MEADOWVIEW, Va. - The Queens University of Charlotte women's basketball team (1-0) will begin their season at 1-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season after defeating Emory & Henry College, 78-69, on the road on Sunday, Nov. 14.
 
Queens' season-opening victory came off four Royals scoring in double-digits. Kalaya Hall led the charge with 16 points, while Kristy Hamze added 14 points. Taylor Stevens flirted with a triple-double finishing the game with 11 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. Graduate transfer Kiana Barkhoff totaled 10 points and eight rebounds just missing a double-double on the night. Christina Deng would grab 11 boards for the Royals while also scoring six points.

Barkhoff scored the first points in the game, making an easy hook shot over her defender. Emory & Henry's Amaya Lee would score an easy lay-in to tie the game early at 2-2 before the wasps took the opportunity to create a 7-2 lead off the Royals' turnovers. However, the Royals responded, getting into a rhythm after a Stevens jump shot to create a small 8-0 run at the midway point of the first quarter. Both teams continued going back-and-forth as the first quarter ended with Emory & Henry leading 16-15.
 
At the start of the second period, Deng and Stevens quickly put five points on the board for Queens to take over control of the game, 20-18. Four more lead changes followed before Queens was back on top on a Hamze jumper at 2:06. The Royals headed into the locker room at the half in front, 35-31.
 
Queens opened the third quarter hot with Stevens capitalizing on a steal and layup to up the lead to six. By the 1:06 mark, Queens had built a 10-point lead over Emory & Henry. The Royals led by as much as 12 in the third before the Wasps were able to pull back within eight, 55-47, on a pair of free throws at the close of the quarter.
 
The Wasps would close the gap to six early in the fourth, but Queens quickly responded stretching the margin back to 12 in the closing minutes of play before a triple from Emory & Henry's Emma Santoro gave the game its finals score, 78-69.
 
Queens' Mikayla Sink and Malea Garrison combined for 16 points off the bench while Garrison also tallied eight rebounds and three assists in her college debut.
 
The Royals' home opener will be Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. when they welcome the Catawba College Indians to Curry Arena for their Diversity and Inclusion Game. The game with Catawba will also be the first conference game of the season.
 
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