Queens Downs Stonehill in OT, 77-72

Hot overtime shooting lifts Knights to season-opening win

Boxscore 

Senior A.J. Rudowitz notched 22 points and six rebounds, but the Skyhawks fell in overtime in their season-opener at Queens today.

FLUSHING, N.Y. (November 15, 2009) - Queens (N.Y.) College shot 75-percent from the field and converted 7-of-8 free-throw attempts in overtime to claim a season-opening 77-72 victory over Stonehill College in non-conference men's basketball action at Fitzgerald Gymnasium this afternoon.

Senior Khaleef Allicott (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) scored six of his game-high 20 points in overtime, making 8-of-19 shots overall, to go with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Junior Akim Neverson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) added 14 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the field, and eight rebounds, while sophomore Khalil McDonald (Queens, N.Y./Campus Magnet) contributed 15 points and four rebounds off the bench, making 5-of-6 shots from the field and 5-6 at the free-throw line. Junior Anderson Labase (Brooklyn, N.Y./South Shore) chipped in with 11 points, four assists and four rebounds.

Senior A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) led Stonehill with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field while converting 6-of-7 free-throws to go with six rebounds. Freshman Ivan Almeida (Santiago, Cape Verde) posted a double-double in his collegiate debut with 16 points and ten rebounds (six offensive) with two assists. Senior Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) contributed 14 points and eight assists, while junior Mike Kernan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) chipped in ten points, shooting 4-for-7 from the field, including 2-3 from three-point range, to go with nine rebound and three steals.

Queens finished shooting 45-percent (27-for-60) from the field, including 6-for-8 (75%) in overtime while converting 7-of-8 free-throws in the extra frame. Stonehill shot 39.7-percent (27-for-68) from the field, including 4-for-8 (50%) in overtime.

The game featured 13 ties and eight lead changes. Rudowitz missed his second free throw after knotting the score with his first with five seconds left to force overtime. Two-straight Allicott jumpers put Queens in front for good (63-59) with 2:56 left in overtime. The Skyhawks pulled within one (73-72) with a Kernan three with nine-seconds left in the extra frame, but the Knights iced the game at the line with four-straight free-throws.

Neither team led by more than seven all day with Queens achieving that margin at the start with a 12-5 advantage after a Labase jumper 4:16 into the game. Stonehill used a 7-0 run to knot the score for the first time (14-14) on a Rudowitz jumper with 12:02 left in the opening half. The Skyhawks took the lead into halftime (31-29) on an Almeida jumper with three-seconds left.

Stonehill jumped out to its seven-point lead (37-30) with an opening 6-1 run out of the locker room following a Kernan jumper 2:52 into the second half. Rudowitz netted four points during that stretch for the Skyhawks.

Queens gained its first lead of the second half after two Allicott free-throws with 3:13 left, extending its advantage to three points (55-52) with a McDonald jumper with 2:35 remaining. McDonald made just one of two at the line with 1:52 remaining and Rudowitz put Stonehill back in front (57-56) with a conventional three-point play with 1:39 to go. Allicott followed with a jumper with 37-seconds left as the Knights regained the lead before Rudowitz was fouled in the closing seconds.

Stonehill (0-1, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action next Saturday, November 21, when it hosts the University of District of Columbia at Merkert Gymnasium at 1 p.m. Queens (1-0, 0-0 ECC) hosts Le Moyne College next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.