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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The seventh-ranked Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (3-1) will meet the University of West Georgia (1-1) on Wednesday night in its 2018-2019 home opener. Wednesday is also Military Appreciation Night, and all military personnel will receive free admission with their military ID. Additionally, all fans in attendance will have a chance to win specialty Queens military-themed camouflage t-shirts.

Wednesday marks the first-ever meeting between the Royals and the Wolves. Opening tipoff at the Levine Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. General admission is $6 and Queens students, faculty and staff will receive free admission with presentation of their Queens ID.
 
Quick Facts
No. 7/14 Queens Royals (3-1)
(Game Notes)

-Queens is coming off an 85-69 win over Young Harris College to cap a 2-0 weekend at the Conference Challenge. The Royals were led by a career-high 22-point performance from Shaun Willett, who secured 11 rebounds to post his third double-double in four games, and the sixth of his career. Daniel Carr added a career-high 19 points as the Royals used a 17-1 second-half run to break the game open.

-Queens opened its season in the prestigious Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic presented by Hillyard. The Royals won their first game, 101-87, over William Jewell College before dropping their second game, 87-74, to Northern State University in a rematch of last year's national semifinal. The elite field featured the last two national champions and three of last year's four national semifinalists.

-The loss to Northern State put an end to the Royals' streak of consecutive unbeaten starts to the season. In the last three years, Queens had previously opened a combined 44-0 before losing a game. The streak began with a 12-0 start to the 2015-2016 campaign which at the time set program records for both longest winning streak and best start to a season. The Royals eclipsed or tied both of those records during each of the next two years, both times opening 16-0 before losing. Queens was the only NCAA men's basketball program to open each of the last three seasons at least 10-0 before losing (more than 1,200 NCAA institutions).

-The loss also marked the earliest loss in a season since Queens fell in its season opener to Georgia College on Nov. 14, 2014, and the first regular-season non-conference loss since falling to Livingstone on Dec. 3, 2014. The Royals had won 23 straight non-conference regular-season games.

-Queens was ranked No. 7 nationally in the NABC/Division II Preseason Rankings marking the fourth consecutive year in which the Royals cracked the top 10 of the official coaches' poll. Queens has been featured in the rankings in every regular-season poll for the last 45 weeks, dating back to Nov. 24, 2015, the first poll of the 2015-2016 season. Additionally, the Royals were ranked No. 8 nationally in the D2SIDA Preseason Poll and No. 11 nationally by the Division II Bulletin.

-The Royals were picked No. 2 in the Conference's preseason poll receiving four first-place votes and 104 total points. Queens was voted second only to Lincoln Memorial University who garnered seven first-place votes and 107 total points.

-Queens returned five letter winners from last year's regional championship team; Diankulu (17.2 MPG, 8.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG), Willett (14.8 MPG, 9.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG), Carr (19.3 MPG, 7.1 PPG, 2.6 APG), Josh Brodowicz and Jonathan Horodyski. Diankulu is the only returning starter, while Carr (2) and Willett (1) both started at least one game last season. Diankulu, Carr, and Willett all saw time in all 36 contests.

-Willett and Carr were named preseason second-team all-conference selections, as voted by the League's coaches.

-The Royals added 10 newcomers to its quintet of returners for the 2018-2019 season. The class includes Division I transfer Jachai Taylor from Murray State University, Division II transfer Blake Morrow (12.7 PPG) from Eckerd College, junior college transfers Brandon Faison, Armoni Lee, Van Turner Jr, and Kevion Blaylock, and freshmen Jamari Smith, Jermaine Patterson, Kenny Dye, and Chris Parks. Both Smith and Patterson were named their respective states' Players of the Year in high school.

-Head Coach Bart Lundy is in his sixth season since returning to Queens and his 11^th overall at the helm in Charlotte. In 17 years as a head coach in Division I and II, Lundy has posted an overall record of 331-169 (.662 win pct.) and a record at Queens of 235-82 (.741 win pct.). Lundy has led Queens to all three of its Elite Eight appearances.

West Georgia Wolves (1-1)

-West Georgia is 1-1 to open the season with an 80-72 win over Palm Beach Atlantic University and a loss to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 72-65.

-The Wolves finished last season 14-14 overall and 9-11 in the Gulf South Conference, losing to Valdosta State University in the first round of the conference tournament. West Georgia was picked ninth out of 13 teams in the GSC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

-The Wolves return leading scorer and Preseason All-GSC selection Marquill Smith who averaged 23.1 points per game last season en route to a first-team all-conference selection. Through two games this year, Smith is averaging 28 points and six rebounds per game.

-Head Coach Dave Moore is in his first season after spending the last 10 years in Division I as an assistant at St. Bonaventure University.