For the second time in four days, the center of the regional basketball universe was Flushing, where a pair of ECC teams battled to another exciting finish:
QUEENS 69 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 65
Tyree White racked up 23 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Travis Whitfield chimed in with 15 points, leading Queens past District of Columbia at Fitzgerald Gym and halting a six-game dry spell. A 17-9 run to close the first half wiped out an 18-11 deficit and put the hosts in front to stay at 28-27. A 10-0 spurt, triggered by a Whitfield 3-pointer, boosted the advantage to 49-36, and it was still a 13-point spread inside of the final nine minutes when the Firebirds came to life with an 11-2 flurry, closing within 55-51 after a “dunk-and-1” by Jayone Troutman (14 points, eight rebounds, four blocked shots) with 5:32 to play. They inched even closer in the waning moments, specifically 65-63 after a left-wing three by Joseph Nickerson (five points, all in the final 25 seconds) with 12 ticks remaining. They would get no closer, however, as the Knights would sink four straight at the foul line down the stretch, including the clinchers by Simon Green (five points off the bench) with 1.7 seconds left. Erin Senegal recorded 19 points for UDC, which also placed Kasim Chandler in double figures with 17. Queens was outshot from the field (41%-35%) but outscored its guests 25-8 off turnovers, which was the defining stat of the game. The Firebirds – who played without three starters – slip to fifth place with the setback, while the Knights move within two-and-a-half games of the sixth and last playoff spot with seven games left (five at home).