Radio: ESPN Charlotte (97.5 FM & 730 AM)
Phil Constantino (pxp)

Live Video: SACLive

Live Stats: MarsHillLions.com
 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Saturday, the 25th-ranked Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (21-6, 16-5 SAC) travels to Mars Hill University (12-15, 10-11 SAC) seeking to extend its longest winning streak of the season in the regular season's final game. Opening tipoff from Stanford Arena is scheduled for 4 p.m.

The Royals and Lions will meet for the 19th time. Queens holds a 13-5 all-time edge and has won each of the last nine meetings, including an 80-79 win in the season's first encounter on Jan. 18th. Mars Hill's last win over Queens came on Feb. 14, 2015, when the Lions topped the Royals 74-73 at the Levine Center.
 

Quick Facts
Queens Royals (21-6, 16-5 SAC)
(Game Notes)

-Last time out, Queens overcame an 11-point first-half deficit to defeat Wingate University, 86-73, on Wednesday night at the Levine Center. Jamari Smith led the Royals with 16 points and 11 rebounds, to post his third career double-double as Queens extended its winning streak to seven games and earned its eighth-straight win over its local rival. Kenny Dye followed with 15, Jachai Taylor added 12, and Jermaine Patterson tallied 10 points.

-A win on Saturday, Feb. 22, versus Carson-Newman University gave the Royals their 20th win of the season. Queens has won 20 games or more 14 times in program history, including each of the last five seasons. This season is also the ninth 20-win season in Bart Lundy's 18 years as a collegiate head coach.

-On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Queens returned to the national rankings after a brief hiatus. The Royals are currently ranked No. 25 nationally in the D2SIDA Media Poll and are receiving votes in the NABC Coaches' Poll. Previously, the Royals spent more than four full seasons ranked in both major national polls, which included a 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), before Queens dropped out of the poll earlier this season, on Dec. 31, 2019.

-Queens holds sole possession of second place in the SAC standings and a two-game lead over Catawba College and Tusculum University (13-8) who are tied for third. The Royals have already clinched the No. 2 seed in the SAC Tournament.

-In the second official NCAA rankings of the season, released by the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee on Wed. Feb. 26, Queens held at No. 3 in the Southeast Region. The two-time reigning regional champions remain slotted behind only conference rival Lincoln Memorial University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

-So far this season, Queens has collected notable wins over UNC-Pembroke (No. 2), Catawba (No. 4) twice, and Tusculum (No. 9), all regionally-ranked teams.

-With a 23-point performance on Wednesday, Jan. 19, at Catawba College, Daniel Carr moved into sixth-place all-time on the Queens career scoring list, passing former National Player of the Year Spencer Ross who scored 1,400 points in 62 games from 2002-2004. Currently, Carr has scored 1,429 career points (131 games) and is 33 points shy of tying Queens Hall of Famer and former All-American Chuck Wittman for fifth place (1,462 points).
 
-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).
 

Mars Hill Lions (12-15, 10-11 SAC)

-Last time out, Mars Hill lost to Lenoir-Rhyne University, 107-98.

-MHU is currently tied with LR for sixth place in the conference standings and has clinched its first conference tournament appearance since 2010.

-Based on tiebreaker scenarios, Mars Hill could finish anywhere from sixth to eighth-place in the conference standings following Saturday's regular-season finale.

-The Lions have already clinched their best record since the 2009-2010 season when MHU went 15-13, earned the No. 5 seed in the SAC Tournament, and lost in the conference quarterfinals.

-Mars Hill is led by Ja'Shawn Brooks, who averages 19.5 points per game (No. 4 SAC).

-Head Coach Vic Finora is in his fourth season in-charge. He holds an overall record of 31-79 (.282 win pct.).