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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The top-ranked Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team meets No. 5 Lincoln Memorial University on Saturday in a matchup of two of the nation's top-five teams, the two teams ranked atop the Southeast Region, and the two teams tied for first place in the South Atlantic Conference. Opening tipoff from the Levine Center is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Last season, Queens and Lincoln Memorial split four meetings, with the Royals winning the conference tournament championship game, 75-72, on Mar. 5, but the Railsplitters taking the final encounter, claiming the Southeast Regional Championship in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, 82-68, on Mar. 14. Queens and LMU shared the conference title in the regular season. LMU leads the all-time series 12-3.

Saturday's game is this year's Blue-Out Game presented by Coca-Cola. Fans are encouraged to wear blue, and the first 200 students in attendance will receive a free Queens Athletics t-shirt. Tickets are $6, and admission is free for Queens students with their school ID.

Live video coverage will be available on the Queens Sports Network with Phil Constantino and John Short.

Quick Facts

No. 1/2 Queens Royals (16-0, 8-0 SAC)
(Game Notes)

-Queens defeated Newberry College 81-75 on Wednesday night to move to 16-0 for the second consecutive season. Shaun Willett led the Royals with 15 points and 11 rebounds, both marks tying career highs, as he became the seventh different player to lead Queens in scoring in a game this year.

-With the win over Newberry, the Royals tied a program record for winning streak and best start to a season, which were both set last year. Queens has won 23 of its last 24 games overall dating back to last season.

-Queens is ranked No. 1 in the NABC/Division II National Rankings for the first time in program history. The Royals moved up one spot from last week's poll receiving 13 of a possible 16 first-place votes. Queens also ranks No. 2 in the D2SIDA media poll, and No. 1 in the southeast region receiving all five first-place votes.

-The Royals are the first ever Charlotte-area men's college basketball program to receive a No. 1 national ranking in their classification.

-Over the last three seasons, Queens has opened a combined 44-0 before losing, opening the 2015-2016 season 12-0, and opening the 2016-2017 season 16-0, prior to this season's 16-0 start.

-Queens is the only program in the nation, in all levels of NCAA competition, to have started each of the last three seasons 10-0 or better (More than 1,200 schools).

-The Royals have secured 12 of their 16 wins by double figures, and have compiled nine wins over teams with a record of .500 or better, two wins over regionally-ranked opponents and one win over a nationally-ranked opponent.

-Queens is beating opponents by an average of 16.4 points per game, which ranks No. 8 nationally.

-Queens is one of four remaining unbeaten teams in Division II, and one of eight remaining unbeaten NCAA programs.

-Queens is ranked in the coaches' poll for the 37^th consecutive week, a streak which began on Nov. 24, 2015, with the first poll of the 2015-2016 season. The Royals reached their previous highest ranking of No. 2 in the first edition of this seasons rankings on Nov. 21. Queens has cracked the top 10 of the rankings during each of the previous two seasons.

-With a victory over Tarleton State University on Dec. 30, Queens completed its non-conference schedule unbeaten for the third consecutive season. The Royals last non-conference loss came versus Livingstone, 73-71, on Dec. 3, 2014. Queens has won 24 straight non-conference games including the postseason.

-Queens is led by Todd Withers who is averaging a team-high 14.1 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. Withers is 15^th in the South Atlantic Conference in scoring and third in rebounding. On Dec. 30 versus Tarleton State, Withers grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds and scored 11 points to record his 12^th career double-double and his fifth of the season. Since the start of December, Withers has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games and posted a double-figure rebounding performance on five occasions.

-The Royals are allowing 66.9 points per game which is the best mark in the South Atlantic Conference and 23rd in the nation. Queens holds its opponents to 39.3 percent shooting (No. 5 NCAA, No. 2 SAC), and is out-rebounding opponents by 10.4 rebounds per game (No. 8 NCAA, No. 2 SAC).

-The Royals feature a balanced attack with four of five starters averaging double figures (Withers 14.1 PPG, Mike Davis 11.8 PPG, Jalin Alexander 11.0 PPG, and Ike Agusi 10.7 PPG).
 
-In four career games versus Lincoln Memorial, Alexander leads Queens averaging 15.8 points per game. He scored 28 points in the first meeting last season on Jan. 9, and 24 points in the second meeting on Feb. 18.
 
No. 5/5 Lincoln Memorial University (14-1, 8-0 SAC)

-Lincoln Memorial last played on Saturday, Jan. 6, defeating Coker 120-74. Emanuel Terry led the Splitters with 27 points and 14 rebounds to record his sixth double-double of the season.

-LMU's only loss this year came at the hands of then-No. 1 Northwest Missouri State University, 70-56, on Dec. 19.

-LMU is ranked No. 5 in both the coaches' poll and the media poll. The Railsplitters are also ranked No. 2 in the Southeast Region, and previously held the top spot before losing to Northwest Missouri State.

-LMU opened the year ranked No. 4 in the coaches' poll and No. 2 in the media poll. The Splitters were picked second to Queens in the SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll receiving two of 11 first-place votes. LMU returned five of its top seven scorers from last season.

-LMU's average margin of victory is 29.2 points per game which ranks No. 2 nationally.

-On Dec. 11, LMU beat Mars Hill 156-69, setting a SAC record for scoring and three-pointers made in a single game.

-The Railsplitters average 97 points (No. 2 NCAA, No. 1 SAC) and allow 67.8 points per game (T-No. 30 NCAA, No. 2 SAC). LMU shoots 3-pointers at 43.6 percent (No. 4 NCAA, No. 1 SAC).

-The Railsplitters feature two of the SAC's top five scorers and rebounders. Trevon Shaw leads LMU at 18.4 points per game which ranks third in the league. Terry ranks fourth with 18.3 points per game. Terry also leads the league in rebounding with 10.6 rebounds per game. Dorian Pinson is second in the SAC with 9.4 rebounds per game.

-The Railsplitters have advanced to the Final Four in each of the last two seasons, and have won either the conference regular season and/or the conference tournament championship in each of the last five seasons.