Live Video: Queens Sports Network
Phil Constantino (pxp), John Short (color)

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The 13^th-ranked Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (14-2, 6-0 SAC) hosts Carson-Newman University (9-5, 2-5 SAC) on Pride Day this Saturday at the Levine Center to celebrate the LGBTQ community. Pride Day t-shirts will be distributed to fans at select moments throughout the game. Opening tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Queens and Carson-Newman will meet for the 14th time with the Royals holding a 10-3 all-time edge, and having won each of the last seven meetings. CN's last win over Queens came on Feb. 23, 2015, when the Royals fell, 87-62, at the Levine Center in the final meeting of the 2014-2015 season.

Quick Facts
No. 13/9 Queens Royals (14-2, 6-0 SAC)
(Game Notes)

-Last time out, Shaun Willett scored 26 points and set a career high with 19 rebounds, while Lewis Diankulu posted his fourth career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, as Queens edged Newberry College, 96-94, on Wednesday night at Eleazer Arena. The Wolves tied the score three times in the second half but led by Willett's 13th double-double, 18 points from Daniel Carr, and 17 points from Van Turner Jr., the Royals never trailed en route to picking up a ninth-straight win.

-On Tuesday, Queens returned to the top 10 in one of two national polls, improving four spots to No. 9 in the D2SIDA Media Poll. The Royals also improved four spots to No. 13 in the most recent edition of the NABC/Division II Rankings. The placement in the sixth official coaches' poll of the season, marks the 51st consecutive week in which Queens has been featured in the poll dating back to Nov. 24, 2015, the first poll of the 2015-2016 season. The Royals opened the year at No. 7 in the coaches' poll and have cracked the top-10 nationally in both polls during each of the last four seasons.

-As the only remaining unbeaten team in conference play, Queens holds a one-game lead over Lincoln Memorial University (5-1) and Catawba College (5-1) for first place in the South Atlantic Conference standings.

-With his 13th double-double on Wednesday night, Willett maintained his NCAA lead (more than 1,200 institutions) for double-doubles this season. At the Division II level, Kendrick Colvin of Emmanuel College is second with 11 double-doubles, while two players in Division I and two players in Division III are also tied with 11.

-Willett was featured in SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Night, on Jan. 3, 2019, for a dunk that helped Queens to a 102-85 victory over Virginia Union University. The dunk, which was Willett's fourth of the game, was ranked No. 7 by ESPN. Willett became the second Queens player to ever appear in the nightly countdown by ESPN's flagship program. On Nov. 18, 2016, a dunk by Daniel Camps received the No. 9 ranking from ESPN's Top Plays in an 84-69 win over Lees-McRae College.

-Diankulu was named AstroTurf SAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week, for all games played Dec. 17-Jan. 1, after a career-high 34-point performance versus Coker College on Dec. 19. Diankulu also grabbed 10 rebounds to record his third double-double of the season. The honor was the first weekly accolade in his career and the second time that a Royals player claimed the award in a three week span.

-Willett currently ranks fifth in the SAC in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game. He is first in the League in rebounding, and third nationally, with 12.2 rebounds per game.

-Daniel Carr is seventh in the SAC in scoring (16.4 PPG), third in assists (5.0 APG) and seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (47.4%).

-Diankulu is the League's fourth-leading rebounder with 7.4 boards per game and ranks fourth in field goal percentage (60.0%).

-Van Turner Jr. is sixth in 3-point shooting (47.6%) and his 60 made 3-pointers ranks him No. 1 nationally for total 3-point field goals made.

-As a team, Queens is shooting 51.2 percent (No. 9 NCAA, No. 1 SAC) and 42.5 percent from three (No. 4 NCAA, No. 1 SAC).

-Six times this season the Royals have held an opponent under 40-percent shooting, including in four of the last six games. At no point this season has an opponent shot more than 50 percent from the field against Queens. Four games ago, at Tusculum University on Dec. 16, Queens posted a season-best defensive performance, allowing 62 points and holding the Pioneers to 34.4-percent shooting.

-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 342-170 (.668 win pct.) and a record at Queens of 246-83 (.748 win pct.). Lundy has led Queens to all three of its Elite Eight appearances.
 
Carson-Newman Eagles (9-5, 2-5 SAC)
(Game Notes)

-Carson-Newman opened the season 5-0 in non-conference play, but has since lost five of its last eight games.

-Most recently, the Eagles picked up a home win over Anderson University, 87-79, and currently sit sixth in the SAC standings.

-CN is led by senior guard Grant Teichmann, who leads the team in scoring (15.7 PPG), and shoots 3-pointers at the second-best clip in the League (52.9%). On Nov. 19, Teichmann was named SAC Player of the Week while averaging 21 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, across two games.

 -The Eagles were picked No. 3 in the SAC's preseason coaches' poll on the heels of an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-2018.

-CN is led by Chuck Benson, who is in his ninth season as head coach. Benson holds a coaching record of 150-98 (.605 win pct.).