Live Audio: Queens Sports Network
Phil Constantino (pxp)

Live Video: Newberry Wolves TV

Live Stats
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Holding sole possession of first place in the South Atlantic Conference standings, the 13^th-ranked Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (13-2, 5-0 SAC) returns to conference play on Wednesday night at Newberry College (5-6, 1-3 SAC). Opening tipoff from Eleazer Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Entering the second semester, Queens holds a .5 game lead in the SAC standings over Lincoln Memorial University and Wingate University, both of whom are 5-1 in conference play. Catawba College is one game back with a league record of 4-1.

Wednesday marks the 21st all-time meeting between Queens and Newberry. The Royals lead the all-time series, 15-5, and have won six straight versus the Wolves including a 103-95 shootout win in the most recent meeting on Feb. 14, 2018, at the Levine Center, a game in which Queens hit 19 3-pointers. Newberry's last win over Queens came on Feb. 18, 2015, when the Wolves topped the Royals, 90-85, in Charlotte.

Quick Facts
No. 13/9 Queens Royals (13-2, 5-0 SAC)
(Game Notes)

-Last time out, Shaun Willett scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, as Queens defeated Virginia Union University, 102-85, on Thursday, Jan. 3, at the Levine Center. The win gave the Royals an eighth consecutive victory and a sixth in a row by double figures.

-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.

-Willett was featured in SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Night, on Jan. 3, 2019, for a dunk that helped Queens to victory over Virginia Union. 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.

-With his 12th double-double on Thursday night, Willett maintained his Division II lead and a tie for the NCAA lead (more than 1,200 institutions) for double-doubles this season. Mike Rapoza of Anna Maria College (DIII) has also recorded 12 double-doubles on the year. At the Division II level, Kendrick Colvin of Emmanuel College is second with 11.

-Lewis 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 sixth in the SAC in scoring, averaging 18.0 points per game. He is first in the League in rebounding, and second nationally, with 11.7 rebounds per game.

-Daniel Carr is eighth in the SAC in scoring (16.3 PPG), third in assists (5.1 APG), and seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (47.9%).

-Diankulu is the League's fifth-leading rebounder with 7.5 boards per game and ranks fourth in field goal percentage (61.9%).

-Van Turner Jr. is sixth in 3-point shooting (49.5%) and his 55 made 3-pointers ranks him atop the SAC and No. 1 nationally for total 3-point field goals made.

-As a team, Queens is shooting 52.2 percent (No. 7 NCAA, No. 1 SAC) and 43.8 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 five games. Three 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 341-170 (.667 win pct.) and a record at Queens of 245-83 (.747 win pct.). Lundy has led Queens to all three of its Elite Eight appearances.
 
Newberry Wolves (5-6, 1-3 SAC) 

-Newberry enters Wednesday's game 5-6 overall (1-3 SAC), after most recently defeating Piedmont International University on Monday, 90-72.

-The Wolves are led by Marshall Lange, a preseason second-team all-conference selection, who averages 13.9 points per game. Lange, who was named the League's Freshman of the Year during the 2016-2017 season, has scored in double figures in 10 of 11 games this season, including 13 points in the win on Monday night.

-Angelo Sales Jr. is the team's second-leading scorer (12.1 PPG) and leading rebounder with 7.7 rebounds per game (No. 3 SAC). 

-As a team, Newberry averages 85.5 points per game (No. 4 SAC), but also allows 86.6 points per, the worst mark in the League.

-The Wolves are led by Head Coach Dave Davis, who is in his ninth season at Newberry and his 28th overall. Davis, who previously spent 14 years as the head coach at Pfeiffer, holds an overall record of 481-301 (.615 win pct.) and a record at Newberry of 138-101 (.577 win pct.).