BRIDGEPORT, CONN. – In a back and forth contest which saw nine lead changes and 11 score ties, freshman
Chelsea Reeves (Brooklyn, N.Y.) game-winning layup attempt just missed the mark as the Queens College women's basketball team dropped a hard-fought 67-66 East Coast Conference contest on the road against the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights at Harvey Hubbell Gym.
How it Happened
The first quarter saw both teams exchange buckets as the Knights went into the second quarter trailing 16-15. The Purple Knights would open the scoring to take an 18-15 lead before the Knights responded with a 7-0 run to take a 22-18 with 4:44 left until halftime. But Bridgeport would reclaim a 23-22 lead with a 5-0 run of their own.
Queens responded with a 7-1 run in the final 2:34 of the second quarter and took a 29-24 lead at halftime.
It was the home side that would open the third quarter on a 4-0 run to cut the Knights deficit to down one, 29-28 forcing a Queens timeout. Out of the timeout, the visitors responded with a 5-0 run as Demry and senior
Nora Gabel (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) knocked out down back-to-back shots to extend the lead to 34-28 with 8:08 left in the third quarter.
In a high-scoring third quarter which saw both teams combine for 50 points, Queens would continue to answer each Bridgeport bucket. The Knights would build their biggest lead of the afternoon with another 5-0 run to jump ahead by seven, 53-46 with 59 seconds left. The Purple Knights would cut the Knights' advantage down to three, 53-50 heading into the fourth quarter.
11 seconds into the start of play, Gabel responded with her fourth three-pointer of the game as Queens went ahead by six, 56-50. Bridgeport answered back with an 8-0 run to reclaim a 58-56 lead before Gabel stopped the run from the charity stripe with a made free throw.
Trailing 62-59, Gabel connected from deep with her fifth made three to tie the game 62-62 with 3:29 left in the game. After a Bridgeport shooting foul, Demry would put the Knights up 64-62 from the charity stripe with 2:52 remaining in the game. But the Purple Knights responded with a 5-0 run to take a 67-64 lead for good.
Demry would bring Queens within one, 67-66 as she went perfect from the charity stripe but it would be the closest the Knights would get as the Purple Knights held on for the win.
By the Numbers
Four players scored in double figures led by a team-high 18 points (6-of-14 FG, 6-of-6 FT) from Demry. Gabel notched her third consecutive double-digit performance with 16 points (5-of-11 3PT) and season-high five assists. For the second consecutive game, the Port Jefferson native made five three-pointers.
While freshman
Jennah DeGout (Bronx, N.Y.) tallied a near double-double with 14 points (5-of-10 FG) and a team-high nine rebounds. While classmate Reeves recorded 10 points (4-of-10 FG), seven rebounds, and five assists.
Queens shot 43.4 percent (23-of-53) from the field and 50.0 percent (7-of-14) from beyond the arc. While Bridgeport was held to 39.9 percent (27-of-68) from the field and 25.0 percent (2-of-8) from three.
Queens were hurt by turnovers as the home side scored 22 points off of 24 Knights turnovers.
UP NEXT: Queens concludes non-conference play on Wednesday (Jan. 26) as they welcome American International College Yellowjackets to Flushing. Tip-off set for 6:00 p.m.
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