By Dylan Butler
The Lady Knights blew out the Scarlet Raiders, 65-41, but it wasn't mission accomplished for Ingenito's squad.
“I'm disappointed with the effort and the attitude,” Ingenito said. “We didn't perform, the intensity wasn't there. Defensively, we were not as good as we should be.”
Ingenito was also upset with the lack of a killer instinct from his team. Queens (5-5, 4-1) jumped out to what should have been a commanding 18-0 lead before Wynonia Muir finally netted a 10-footer with 8:28 left in the half, breaking Rutgers-Newark draught.
But the Lady Knights didn't put the game away and let Rutgers-Newark (3-8) get back into it with an 11-2 run capped by Dana Andreko's three-pointer from the right wing to cut Queens' lead to 20-11 with 6:03 left in the first half.
“It seems like we let down, we got confident with the lead,” said freshman guard Erin Dollard. “We don't go out and kill anyone. We played sloppy.”
But the Lady Knights first non-conference win of the year did have some positives as well. On an Elena Rakova putback, Queens' lead ballooned to 15, 31-16 at halftime. The large edge allowed Ingenito to use all 12 of his available players, giving several the opportunity at extended playing time.
Two players who were particularly impressive were freshman guard Crystal Wilson and junior forward Melanie Iseli. Wilson, a walk-on from Patchogue, L.I., had eight points, most on layups, as well as four steals and two rebounds. Iseli had two points, two rebounds and three steals in 16 minutes. Rakova led Queens with a game-high 14 points and eight rebounds.
“Tonight, Crystal was the best player on the court, she was the most productive player basically because she made her layups,” Ingenito said. “And Melanie did a good job of denying the ball. They got some good minutes, now we have a little more depth.”
Of course, with a first-place clash with Adelphi (6-4, 5-0) on the horizon Wednesday, it was tough for the Lady Knights coaches and players not to think ahead to the Panthers and look past Rutgers-Newark.
“Adelphi has been on my mind, I'm thinking about them,” Ingenito said. “I don't blame them if they were too, as long as they take care of business and they didn't tonight.”
After hosting Adelphi in a game scheduled for Wednesday night, the Lady Knights host sixth-place Dowling (4-5, 3-2) Saturday at 5 p.m. before taking on third-place Philadelphia University (5-7, 4-1) Monday afternoon at Fitzgerald Gymnasium.
“Our goal is to make a name for ourselves in the league,” said senior point guard Anica Gant, who had 10 points, five assists and five steals. “We're not scared of any of those teams. We can play with each of them, we just have to put forth our best effort.”
Queens 66, C.W. Post 54. Erin Dollard scored 19 points and April Gross added 17 for the Lady Knights in the win at C.W. Post's Conolly Gym in Brookville, L.I. Saturday afternoon. Gant chipped in with 14 points and Rakova added 13 for Queens. For her effort, Dollard was named NYCAC Player of the Week Monday.
