Box Score GREENEVILLE, TENN. - The Queens University of Charlotte women's basketball team (5-22, 3-19 SAC) fell on the road to the Tusculum College Pioneers (13-12, 11-11 SAC) by the score of 65-57 on Saturday, February 27, 2016. The Royals started hot in the first half and held a seven-point halftime lead but would shoot only 32 percent in the second half in the loss.
For the game, the Royals shot 40 percent from the field, including going 6-of-11 from three-point range in the first half and 9-of-22 from long range in the game. Queens was able to control the boards as they outrebounded the Pioneers 30-24 in the game but turned the ball over 12 times in the game.
Leading the Royals offensively was
McKell Oliverio who scored 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting in the game. Both
Carmen Richardson and
Sheridan Pressley added 12 points for Queens in the game.
Maggie Stewart led the Royals in rebounding as she grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds to go with seven points scored in the game.
The Royals gave up the first three points of the game to Tusculum but would go on a 10-0 run that was sparked by two three pointers from Oliverio and another by Pressley that vaulted them to a 13-3 lead with 4:08 to play in the first quarter. Queens would continue to hold the lead in the first quarter as Stewart would hit a jumper to make the score 15-9 in favor of the Royals with 1:34 to play. The Pioneers would answer as they went on a 7-0 run that extended to the beginning of the second quarter that would give them a 16-15 lead with 9:24 to play until halftime. The Royals would take control of the second quarter, only allowing Tusculum to score 10 in the period and jumping back out to the lead as Richardson would knock down a two point shot to make the score 27-20 with 2:50 to play in the second. The lead would remain at seven going into the half as Tusculum hit a last second basket to make the score 31-24 at the break.
Tusculum came out strong in the second half as they worked to cut the Royals lead down to only two points, 33-31 using a 7-2 run to do so, as Maelyn Head knocked down a three pointer with 7:42 on the clock in the third quarter. Queens would continue to hold a slight lead in the quarter until Tusculum's Sydney Wilson knocked down a three pointer to tie the game at 26 with 5:07 to play in the third period. With the game tied, the Pioneers would rush out to an 8-0 run capped by a fast break layup by Kasey Johnson with 2:03 to play in the third quarter, giving Tusculum a 44-36 lead. The Royals ended the quarter scoring four straight points thanks to a jumper by Richardson and two made free throws by Karlesha Thompson that would make the score 44-40 at the end of the quarter. Queens would struggle to find the bottom of the net to start the fourth quarter, as they would be outscored 17-4 in the first six minutes of the period, vaulting the Pioneers to a 61-44 lead. The Royals would not be deterred, as they would close out the game on a 13-4 run, but would just run out of time to complete the comeback. The run was capped by a three pointer from Richardson that was assisted by Pressley that would make the score 65-57 with just 11 seconds remaining in the game. The game would end with the same score as the Pioneers would take the contest, 65-57.
The Pioneers had four players score in double figures, led by Shynese Whitener's 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting. Kasey Johnson and Sydney Wilson would score 13 and 11 points respectively for Tusculum. Leading the team in rebounding was Maelyn Head who grabed nine rebounds to go along with 12 points.
