FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to end non-conference play on a high note Wednesday evening, the Queens College women's basketball team had a number of stellar performances in the 76-70 victory over American International College Yellow Jackets inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium.
Four Knights players scored in double-digits to help Queens end a seven-game losing skid over the Yellow Jackets as the Knights picked up their first victory over AIC in program history.
How it Happened
The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring with a three-pointer before senior
Nora Gabel (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) responded with a three of her own to tie the game 3-3 with 8:27 left in the first quarter. Following Gabel's shot, Queens went on an 8-0 led by Gabel and sophomore
Aalia Carlson (Montclair, N.J.) as the Knights took a 10-3 lead forcing an AIC timeout.
The Knights would end the first quarter on a 16-3 run spanning a total time of 9:46 to take a 16-6 lead heading into the second quarter.
Queens took a 14 point lead (20-6), their biggest lead of the game as Gabel connected on her second shot from beyond the arc. But the visitors would respond with an 8-0 run to get within two, 20-18 before a jumper from junior
Khadija Demry (Brooklyn, N.Y.) stopped the bleeding to extend the lead back to four, 22-18.
After missing the last three games, freshman
Julia DeBeatham (Menands, N.Y.) returned to action and quickly made an impact as she tallied five quick points to extend the lead to seven, 30-27. But AIC would cut the deficit down to five, 30-25 heading into halftime.
The Knights opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run to extend their advantage back to double-digit taking an 11 point lead, 36-25 with 8:27 left in the third quarter. Queens shot 56.3 percent (9-of-16 FG) in the third quarter as Demry and DeBeatham combined for 14 points to take an eight-point advantage, 51-43 heading to the last quarter of play.
The Yellow Jackets opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run and cut the home side advantage down to one, 53-52 with 7:24 left in the game. But the young Knights team still learning to close out a game with a lead in hand were led by freshmen duo of DeBeatham and
Jennah DeGout (Bronx, N.Y.) as the duo combined for seven points to extend their lead back up to six, 60-54 with 4:26 left in the game.
With 2:12 left to play AIC would cut the Knights advantage down to four, 67-64, but Queens would ice the game at the charity stripe going 7-of-10 to end non-conference play on a high with a 76-70 victory.
By the Numbers
For the second straight game, four players scored in double figures led by a team-high 16 points (6-of-9 FG) from Carlson, while Demry tallied 15 points (6-of-12 FG) to go with three rebounds.
It was a career night for the young DeBeatham as the rookie notched a career-high 15 points (7-of-12 FG) to go with five rebounds and five assists (career-high). The Port Jefferson Station native Gabel continued her stellar shooting form as she tallied her fourth straight double-digit performance with 14 points (3-of-3 FG, 5-of-6 FT) as she went perfect from beyond the arc (3-of-3 3PT) and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.
DeGout stuffed the stat sheet with seven points (3-of-10 FG) with eight rebounds and career-high four blocks and four steals in the victory.
Queens shot a searing season-high 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the field and 55.9 percent (7-of-14) from beyond the arc. While AIC was held to 37.5 percent (27-of-72) from the field and 23.1 percent (6-of-28) from three.
Queens tallied 20 assists on 28 made field-goal and outscored the Yellow Jackets 11-2 in fast break points.
UP NEXT: Queens returns to East Coast Conference play on Saturday (Jan. 29) as they visit Rockville Centre, N.Y. with a matchup against Molloy College Lions (7-8 overall, 4-4 ECC). Tip-off is set for noon.
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