ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Jan. 23, 2019) – Lucy Tougas scored a team-high 22 points and was just shy of a double-double as the Queens College women's basketball team knocked off Molloy by a 72-65 score on Wednesday (Jan. 23) at Quealy Gymnasium in Rockville Centre.
 
The scoring began in the opening minute of play with Beth Bonin sinking a three-pointer for Queens (3-14, 2-7 ECC) to stake the Knights out to a 3-0 lead. The visitors held a 7-2 lead on back-to-back buckets by My'eesa Grant and Tougas, but Molloy (6-13, 1-8 ECC) eventually took a 12-9 lead after a three-ball from Ihnacinse Grady with four minutes left to go in the quarter. Grady's trifecta with over a minute to play in the quarter gave the host Lions an 18-15 lead that would carry into the second quarter of play. Kaitlyn Mahon began the second quarter by converting a three-point play, but the Knights eventually went behind thanks to a long run from Molloy. A lay-up by Keely McEachern jump-started the spurt for the Lions, which only ended after Queens called a time-out at the mid-point of the period; Molloy led at that stage by a 32-22 margin following a 14-4 run over four-plus minutes of action. Out of the time-out, Queens chipped away at the deficit as Grant opened things with a lay-up on a feed from Emer Moloney. Tougas would hit a jumper next followed by four straight points from Analeza Edore and a half-ending three-pointer from Mahon to tie the score at 33-all. QC had, to that point, held Molloy scoreless for three minutes after Melody Prichard's free throw.
 
Tougas had a three-point play to start the third quarter of play as Queens took an early edge out of the gate; the sophomore's next and-one opportunity with under six minutes to go in the quarter put QC up by a 43-37 score but led to an 8-0 run by Molloy that put the Lions up 45-43 after three-pointers by Prichard and Tyra Harrison. The Knights ended the quarter on an 8-2 run, however, as the team led 51-47 after three quarters of play. After Molloy brought the game within a possession, Grant converted on consecutive chances inside the paint to jump start Queens to an eventual victory. Tougas scored on another jumper and a three-ball by Moloney put QC ahead by a 60-49 score with six minutes left in regulation as the Knights paid dividends with a 9-0 run over a three-minute stretch of play. Molloy closed to within a six-point deficit at 60-54 but could not get closer as Queens closed out the game with perfect free throw shooting to earn the conference 'W'.
 
Tougas shot 8-for-18 from the floor and led the Knights with 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the victory. Grant had an impressive game as well with 18 points (9-of-11 from the field) with six rebounds while Mahon posted a 12-point evening. Bonin added 11 points in the win as Queens shot 26-of-58 (45%) from the floor. The Knights' victory was coupled with an emphatic statement at the free throw line as Queens went a perfect 17-for-17 from the stripe in the triumph. QC won the rebound battle with a plus-11 (36-25) margin on the glass including 11 offensive rebounds.
 
Prichard posted a game-high 25 points for Molloy in the loss, hitting 6-of-8 from beyond the three-point line to go with seven rebounds. Grady added 13 points for the Lions with four assists and four steals. Molloy shot 49% (24-49) from the floor and hit 57% (8-14) of its three-pointers but the Lions were done in by porous foul shooting (9-18, 50%) and 14 turnovers which led to 19 Queens points.
The Knights are next in action on Wednesday (Jan. 30) as the team begins the second half of conference play at home with a showcase against NYIT. Tip-off from Fitzgerald Gymnasium is set for 7 p.m.