GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – The Queens College women's basketball team wrapped up a five-game road stand Tuesday evening with a non-conference matchup against the Adelphi University Panthers inside the Center for Recreation and Sport.
Junior forward
Nkiru Awaka (Hyde Park, N.Y.) paced the Knights with her third consecutive double-double, posting a season-high 18 points and 14 rebounds. However, a decisive second-quarter run by Adelphi proved to be the difference, as Queens fell 75–46.
GAME RECAP
Queens opened the contest strong, taking a 5–2 lead by the 8:22 mark behind four early points from Awaka. A quick 7-0 Panthers run flipped the score to 9–5, but a jumper from junior guard
Daja White (Queens, N.Y.) at 6:23 halted the Knights' drought and brought them within two, 9–7.
Adelphi closed the first quarter on a 9–4 spurt to take an 18–11 advantage into the second period.
The second quarter proved costly for Queens, as the Knights were limited to just two made field goals while the Panthers shot over 50% from the floor. Adelphi outscored Queens 22–5 in the frame, extending its lead to 40–19 at halftime.
Queens looked to chip away in the second half, shooting over 30% in the third quarter and holding Adelphi to 18.7% in the fourth. Despite the improved defensive effort, the first-half deficit was too much to overcome as the Knights dropped their first meeting with the Panthers since the 2015–16 season.
Post Game Quote:
Head Coach
Travis Ponton: "We learned a lot about our team opening the season with six tough road games, including the Division I exhibition. I thought the middle portion of the game really hurt us tonight. Credit to Adelphi defensively, they were really good, and our turnovers gave them too many easy opportunities in transition. Games like this will pay off in the long run as we continue to learn about each other and ourselves with what is essentially a brand-new team. We had some bright spots as well. Nkiru had another monster double-double, and our two lead guards battled from start to finish. We're very excited to finally get a game at Fitzgerald this weekend in front of our home crowd and look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!"
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Awaka recorded her third straight double-double with a season- and game-high 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, adding 14 rebounds, two steals, and one block.
- White contributed eight points, three assists, one block, and one rebound.
- Rookie guard Enise Hodzic (Queens, N.Y.) added seven points, two assists, and one rebound.
NEXT GAME:
After five straight games on the road, head coach
Travis Ponton and the Knights return home to open a two-game homestand on Saturday, November 29, hosting the Knights Thanksgiving Invitational. Queens opens the event against the Franklin Pierce University Ravens. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
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