CALDWELL, N.J. – Continuing non-conference play, the Queens College women's basketball team traveled to the Newman Center on Wednesday evening for a matchup against the Caldwell University Cougars.
Junior forward
Nkiru Awaka (Hyde Park, N.Y.) delivered her first double-double of the season, posting a season-high 17 points along with 10 rebounds and four steals. Despite her strong performance, a slow first half proved costly as the Knights fell 78–50 to the Cougars.
GAME RECAP
Queens opened the evening trading baskets with Caldwell, but with the score knotted at 7–7, the Cougars closed the first quarter on a 9–0 run to take a 16–7 lead.
The Knights' scoring drought was finally halted at the 8:58 mark of the second quarter when junior guard
Daja White (Queens, N.Y.) connected to cut the deficit to 16–9. However, Queens struggled to find rhythm offensively, shooting just 28.6% from the field in the half, while Caldwell hit 50.0%. The Cougars took a 36–18 advantage into the break.
Behind the efforts of Awaka and sophomore forward
Chinyere Ukaegbu (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Queens showed life in the third quarter. The frontcourt duo combined to shoot 6-of-8 from the floor as the Knights attempted to chip away. But with Caldwell maintaining its efficiency, continuing to shoot above 50%, Queens was unable to mount a full comeback and dropped the road contest.
Post Game Quote:
Head Coach
Travis Ponton: "We had our opportunities early on and couldn't take advantage. As well as we've done against full-court pressure this season so far, we didn't do that tonight. Our 24 turnovers, albeit a little uncharacteristic, led to 24 points for the other guys, and that hurt. I thought we did a much better job on the boards, and our execution in the half court offensively really took a step forward. It's all about growth for us right now in a tough early stretch of five road games. We will get back to it in practice and keep growing through it."
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Awaka recorded her first double-double of the season with a team-high 17 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals.
- White tallied 11 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
- Ukaegbu added nine points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
NEXT GAME:
Head Coach
Travis Ponton and the Knights continue their road stretch on Saturday, November 22, traveling to Bridgeport, Conn., to take on the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights in non-conference action. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
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