FLUSHING, N.Y. – Opening a two-game East Coast Conference homestand the Queens College men's basketball team welcomed the D'Youville University Saints to Fitzgerald Gymnasium Friday Evening.
All nine Knights found themselves in the scoring book, while four student-athletes led the way with double-digit scoring efforts led by senior forward
Damiri Lindo (Oakland, CA.) team-high 16 points, senior forward
Jayden Seraphin (Lakeview, N.Y.) with 14 points, junior guard
Eric Tynes (Springfield, MA.) with 13 points and senior guard
Shamar Chester (Queens, N.Y.) with 11 points as Queens earned a 75-70 ECC victory over the Saints.
With the win, the Knights earned their seventh victory of the year and improved to 3-0 in ECC play. For the first time since the 2010-11 season Queens have opened ECC play with a 3-0 mark. Also, Friday's victory earned Queens their first home victory over the Saints since the 80-65 win back on January 27, 2023.
GAME RECAP
In a game that one tie and six lead changes, junior center
Omari Byrd (Ypsilanti, MI.) helped Queens start the game with a personal 6-0 run before the Saints responded with a 7-0 run to take a 7-6 lead by the 16:16 mark.
A jumper from junior guard
Jade Tse (Queens, N.Y.) would break the Knights three minute scoring drought before a three-pointer from Tynes put the home side up 11-7 with 14:47 left in the first half.
Both sides would trade buckets over the next two minutes of play and with the Saints leading 14-13 at the 12:19 mark, two free throws from Chesters at the 11:20 mark would start an 8-0 run as Queens took a 21-14 lead forcing a D'Youville timeout at the 9:50 mark.
Over the next four minutes of play, the Saints would put together a 10-5 run as they got within two, 26-24 by the 5:29 mark.
Led by back-to-back buckets from Seraphin, the home responded with a 10-2 run over the final 5:00 minutes of the first half to take a 10-point lead of 36-26 into the locker rooms.
Leading by 10 to begin the second half, the trio of Tse, Seraphin, and Lindo would lead the charge as Queens continued to maintain their double-digit lead through the first five minutes of the second half.
As a Lindo layup at the 15:23 mark extended the Knights' advantage to 46-36, the Saints answered with six straight points to cut the score down to 46-42 before a three-pointer from Lindo put Queens back up by seven, 49-42 with 12:04 left in the contest.
With the Saints in foul trouble, excellent free throw shooting would continue to help Queens keep their lead intact as the Knights never let the lead dip below four points.
Just as the visitors cut the home side advantage down to four, 61-57 at the 6:10, Tynes on the other end would put the potential dagger on a Saints' rally with a four-point play as Queens took an eight-point lead of 65-57 at the 5:48 mark.
Scoring would slow down over the next three minutes of play but for every bucket the Saints used to cut into their deficit, Queens led by Chester and rookie guard
Tyler Michel (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) would help the Knights keep the contest over three possessions.
A layup from Chester at the 2:20 mark would put the Knights' advantage at six, 69-63 before the trio of senior center
Omar Nkonde (Harlem, N.Y.), Michel, and Lindo effectively sealed the game at the charity stripe as Queens improved to 3-0 in ECC play with a 75-70 victory over the Saints.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Lindo paced the offense with a team-high 16 points, a season-high seven rebounds, three assists and one block.
- Seraphin recorded 14 points, tied a season-high seven rebounds and one steal.
- Tynes notched 13 points and two rebounds.
- Chester recorded 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists, tied a season-high four steals and one block.
- The trio of Tse, Byrd, and Michel combined for 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal.
- Nkonde recorded two points, a team-high eight rebounds, and three blocks in the victory.
- Queens recorded a season-best 27 made free throws in the victory.
NEXT TIP-OFF
The Knights conclude their homestand on Sunday, Jan. 12 as they welcome the Daemen University Wildcats to town. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m. The Wildcats enter Flushing with an overall record of 13-0 and 5-0 in ECC play. They are ranked Third and Fourth in the National poll and first in the East Region and are coming off a 95-50 victory over Molloy University Friday evening.
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