FLUSHING, N.Y. – In a game that featured one tie and nine lead changes, the Queens College women's basketball team used a 19-4 run over the final 6:40 minutes of play to emerge victorious over the visiting Mercy College Mavericks Thursday evening with a 68-59 victory in East Coast Conference play.
With the victory, the Knights earned a split of the season series and end a two-game losing skid to the Mavericks.
How it Happened
The visitors opened the game on a 6-0 run and held the Knights scoreless until 5:52 before senior
Nora Gabel (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) got the home side on the scoreboard knocking down two free throws. Queens would quickly tie the game 6-6 as freshman
Jennah DeGout (Bronx, N.Y.) tallied four straight points.
But the Mavericks would end the first quarter on a 13-7 run and take a six-point advantage, 19-13 lead into the second quarter.
Mercy would extend their lead to eight, 21-13 before Queens went on a 9-0 run from 8:06 to 5:45 to take a 22-21 lead. The Mavericks took a 25-24 lead but the Knights would respond with a 9-2 run over the final 4:07 of the second quarter and take a 33-27 lead heading into halftime as they held Mercy to 1-5 FG and force two turnovers in their run.
Queens came out strong in the third quarter as DeGout tallied four points to keep the seven-point advantage, 37-30 with 8:09 left in the third. Mercy cut the lead down to five, 37-32 before Gabel and sophomore
Aalia Carlson (Montclair, N.J.) combined for eight points to give the Knights an 11-point lead, 45-34 their biggest lead of the game with 3:09 to go.
After holding the Mavericks to just seven points, the visitors forced four Knights turnovers to end the third quarter on a 14-2 run and take a 48-47 lead heading into the last quarter of play.
The Knights would retake the lead on a Gabel layup, 49-48 before Mercy went on a 7-0 run from 8:10 to 6:40 to take a 55-49 lead.
Queens would take control of the game as DeGout knocked down two free throws to bring the Knights with four, 55-51 before Gabel connected from beyond the arc to cut the deficit down to one 55-54 at the 5:39 mark.
After the reign ECC Player of the Week DeGout gave the home side the lead for good at 4:51 following a second-chance bucket, 56-55 with 4:51, it was all Queens until the final buzzer.
In the Knights 19-4 run to close out the game Queens held the Mavericks to just two field goals and force three turnovers over the final 6:40 of play as the visitors went 2-of-15 from the field
Queens would ice the game at the charity stripe knocking down 12-of-14 FT to win 68-59 Wednesday evening.
By the Numbers
Three players scored in double figures as DeGout led the Knights offense with her sixth double-double of the season scoring 21 points (9-of-11 FG), 17 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. While Gabel stuffed the stat sheet notching 20 points (6-of-12 FG, 6-of-7 FT), four rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block.
Carlson tallied 17 points (4-of-11 FG) with six rebounds. While junior
Khadija Demry (Brooklyn, N.Y.) produced five points (2-of-5 FG) with a career-high seven rebounds and eight assists.
Queens shot 50.0 percent (23-of-46) from the field and 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from beyond the arc. While the Mavericks were held to 33.8 percent (23-of-68) from the field and 14.3 percent (3-of-21) from three.
Queens won the rebound battle with a 41-28 rebound margin.
UP NEXT: Queens hits the road Saturday (Feb. 12) afternoon as they travel to Sparkill, N.Y. to conclude the season series against the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College. Tip-off set for 1:00 p.m.
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