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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The third-ranked Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team travels to Catawba College for a South Atlantic Conference matchup on Wednesday night. Opening tipoff from Goodman Gymnasium is scheduled for 8 p.m.

The Royals lead the all-time series with the Indians 12-4 and won the first meeting this season at the Levine Center, 83-65, on Nov. 29, behind 12 points apiece from Ike Agusi and Josh Van Weezep. Queens has won the last 10 contests with Catawba, including every meeting since Queens joined the SAC prior to the 2013-2014 season. The Royals last loss versus the Indians came on Nov. 22, 2011.

Live play-by-play coverage will be available on the Queens Sports Network with Phil Constantino.
 
Quick Facts

No. 3/4 Queens Royals (18-1, 10-1 SAC)
(Game Notes)

-Queens most recently defeated Tusculum College, 92-57, on Saturday at the Levine Center, winning by 30 or more points for the third time this season. Jalin Alexander and Shaun Willett paced four Royals in double figures with 15 points apiece. Mike Davis and Lewis Diankulu each scored 14 points. Willett added eight rebounds, while Davis secured nine. Todd Withers posted his seventh double-figure rebounding game of the season with 11 boards.

-The Royals held the Pioneers to 31-percent shooting (18-58), and 23.1 percent from the 3-point line (6-26). Tusculum's starting five combined to score six points on just 1 of 19 shooting.

-Queens ranks tied for 20^th in the nation, and No. 1 in the SAC in scoring defense, allowing 66.5 points per game. The Royals are holding opponents to 39.4 percent shooting (No. 10 NCAA, No. 2 SAC), and are out-rebounding opponents by 9.6 rebounds per game (No. 11 NCAA, No. 2 SAC).

-The Royals have held 17 of 19 opponents under their season scoring average, allowing an opponent to score 80 points on just one occasion (Carson-Newman), and allowing 70 points or more just eight times.

-Queens is beating opponents by an average of 16 points per game, which ranks No. 6 nationally.

-The Royals only loss of the season came three games ago versus then-No. 5 Lincoln Memorial University, 73-72, in front of a crowd of nearly 1,400 fans at the Levine Center. The Royals squandered a 14-point first half lead, as the loss put an end to a 16-game winning streak that tied program records for both winning streak, and best start to a season.

-Davis is 10 points away from reaching 1,500 in his career. Davis has compiled 1,490 career points, 811 of which were scored in his first two collegiate seasons at Francis Marion University, and 679 of which have been scored since joining Queens prior to last season.

-Queens is led by Withers who is averaging a team-high 13.3 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. Withers is 19^th in the SAC in scoring and third in rebounding.

-On Jan. 15, Withers was named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List. The Bevo Francis Award is presented annually to the player who had the finest overall season in Small College Basketball (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA).

-Withers ranks sixth on the career rebounding list at Queens with 640 and is 51 rebounds away from tying for fifth place (691, Yogi Leo '93-'96). His 1,119 career points, ranks Withers 11^th all-time at Queens in scoring. He is 121 points away from tying for 10th on the scoring list (1,240 points, Adrien Pritchard '96-'99).

-The Royals feature a balanced attack with four of five starters averaging double figures (Withers 13.3 PPG, Davis 11.7 PPG, Agusi 10.5 PPG, and Alexander 10.5 PPG). Queens has featured seven different leading scorers in a game this season (Withers, Davis, Alexander, Agusi, Diankulu, Willett, Van Weezep).

-Queens currently sits in second place, one game back of Lincoln Memorial (17-1, 11-0 SAC), and two games ahead of Carson-Newman University in third place (16-3, 8-3 SAC).

-Two weeks ago in the NABC/Division II National Rankings, Queens reached No. 1 for the first time in program history and received 13 of a possible 16 first-place votes. Queens currently ranks No. 3 in the coaches' poll and No. 4 in the D2SIDA media poll. The Royals are also ranked No. 2 in the Southeast Region behind only LMU, receiving one of six first-place votes.

-Queens is the first ever Charlotte-area men's college basketball program to receive a No. 1 national ranking in its 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).

-Queens is ranked in the coaches' poll for the 39^th consecutive week, a streak which began on Nov. 24, 2015, with the first poll of the 2015-2016 season. 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.
 
Catawba Indians (5-11, 2-9 SAC)

-Catawba has dropped two consecutive contests, most recently falling to No. 3 Lincoln Memorial 90-61 on Saturday. Jerrin Morrsion led the Indians with 23 points, as Malik Constantine scored 15. Catawba's last win came on Jan. 13 versus Mars Hill University, 83-68.

-Morrison leads Catawba is scoring with 21.1 points per game. His scoring average ranks second in the league and 38^th in the nation.

-Constantine leads the team in rebounding and ranks seventh in the league with 7.4 rebounds per game. Jeremy McLaughlin averages 6.9 rebounds per game, ranking him eighth in the SAC.

-The Indians have played without preseason first-team all-conference selection Jameel Taylor for the bulk of the season due to injury. Taylor has played in four games, last appearing on Dec. 16 at Anderson. Last year, the 6-3 senior guard, averaged 17.6 points per game, leading the team.

-As a team, Catawba has struggled offensively. The Indians are averaging 72.4 points per game (No. 9 SAC), shoot 40.2 percent from the field (No. 11 SAC, No. 290 NCAA), and 28.8-percent from the 3-point line (No. 11 SAC, No. 296 NCAA).