Queens Lose "Tough One" For Last Home Game Of The Season, 77-68

By Thomas Leturgey

The Steel City Queens finished off their home season Women’s American Basketball Association (WABA) on Sunday, losing to the DC Cyclones 77-68.

“It was another tough loss,” noted Queens Owner and Head Coach Ace Pippens after the game. It was the sixth loss of the season for the 0-6 Queens. 

The Steel City ladies started off slowly, but over the past few games have really picked up their collective game. Point guard Sabrina McLin, who has only played in a few games for the home team, reclaimed her position as the preemptive Most Valuable Player. Sunday afternoon at A Giving Heart Community Center, she led the team with 25 points. McLin scored four points in the first, five in the second, and eight points in the 3rd and 4th periods, respectively.

The Cyclones called for a time out after Ariana Sanders' short jumper extended an early lead to 12-5. Ty Polk, who has chronicled the Queens season on YouTube, noticed that the Queens offense had an early game "togetherness" it hadn't shown in the early season. He also noted that the "core group" was playing with more fluidity.

Then, turnovers allowed the Cyclones to trim the lead to 12-10 with about three minutes to go in the quarter. After a Cyclones time out the wheels fell off the Queens' offensive wagon. DC's Jasmine Bird scored a 3-pointer to take the 13-12 lead with a little over two minutes to go in the first quarter. She scored two more three-point bucket to extend the early lead. The Cyclones poured on with a 14-2 run before McLin hit a last-second jumper. At the end of the first quarter it was 21-14, DC.

Once the second quarter began, the Cyclones extended their lead to 12 points. Deja Anderson, who had played for the Queens in the past, returned for her first game of the season. She started off well with a three-point 3D jumper in the opening moments.

Katelyn Fisher took advantage of a Cyclones turnover and scored a lay up that added three to the scoreboard under the 3D rule.

Immediately after that, McLin scored an impressive three-pointer to help get the Queens back into the game, and in a hurry. The Queens went on a 10-point run of their own, 30-26.

Ariana Sanders was fouled on a jumper and added a foul shot to trim the Cyclones lead to only one point, 30-29, with 5:25 to go in the half.

The Cyclones would then go up to a five point lead. There was some give and take by both teams in the final minutes, but the Cyclones ended up with a 43-33 first-half lead.

Sabrina McLin went on a run in the early minutes of the second half, including an emphatic three-pointer to cut a 10-point lead to six. Soon, they were within four points of the 48-44 lead.

Arianna Rosemond saw more time on the court and was important on defense, especially when paired up against the Cyclones' 6'2" Dominique Powell.

The third period ended with a 57-44 Cyclones lead. They extended their lead to 17 points with 7:52 remaining in the game.

Keyanna Tate left the game for the Cyclones with an injury shortly after that.

Ultimately, the Queens were never able to overcome the lead.

Shataya White, who has led the squad since the beginning of the campaign, scored seven of her 20 points in the first quarter. She had a three-pointer in the 3rd period, and the remaining 10 in the final 10 minutes.

Anderson added 9 points to the tally. Ariana Sanders, who has contributed all season, had six points.

Fischer, who has starred coming off of the pine, scored four points. Ciarra Patterson posted a three-pointer in the first quarter.

The DC Cyclones are now 5-2 and can look forward to the playoffs in Greensboro, North Carolina.

While the Queens are finished for the season on the home hardwood, there are two road games left next weekend. Pippens hopes that the Queens will continue to improve as the season winds to a conclusion.