FLUSHING, N.Y. – After having gone 52 days without a home game and going 4-2 on their six-game road trip, the Queens College men's basketball team led wire-to-wire as they defeated the visiting Firebirds of the University of the District of Columbia Saturday afternoon in Fitzgerald Gymnasium in East Coast Conference play.
With the win, the Knights improved to 8-6 overall, 6-4 in ECC play, while the Firebirds moved to 6-17 overall, 5-8 in conference play.
Queens moved to third place in the conference standings with Molloy College going 0-2 on the week. The Knights split the season series with the Firebirds 1-1 as they ended a two-game losing streak against UDC.
How It Happened
It was a slow start for both teams as they went 0-5 from the field before the Knights opened the scoring at the 18:15 mark with freshman
Shamar Chester (Queens, N.Y.) knocking down a jumper in the paint before a three-pointer by freshman
Jayden Seraphin (Lakeview, N.Y.) put the home side up 5-0 at 16:43.
The Knights would keep the visitors scoreless until 16:09 before the Firebirds on the board. Queens would go on a 7-2 run as the Knights went up 12-4 with 13:38 left in the first half.
Queens stayed in control throughout the first half maintaining a lead of eight points. UDC would get within three, 19-16 as the Firebirds went on a 6-1 run from 7:23 to 5:43.
After the Firebirds cut the Knights down to four, 28-24, a three-pointer by sophomore
Dion Herrington (Englewood, N.J.) would give the Knights a seven-point advantage, 31-24 going into halftime.
UDC would continue to stay in the game as they kept the game within three possessions. Just before the 16-minute media timeout, the Knights would a nine-point lead 39-30 as they went on a 6-2 run. But UDC would make Queens work for the victory as they went on a 10-4 run to get within three, 43-40 forcing a Knights timeout.
Queens would extend the lead back up to eight, 48-40 as Seraphin tallied back-to-back buckets but once again UDC used a run of their own to get within two with 8:15 left in the game.
Led by Herrington and Chester, the Knights went on a 9-1 run taking a 10-point lead, 57-47 their biggest lead of the game with 5:46 to go in the game.
With UDC refusing to go away, Queens would have to dig deep to prevent a Firebirds rally. After a steal by freshman
Caudy Desmornes (Baldwin, N.Y.) and a dunk by Seraphin put the Knights up by six, 59-53 with 51 seconds remaining. Queens sealed the game 63-59 at the charity stripe as Herrington and senior
Eddie Mehmetaj (Jamaica, N.Y.) went 4-of-4 in the final 24 seconds of regulation to earn a key conference victory Saturday afternoon.
By the Numbers
All five starters combined for 100% of the Knights total points with Harrington leading the way with a game-high 22 points (7-of-13 FG, 5-of-6 FG) with six rebounds. It is the second 20-point game for the sophomore in three games.
Seraphin tallied 16 points (7-of-11 FG) to go with five boards. While Mehmetaj tallied a near double-double with 11 points (3-of-8 FG), eight rebounds, and five assists. Mehmetaj went perfect at the charity stripe going 5-of-5 on the day. Chester notched 10 points (4-of-10 FG) with three rebounds and three assists.
While junior
Tyler Carey (Bay Shore N.Y.) put on their defensive clinic as the Bay Shore native notched eight rebounds, four assists, and four blocks in the victory.
Queens shot 37.3 percent (22-of-59) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from beyond the arc, while UDC shot 44.3 percent (27-of-61) from the field but were blank from three-point land (0-of-5).
The Knights held a slim 39-36 rebounding margin.
UP NEXT: The homestand continues as Queens hosts the Mavericks of Mercy College on Wednesday (Feb. 9) evening. Tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.
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