CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The No. 7/16 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (3-0 1-0 SAC) defeated the Catawba College Indians (1-2 0-1 SAC) 82-71 at Curry Arena. That caps a three-game home stretch for the Royals and a strong start to the season.

The game was a back-and-forth affair to begin with leads for either team never getting larger than 5, before the Indians took a 25-18 lead at the 7:45 mark. The Royals then proceed to rattle off a 12-4 run to take the lead, 30-29 with a Jamari Smith jumper. A buzzer-beating three point shot from Jay'Den Turner gave the Royals the lead, 39-37, at the half.

The game remained close well into the second half, with the Royals leading by a slim 52-46 margin with 13:49 to play. A three-pointer from Kenny Dye would give the Royals a 58-48 advantage. The deficit for the Indians hovered around 10 for the rest of the game.

Jamari Smith led the Royals with 18 points. Gavin Rains was ferocious on the glass, as he had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Kenny Dye had another night of stuffing the stat sheet with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists.

BJ McLaurin and Josh Dilling provided valuable minutes off the bench, combining for 16 points.

The Royals shot an efficient 48.5% from the field and held the Indians to just 40% from the field. The Royals outrebounded the Indians 44-38 on the glass. They out-assisted the Indians, 15-11. It was an efficient night for the Royals, in what was a key conference win over the Indians.

The Royals travel to Carson Newman on Saturday, for another key conference matchup at 4pm. Be sure to follow the Royal's Men's Basketball program on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest news and updates surrounding the team. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics.