WASHINGTON, D.C – The Queens College men's basketball team concluded its 2025–26 season Saturday afternoon with an 82-67 setback to the Firebirds of the University of the District of Columbia inside the E.B. Henderson Complex in East Coast Conference play.
Three Knights finished in double figures, led by senior forwards
Jaden Pena (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and
Tahj-Malik Campbell (Philadelphia, PA) with 16 points apiece. Sophomore guard
Lleyton Fried (Harrisburg, PA) added 15 points in the effort.
Queens carried a narrow 30-28 lead into halftime and battled through multiple lead changes early in the second half. However, a decisive 13-2 run midway through the period allowed the Firebirds to pull away and secure the season series split.
GAME RECAP
The Knights opened the contest in commanding fashion, racing out to a 14-1 lead as UDC missed its first 12 shots from the field.
Fried and Campbell combined for 16 of Queens' first 20 points, helping the Knights build a 20-5 advantage at the 10:23 mark of the first half.
UDC responded with a sustained 23-10 run to close the half, trimming the deficit as Queens held a slim 30-28 edge at the break.
The second half featured a back-and-forth battle. A three-pointer from junior guard
Johnny Jones (Bronx, N.Y.) pushed the Knights ahead 43-38 with 16:14 remaining.
After the Firebirds answered with an 8-0 run, rookie forward
Henri Mennander (Helsinki, Finland) tied the contest at 45-45 with 14:06 to play.
Pena later sparked a 6-2 run to knot the score at 51-51 at the 10:13 mark. But UDC seized momentum with a 13-2 stretch over the next four minutes to open up a double-digit lead, an advantage the home side maintained the rest of the way.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Campbell recorded 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
- Pena tallied 16 points and five rebounds.
- Fried notched 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
- Mennander notched nine points, a game-high 12 rebounds, and three assists.
Under ninth-year head coach
Matt Collier, the Knights close the 2025–26 campaign with an 8-19 overall record and a 4-12 mark in ECC play.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X Athletics Main Account (@QCKnights), Queens College MBB (QCKnightsMBB) and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's basketball (qcmensbball).
