WASHINGTON, DC – East Coast Conference play opened up in the nation's capital for thee Queens College women's basketball team as they matched up against the University of the District of Columbia Firebirds.
 
After trailing by as many as 27 points in the second half the Knights couldn't complete the fourth-quarter comeback on Saturday afternoon at UDC Gymnasium as the Knights (0-5 overall, 0-1 ECC) fell 77-68 to the Firebirds (6-4 overall, 2-0 ECC). 
 
How it Happened 
 
Queens got off to a quick start as they scored the first seven-point of the game with 6:40 left in the first quarter. But UDC would answer back with an 11-4 run as both teams went into the media timeout tied 11-11.
 
Junior Tsahai Corbie (Brooklyn, N.Y.) would tie the game 15-15, but with 2:34 left in the first quarter, the Knights would go cold as the Firebirds ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 22-15 lead. 
 
In the second quarter a slew of turnovers and offensive inconsistencies would put the Knights in a 21-point deficit at halftime. 
 
The Firebirds would extend their advantage to 27 points with 7:40 left in the third quarter. With UDC looking to runway with the game and Queens trailing 49-22, Corbie gave her team a new lifeline as she rattled off six straight points. The Knights would cut the deficit down to 18 as Corbie dished out back-to-back assists to the freshman duo of Farrah Pitt (Valley Stream, N.Y.)  and Chelsea Reeves (Brooklyn, N.Y.),

It was the Corbie (11 points (3-of-5 FG) and Pitt (9 points 3-of-3 FG, 2-of-2 3PT FG) show in the third quarter as they combined for 20 points. With the Firebirds being held to 29.4 percent shooting, the Knights seemed to have found their rhythm as they stayed hot through the third quarter shooting 64.3% percent. Queens would end the third quarter on an 11-0 run and trailing by five, 55-50. 
 
Just 34 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Knights would quickly tie the game 55-55 on a Reeves layup and freshman Julia DeBeatham (Menands, N.Y.) three-pointer. UDC would extend the lead back to 60-56 before DeBeatham knocked down her second trey of the fourth quarter and get the Knights within one, 60-59 with 6:19 left to play. 
 
But the Firebirds would continue to answer each bucket and maintain their lead over the Knights. Corbie would bring Queens within one, 63-62 as she connected from beyond the arc. But Queens would run out of steam as UDC closed out the game on a 14-6 run to defeat Queens to the final score of 77-68.
 
By the Numbers
 
Corbie led the Knights with a career-high 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting, five assists, and three steals. While the freshman trio of Reeves, Pitt, and Debeatham put up career-high numbers in the Knights rally. Reeves tallied her first career double-double with 13 points (4-of-10 FG), career-high 12 rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Pitt tallied 10 points (3-of-5 FG) with eight rebounds, while DeBeatham put up 10 points (4-of-6 FG) including going 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, with seven rebounds and four assists. 
 
Queens shot 37.9 percent (22-of-58) from the field and 40.0 percent (6-of-14) from three. While UDC shot 35.6 percent (26-of-73) from the field and 20.0 percent (5-of-25) from beyond the arc. 
 
UP NEXT: Queens returns home on Wednesday (Dec. 15) as they welcome the Lions of Molloy College in conference play. Tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.
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