Queens outlasts Gardner-Webb behind Colimerio's career day

 

Queens forward Leo Colimerio led all scorers with 27 points in Saturday afternoon's victory. (Photo:  Queens University of Charlotte Athletics)

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BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – It’s obviously a different sport, but there may be a little bit of John Smoltz in Leo Colimerio.

The Queens senior forward was the Royals’ starter, scoring 24 points in the first half. He then served as the closer, knocking down the two free throws that helped his club stave off a fierce Gardner-Webb comeback. Queens used the career day from Colimerio to get its second consecutive win away from Curry Arena, claiming an 85-83 victory over the Runnin’ Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at Paul Porter Arena.

“Those guys responded,” Gardner-Webb coach Jeremy Luther said when speaking of his team’s response and rally down the stretch. “I think we were down 10 or 11 and we came back and took the lead. We just didn’t have enough plays after that to complete it.”

Queens (6-5) proved to be the early aggressor. The Royals were able to work Colimerio into the paint to set up short jumpers or passes to scorers at the basket, shaking off an early pair of baskets by the Runnin’ Bulldogs to seize the advantage. Creating separation proved to be a bit of a struggle, however, as Queens could open no larger than a two-possession advantage for much of the opening stanza. The Runnin’ Bulldogs pulled level on a Jamaine Mann dunk at the 9:45 mark – only for Colimerio to unleash a personal 7-0 run to put Queens in a bit more comfortable situation.

The margin stayed roughly the same for another five minutes, before Gardner-Webb answered another Colimerio triple with a 7-0 burst of its own, with a Buddy Simmons trifecta and Anthony Selden layup following a Mann bucket to again pull the Runnin’ Bulldogs within a single point. Queens then counterpunched to end the half, closing on a 15-8 burst capped by a Mahan Jabriel three at the first-half horn to take a 44-36 ledger reading to the interval.

Queens grabbed the first two buckets of the second half and quickly opened a double-digit lead. Gardner-Webb (4-7) halved the deficit on an and-one from Mann with 13:17 to play. Just as quickly, however, Queens fired back to push it back to 10 with 12:18 remaining. The Runnin’ Bulldogs had a strong response prepared.

After Queens took a nine-point lead at 63-54, the home side scored 15 of the next 21 points to square the proceedings at 69 on an Ademide Badmus and-one with 6:51 to play. Jaxon Pollard countered 24 seconds later, though, drilling a corner triple to give the lead back to the Royals.

“There were a couple things that led to their run,” Queens coach Grant Leonard said. “There was a little bit of foul trouble on our part, which was on us, because we weren’t guarding well enough. Then, we had a couple careless turnovers, which allowed them to get loose in transition, so those two things were really it.”

Queens would lead by as many as five before Gardner-Webb made yet another charge.

Brendan Mykalcio converted an and-one with 4:15 left to again even the contest at 76. Simmons would then put Gardner-Webb back in front at 78-77 with 3:12 to play. That would be the final time the Runnin’ Bulldogs would lead in the game.

Nasir Mann would put home a teardrop runner as the shot clock evaporated to allow Queens to wrest away control with 2:21 to play. Yoav Berman canned a deep three to put the Royals up four. After Gardner-Webb cut it to one on a Simmons bucket with 30 seconds left, Pollard then put home a free throw, while Colimerio would sink the eventual game-clinching tries from the stripe with nine seconds to play.

“I’m just thankful for my teammates being able to find me in the high post,” Colimerio said. “This year’s been big for me, especially in getting my confidence up.

“It’s been a big emphasis for us in practice for how we’ve got to finish (games), and rebounds are major for us. I just feel like we’ve got to keep doing the little things on the road and execute the plan that (Leonard) gives to us. If we can follow that, then everything will be okay.”

Colimerio led all scorers, with his 27 just three points shy of equaling the career-high he set last season at Fresno State against BYU. The senior hit 8-of-12 from the deck (3-of-5 from distance) and 8-of-9 from the line. Center Malcolm Wilson added 11, hitting five of his six shots. Four additional Royals scored at least eight points apiece. Queens shot 56.3 percent (27-for-48) from the field, hitting nine threes in 17 tries. The Royals also hit 22-of-29 from the line, including 16-of-22 second-half tries.

Guard Bryce Cash was one of the four aforementioned Royals nearing double figures, as he shook off any concerns over an injury he was nursing to guide his team in 34 minutes of play.

“In Bryce I trust,” Leonard said. “If he says he can go, he can go. I trust the decisions he’s going to make with the ball. If you want to know why we’re better on the road this year, it’s Bryce’s decision-making and toughness. A couple years ago when we had (former guard) Kenny (Dye), we had that, and now we have it with Bryce. That’s not to knock anyone on last year’s team, but it’s the mental toughness that really wins on the road.”

Simmons tallied 23 for Gardner-Webb, hitting 10-of-16 attempts from the field and knocking down three threes in six tries.

“I thought he played really well tonight,” Luther said. “He got some big stops and hit some big shots. He’s got a long career ahead of him. He’s going to be really good.”

Mann booked 18, hitting 7-of-8 from the field. The Runnin’ Bulldogs shot a sizzling 61.5 percent (32-for-52) on the afternoon, with a 63 percent shooting effort in the second 20. Gardner-Webb struggled from the line, which proved problematic in the end. The Runnin’ Bulldogs hit just 11-of-22 (50 percent) from the stripe.

Both teams resume action with weekday tilts following final exams. Gardner-Webb travels to Statesboro, Ga., to square off with Georgia Southern Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7:00 (Eastern) inside the Hill Convocation Center, with streaming coverage slated for ESPN+. Queens welcomes Mercer to Curry Arena for a 7:00 tip Wednesday evening. That game will also be streamed via ESPN+.

QUEENS 85, GARDNER-WEBB 83

QUEENS (6-5)

Mathews 2-5 4-4 8, Cash 4-9 0-0 8, Ashby 0-3 4-4 4, Colimerio 8-12 8-9 27, Wilson 5-6 1-2 11, Mann 3-6 1-2 9, Shine 0-0 0-0 0, Jabriel 1-1 0-0 3, Nevill 0-0 0-0 0, Pollard 1-1 4-8 7, Berman 3-5 0-0 8. Totals 27-48 22-29 85.

GARDNER-WEBB (4-7)

Selden 3-6 0-1 7, Mann 7-8 3-7 18, Boyogueno 2-6 3-4 9, Badmus 2-2 1-1 5, Simmons 10-16 0-0 23, Mykalcio 2-2 2-4 6, Hudson 3-7 1-2 7, Lazar 1-1 0-0 3, Hawkins 1-2 0-0 2, Richards 1-2 1-3 3. Totals 32-52 11-22 83.

Halftime:  Queens 44-36. 3-Point goals:  Queens 9-17 (Mathews 0-1, Cash 0-1, Ashby 0-1, Colimerio 3-5, Mann 2-4, Jabriel 1-1, Pollard 1-1, Berman 2-3), Gardner-Webb 8-19 (Selden 1-3, Mann 1-2, Boyogueno 2-5, Simmons 3-6, Hudson 0-1, Lazar 1-1, Richards 0-1). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Gardner-Webb 26 (Mann 7), Queens 25 (Cash 6). Total fouls:  Gardner-Webb 21, Queens 20. Technicals:  NA.

Points off turnovers:  Queens 20, Gardner-Webb 18.  Points in the paint:  Gardner-Webb 46, Queens 36. Second-chance points:  Gardner-Webb 10, Queens 6.  Fast-break points:  Gardner-Webb 9, Queens 7.  Bench points:  Queens 27, Gardner-Webb 21.