FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to conclude their 2023-2024 season on a strong note, the Queens College women's basketball team welcomed the Dolphins of College of Staten Island to Fitzgerald Gymnasium in East Coast Conference play Saturday afternoon.
Three Knights scored in double figures led by rookie
Nkiru Awaka's (Hyde Park, N.Y.) game-high 21 points, rookie
Jalea Abrams's (Elmira, N.Y.) 20 points, while sophomore
Brianna Davis (Bronx, N.Y.) notched 14 points as the Knights defeated the Dolphins to the final score of 65-54.
Game Recap
Both sides traded buckets in the early going of the first quarter but with the Dolphins leading by four, 11-7 at the 6:24 mark, Abrams would go on a personal 5-0 run to put the Knights by one, 12-11 by the 4:53 mark.
However, both teams would trade shots for the remainder of the first stanza as they went into the second quarter tied at 16-16.
The second quarter would be another back-and-forth affair but timely buckets would keep Queens in front as high as three points.
With Knights trailing by two, 20-18 at the 6:05 mark, the Knights would together a 5-0 run from the 5:36 mark to the 3:48 mark to take a three-point lead of 23-20.
Both sides would trade buckets for the final 3:30 of the second quarter but it would be the Knights who took a 29-28 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.
The Dolphins opened the scoring in the third quarter on a three-pointer to take a 31-29 lead at the 9:46 mark. But it would be the last lead the Dolphins would maintain in the game as the Knights held the visitors to 26.6% shooting with four made field goals while Queens shot 66.6% with eight made field goals.
Trailing by two, 31-29, the Knights put together an 11-2 run from the 8:44 mark to the 4:18 mark to take a seven-point edge of 40-33, a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
As a three-pointer from the Dolphins got them within four, 40-36 at the 4:00 mark, the Knights would end the third stanza on a 9-2 run with Awaka recording seven points in the run as Queens took an 11-point lead of 49-38 lead into the final 10 minutes of the game.
In the fourth quarter, Queens would build their lead as high as 15 points by the 5:42 mark as they shot 58.3% in the fourth stanza compared to Staten Island's 46.1% as Queens closed the 2023-2024 season with a 65-54 victory.
By the Numbers
- Awaka notched a game-high 21 points (8-of-11 FG 5-of-7 FT) to go with eight rebounds and one steal.
- Abrams notched 20 points (8-of-18 FG, 1-of-5 3PT, 3-of-3 FT) with three assists and three rebounds.two
- Davis notched 14 points (6-of-15 FG, 2-of-4 FT) with seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
- Sophomore Gianna Henriques (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded four points, a game-high 10 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
- Rookie Jordis Tautalatasi (Springfield, MA) notched an all-round performance with four points, eight assists, and two career-highs with seven rebounds and matched a career-high in steals with three on the afternoon.
- Graduate student Meghan Soulias (South Huntington, N.Y.) recorded two points, one rebound, and one assist as all six Knights scored a point or gathered a rebound in the victory.
- As a team, the Knights shot 50.9% as they went 27-53 from the field, while the Dolphins were held to 40.0% on 22-55 shooting from the field.
- Queens earned an advantage on rebounds with a 38-21 margin and held a 9-3 advantage on second-chance points.
- The Knights recorded 24 points on 16 Dolphins turnovers.
With the win, the Knights finish the season with an overall record of 8-18 and 4-11 in ECC play.
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).
