Box Score HARTSVILLE, S.C. – With the opportunity to clinch the regular season title for the second year in a row, the Royals came up short falling 78-67 to Coker College this evening at Timberlake-Lawton Gym. Queens University of Charlotte (18-8) drops to 13-2 in the league, while Coker (13-12) improves to 7-8.
Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C., Hammond ) recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Antonio Stabler (Garner, N.C., Wakefield) scored 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while tallying nine boards.
Sean Eads (Greenville, S.C., Eastside) added 12 points and four steals, while
Brandon Nichols (Fayetteville, N.C., Jack Britt) scored eight points and collected three steals and three assists.
Leading the Cobras in scoring was Julian Nelson with 16 points. Austin Harper scored 14 points as Sharod Williams recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds. Charles West chipped in 11 points.
Queens found themselves down 11-6 early in the game before Eads knocked down a three-pointer sparking a 14-4 run capped by another three-pointer from
David Cheek (Graham, N.C., Graham) that put the Royals up five, 20-15. Coker's Andrew Morris scored a bucket from three-point range tying the game at 20-20. Three-points scored by Bailey the old-fashioned way would give Queens the lead once more for a short period before the Cobras regained control and closed the half up by eight, 39-31.
A dunk to start the second extended the home team's lead to 10, while keeping the momentum from the first half on their side. Queens quickly responded with a 14-5 run bringing them to within one of the Cobras, 46-45, with 11:09 to play. A bucket from Coker's West helped slow Queens' push down as the Cobras increased their lead back out to as much as 11 before the final horn sounded.
The Royals shot 43.9 percent from the floor compared to Coker's 45.9 percent shooting. Coker took the battle on the glass collecting 42 rebounds to Queens' 33.
The Royals will host Mt. Olive College on Saturday at 4 p.m. for Senior Day.
