CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The Queens men's basketball team toppled Lees-McRae by a score of 86-72 in Banner Elk, N.C. The Conference Carolinas win improves Queens to 9-9 in league action, 12-13 overall, while LMC falls to 2-16 in conference play, 3-22 overall.

 

Queens held a four point edge at the half, 35-31, and posted a huge 51 points in the second half for the win. Reggie Hopkins (Gastonia, N.C., Ashbrook) led all scorers with 17 points. He was a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line and 4-9 from the floor. Antonio Stabler (Garner, N.C., Wakefield) had the second game-high with 16 points and the only double-double with 10 rebounds. Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C., Hammond ) and Andre Lockhart (St. James, Barbados, Coleridge and Pany) also scored in double figures with 14 points each.

 

The Royals rebounded from a rough outing against Coker on Saturday to shoot 51.1% from the floor during the game. Queens improved from the first half to the second half in all shooting areas.

 

Around the glass the Royals out rebounded the Bobcats 40-23 and nearly pulled down double the amount of defensive rebounds the Bobcats grabbed, 30-17.

 

The game was only close for the opening seven and a half minutes. In that time the lead bounced back and forth three times, plus five ties. From there Queens took the lead with a Nate Blackburn (Burlington, N.C., Graham) three and never let it go.

 

A 21-7 Royals run started the second half and gave Queens their largest lead of the game, 17 points. The Bobcats were able to pull back within nine points with fewer than five to play, but the Royals never let them get any closer.

 

Queens hosts Mount Olive College on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7:30pm in the last regular season home game.