By Dylan Butler
The Knights set the tempo, but as they painfully learned in a 91-71 loss Saturday afternoon, the pace was perfect for host Bridgeport. The Purple Knights took the game out of Harvey Hubbell Gymnasium and onto the playgrounds.They played the game at 100-mph, hit fade-away threes, sent in thunderous dunks and made the game look like it should be part of the And1 Mix Tape Tour. Appropriately enough, the sneaker company designed the Bridgeport uniforms.When it was over, Queens (12-4- 8-1 NYCAC) lost its first conference game of the year, saw its six-game winning streak snapped and is now in a tie for first place in the NYCAC with Adelphi. With its seventh straight win over Queens, Bridgeport (10-8, 6-2) moves within one game of the top spot of the NYCAC.Leading the charge for Bridgeport was Terrell Taylor, who is no stranger to street ball. A transfer from Division I Creighton, where he hit a dramatic buzzer-beating game-winning shot in a first round upset of Florida in the 2002 NCAA tournament, Taylor appeared on the MTV series, “Who's Got Game.”However that paid appearance led to an 11-game ban by the NCAA, which came to an end Dec. 14. And on his 25th birthday – and his seventh game back – Thomas torched Queens for a game-high 28 points off the bench.”Taylor is a difference maker,” Bridgeport coach Mike Ruane said of Taylor, a Bridgeport native. “He's like a hero in this town.”Bradd Wierzbicki scored a quiet 22 points for Queens, but shot 8-of-24 from the field and, perhaps for the first time this season, forced some shots.”I missed a lot of shots I usually make,” Wierzbicki said. “Bouncing back is going to be key. This is just one loss, our first loss in the league.”Kevin Jefferys had 19 points and six assists, Mike Rosario and Raul Natera combined for 22 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks in a dominating performance in the paint and Anthony Green had 11 points off the bench on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 5-of-5 from the foul line for Bridgeport, which won its fifth straight game.The Purple Eagles shot 53.6 percent from the field for the game and was able to do whatever it wanted on the offensive end.Clyde Chapman had 15 points and 13 rebounds and Shaun Bertin had 13 points for Queens, which looked tentative and tight offensively. The Knights shot 42 percent from the field but had 22 turnovers, many of which Bridgeport turned into instant offense.”I thought we got out good and then we never really got our legs back under us when they came back at us,” Queens coach Kyrk Peponakis said. “Once that happened it was pretty hard to get control [of the game].”Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
