FLUSHING, N.Y. – They were voted to finish eighth in the preseason poll and were not supposed to be playing basketball in March but the Queens College men's basketball team had other ideas.
On Wednesday evening East Coast Conference postseason basketball returned to Flushing for the first time since the 2010-11 season as the Knights earned the fourth seed to host the Roberts Wesleyan College Redhawks inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium.
But Queens never recovered from their sluggish first half start as they fell 90-72 to Roberts Wesleyan to conclude their season.
Earning their second trip to postseason play for the second consecutive season, Queens finishes the 2021-2022 season with an overall record of 11-12, and 9-9 in conference play.
The Knights finish the regular season with a .500 record for the first time since the 2016-2017 season when they finished 13-12 overall and 10-8 in conference play. The nine conference wins are the most since the 16-17 season.
The fourth-place finish was the highest in ECC play since the 2010-11 season when they finished in third place with a 16-5 conference record.
How It Happened
Queens opened the scoring with a layup from sophomore
Dion Herrington (Englewood, N.J.) before freshman
Jayden Seraphin (Lakeview, N.Y) put the Knights up 4-0 at the 17:49 mark.
But the Redhawks would go on an 8-0 run to take an 8-4 lead as the Knights were held scoreless from 17:27 to 15:11 before junior
Tyler Carey (Bay Shore, N.Y) stopped the drought with a dunk.
Trailing by seven, 13-6 at the 12:14 mark, Queens would put together a quick 5-0 to get within two, 13-11 with 10:35 left until halftime.
But a 7-1 run by the Redhawks would put the Knights in a 10 point deficit, 22-12 that they would not recover from at the 8:30 mark.
Queens would attempt to keep the game within 10 for the remainder of the first half including a 6-2 run to end the first half as Herrington and freshman
Caudy Desmornes (Baldwin, N.Y.) knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to trail 42-32 at halftime.
Looking to recapture the same magic from their previous home victory over the Redhawks on Tuesday (Feb. 22), the Knights would begin the second half with a turnover.
A 10 point deficit would balloon to 15 points as the Knights were unable to recover from another slow start.
Queens season would come to end with a 90-78 loss in front of a packed home crowd.
By the Numbers
Herrington led the offense with a team-high 17 points (5-of-9 FG) with two rebounds and three assists. While Carey notched his first double-double of the season with 15 points (6-of-8 FG), game-high 12 rebounds, and two blocks.
Seraphin concluded his rookie year with 14 points (5-of-10 FG) with eight rebounds.
Queens were held to 39.3 percent (22-of-56) from the field, 27.3 percent (3-of-11) from beyond the arc, while Roberts Wesleyan shot 55.9 percent (33-of-59) from the field and 41.2 (7-of-17) from three.
Queens College seniors
Eddie Mehmetaj (Jamaica, N.Y.) and
Evan Goldberg (Wantagh, N.Y.) capped off their playing collegiate playing as they helped the Knights earn back-to-back postseason trips including their home playoff game since the 2010-11 season.
The 2021-2022 season saw the Knights reach new heights which included the following:
- Most wins 11-12 overall and 9-9 in conference play since the 2016-17 season
- Non-conference record of .500
- Earning a sweep over University of Bridgeport for the first time since the 2001-02 season
- Two East Coast Conference series sweep
But the Knights squad consisting of primarily underclassmen showed the best is yet to come!
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