CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A huge first half provided enough cushion for the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team to win their seventh consecutive game, as they defeated Belmont Abbey College (2-4, 6-7) 70-66 Thursday night in the Wheeler Center.

With the win, the Royals improve to 4-0 (8-4) and move within one game of the first-place Limestone Saints in Conference Carolinas standings.

“I'm terrifically proud of our effort tonight in one of the toughest environments we go into,” said Queens Head Coach Wes Long, who picked up his first win in the Wheeler Center as a head coach. Adding, “It's never easy to get a win in that building.”

Reggie Hopkins (Gastonia, N.C., Ashbrook) torched the net early and often, converting nine of 16, including six of 10 from behind the arc, to lead all scorers with a career-high 31 points.

“Reggie was sensational, nothing less,” said Long. “He means as much to me as a player ever could, and I'm grateful that I get to coach young men like him. I thought he was the leader on both ends of the floor all night. He wanted the ball when it mattered, and he has been an anchor for us defensively so many times.”

The Royals built a 15-point halftime lead, 38-23, as Hopkins swished home a jumper at the buzzer to give him 17 points going into the break.

Queens maintained its double-digit lead through the first 15 minutes of the second half before the Abbey mounted its charge.

Two free throws from Matthew Graves at the 5:46 mark started a 12-3 Crusader run that chopped the Royals' lead down to a pair at 60-58 with 2:33 left. Graves scored five of his seven points in the run, which included a traditional three-point play. Richard Barbee matched Graves' effort with a three-point play of his own to close the gap to two points – but that was as close as the Crusaders would get.

“They threw some pretty big blows at us in the second half,” Long said, “when they played very well on both ends of the floor, and I was proud that we dug down deep and found enough fight in us to stave them off and finish the win. It definitely wasn't easy.”

The Royals capped off the win by converting five of their final six free throws.
 
“We weren't perfect, but we toughed it out and continue to get better, that's what excites the staff most.”

Moving forward, the Royals will prepare for Pfeiffer University (4-1, 6-6), as they travel to Misenheimer, N.C for another Conference Carolinas contest Saturday night.