CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Royals returned home this evening after playing three games in a row on the road to face Saint Andrews Presbyterian College in Conference Carolinas action. Queens University of Charlotte broke its three game losing streak defeating the Knights 71-58.
The Royals are now 5-3 (6-8) in the league which moves them up to third. St. Andrews (0-10, 0-13) is still in search of its first win of the season after the loss.
Queens began the game jumping out to an early lead after an 8-0 run. The Knights came back tying the game up at 18 with 9:17 on the clock. A free-throw by Shakaria Hamlin gave the Royals a one point lead soon after and began a 10-0 run which put Queens up for good.
At the break, The Royals led 39-24 after scoring 17 second chance points. Queens also had 20 points scored in the paint.
The Royals quickly stretched their lead out to as much as 21, 46-26, at the start of the second half. Queens held on to its large lead until around the six minute mark when the Knights trailed by just nine points after an 8-2 run.
That was as close as St. Andrews would get as the Royals put together another series of runs giving them a 13 point lead at the sound of the final buzzer.
Marissa Hudley (Charlotte, N.C., Harding University ) led all scorers with 18 points. Hudley was three assists shy of a triple double after dishing out seven in addition to grabbing 12 boards. Shonice Pettaway (Walstonburg, N.C., Greene Central) was knocking on the double-double door this evening after scoring 10 points and collecting eight rebounds. Jessica Lewis (Hampton, Va., Bethel) and Dyonna Battle (Rocky Mount, N.C., Rocky Mount) rounded out the bulk of the Royals' scoring with 12 points apiece.
Leading the Knights was Megan Lee with 17 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Rebecca Bryant netted 10 points and also had five rebounds. Benee Norton led St. Andrews on the boards with six to go along with her eight points.
The Royals have one day to rest as they will play host to Limestone College on Saturday in a game set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Last season the Royals dropped two close games to the Saints.
