FLUSHING, N.Y. – The Quest for the program's fourth East Coast Conference Championship gets underway March 1 as the Queens College women's basketball team returns to postseason play.
 
The Knights finished the regular season with an overall record of 8-19 and 5-11 in conference play. 
 
But they would end a three-year postseason appearance drought as they earned the sixth seed and make their return to the ECC Tournament for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
 
The last time Queens was the sixth seed was during the 2012-13 season postseason tournament. 
 
Head Coach Bet Naumovski and the Knights are in search of the program's fourth title and third under Naumovski's guidance. 
 
"It has been a season of adversity, so I could not be more proud of this team for remaining focused and determined. They have battled valiantly and I'm so happy that their hard work has been rewarded with an ECC playoff bid." Stated Naumovski. 
 
The Knights will match up against the Mercy College Mavericks who finished the regular season with an overall record of 17-9 and 11-5 in East Coast Conference play.
 
The Mavericks earned the series sweep over the Knights for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
 
It will be the first meeting between both sides in postseason play. 
 
Season Recap vs. Mavericks
The Mavericks took the first meeting of the season in a tight victory by the score of 50-48 on Saturday (Jan. 21) afternoon before completing the series sweep in Flushing to the final score of 66-52 on Saturday (Feb. 25) afternoon. 
 
Scouting the Knights
 
In a season filled with various challenges and injuries including the big loss of three-time ECC Rookie of the Week in freshman forward Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) who was leading the Knights in scoring (13.1) and rebounds (7.3) per game with three double-doubles in eight games. 
 
But just as the Knights were finding a consistent lineup, they would lose Lapertosa for the season, but the loss would see another rookie rise in the Bronx native of Brianna Davis who would go on to average 10.3 points, and 6.2 rebounds with five double-doubles in 25 games played and earning 21 starts. 
 
Davis has earned Rookie of the Week honors on three occasions and earned a Honor Roll spot on Feb. 6. She has also earned MBWA Honorable Mention honors on two separate occasions. 
 
In 27 games, Queens is averaging 56.7 points per game on 38.1% shooting, 36.8 rebounds, and 12.0 assists per game. 
 
Since the loss of Lapterosa, sophomore Chelsea Reeves (Brooklyn, N.Y.) is averaging 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game having tallied a team-high 328 points on the season. 
 
Reeves has recorded four double-doubles and 15 double-digit scoring efforts on the season and earned two ECC Player of the Week honors and a Honor Roll spot. Also, Reeves has earned two Honorable mentions from the MBWA this season 
 
Scouting the Mavericks

• Mercy enters the week with an overall record of 17-9 and 11-5 in ECC play. 
  • In 26 games they are averaging 60.7 points on 36.1% shooting, 39.3 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game.
• Katie Wall leads the offense averaging 14.1 points per game
  •  Wall tallied a season-high 31 points against STAC on Feb. 8.
• Taysha Bender is averaging 10.9 points per game.
  • Bender recorded a season-high 30 against the District of Columbia on Dec. 3.

The Knights are looking for their first championship crown since the 2015-16 season when they earned back-to-back titles. 

Action gets underway on Wednesday (Mar. 1) evening in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 

2023 East Coast Conference Women's Basketball Championship
First Round – Wednesday, March 1 at campus sites
5:30 p.m. - No. 5 Staten Island at No. 4 Dist. Columbia
7:00 p.m. - No. 6 Queens at No. 3 Mercy
 
Semifinals – Saturday, March 4 at Daemen
12:00 p.m. - CSI/UDC vs.  No. 1 Daemen
3:00 p.m. - QC/MER vs. No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas
 
Final – Sunday, March 5 at Daemen
12:00 p.m. - Semifinal winner vs. Semifinal winner
 

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