BUFFALO, N.Y. – Looking to complete their first East Coast Conference series sweep against the Saints of D'Youville University for the first time since the 2021-2022 season, the Queens College men's basketball team matched up against the Saints inside the Saints Center Gym Friday evening.
Four Knights paced the offense with senior forward
Damiri Lindo (Oakland, CA.) recording a team-high 19 points, senior
Nasan Ayala (LeFrak City, N.Y.) recording a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds, senior guard
Jade Tse (Queens, N.Y.) with 14 points and senior guard
Shamar Chester (Queens, N.Y.) with 11 points, but the Knights second half comeback would fall as the Saints earned a series split to the final score of 85-81.
With the loss, the Knights move to 5-6 overall and move into a four-way tie for one of the final three spots in the ECC postseason tournament.
GAME RECAP
The first five minutes of the contest saw four ties and one lead change before the Saints used a 15-0 run from the 14:53 mark to the 12:04 mark to take a 21-8 lead.
Rookie guard
Tyler Michel (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) would break Queens scoreless drought as he completed a traditional three-point play as the Knights started a 9-3 run to get within seven, 24-17 by the 8:44 mark.
Just as the Saints extended their lead back into double digits for a 30-17 advantage at the 7:44 mark, Ayala would record four straight points as the Knights put together an 11-2 run from the 7:24 mark to the 4:55 mark to get within four, 32-28.
However, the Saints would use a 13-7 run to end the first half as they took a 45-35 lead into the locker rooms.
Ayala would pace the Knights' offense with a near double-double through the first 20 minutes of play with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Needing to mount a comeback, Tse opened the scoring for the Knights by recording five straight points but the home side would continue to keep their double digit lead intact as they led by 11, 53-42 with 15:37 to go.
The Knights would get within two, 55-53 behind an 11-2 run as they were led by the trio of Chester, Lindo, and Ayala.
But just as the Knights got within two, D'Youville responded with a 10-4 run from the 12:43 mark to the 9:28 mark to extend their advantage back to eight points, 65-57.
A fastbreak dunk from senior forward
Jayden Seraphin (Lakeview, N.Y.) started a quick 6-0 run with Lindo recording the next four points to get within two, 65-63 by the 8:49 mark.
However, over the next three minutes of play, the Saints answered back using a 10-2 run to take a 10-point lead of 75-65 with 5:41 to go.
But the Knights would go down fighting as they used a 12-2 run from the 5:13 mark to the 2:43 to tie the game at 77-77 behind the senior trio of Seraphin, Lindo, and Ayala, with the latter recording the final four points of the run to tie the game at the charity stripe.
It would be the first tie in the second half and the first since the 15:30 mark of the first half.
But the second half comeback would fall short as the Knights were held to 1-of-10 from the field over the final 2:12 minutes of the contest as the Saints withstood a rally to earn a series split to the final score of 85-81 Friday evening.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Ayala recorded his second double-double of the year with 18 points and a career-best 15 rebounds to go with two steals.
- Lindo recorded a team-high 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting, and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe to go with six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
- Tse recorded 14 points, five assists, four rebounds, and one steal in the contest.
- Chester recorded 11 points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
NEXT TIP-OFF
The Knights conclude the ECC trip in Amherst, N.Y. on Sunday, Feb. 16 against newly crowned ECC Regular Season Champions and nationally ranked #2/3 Daemen University Wildcats. Tip-off is set for 2:00 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 (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), Queens College MBB (@QCKnights_MBB) and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's basketball (qcmensbball).
