shooting 8-for-17 from the field and pulling down seven rebounds. Henry's twenty-point night came off the bench, as the Woodstock native shot 4-of-6 from three-point territory in his minutes of action. Crosdale's 18 points and Gorski's 17 points included a combined 50% (7-14) rate from beyond the arc and Curtis was a monster on the glass with ten total rebounds to go along with four assists. Shomari Redd was the distributor of the evening, though, with an eight-assist performance to bolster the Knights to the win.

McLaurin's game-high 29 points came in a losing effort, but the guard went 10-for-16 from the field and filled the stat sheet with seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. Lewis added 15 points and Toussaint had 14 for Roberts. The game featured very few miscues on both sides of the ball; the Redhawks turned the ball over 12 times while the Knights gave the ball away only nine times in the contest.

Queens will look to build on the conference win with a contest Sunday (Jan. 13) against ECC stalwart Daemen. The contest begins at 1 p.m. and will emanate from Lumsden Gymnasium in Amherst, N.Y.