ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – Looking to earn their first series win since the 2015-16 season, the Queens College men's basketball team were unable to rally back in the second half as they fell 79-74 to the Lions of Molloy College at Quealy Gymnasium.
With the loss, the Knights move to 6-6 overall, 4-4 in East Coast Conference action, while Lions improved to 7-11 overall, 6-3 in ECC play. The Knights split the series 1-1 as Queens won 76-68 in Flushing back on December 15, 2021.
How It Happened
It was a back and forth early on as both sides traded buckets. After Molloy went up 13-7 with 13:35 to go, sophomore
Dion Herrington (Englewood, N.J.) would lead the Knights on a 7-0 run to take a 14-13 lead with 11:07 left until halftime.
But the Lions went on a 10-2 run taking a seven-point advantage, 23-16 lead before the Knights rallied back. Queens would go on an 11-4 run and tie the game 27-27 but Molloy ended the final 3:06 minutes of play on a 13-5 run taking an eight-point lead, 40-32 into halftime.
The Lions opened the second half on another 8-2 run taking a 14 point lead, their biggest lead of the game 48-34 with 18:22 to go.
Queens would rally back to tie the game 51-51 with a 17-3 run but it would be the closest Queens would get within before falling to the final score of 79-74.
By the Numbers
Herrington led all scorers with a career-high 23 points (10-of-15 FG), while freshman
Caudy Desmornes (Baldwin, N.Y.) tallied a career-high 11 points (4-of-9 FG, 3-of-6 3PT) off the bench.
Junior
William Ellis (Valley Stream, N.Y.) scored 11 points (4-of-10 FG) off the bench and senior
Eddie Mehmetaj (Jamaica, N.Y.) notched a near double-double with seven points (2-of-5 FG) and 11 rebounds.
Queens shot 42.4 percent (28-of-66) from the field and 33.3 percent (6-of-18) from beyond the arc, while Molloy shot 47.2 percent (25-of-53) from the field and 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from three.
UP NEXT: Queens opens the last month of the regular season starting with a road trip to Staten Island, N.Y. as the Knights go up against College of Staten Island Dolphins. Tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.
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