By Dylan Butler
“The first thing is to make sure I get these younger guys off on the right foot for next year,” Sikiric said. “I'm still not done with them. Hopefully, they can take it to the next level.”In large part because of Sikiric, who finished fourth on Queens' all-time scoring list (1,670 points) and broke the school's single season scoring record (611), the Knights no longer dream of getting to the NCAA tournament. Now Queens, which advanced to the Northeast Regional for the third time in five years, expects to be there.Sikiric scored a team-high 20 points against host Bentley Saturday, but he had to earn every point he got. He shot 5-of-20 from the field and 3-of-10 from 3-point range. “Johnny's a professional person and professional in the way he plays and presents himself every day,” Queens coach Kyrk Peponakis said. “I think (Sikiric and fellow senior Patrice Thevenot) laid the foundation for what's next for our program.”No. 8 Queens (22-9) hung with top-seeded Bentley for much of the game but couldn't manage to get that one big shot. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Sikiric and Lance Hazel and a free throw by Thevenot got the Knights to within 62-58 with 7:32 left but Bentley (29-5) responded by doing what they do best-bury 3-pointers. First it was a Greg Lacasse trey from the top of the key and then Danny Lawson knocked down a triple from the corner to cap an 11-0 run that put Bentley comfortably ahead, 73-58 with 5:26 left. The Falcons were 14-of-30 from 3-point range while Queens was 7-of-23.”We just couldn't get over the hump,” Peponakis said. “That's part of the game, sometimes you get there and sometimes you don't. Sometimes the ball didn't go down or we turn it over. They went out there and gave it an effort but it wasn't our best game.”NYCAC Rookie of the Year Clyde Chapman scored the first basket of the game on a putback 19 seconds into the first half. But Bentley scored the next 10 points and the Knights were forced to play catch-up the rest of the way. Queens trailed by as many as 12 in the first half but rallied late. Sikiric knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key while getting fouled with 17.6 seconds left in the half. He missed the free throw but then grabbed his own offensive rebound and Hazel hoisted up a 3-pointer that would have brought Queens to within four at the half. But Hazel's triple bounced off the rim and Bentley had a 49-42 lead at the break.”I just didn't make my shots today,” said Sikiric, who missed his first three shots before scoring on a floater midway through the first half. “I got a lot of good looks today, guys were setting good screens for me, I was using them but they weren't falling for me today.”Danny Lawson, who was 5-of-9 from 3-point range, led Bentley with 26 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds, Yusef Abdul-Ali had 15 points on 4-of-7 from beyond the arc and Lacasse had 13 points and 8 assists. The Falcons played the final 38 minutes without leader Tim Forbes, who sprained his ankle chasing a loose ball. Thevenot, who transferred in from St. Francis College and was huge down the stretch for Queens, had 11 points and 9 rebounds, Hazel had 10 points and in his first NCAA appearance, Chapman had 9 points and 12 rebounds.”It was a great experience,” Chapman said. “We talked about getting here and we got here, but I wish we could have played better. I loved every minute of it.”Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
