FLUSHING, N.Y. – Trailing by 10 with 12:50 left in the second half, freshmen
Caudy Desmornes (Baldwin, N.Y.) and
Jayden Seraphin (Lakeview, N.Y) swung the momentum with a 19-0 run as the Queens College men's basketball team rallied back to defeat the visiting Redhawks of Roberts Wesleyan College Tuesday evening in East Coast Conference action inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium.
With the win, the Knights improve to 10-10 overall, 8-8 in ECC play, while the Redhawks moved to 11-11 overall, 9-8 in conference play.
How It Happened
It was a slow start for Queens as they found themselves trailing 8-0 at the 17:53 mark before sophomore
Dion Herrington (Englewood, N.J.) opened the scoring for the Knights. Herrington would start an 11-4 run for the Knights as they got within one, 12-11 with 14:40 left in the first half.
The Knights would continue to answer each Redhawks bucket as they stayed within one, 19-18 before the visitors went on an 11-2 run and led 30-20 at the 7:37 mark. Seraphin would stop the drought for the Knights at 7:25 but Roberts Wesleyan would stay ahead as they took advantage of Queens' turnovers.
With 2:09 left until halftime, Roberts Wesleyan jumped ahead by 15, 44-29 before Queens responded to trim their deficit. Led by sophomore
Malik Bentinck (Queens, N.Y.) and
Elijah Blackman (Queens, N.Y.), the Knights cut the deficit down to seven, 44-37 as the duo combined for eight points heading into halftime.
Roberts Wesleyan opened the second half with an 8-2 run from 19:43 to 15:18 as they extended the lead back to 13, 52-39 as the Knights committed eight turnovers.
A 6-2 run from 14:58 to 13:32 by Queens would swing the momentum their way. After Roberts went up by 10, 55-45 with 12:50 remaining, a layup by Herrington woke up the Knights from their slumber.
Desmornes went on a 5-0 run as the Baldwin native knocked down a corner three before hitting a jumper in the paint to bring Queens within three, 55-52 just before the under-12 media time out.
Senior
Eddie Mehmetaj (Jamaica, N.Y.) would get Queens within one, 55-54 out of the media timeout as he knocked down two free throws before a Seraphin jumper gave the Knights the lead for good with 10:29 to go.
After trailing the game for 28:44, Queens had finally found their rhythm. The Knights took a nine-point lead, 64-55 as the rookie duo of Seraphin and Desmornes combined for 10 points from 10:29 to 8:21 to continue the run.
Using a 19-0 run from 12:38 to 8:21, Queens held Roberts Wesleyan scoreless as the visitors went from 0-3 from the field and committed four turnovers.
The Redhawks would cut the advantage down to seven, 64-57 as they connected from the charity stripe, but an 8-4 run led by Mehmetaj and Seraphin would put Queens up by 11, 72-61 at the 5:32 mark.
Over the final 12:38 minutes of the second half, Queens outscored Roberts Wesleyan 45-18 as they defeated the visitors 90-73 to earn a key ECC series split.
By the Numbers
Four players scored in double-figures for the Knights as Seraphin tied a career-high 21 points (9-of-17 FG, 3-of-4 3PT) with five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, while Desmornes notched a career-high 14 points (4-of-8 FG, 3-of-4 3PT) with eight rebounds (career-high) off the bench.
Mehmetaj tallied his fifth double-double of the season as the senior stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points (4-of-9 FG, 6-of-6 FT) 10 rebounds, two blocks, two steals, while sophomore Herrington tallied 13 points (5-of-5 FT) with six assists, and four rebounds on the night.
Queens shot a blistering season-high 60.7 percent (34-of-56) from the field, 70.0 percent (7-of-10) from beyond the arc, while Roberts Wesleyan was held to 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the field, 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from three.
The Knights won the rebounds battle with a 39-28 margin and were scorching hot from downtown with a 71.43 percent (5-of-7 3PT) while holding the Redhawks to 12.50 percent (1-of-8 3PT) in the second half.
UP NEXT: The homestand continues for the Knights as they welcome the Saints of D'Youville University to Flushing Thursday (Feb. 24) evening. Tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.
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