SPARKILL, N.Y. (Jan. 18, 2020) – Despite a strong day from several juniors on the Queens College men's basketball team, the Knights could not keep up with St. Thomas Aquinas guard Osbel Caraballo as the Spartans defended Aquinas Hall to the tune of an 88-77­ victory on Saturday (Jan. 18).
 
STAC is now 16-2 on the season and 6-0 in East Coast Conference play while Queens falls to 3-13 overall and 2-5 in league action.
 
Junior guards Elijah Bovell and Tyrese Crosdale combined for 39 points on the afternoon with Bovell leading QC with 26. The two players went 13-for-29 from the field and 8-of-15 from beyond the three-point line as well. Meanwhile, Wayne Li had an efficient game in the low post as the junior center scored 14 points and hit 7-of-9 from the field.
 
Caraballo had a game-high 27 points and added nine rebounds for the host Spartans. Sekou Cisse collected 23 points and nine rebounds. The top-two scorers for STAC went 20-for-28 from the field in the contest. Demetre Roberts added 20 points in the win for St. Thomas Aquinas.
 
It was a close first half as the Knights led by a 14-13 margin at the midpoint of the frame before St. Thomas Aquinas scored 14 unanswered points in a four-minute stretch to claim a 27-14 lead. The run was broken by a Li jumper with under six minutes until halftime but the damage had been done as Queens would trail 43-26 at the break. Bovell started the second half with a three-point shot on the opening possession but the hosts did not relinquish the lead; Queens could only get within a ten-point deficit late in the half.
 
The Knights shot 29-of-61 (47.5%) from the floor but could not keep the hosts from scorching the hardwood; St. Thomas Aquinas hit 52% (34-65) of its field goal attempts in the contest.
 
Queens will host District of Columbia on Wednesday (Jan. 22) in Flushing at 7:30 p.m.