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Willett vs Catawba

Men's Basketball

No. 9/9 Queens Faces Mars Hill on Senior Day at Levine

Willett & Diankulu to be honored in pregame ceremony

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

Live Stats

 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On the final day of the regular season, the No. 9/9 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (26-3, 18-1 SAC) welcomes Mars Hill University (9-18, 3-16 SAC) to the Levine Center on Saturday afternoon for Senior Day. The Royals will honor seniors Shaun Willett and Lewis Diankulu in a pregame ceremony.

General admission is $6 and all Queens students will receive free admission with their Queens ID. Opening tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Queens and Mars Hill will meet for the 17th time, with the Royals holding an 11-5 all-time edge. Queens has won each of the last seven encounters, including a 98-69 win at Mars Hill earlier this year on Jan. 19. The Lions last beat the Royals on Feb. 14, 2015, by a final score of 74-73 at the Levine Center.
 
 
 Quick Facts
No. 9/9 Queens Royals (26-3, 18-1 SAC)
(Game Notes)

-Last time out, with 1.2 seconds left in regulation, Van Turner Jr.'s 3-pointer sent the game to overtime, as Queens prevailed in the extra session, 99-91, over Wingate University on Wednesday night at Cuddy Arena. Kenny Dye led Queens with a career-high 31 points, Shaun Willett followed with 23 points and 16 rebounds to record his 23rd double-double of the season, and Daniel Carr tied a single-game program record with 14 assists to go along with nine rebounds. 

-This past Saturday at Carson-Newman, Queens won its 17th conference game of the season, and in doing so, secured the SAC's outright regular-season title for the first time in program history. The championship is the second total regular-season crown claimed by the Royals in their sixth year in the League, as Queens split the title in 2016-2017 with Lincoln Memorial University. The conference championship is also the seventh overall regular-season conference crown in program history and the third-straight year in which Queens has claimed either a conference or regional title.

-Wednesday's road win over Wingate improved the Royals' road record to 12-0 and extended their road winning streak to 13 games, dating back to last season. The current road winning streak is second to Northwest Missouri State University for the longest such active streak in Division II and includes three wins over ranked teams. This season Queens has posted road wins over No. 23 Lenoir-Rhyne, University, 76-69, on Nov. 28, and No. 24 Catawba College, 87-86, on Jan. 16.

-Saturday's win at Carson-Newman gave the Royals their 25th victory of the season, marking the fourth-straight season in which Queens has won at least 25 games and the eighth time total in the program's history. This season is Bart Lundy's seventh 25-win season as a head coach, all of which have come in his 11 years at Queens.

-With his third rebound on Wednesday night versus Wingate, Willett passed Soce Faye (335, 1997-1998) for the most rebounds in a single season in Queens history. So far through 29 games this season Willett has 349 rebounds, which also stands as a South Atlantic Conference single-season record. In his two-year career, Willett has 525 rebounds, ranking his just outside the top 10 all-time in Queens history.
 
-With 23 double-doubles, Willett is tied for the NCAA lead (more than 1,200 institutions) in double-doubles this season. At the Division II level, Will Vorhees of Notre Dame College is second with 18 double-doubles, and in Division I, Davontae Cacok of the University of North Carolina Wilmington has 21. Kevin Dennis of Division III Morrisville State College also leads with 23.

-Through 29 games, Willett has scored 574 points, ranking him fifth all-time in a single season in program history. He is 12 points away from tying Glen Harris who ranks fourth with 586 points during the 1998-1999 season (34 games).

-On Feb. 15, Willett was named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 50 Watch List, Small College Basketball announced. The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest season across NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA Divisions I and II, USCAA Divisions I and II and NCCAA Divisions I and II. The watch list, which began with 100 players on Jan. 15 and also featured Daniel Carr, will be trimmed down to 25 players on March 15. Finalists will be announced on April 6 and the award winner will be announced on April 8.

-On Tuesday, Queens improved one spot to No. 9 in the NABC / Division II Rankings and held at No. 9 in the most recent edition of the D2SIDA Media Poll. The placement in the 13th official coaches' poll of the season marks the 58th 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 have cracked the top-10 nationally in both polls during each of the last four seasons.

-Willett was named AstroTurf SAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week for games played Feb. 4-10 after averaging 21.5 points and 14 rebounds on 51.4-percent shooting in two winning efforts. The award was Willett's third Player of the Week honor this season and the fifth time this year that a Queens player claimed the award.

-Willett currently leads SAC in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game. He also leads the League in rebounding, and ranks third nationally, with 12.0 rebounds per game.

-Carr is seventh in the SAC in scoring (15.7 PPG), fifth in assists (4.8 APG), and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (43.0%).

-Diankulu is the League's fourth-leading rebounder with 7.7 boards per game and ranks third in field goal percentage (58.7%).

-Turner is fourth in 3-point shooting (45.5%) and his 94 made 3-pointers ranks him in a tie for ninth nationally in 3-point field goals made this season.

-Blake Morrow is sixth in the SAC in 3-point shooting (44.4%). As a team, Queens is shooting 50.9 percent (No. 10 NCAA, No. 1 SAC) and 41.5 percent from 3-point range (No. 4 NCAA, No. 1 SAC).

-Head Coach Bart Lundy is in his sixth season since returning to Queens and his 11th 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 354-170 (.676 win pct.) and a record at Queens of 258-83 (.757 win pct.). Lundy has led Queens to all three of its Elite Eight appearances.
 

Mars Hill Lions (9-18, 3-16 SAC)

-Mars Hill is 9-18 overall, 3-16 in South Atlantic Conference play, and mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

-MHU has lost seven-straight games, most recently falling to Anderson University, 87-75, on Wednesday night. The Lions last win came one month ago, Feb. 2, at Coker College, 87-70.

-The Lions are 7-8 at home, but just 2-8 on the road this season.

-Mars Hill does feature the League's second-leading scorer, Ja'Shawn Brooks, who is averaging 19.5 points per game. Brooks did not play in the season's first meeting due to injury.
 
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Players Mentioned

Daniel Carr

#1 Daniel Carr

PG
6' 0"
Junior
Lewis Diankulu

#5 Lewis Diankulu

C
6' 7"
Redshirt Senior
Shaun  Willett

#3 Shaun Willett

F
6' 4"
Senior
Kenny Dye

#15 Kenny Dye

PG
5' 11"
Freshman
Van Turner Jr.

#22 Van Turner Jr.

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Blake Morrow

#14 Blake Morrow

G
6' 3"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Daniel Carr

#1 Daniel Carr

6' 0"
Junior
PG
Lewis Diankulu

#5 Lewis Diankulu

6' 7"
Redshirt Senior
C
Shaun  Willett

#3 Shaun Willett

6' 4"
Senior
F
Kenny Dye

#15 Kenny Dye

5' 11"
Freshman
PG
Van Turner Jr.

#22 Van Turner Jr.

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
G
Blake Morrow

#14 Blake Morrow

6' 3"
Junior
G
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