WINGATE, N.C. - The No. 19/21 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (9-2, 6-2 SAC) defeated Wingate University (8-3, 5-3 SAC), 80-72, in a South Atlantic Conference showdown on Wednesday night inside Cuddy Arena. The Royals keep pace at the top of the conference, as they win their second conference game in a row. Queens remains unbeaten this season when they lead at the half as well as games they have reached at least 80 points.

The Bulldogs got off to a fast start against the Royals. The stifling defense of Wingate made it very difficult for the Royals to score early, as the Bulldogs held an early 14-4 advantage with 13:34 remaining in the first half. However, Queens would quickly find their footing on offense using a 7-0 run over one minute of action to cut the deficit to 14-11 with 12:13 to play.

The Royals would take their first lead of the ballgame, 21-19, on a Trey Hubbard three-pointer with 8:36 to play. The game would remain back-and-forth for the next few minutes as the game saw 4 lead changes in four minutes. The Royals would extend their lead as the half drew to a close, using a 7-0 run to extend their lead to, 34-26, before a three-point play by the Bulldogs gave the Royals a 34-29 halftime advantage.

The visiting Royals came out on fire in the second half, scoring 17 points in just the first six minutes of the half, as they extended their lead to 51-39 with 13:57 to play. Queens would maintain a comfortable lead for most of the half, as the hounding defense had the Bulldogs flustered on the offensive end.

The Bulldogs would settle in down the stretch on the offensive end as they used a 12-5 run to cut the Royals lead to just 70-68 with 3:25 to play. However, Head Coach Bart Lundy would amp up the pressure for the Royals as they stifled the Bulldogs in the last minutes of the game on the offensive end.

After key defensive stops, the Royals would head to the free throw line looking to close out the road victory. Mike Fowler knocked down a pair of free throws before Quan McCluney sealed the game with four consecutive buckets from the charity stripe.

Jamari Smith led the Royals with a season-high 22 points. Kenny Dye scored 14 points and had a team-leading 6 assists. It was a special night for Dye, as he became the 19^th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. The junior accomplished the feat when he buried a deep ball with 2:05 left in the first half. Gavin Rains was tenacious on the boards, leading the Royals with 7 rebounds while adding 10 points.

On the night, the Royals shot an efficient 49% from the field and 39% from behind the arc. The defense was stifling, as the Royals held the Bulldogs to just 44% from the field, while also forcing 14 turnovers. They took advantage of the Bulldogs mistakes, scoring 22 points off turnovers while holding the conference foe to just 4 points off Royals' turnovers. Queens played unselfish basketball the entire night notching 19 team assists.

The Royals will return to action when they welcome No. 11 Lincoln Memorial University, in a huge conference matchup at Curry Arena on Saturday, Dec. 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. and will be broadcasted on the Queens Sports Network. Fans can purchase tickets at the door and spectators are required to wear a mask at all times while inside Curry Arena.

Be sure to follow the Royals 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 to follow all of the Royals sports in action.