Live Audio: Queens Sports Network
Phil Constantino (pxp)

Live Video: Bears Sports Network

Live Stats: lrbears.com
 

HICKORY, N.C. – On Saturday, the No. 16/24 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (14-3, 9-2 SAC) begins the second half of the South Atlantic Conference's double round-robin schedule with a trip to Lenoir-Rhyne University (10-6, 6-5 SAC). Opening tipoff from Shuford Gymnasium is scheduled for 4 p.m.

At halftime of Saturday's game, Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics will hold its inaugural Teddy Bear Toss. In partnership with Queens Athletics, all fans who bring a plush teddy bear for donation will receive free admission. Each teddy bear collected will be donated to local social services, police departments, fire departments, and other local organizations. More information on the Teddy Bear Toss can be found here.

Saturday's matchup will mark the 23^rd meeting between the two schools. The Royals lead the all-time series with the Bears, 15-7, and won the season's first meeting, 82-68, on Nov. 30 at the Levine Center.
 

Quick Facts
No. 16/24 Queens Royals (14-3, 9-2 SAC)
(Game Notes)

-Last time out, No. 16/24 Queens jumped out to a 26-point first-half lead and cruised to a road victory over Wingate University, 77-59, on Wednesday night at Cuddy Arena. Daniel Carr led with 22 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Jamari Smith recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Gavin Rains added 10 points with eight rebounds, and Van Turner Jr. scored nine on three of seven 3-point shooting.

-With a 22-point performance on Wednesday at Wingate, Carr moved into 10th-place all-time on the Queens career scoring list, passing DeWayne Ansley who scored 1,266 points in 111 games from 1991-1996. Carr has currently scored 1,284 points in his four-year career (121 games) and is 61 points shy of tying Yogi Leo (1,345 points) for ninth place.

-So far this season, Queens has collected notable wins over the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (No. 4), Catawba College (No. 7), and Lees-McRae College (No. 8), all regionally-ranked teams. The Royals have also beaten Emmanuel College and Lenoir-Rhyne, two 2019 NCAA Tournament participants.

-Queens is ranked No. 16 nationally in the latest edition of the D2SIDA Media Poll and No. 24 in most recent NABC / Division II Rankings, released on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The Royals remain ranked in at least one of the two major national polls every week since Nov. 2016, a streak that spans more than three full seasons.

-The two-time reigning regional champions held at No. 2 in the most recent edition of the Southeast Region Poll, D2SIDA announced on Monday, Jan. 20. Queens earned 45 points, placing just behind conference rival Lincoln Memorial University, who received all five first-place votes and earned 50 points. The Royals were ranked No. 1 in the region in the preseason.

-On Tuesday, Dec. 31, the Royals fell out of the NABC / Division II Rankings for the first time this season, ending the program's streak of 65 consecutive weeks in the national coaches' poll. The streak, which began on Nov. 24, 2015, the first poll of the 2015-2016 season, lasted 1,498 days (4 years, 1 month and 7 days).
 
-A loss to Lincoln Memorial on Dec. 7, 73-64, snapped a 15-game road winning streak for Queens which was the longest active road winning streak in all levels of NCAA basketball. Queens previously last lost a road game on Feb. 24, 2018, at then-No. 1-ranked Lincoln Memorial, 80-65. The Royals finished last season 12-0 in road games and opened 2019-2020 with a 2-0 road record before losing. The streak lasted 651 days.

-Over the previous three seasons, the Royals have won 93 games, the fourth most of any program at all NCAA levels during that span (Gonzaga 103, Northwest Missouri State 100, Villanova 94).

-The Royals have won 30 games or more in each of the last three seasons and are one of just two programs in all levels of NCAA basketball who have accomplished the feat (Gonzaga).
 

Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (10-6, 6-5 SAC)

-Lenoir-Rhyne enters Saturday's game currently in a four-way tie for third place (Catawba, Newberry, Tusculum), three games back of Queens in second.

-LR holds the third-longest active winning streak in the League, having won each of its last three games. The current streak includes wins over then-No. 24 Catawba College, 91-85, on Jan. 18, and a 98-83 win over Mars Hill University last time out.

-The Bears are led by RJ Gunn, who averages a team-high 19.2 points (No. 6 SAC) and 6.1 rebounds per game (No. 13 SAC). Darius Simmons (17.2 PPG), is the team's second-leading scorer and ranks No. 12 in the conference.

-Last week, Simmons was named SAC Player of the Week for the second time in his career after averaging 21.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in two wins.

-LR finished last season 21-11 (12-8 SAC) and earned an at-large selection into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed in the Southeast Region. The Bears season ended with a first-round loss to the University of South Carolina-Aiken, 84-71.

-Head Coach Everick Sullivan is in his fourth year at Lenoir-Rhyne. A former standout player at the University of Louisville, Sullivan holds an overall record of 52-50 (.510 win pct.).