CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The No. 14/16 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team will tip-off the 2021-22 campaign with the Southeast Regional Challenge inside Curry Arena this weekend. The Royals will clash with Young Harris College on Friday night at 5 p.m., before finishing the weekend with a revenge game vs. Emmanuel (GA), who ousted Queens in the NCAA Tournament last season, on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Friday marks the third all-time meeting between Queens and Young Harris, with the Royals taking each of the previous two matchups. The last time they met in November of 2019, Queens won a shootout by a final of 110-96. It was a game that had multiple 20 point scorers on both sides and both teams hitting 11 three-pointers on the night.
Jamari Smith had 17 points and five rebounds.
Saturday's matchup with Emmanuel (GA) will be a rematch of the NCAA Regional Quarterfinals last season that saw the Lions edge the Royals 80-78.
Gavin Rains dropped in a team-high 22 points to go with four rebounds.
Kenny Dye had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds along with four assists.
Quan McCluney added 16 points of his own on the night.
Queens Quick Facts (16-6 in 2020-21)
(
Game Notes)
-Thursday's contest marks the 2020-21 season opener for the Royals who have surpassed the 20-win mark five of the last six seasons. The Royals have a total of 623 victories in program history since its inception in 1989-90.
-The Royals were ranked No. 14 in the D2SIDA Preseason Media Poll and No. 16 in the NABC Preseason Coaches Poll. Queens has been ranked in both polls in 96 of the last 99 weeks dating back to the 2015-16 season.
-Over the past six seasons, the Royals have won 158 games and have won at least 30 games in three of the last five years.
-Returning their top six scorers and top five rebounders, Queens was picked to finish atop the South Atlantic Conference's Preseason Poll, as voted on by the League's coaches. The Royals received over half the first-place votes and 150 total votes as the preseason favorites.
-Guard
Kenny Dye and forward
Jamari Smith were each named to the SAC's First-Team Preseason All-Conference Team, as voted on by the League's coaches.
Gavin Rains also earned a spot on the second team.
-Head Coach
Bart Lundy is in his 14
th season at Queens and 20
th season overall as a collegiate head coach. Lundy sits just one win shy of 400 in his career, boasting a 399-186 (.682) career record, and is Queens' all-time winningest coach with a 303-99 (.753) mark.
Young Harris Mountain Lions (5-6, 5-5 GSC in 2020-21)
-The Mountain Lions enter the season ranked last in the Peach Belt Conference's Preseason Poll. They finished a shortened season in 2020-21 with a 5-6 record overall, going 5-5 in conference play.
-They lost their three top scorers from last season, but are excited about the return of forward
Karl Chavis, who was fifth on the team in scoring last year with 8.3 ppg to go along with 7.2 rpg. Fellow forward,
Carl Cleveland, will also be needed this season after posting 5.1 ppg and 1.9 rpg a season ago.
Emmanuel (GA) Lions (17-7, 11-2 CC in 2020-21 – NCAA Southeast Regional Championship Birth)
-The Lions are coming off a fantastic finish to last season which saw them make an upset-filled run to the NCAA Southeast Regional Finals game where they fell to then No. 2 Lincoln Memorial, 103-67.
-Emmanuel returns their leading scorer, and 2020-21 NABC All-American,
KJ Jones II, who averaged 22 ppg, shooting 49% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc in his sophomore season. The Lions welcome back their top eight scorers from last season, with guard
Tyonn Stuckey (11.1 ppg) and guard
Brandon Simpson (10.5 PPG) being the other two double-digit scorers coming back.
-The Lions were picked to finish first in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll, receiving seven of the 13 votes, as voted on by the league's coaches.
Lenoir-Rhyne University will be the other South Atlantic Conference team on-hand this weekend inside Curry Arena.
All four games this weekend will be broadcast live on the Queens Sports Network. For all Royals news and updates, Follow the Royals on Instagram and Twitter @QueensAthletics.
