BUFFALO, N.Y. – Starting out the first of a four-game homestand, the D'Youville University men's basketball fell in a close game against Queens College by a score of 80-72.
The Saints (6-12, 3-4 ECC) were led by
Nasir Hammonds (Norfolk, Va.) with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 boards.
Chase Jenkins (Titusville, Fla.) led the DYU scorers with 13 points while
Renard Fontes-Jules (Brockton, Mass.) had 12 points, six assists and four steals.
D'Youville jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead in the opening minutes with four Saints getting involved in the action. The Knights were able to battle back to make it a 10-8 game but an and-one by Fontes-Jules helped push the lead back to five points. DYU later gained their biggest lead of the game with baskets from Jenkins and Hammonds to make it 17-10 at the 12:41 mark of the first half.
The Knights were able to battle back, scoring 11 unanswered to take a 21-17 lead with under 10 minutes until the break. Queens was able to use the momentum shift to gain their biggest lead of the first half of seven points with the score of 30-23.
During the final five minutes until the break, the Saints were able to regain the momentum thanks in part to a 13-3 run that was capped off by a three-pointer from Jenkins off the feed from Fontes-Jules. The Knights were able to hit one last shot before the buzzer to take a 37-36 lead at the half.
Coming out into the second half, DYU found their rhythm with a 10-3 run. During the opening run, Fontes-Jules had five points while
Mason Putnam (Prattsburgh, N.Y.) had a three-pointer to get the two-possession lead.
The team's wen tic for tac for the majority of the second half with neither gardening more than a two-possession lead. It wasn't until the final two minutes of the game that the Knights were able to escape with the win.
D'Youville went 26-for-75 (34.7 percent) from the field while going 14-for-15 (93.3 percent) from the free throw line. Queens went 28-for-58 (48.3 percent) from the floor while going 19-for-28 (67.9 percent) from the charity stripe.
The Saints will be back in action this Sunday, January 28th, as they host Molloy University at 3 p.m.
