WATERBURY, Conn. – It was not a pretty game for Post University Women's Basketball or Queens College on Wednesday night in the Drubner Center, as turnovers and copious missed shots led to a 27-25 affair heading into the final 10 minutes. But for an Eagles team that had just 12 points at halftime, the fourth quarter ended up being their biggest quarter, erupting for 33 points to pull away from the Knights, 60-41, with their largest quarter since a 31-point first against Wilmington University on February 1st, 2025. 

THE BASIC

Post University 60, Queens College 41

Post University (9-12)

Queens College (6-17)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides had a case of butterfingers throughout the entirety of the first two quarters, as for most of the half, there were more turnovers than points on the scoreboard for both the Eagles and Knights. In the first quarter alone, Queens had nine turnovers to the eight for Post, as senior forward Claire Greene gave her team the lead, 7-4, with 7:50 left in the frame, which would be the final time they led in the opening 20 minutes.

Trailing 12-7 heading into the second, only two combined points were scored as Greene scored with 9:35 left, and the next basket would not come until junior forward Nikriu Awaka's bucket with 4:11 remaining in the half, marking the first points of the quarter for the Knights. Awaka ended up finishing six points in the second, en route to her 10-point first half on 5-for-8 shooting with a team-leading seven rebounds.

Neither team shot above 30% from the floor, with Queens going 9-for-31 (29%) overall and Post finishing 5-for-27 (18.5%). Greene led the way for the Eagles with seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, bringing down four rebounds. By halftime, Post had more turnovers than points, committing 13 turnovers, while the Knights closed with 15 turnovers and an eight-point lead, 20-12.
 
Another stagnant quarter in the third saw the Post offense finally start to piece things together, using an 11-0 run by junior forward Alyssa Rossignol and sophomore forward Tiara Tyson to knot the frame up at 23 all after freshman guard Eva Gitto gave the Knights their first double-digit lead of the night, 23-12, with her three to start the second half. Around a pair of free throws from junior guard Shelby Mcgill, which gave Queens the lead back by two, Rossignol tied it up with her layup, and then a buzzer-beater jumper from sophomore forward McKensi Forde gave Post their first lead since the first quarter, 27-25, with 10 minutes to play.

Trading baskets early, the last lead of the night for Queens came at the 8:13 mark when sophomore forward Chin Ukaegbu responded to Rossignol's jumper, which gave the Eagles the lead. Down 32-31, an 11-0 run by the Post offense, with six points along the way from Rossignol, as the once 11-point deficit became an 11-point lead, 43-32. While a quick responding 5-0 run from the Knights threatened to put them back in the game, trailing only by six, 43-37,  but Rossignol's big second half continued as she scored the next three points of a 6-0 Post run to give them their double-digit lead back for good. 

When all was set and done on the 19-point victory for the Eagles, 60-41, Rossignol had 29 points on 11-for-19 shooting, scoring 25 points in the second half alone, going 9-for-13 from the floor. After having those 13 turnovers in the first half, Post had just eight in the second half during a 48-point session, in which 33 of those points came in the fourth quarter alone, while Queens' issues with ball handling continued with 18 more turnovers for 33 turnovers overall in the game. 

Greene recorded her first double-double as an Eagle with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Forde had a career-high in rebounds with 13 of her own to help Post outrebound the Knights by two, 45-43. Awaka, who had 10 first-half points for the Knights, ended up finishing with those 10 points on 5-for-12 shooting, falling 13 points short of breaking the 1,000 career point mark.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Alyssa Rossignol dominated for Post University with 29 points in 36 minutes of action, shooting 11-for-29 overall, while hitting 6-of-7 free throws and nearly scoring half of the points for the Eagles
• Claire Greene finished with her first double-double of the season, scoring 10 points with a season-high 13 rebounds in 36 minutes as a starter
• Playing 33 minutes off the bench, McKensi Forde had a career-high 13 rebounds, the first time in which she has eclipsed double-digit rebounds for Post University
• Scoring 33 points in the fourth quarter, that is the most points in a single quarter that Post University has had since they scored 31 points against Wilmington University on February 1st, 2025, on the road

WHO'S NEXT
Playing in its final game of a five-game homestand, Post University takes on Wilmington University on Saturday night at 5:00 PM in the Drubner Center. The Eagles have won eight consecutive games against the Wildcats since the 2017-18 season, including earlier this season on the road, 86-48.