Box Score
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team, ranked second in the NABC/NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, opened its 2017-18 campaign this evening with an exhibition game against Wake Forest University at LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
 
Queens would fall to the Demon Deacons by just two, 76-74, though trailing by as much as 17 points in tonight's exhibition. Senior Todd Withers led the way for the Royals with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Ike Agusi added 11 points and seven assists, while Mike Davis totaled 11 points and eight rebounds. Jalin Alexander and Daniel Carr both recorded 10 points, and Shaun Willett contributed nine points.
 
After getting off to a 3-0 start thanks to a bucket from behind the arc from Agusi, Queens quickly fell behind 13-4 following a 13-1 run by Wake Forest. The Royals would later cut the Demon Deacons' lead to just five after taking advantage of a scoring drought by the home team at the midway point of the half. Soon after, a three-pointer from Alexander would bring the Royals to within three, 21-18, with 6:43 on the clock, but Wake Forest responded with 10 unanswered points en route to taking a 38-26 lead into the break.  
 
Trailing 38-26 at the break, Queens would emerge from the locker room for the second half of play having shaken off some of the rust from the offseason to outscore the Demon Deacons by 10 points, 48-38, in the period to erase the first half 12-point deficit.
 
Wake Forest would open the second half extending the margin to the largest of the night, 17 points, with 14:35 on the clock before the Royals began chipping away at their lead. An 8-0 push late in the half would cut the Royals' deficit to just five, 62-57, with just under four to play. They then kept up the pressure as time ticked off the clock pulling within two on a pair of Solomon Smith free-throws with 40 seconds to play. Wake Forest was then able to squeak by with the win after knocking down 5-of-7 from the charity stripe in the closing 20 seconds of action. A three-pointer at the buzzer from Agusi would close the gap to two just before the buzzer sounded.
 
Queens shot 46.4-percent from the floor in the second half tonight after posting a 34.5-percent clip in the first. The Royals also knocked down 7-of-15 triples in the second. Wake Forest opened with 40-percent shooting before struggling in the second half at 29-percent shooting. Additionally, the Demon Deacons won the battle under the glass narrowly, 47-40.
 
Foul trouble riddled the Royals early tonight as both Davis and Darryl White entered the halftime break with three fouls each. Davis would later foul out with just over three minutes left in regulation. Alexander fouled out with 6:20 left to play after recording two fouls in the opening half.
 
Keyshawn Woods of Wake Forest led all players on the court with 21 points to go along with six rebounds. Bryant Crawford added 14 points and eight rebounds while Brandon Childress totaled 12 points.
 
The Royals will open their regular season on the road next weekend in the Bobcat Crossover Classic. Queens will take on Georgia College on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. before facing North Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 1:30 p.m.