CHARLOTTE, N.C.- If the first game of the year is any indication how the rest of the season will go, the Queens women's basketball team is facing the correct direction. The Royals (2-6/1-2 CC) opened the new year with a 88-61 defeat of Conference Carolinas opponent Converse College Monday night at the Ovens Athletics Center.

Nearly perfect free throw shooting, 27-30 (90%), and a season-high19 steals helped Queens along the way in a game that came full circle.

The Royals, led by Shakaria Hamlin (Hartsville, S.C., Hartsville) with 22 points, started conference contest looking like it would be a runaway game from the very first whistle. Queens started with a 13-0 run in the first few minutes. The Valkeries used seven unanswered points to come within three, 24-21, with 7:22 to play in the first and then tie the contest at 32-all with 3:38 remaining.

Queens used five free throws and strong defense to pull the lead back out to eight as the half closed.

The closeness of the first half was plenty for Queens and they came out on fire in the second half. The defense held Converse to just 21.4% from the floor while the offense hit 15 of 28.

By the end Queens closed the game with a 27 point lead, two less than the largest margin of the game.

Of Hamlin's 22 point, 12 were earned at the line as she was a perfect 12-12 on free throws. Every Queens player who entered the game was an offensive contributor scoring points and had at least one defensive rebound. In addition to Hamlin's double figures, Ashley McGuirt (Indian Trail, N.C., Providence Day), Jessica Lewis (Hampton, Va., Bethel), Marissa Hudley (Charlotte, N.C., Harding University ) and Jacquia Winstead (Elm City, N.C., Beddingfield) all contributed double digits as well.

Converse was led by Ashley Arff with 24 points, which makes 1,000 points on the nose for her career. Alaina Smith chipped in 12 points in the loss.

Queens returns to the court on Thursday as they host Barton College at 5:30pm.