Box Score HICKORY, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte women's basketball team traveled to Lenoir-Rhyne University this evening to take on the Bears. Despite a career-high scoring night for sophomore guard Nikia Squire, the Royals fell 74-67 to the Bears in the conference opener. The Royals now sit at 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in the SAC, while the Bears remain undefeated at 4-0 and 1-0.
 
Squire was one rebound away from recording a double-double after notching 22 points and nine rebounds. The Columbia, S.C., native shot 8-12 from the field and 6-10 from the foul line tonight to reach her new career-high. Also reaching double-digit scoring was Shonice Pettaway, who scored 13 points on 5-10 shooting, and Tia Hudgins, who shot 4-7 to add 10 points. Micha Cox notched nine points, six assists and four steals.
 
After trailing the Bears by 14 points at the start of the second half, the Royals gained some momentum late in the game with a 15-6 run to get within two points, 64-62, of L-R. Unfortunately the Royals would go cold on the offensive end as the Bears capitalized at the foul line in the final 1:20 of action to secure the win over Queens.
 
Queens saw their best shooting percentage of the young season tonight at 43.9 percent, while the Bears shot 37.1 percent from the floor. The Royals also edged the Bears in the paint scoring 34 points to their 30. L-R's bench put 29 points on the board making a huge difference in the game.
 
In the first half, the Bears jumped out to a 7-0 lead before junior guard Abby Pettit put Queens on the board with a jumper at 16:21. Queens would play catch-up for the remainder of the period, seeing their greatest deficit at the break, 38-24.
 
Jazmine Charles led L-R with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Morgan Cooper and Jenni Gust each added 10 points.
 
The Royals will travel to Lincoln Memorial on Saturday to take on the Railsplitters at 6 p.m.