AMHERST, N.Y.- Opening East Coast Conference play Friday night, the Queens College women's basketball team went toe-to-toe with defending champions and RV Daemen University inside Lumsden Gymnasium.
In a back-and-forth contest featuring six ties and four lead changes, the Knights were powered by the junior duo of guard
Daja White (Queens, N.Y.) and forward
Nkiru Awaka (Hyde Park, N.Y.), who combined for 35 points. With three minutes remaining, rookie guard
Enise Hodzic (Queens, N.Y.) buried a triple to give Queens a 59–58 advantage, but a final 10–3 Wildcats surge allowed the home side to escape with a 68–62 decision in the ECC opener.
GAME RECAP
Daemen opened the game on a 5–0 run before a Hodzic three-pointer got Queens on the board at the 6:09 mark. The Wildcats held a 7–3 lead midway through the first quarter, but Queens found its rhythm late.
Trailing 7–3 with 3:42 remaining in the period, an Awaka layup sparked an 11–5 Knights run as Queens closed the quarter ahead 14–12.
Early in the second quarter, both teams continued to trade baskets, but with Queens holding a 16–14 edge, Daemen responded with a 19–6 run to build a 33–22 lead with 3:19 left in the half.
The Knights rallied once more, finishing the final 2:49 on an 8–1 spurt behind Awaka and Hodzic to head into halftime down just four, 34–30.
The Wildcats opened the third quarter with five unanswered points, stretching the lead to 39–30.
Queens punched back with a 9–0 run fueled by Awaka and seven straight points from White to even the game at 39–39. After trading buckets to make it 41–41, Daemen closed the quarter on an 8–0 run to take a 49–41 lead into the fourth.
Daemen pushed the margin to 10 early in the final period, but the Knights continued to claw back.
Down 56–47 with 6:24 left, Queens saw four straight points from White and a second-chance bucket from Awaka trim the deficit to 56–53.
Two Wildcats free throws made it 58–53, but sophomore forward
Chinyere Ukaegbu (Brooklyn, N.Y.) converted an And-1, and a Hodzic three put Queens back in front 59–58 with three minutes remaining.
Daemen answered immediately with a triple before a White jumper tied the contest at 61–61 with 2:16 to play. However, the Wildcats closed the game on a decisive 7–1 run to seal the 68–62 result.
Post Game Quote:
Head Coach
Travis Ponton: "Tough result tonight, but also a lot of toughness from our team, on the road against the preseason favorite who is knocking on the door of the Top 25 poll. I love how we kept fighting and stuck together. The game came down to a couple too many turnovers on our end and a couple too many made three-point shots for them. I thought Daja White had a great game, and we needed that. Nkiru was an absolute warrior on both ends, and we really think Chin is on the verge of a big breakthrough. We are right back to it Sunday on the second leg of this Buffalo road swing, so we will turn the page quickly and lock in on what's right ahead."
BY THE NUMBERS:
- White posted a career-best 19 points, adding six assists, five rebounds, one block, and one steal.
- Awaka delivered a strong all-around performance with 16 points, eight rebounds, four steals, three blocks, and three assists.
- Ukaegbu totaled nine points, a season-high 11 rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal.
- Hodzic contributed eight points, two steals, and one rebound.
NEXT GAME:
Head coach
Travis Ponton and the Knights conclude their ECC Buffalo road trip on Sunday, December 7, when they face the D'Youville University Saints. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X Main Account (@QCKnights), Queens College WBB (QCKnightsWBB), and Instagram (qcknightsny), women's basketball (qcknightswbb).
