FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to end the month of January on a strong note, the junior duo of
Shamar Chester (Queens, N.Y.) and
Jayden Seraphin (Lakeview, N.Y.) combined for 53 points as the Queens College men's basketball team defeated the Mavericks of Mercy University inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium Wednesday evening in East Coast Conference play.
Led by two career-high performances with Chester recording 28 points and Seraphin with 25 points, while sophomore
Eric Tynes (Springfield, MA.) recorded 10 points off the bench, the Knights earned a high-scoring affair victory to the final score of 96-84 to open a three-game homestand on a high note.
With the win, Queens improved their record to 12-8 and 6-3 in ECC play. The 6-3 league record moves the Knights into a tie for second place with College of Staten Island.
Head coach
Matt Collier and the Knights finished the month of January with a 6-1 record including a 3-0 record at home.
Match Recap
It was a game of runs as both teams traded buckets in the early going. With the Knights leading 12-6 with 16:52 to go in the first half, the Mavericks answered with a 16-5 run from the 16:33 mark to the 12:36 mark to take a 22-17 lead.
But Queens would answer back with a 15-6 run from the 12:21 mark to the 7:30 mark as they took a 32-28 advantage.
Mercy would cut Queens' advantage down to one, 36-35 before a 9-0 run from the 4:31 mark to the 2:59 mark put the Knights up by 10, 45-35
(their largest lead of the half). But the Mavericks would end the first half on a 7-2 run to cut Queens' lead down to five, 47-42 heading into the locker rooms.
The visitors used their first-half momentum to begin the second half on a strong note using an 11-6 run to tie the game at 53-53 with 17:01 left in the game.
But the Knights would quickly regroup as a three-pointer from junior
Javier Contreras (Valley Stream, N.Y.) started an 8-2 run as Queens took a 61-55 lead with 15:07 to go, a lead they would not surrender for the rest of the game.
As both teams continued to trade buckets, the Mavericks would cut the home side advantage down to three points, 70-67 with 9:21 to go before Queens went on an 11-0 run from the 8:28 mark to the 4:21 mark to take a 14 point lead of 81-67, a double-digit lead that would not dip below 11 points for the remainder of the game to earn a 96-84 victory over the Mavericks in ECC play.
By the Numbers
- Chester recorded a career-high 28 points (9-of-17 FG, 4-of-5 3PT, 6-of-8 FT) to go with seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals.
- Seraphin recorded a career-high 25 points (11-of-17 FG, 1-of-2 3PT, 2-of-3 FT) to go with five rebounds and five assists.
- Tynes tallied 10 points, and two assists off the bench.
- Contreras recorded eight points (3-of-5 FG, 2-of-2 3PT) to go three assists, one rebound and one steal.
- Junior Omar Nkonde (Harlem, N.Y.) recorded a near double-double with eight points (4-of-8 FG), a career-best eight rebounds, and four blocks.
- While senior Malik Bentinck (St. Albans, N.Y) tallied a near double-double with seven points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks on the evening.
- As a team, the Knights shot 50.0% going 39-of-78 from the field, while the Mavericks were held to 46.5% on 33-of-71 shooting.
- Queens held a slim rebounding margin of 43-40 with a 16-7 advantage on second chance points.
- For the second time in January, the Knights touched double-digit in blocks as they recorded 11 on the night.
Next Game
The Knights continue their homestand on Saturday (Feb. 3) afternoon as they welcome defending ECC Champions Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College to Flushing. Tip-off set for 1:00 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 MBB (@QCKnights_MBB) and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's basketball (qcmensbball).
