McQueen Plays Biggest In Big Games

ROCHESTER, Minn. ---- The No. 8 Massasoit Community College women's basketball team might have fallen short to No. 1 Rock Valley CC on Thursday afternoon, but one player stood tall for the Warriors -- Tiana McQueen.

McQueen listed at 5-foot-10 is the tallest player on the Massasoit roster, and she showcased her size against the top team in the Division III NJCAA rankings.

The true-freshman finished with a career-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting and tied a career-best with 12 rebounds, well above her 9.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game average during the regular season. In addition she went a perfect 7-for-7 at the foul line and played a team-high 37 minutes.

"She had her best game of the season against the No. 1 team in the nation," head coach Mark Brathwaite said. "That's her second great performance this postseason. I told her before the game we needed a big game from and she showed up to play."

Prior to Thursday's loss to Rock Valley, McQueen had a monster game vs. Bunker Hill in the Region XXI semifinals, in which the Warriors won 64-55. McQueen put up 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in a team-high 38 minutes. She also made a pair of clutch free throws with 39.1 seconds left vs. the Bulldogs to ice the game, when the Warriors were playing with just four players on the court.

"I get more and more excited the bigger the games get for us," McQueen said. "I like playing that next level of competition."

In three postseason games, McQueen is averaging 12.7 points and 9.7 rebounds.

McQueen had some added adrenaline, besides playing the top team in the nation in Rock Valley due to the family ties her family has to the state of Illinois, the state where the Golden Eagles are from.

"I was extremely excited to play and the game was kind of personal because my father and his whole side of the family are from Chicago, so I really wanted take home a W against them."

Unfortunately the Warriors came up on the losing end, falling 81-62 to the perennial power RVC. But, McQueen shined against the nation's best.

"I honestly think Tiana (McQueen) was one of the best players on the court," Brathwaite said. "She was not scared and did not back down. I hope she continues to play like this the rest of the tournament."

The Warriors play No. 5 Sullivan County CC on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.