RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Opening a two-game road stand Wednesday evening, the Queens College women's basketball team faced Felician University Golden Falcons inside the Joal & Joseph Job Gymnasium in non-conference action.
The junior duo of guard
Daja White (Queens, N.Y.) and forward
Nkiru Awaka (Hyde Park, N.Y.) paced the Knights, combining for 29 points. White led the team with 16 points, while Awaka added 13. In a tightly contested game featuring six lead changes, a sluggish third quarter proved costly as Queens fell to Felician, 61–51.
GAME RECAP
Queens opened the contest on a slow note, as Felician jumped out to an 11–4 lead by the 5:39 mark of the first quarter.
A quick 5–2 run by the Knights cut the deficit to four, 13–9, at 4:27. After both teams went scoreless for nearly two minutes, a Felician layup extended the Golden Falcons' lead to six, 15–9, with 2:46 remaining.
Led by White and rookie guard
Eva Gitto (Albany, N.Y.), Queens closed the quarter on an 8–1 run to take a 17–16 lead with 27 seconds left. Felician answered with a late layup to reclaim a one-point edge, 18–17, heading into the second quarter.
Junior forward
Chyna Bryant (Bronx, N.Y.) opened the second with a layup to put Queens back in front, 19–18, but Felician quickly responded to retake the lead, 20–19.
The Knights' defense then took over, holding the Golden Falcons without a field goal during a stretch in which Queens went on a 10–0 run from the 7:35 to 3:56 marks. The surge gave Queens a 29–20 advantage and forced a Felician timeout.
Felician closed the half strong, however, ending the second quarter on a 10–0 run to carry a 30–29 lead into halftime.
The third quarter proved decisive, as Queens struggled offensively and was outscored 16–4, trailing 46–33 entering the final 10 minutes.
Queens outscored Felician 18–15 in the fourth quarter, but the deficit was too much to overcome as the Knights fell 61–51 on the road.
Post Game Quote:
Head Coach
Travis Ponton: "This was a tough road game against a red-hot Felician team. We started slow, picked it up in the second quarter, but that stretch to end the first half and open the second half really hurt us. We'll wrap up exams tomorrow and get back to work. We have another tough road test in Massachusetts on Saturday, so we'll lock in and focus on our preparation."
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Awaka recorded her eighth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds, a season-best four blocks, and three assists.
- White notched a team-high 16 points and a career-best seven rebounds.
- Bryant added eight points, five rebounds, and two assists.
NEXT GAME:
Head coach
Travis Ponton and the Knights will conclude the road stand on Saturday, December 20, traveling to Springfield, Mass., for a non-conference matchup against the American International College Yellow Jackets. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
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