FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to conclude their three-game homestand on a positive note, the trio of rookie
Nkiru Awaka (Hyde Park, N.Y.), sophomore
Brianna Davis (Bronx, N.Y.) and junior
Lateisha Willis (Nottingham, England) registered double-doubles as the Queens College women's basketball team defeated the Wildcats of Wilmington University inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium Wednesday evening.
Rookie Awaka powered the Knights with her fourth double-double of the year with a career-high 29 points and 11 rebounds, while Davis and Willis each tallied their first double-double of the year with the sophomore recording 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Willis with 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Knights earned an 86-62 wire-to-wire non-conference victory over the Wildcats.
With the win, the Knights earned their third victory of the year and even the overall series against Wilmington at 2-2 as they earned their first home victory over their regional opponent.
Game Recap
Queens wasted no time opening the scoring as Davis recorded five quick points before the duo of Awaka and rookie
Jordis Tautalatasi (Springfield, MA) tallied back-to-back buckets to give the Knights a 9-0 lead forcing an early Wilmington timeout at the 7:41 mark.
As the Wildcats used the timeout to their advantage, they would record back-to-back buckets to cut the Knights' lead down to 9-5 before Queens went on a 14-7 run from the 6:37 mark to take an 11-point edge of 23-12 heading into the second quarter of play.
In the second quarter, the Knights would shoot over 60% from the field as the home side used an 18-2 run from the 9:35 mark to the 4:32 to extend their advantage to 27 points for a 41-14 lead.
Both teams would trade buckets for the remainder of the quarter but the Knights early advantage would see them take a 26-point lead of 50-24 heading into the locker room at halftime.
Consistent scoring in the second half would see the Knights stay ahead in double-digits to earn the non-conference victory over the Wildcats to the final score of 86-62 Wednesday evening.
By the Numbers
- Rookie Awaka tallied her fourth career double-double with a career-and-game-high of 29 points (13-of-18 FG, 3-of-6 FT), and 11 rebounds to go with three steals and two blocks.
- Davis recorded her sixth career double-double and first of the season with 26 points (9-of-14 FG, 4-of-4 3PT, 4-of-4 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists (career-best), and two steals.
- Willis tallied her first double-double of the year with 12 points (5-of-10 FG, 2-of-2 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists (career-best), and one block.
- Freshman Jalea Abrams (Elmira, N.Y.) notched nine points, while recording a career-best six assists and matched a career-best of seven rebounds in an all-round performance.
- Rookie Tautalatasi tallied four points, a game-high eight assists to go with three steals and two rebounds.
- As a team, the Knights shot a season-best 53.0% as they went 35-66 from the field, while the Wildcats were held to 37.9% going 25-66 from the field.
- Queens held a 47-29 rebounding edge as they earned an 18-6 advantage on second-chance points.
- The Knights tallied 27 assists on 35 made field goals.
- The 27 assists are the second most in a single game since Queens tallied 28 assists against Dowling on January 31, 1991
Next Game
The Knights conclude the week in Worcester, MA as they match up against defending East Regional Champions and #7 Regionally-ranked Greyhounds of Assumption University on Saturday (Dec. 16) afternoon. Tip-off set for 1:30 p.m.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), Queens College WBB (QCKNIGHTS_WBB), and Instagram (qcknightsny), women's basketball (qcknightswbb).
