JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Blake Morrow scored a season-high 21 points to pace five Royals in double figures, as the No. 10/9 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (25-3, 17-1 SAC) defeated Carson-Newman University (13-13, 6-12 SAC), 102-88, on Saturday at Holt Fieldhouse. The win clinched the outright South Atlantic Conference regular-season championship for the first time in program history.

Shaun Willett followed with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Lewis Diankulu scored 16 with eight boards. Van Turner Jr. scored 14, Kenny Dye added 13, and Daniel Carr scored eight points while grabbing eight rebounds.

Down by nine, 32-23, with 9:51 remaining in the first half, Queens went on a 16-2 run, that featured six points from Diankulu and eight points from Morrow, to take a 39-34 lead with 5:59 left. The run was capped by five-straight points from Morrow including his second 3-pointer of the half.

After Carson-Newman fought back and tied the score three more times late in the frame, Queens ended the half on an 8-0 run, via a layup from Diankulu, a 3-pointer from Willett, and a three-point play from Jermaine Patterson, to take a 57-49 lead at the break. The first half featured seven ties and six lead changes.

Three minutes into the second half, the Eagles cut the deficit to five, 61-56, when Malik Abraham connected on a 3. However, the Royals stretched the lead to 15 points, 73-58, after a 15-5 run capped by a free throw from Morrow with 13:20 to play.

Carson-Newman made several second-half runs, cutting the deficit to six, 77-71, with 9:19 left, and then again cutting the deficit to nine, 95-86, with 2:39 remaining. However, Queens held CN scoreless in the ensuing two-minute stretch and held the Eagles without a field goal in the final 2:55.

For the game, Queens shot 54.5 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from the 3-point line while compiling 23 assists on 36 made field goals. Carson-Newman went 46.2 percent from the floor and 29.6 percent from beyond the arc.

The Eagles were led by 15 points from Grant Teichmann, 14 from Mason Bates, and 13 Cameron Holmes.

The Royals return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at Wingate University. Opening tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Live play-by-play coverage will be available on the Queens Sports Network.