Box Score SALISBURY, N.C. – Despite outscoring the Indians 46-41 in the second half, Queens University of Charlotte fell 80-77 to Catawba College this evening. The men's basketball team falls to 3-2 on the season, while the Indians improve to 3-2 with the non-conference win.
With the score sitting at 74-65 in Catawba's favor, the Royals went on a 10-to-2 run to cut the home team's lead to one with 16 seconds left in the game.
Brent Evans (Beaufort, S.C., Battery Creek) sparked the run with a momentum changing fast-break dunk. Queens immediately fouled on next inbound to put the Indians at the line where Tyrece Little knocked down both on the one-and-one opportunity. A foul was then committed by the Indians putting Queens'
Antonio Stabler (Garner, N.C., Wakefield) on the line where he scored two from the charity stripe making the score 78-77 with six seconds on the clock. Another Queens foul would put Catawba back at the line where Justin Huntley made it a three point game with four ticks on the clock. The Royals couldn't get another shot off in closing seconds as Catawba escaped with the win.
In the first half of play the Royals held a 10-5 lead over Catawba three minutes into the game. Catawba then scored six points to Queens one equalizing the game at 11-11. A free-throw by Maurice Knight gave the Indians the lead, which they held on to for the remainder of the half. Catawba saw their largest lead with just over two minutes left in the half when a bucket by Little put them up by 15. The Royals were able to cut the lead down to eight for the break on a 7-to-0 run in the final 1:37.
Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C., Hammond ) scored two goals to begin the run, and
Nate Blackburn (Burlington, N.C., Graham) finished it with a bucket from behind the three-point arc.
At the start of the second, the Royals continued to chip away at Catawba's lead one possession at a time. A free-throw by Bailey capping off three points the old fashioned way brought the Royals to within one of the Indians, 44-43, with 15:18 on the clock. However, Catawba would build their lead back up until the Royals' final run in the closing minutes of the game.
Bailey and
Brandon Nichols (Fayetteville, N.C., Jack Britt) each netted 17 points apiece in the loss. Bailey also notched six rebounds, four assists and four steals as Nichols added eight rebounds and three steals. Evans finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Sean Eads (Greenville, S.C., Eastside) contributed 12 points while dishing out four assists.
The Indians were led by Keon Moore who finished with a game-high 41 points. Little added 15 points to the board, while also grabbing 13 rebounds for a double-double.
Queens is off for the Thanksgiving Holiday and will return to the court at home on Wednesday, November 30 against the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
