CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The Royals improved their shooting for the second-straight game as they battled Catawba College Saturday afternoon at the Ovens Athletics Center. Despite the improvements, the visiting Indians walked away with the 101-91 win.
The non-conference contest saw some of the best offensive action from the Royals thus far in the season. Queens shot 42.6% from the floor, almost 25% better than the opening contest at Armstrong Atlantic State University on Nov. 17. Queens
The Royals trailed by one to two possessions for much of the first half, but they tied the game and took a one point lead off of two free throws made by Reggie Hopkins (Gastonia, N.C., Ashbrook) with 8:44 to play in the first half. The Indians pulled away by six in the next minute but a three-point basket by Patrick Fox (Eden, N.C. , Morehead) cut the lead in half. Again the Indians pulled away, this time by five, but two free throws and a three-pointer by Devon Seaford (Charlotte, N.C., Hope Christian Academy) put Queens within two with 6:13 to play. Queens was trailing by four with three seconds to play, but a two-point basket and an and one opportunity put the Indians out by seven. With one two ticks left in the half Dominque Ester (Creedmoor, N.C. , South Granville ) hit his second field goal of the half to keep Queens within five.
Queens fell behind by as many as seven during the first part of the second half, but a flurry of baskets from 7:40 to 5:52 saw the two ties and five lead changes. Queens tightened up the defense to keep the contest within one point with 4:24 to go. Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C., Hammond ), Hopkins and Fox all forced turnovers in the last three minutes of the game, while the Royals only committed one.
The forced turnovers helped to give the Royals 10 chances to make baskets, but the baskets would not fall, hitting two of the 10. Catawba only made one field goal on one attempt in the last three minutes, but was able to extend the lead out to 10 from the charity stripe, winning the game 101-91.
Leading the Queens offense was Hopkins with 20. Jonaldaren Baldwin (Burlington, N.C., Graham)scored his season high 14, as did Bailey, seven, Ester, four, Fox, 13, Charles Burgess (Spartanburg, S.C., Boiling Springs), 13, and Kevin Fowler (Mexico, N.Y. , Mexico Academy), 10.
For the Indians Dominick Reid led the team with 21 and five others scored in double digits.
Queens (0-3) starts Conference Carolinas play on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 7:30pm against Lees-McRae College. Catawba (3-0) will play locally again as they face St. Augustine's on Monday, Nov. 24, at the Time-Warner Cable Arena.
