Box Score MARS HILL, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team extended their winning streak to six this afternoon with a 71-68 win over Mars Hill University on the road. The Royals now sit at 7-5 on the year and 4-2 in the league, while the Lions fall to 2-4 in the South Atlantic Conference and 7-5 on the season.
Junior forward
Sean Morgan got off to a hot start in the New Year recording 17 points and 11 rebounds. He also tallied two assists and a block. Junior guard
Rob Lewis totaled 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal, while
Marquis Rankin added 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Sophomore forward
Jared Hendryx chipped in with nine points and seven rebounds.
After six ties and four lead changes, the Royals' Morgan would knock down a pair of shots to put his team ahead 21-17 with 7:01 to play. A three-pointer from
Kendall Jones at 2:07 extended the lead to six, the largest of the half for Queens, but a 5-1 push by Mars Hill in the final 1:50 sent the Royals to the locker room at the break with just a 30-28 lead.
The Lions quickly knotted the game at 30-30 out of the break, and went on to regain control of the lead on a jumper from Brandon Watkins. Following a made three-pointer from Patrick Monroe that put the home team ahead 39-37, Queens' Morgan would net a fastbreak layup to equalize things once more and spark an 18-5 run that put the Royals up 55-44 with 8:12 on the clock. The Royals scored four threes during the run.
The Lions would cut Queens' lead to one, 58-57, at 3:48 after scoring eight unanswered points, but three-points the old-fashioned way from Hendryx would swing the momentum back in the Royals' favor as they stretched their lead to as much as six before the final horn sounded.
The Royals edged the Lions 30-28 in the paint today, and won the battle under the glass, 42-36.
Monroe led the Lions with 17 points, while Isaiah Cuthbertson and Michael Carson scored 14 points apiece.
Queens returns to Curry Arena on January 7 at 8 p.m. against Coker College.
