Box Score CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte (18-9) fell 88-79 this afternoon to Mount Olive College (19-7) in men's basketball action letting the 2012 regular season title slip through their hands. Queens will head into the Conference Carolinas Tournament with a 13-3 league record, while the Trojans finish conference play at 12-4.

The loss was a tough one for the Royals as it was Senior Day. However, as the East Division Champions Queens will still enter the tournament with a number one seed after going 30-5 in conference play over the past two seasons.

Seniors Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C., Hammond ), David Cheek (Graham, N.C., Graham), Sean Eads (Greenville, S.C., Eastside), Preston Newlin (Graham, N.C., Graham) and Joshua Twitty (Rutherfordton, N.C., Polk County) were recognized before the game for their contributions to the program over the past four years. Bailey led the Royals alongside Antonio Stabler (Garner, N.C., Wakefield) as each scored 25 points today, Bailey on 12-of-18 shooting and Stabler on 9-of-12 shooting. Eads added 14 points to the mix, while Stabler also led in rebounding with eight.  

Craig Hayes of Mount Olive scored a game-high 31 points after bucketing 17 first half points. Derek Staton added 22 points, while Jordan McCain chipped in with 13.

The Royals shot 55.8 percent from the floor outscoring Mount Olive 48-32 in the paint. The Trojans shot 50 percent, and held a 40-29 advantage on the glass converting those rebounds to 16 second chance points. Queens' bench outscored Mount Olive's 22-9.

Queens got off to a strong start quickly going up 8-1. A 12-0 run from the Trojans would put them ahead five at the 15:40 mark. Mount Olive would hold the lead going up by as much as 10 in the half. The Royals didn't stop attacking though closing the gap to three, 42-39, at the break on the backs of a three-ball from Nate Blackburn (Burlington, N.C., Graham) and a pair of trips to the foul line.

Stabler found the bottom of the net 10 seconds into the second bringing Queens to within one of the Trojans, but Mount Olive would answer with five straight to go up by six. After a three-pointer from Mount Olive's Mahamad Ibrahim, Bailey, Stabler and Brent Evans scored lay-ins to tie the game at 54-54. A shot drained from deep by Eads would cap Queens' 11-2 run putting the home team up 59-56. Queens led until just under the 10-minute mark when Deshaune Green scored a bucket to put the Trojans ahead for the remainder of play.

Senior student assistant Bobby Bossert was also recognized before the game for his irreplaceable contributions to the program alongside Queens cheerleader Brittanie McKenzie (Charlotte, N.C., South Mecklenburg).

Queens will host the Crusaders of North Greenville at the Grady Cole Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m.