CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens men's basketball celebrated Homecoming with an 89-78 win against Pfeiffer Saturday night in Ovens Athletic Center.

Reggie Hopkins (Gastonia, N.C., Ashbrook) and Antonio Stabler (Garner, N.C., Wakefield) fueled the Royals (18-6, 14-2 Conference Carolinas) with a combined 43 points and six steals on 58.3-percent shooting (14-24).

Hopkins and Stabler were hot from the tip, scoring 12 and 15 points, respectively, in the first half.

Despite holding the conference's leading scorer, Chris Woods (23.7 ppg), to just five first-half points, the Royals defense uncharacteristically allowed the Falcons (10-14, 8-8) to shoot 56 percent from the field in the half (14-25), including 42.9 percent from deep (six-14). Though surrendering a high percentage from the field, the Royals swiped eight steals en route to forcing 11 turnovers to take a 45-40 lead into the break.

After a Kyler Gregory three-pointer tied the game at 56-up at 12:36 mark of the second half, the Royals went on a 14-2 run, capped on a Sam Johnson (Leicester, N.C., Asheville Christian) layup to put the Royals up 69-60 with 7:10 remaining. Hitting 52.3 percent of their shots (34-65), the Royals' big men overwhelmed Pfeiffer down low, outscoring the Falcons 46-26 in the paint.

With Stabler and Brent Evans (Beaufort, S.C., Battery Creek) supplying the Rowdy Royals with powerful dunks throughout the game, the play of the game came on a throw-in when Brandon Nichols (Fayetteville, N.C., Jack Britt) connected with Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C., Hammond ) for a thundering alley-oop dunk to put the Royals up by 10 with just under three minutes remaining.

Queens would push the lead to as much as 15 in the final minute to seal the victory.

The Royals return to action Wednesday night when they welcome Mount Olive (13-11, 8-8) to Ovens Athletics Center for a 7:30 tip.