Box Score CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte women's basketball team (5-20, 3-17 SAC) pulled off the upset against the visiting Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters (15-10, 12-8 SAC) on Saturday, February 20th, 2016 by the score of 58-52 on Senior Day and Play4Kay Day.
The Royals shot 40.4 percent from the field and knocked down six three pointers in the game. Defensively, Queens forced the Railsplitters into 23 turnovers and allowed them to only shoot 37 percent in the game and only 8-of-27 in the second half.
Erin Brundage was one of four Royals starters to score in double digits as she added 14 points to go along with four rebounds in the game. Not too far behind was
McKell Oliverio with 13,
Carmen Richardson with 12, and
Maggie Stewart with 10 points. Karlesha Thompson also had a solid game as she score nine points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists.
Queens took their first lead of the game in the early minutes of the first quarter as Oliverio hit a three pointer to give the Royals a 7-6 lead. The Railsplitters would respond as they went on a 6-2 run to take a three point, 12-9, lead following a jumper by Kiaira Rawls with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter. Lincoln Memorial held a lead of no larger than four points for much of the first quarter until the Royals went on an 8-0 run that extended over four minutes to take a 22-18 lead with 7:28 remaining in the first half. Queens' lead would increase to ten points, 33-23, as Oliverio hit another three pointer with just 2:37 left until halftime. The Royals would go into halftime with a 35-29 lead after the Railsplitters' Sydnie Anderson knocked down the last points in the first half with a three pointer with 29 seconds left.
The Royals worked hard to hold onto their slim lead for the entire second half to try to pull the upset. Stewart hit a fade away jumper with 6:09 on the clock in the third quarter to give the Royals a five points, 42-37 lead. With 3:19 left in the third quarter, Brundage hit a long range two pointer off of an assist from Thompson to make the score 46-39 in favor of Queens. Lincoln Memorial worked to cut the Royals lead down to one point, 47-46, as Megan Pittman made a layup with 9:54 remaining in the game. Queens would have yet another answer as they went on an 8-1 run to take a 55-47 lead after Thompson drained a three pointer from very deep in the Levine Center. The Railsplitters tried to make a final comeback as they cut the lead down to four points, but Queens would make their free throws down the stretch and complete the upset by the score of 58-52.
Lincoln Memorial didn't have a player score in double figures as Britney Guy scored a team high nine points on 4-of-8 shooting in the game. Megan Pittman was the team leader in rebounds as she grabbed eight to go along with eight points for the Railsplitters.
The Royals will return to the Levine Center for the last time this season as they play host to Lenoir-Rhyne University on Wednesday, February 24th at 6:00 p.m.
