CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte women's basketball team picked up a 59-53 home win this evening over Coker College to move to 2-3 in South Atlantic Conference play. The win also improves the Royals' overall record to 2-8. Coker falls to 1-7 on the year and 1-3 in the league.
The Royals shot 50-percent from the floor with
McKell Oliverio leading the way with 18 points, while
Sarah Henson and
Mendy McNeese each added 15 points.
Carmen Richardson totaled eight points, six rebounds and four assists, while
Victoria Robinson recorded six rebounds and five assists.
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively as the game sat tied at 4-4 with 4:09 to play in the opening period. However, the Cobras managed to score six unanswered points, moving ahead 10-4 with 2:12 to play. A pair of free-throws and a fastbreak layup from Oliverio cut the lead to two, but Coker closed the quarter with a three-pointer from Elizabeth Kincaid and one made foul shot from Kaleah Hires to take a 14-8 lead heading into the second.
After Coker increased their margin to 10, 22-12, with 6:31 to play in the second, the Royals responded with a 12-0 run. They would take their first lead of the night, 24-22, on a lay-in from
Victoria Robinson after a long two from Oliverio tied the game up. A three-pointer from Coker's Kendra Lambert followed, returning the lead to the Cobras. However, the Royals would take the lead into the halftime break as Oliverio put one in the basket to give the home team a 26-25 advantage heading into the locker room.
The Cobras quickly regained control of the lead in the third with an 8-0 run that put them in front 35-28 at 7:34. A triple from McNeese at 6:09 was the answer for Queens as it started an 8-0 run that put the Royals back on top, 36-35, at 4:28. Queens then went on to take a 40-39 lead into the final period.
Queens kept the lead in the tight fourth quarter, leading by as much as five on numerous occasions. With Coker trailing by just two, 51-49, with 1:36 to play, Henson knocked down a three-pointer to put the Royals ahead 54-49 at 1:13. Hires of Coker tried once more to make a push for her squad, knocking down a jumper to pull the Cobras within three, but Queens held steady at the foul line increasing their margin to as much as eight before the final horn sounded.
Coker was led by Iresha Cooper who scored 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Hires finished the game with 10 points.
Queens will return to Curry Arena to take on Mars Hill University on Saturday at 2 p.m. It will be the final game for the Royals before the holiday break.
