Box Score BRISTOL, Tenn. – Queens University of Charlotte picked up its first conference loss this season on the road at King College falling 85-82 to the Tornado in overtime. Queens falls to 3-2 on the season and 2-1 in the league, while King improves to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the league.
 
Junior forward Shonice Pettaway (Walstonburg, N.C., Greene Central) had the hot hand this evening scoring 28 points to lead all on the court. Pettaway also pulled down eight rebounds and collected three steals. Tia Hudgins (Rocky Mount, N.C., Rocky Mount) was Queens' next top performer with 10 points and eight rebounds. Shatonya Hardy (Fayetteville, N.C., E.E. Smith) chipped in with nine points, while four other Royals added eight points apiece. Melissa Thomas (Havelock, N.C., Havelock) finished the night with five rebounds, three assists and four steals. The Royals totaled 19 steals in the game with Nikia Squire (Columbia, S.C., Ridge View) leading the way with five.
 
In the first half the Royals were down early before turning up their pressure on defense to force the Tornado into 13 turnovers. Queens would capitalize going up by as much eight points before King came back to tie the game up and take a two-point lead, 43-41, at the break.
 
Things stayed close in the second half which featured seven ties and four lead changes. With 5:49 to play, the Royals held a six point advantage, but the Tornado would go on a 9-0 run to take over control, 73-70. Pettaway responded for Queens with a jumper bringing the Royals to within one with 1:33 to play, and following a free-throw from King's Brittany Kinser, Queens' Squire tied the game up at 74-74. Squire's jumper in the paint would be the final bucket of regulation forcing the game into extra minutes.
 
The Royals came out hot in overtime taking a five point lead halfway through the period before the Tornado found back-to-back buckets to take a one-point lead, 81-80, with 1:06 on the clock. A foul by the Tornado would send Pettaway to the line on the next play where she put Queens back ahead, 82-81. However, fouls on the defensive end by the Royals in the final seconds would prove to be haunting as King took the lead at the line and held on to it for the win.
 
Brooke Johnson led the Tornado with 19 points, while Bonnie Durrett scored 17. Chelsea Bowling added 16 points and Kelly Jackson scored 12. Durrett also totaled 15 rebounds for a double-double.
 
The Royals will host Catawba College on December 15 at 2:00 p.m.