CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The third time was not the charm for the Queens University of Charlotte Royals as they played Anderson University in their first-ever conference tournament championship. The meeting marked the third time the teams squared off this season and the third time the Trojans came away with the “w”, this time by a score of 62-52.
The first two meetings were each decided by two points.
No. 2 seed Anderson (20-10/16-6 CC) used hot shooting from behind the three-point arc, converting on 8-19 (42.0%), to maintain a lead over Queens. The team averaged 31.6% from behind the arc this season. Queens (18-12/15-7 CC) normally can match, if not out play, teams from behind the arc but tonight they were just 1-12.
The No. 4 seed Royals trailed by eight at the half, 31-23. Queens held two ties with Anderson to start the game, but after the Trojans took the lead with their fourth free throw, they held onto it for the rest of the game. The first six out of eight points Anderson scored all came from the charity stripe. For the game, the converted 14-18 attempts. Queens got to the line just eight times and hit five shots.
Anderson used a 10-4 run midway through the second stanza to widen the lead to 15, but Queens did not roll over and go quietly. Queens hit six of their last 13 tries in an attempt to reel the Trojans back in, but it was just too little, too late.
Marissa Hudley (Charlotte, N.C., Harding University ) led all scorers with 18 points and for the third time in the conference tournament had a double-double with 10 rebounds.
Shakaria Hamlin (Hartsville, S.C., Hartsville) was just three points away from a 20 point game with 17.
Anderson was led by Shanice Wilson with 13 points.
Around the glass each team pulled down 34 boards.
The Royals record of 18-12 is the best since the 1998-1999 season when they finished with a record of 19-9.
