FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to conclude 2023 and their non-conference play on a positive note, the Queens College women's basketball team matched up against the Hawks of the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT Saturday afternoon.
Led by rookie
Nkiru Awaka's (Hyde Park, N.Y.) fifth double-double of the year with 17 points and 12 rebounds and an excellent debut from junior
Amiyah Edney-Holmes (Philadelphia, PA) with a game-and-team-high 19 points, the Knights earned a 68-55 victory over the Hawks to conclude non-conference play.
Game Recap
Queens jumped ahead with a 6-0 run before the home side opened their account at the 5:20 mark. But the Knights would respond with a 4-0 run to take a 10-7 lead with 3:01 to go in the first quarter. However, the Hawks would end the quarter with a 4-2 run, but the Knights would take a 12-11 lead into the second quarter.
As Awaka extended Queens lead back to three, 14-11, Hartford would tie the game at 14-14 with 8:56 to go until halftime.
Edney-Holmes and Awaka would put the Knights on a 6-0 run as Queens took a 20-14 lead with 6:16 to go before a 7-1 run from the Hawks tied the game at 21-21 with 3:37 left in the quarter.
But the Knight would end the final 3:12 of the second quarter on an 8-4 run with rookie
Jordis Tautalatasi (Springfield, MA) beating the buzzer with a three-pointer as Queens took a 29-24 lead into halftime.
Queens opened the third quarter with a 13-0 run as they extended a five-point lead into 17 points, 42-25 as Awaka and rookie
Jalea Abrams (Elmira, N.Y.) combined for 11 points in their run.
The Knights' defense would hold the Hawks without a field goal until the 3:40 mark. But Queens would end the quarter on a 6-2 run as they took an 18-point lead of 48-30 into the final 10 minutes of the game.
Queens would shoot 57.1% from the field as they held the Hawks to 12.5% from the field with only two made field goals.
The Hawks opened the fourth quarter with a 10-4 run as they cut the Knights lead down to 10 points, 52-42 with 7:49 to go, but it would be the closest the home side would get within a comeback as Edney-Holmes tallied 10 points
(4-of-6 FG) in the fourth quarter to keep the Knights in front as Queens earned a 68-55 victory to conclude 2023 on a high note.
By the Numbers
- Awaka recorded her fifth double-double of the year with 17 points (7-of-12 FG), a team-high 12 rebounds, two blocks, and three steals.
- In her Knights debut, Edney-Holmes recorded 19 points (8-of-15 FG) to go with five rebounds and one steals in 19 minutes off the bench.
- Tautalatasi tallied nine points (4-of-7 FG, 1-of-1 3PT) to go with three assists, two rebounds and two steals.
- Sophomore Brianna Davis (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded eight points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the contest.
- As a team, the Knights shot 46.8% as they went 29-62 from the field, while the Hawks were held to 31.7% going 19-60 from the field.
- Queens forced 30 Hawks turnovers into 21 points.
Next Game
The Knights open 2024 on Wednesday (Jan. 10) evening in Rockville Centre, N.Y. as they visit the Lions of Molloy University in East Coast Conference play. Tip-off set for 5:00 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).
