POST-GAME INTERVIEW WITH HEAD COACH BART LUNDY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In the final game of the 2020-21 regular season, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team collected a 75-56 win over Coker University in South Atlantic Conference. The victory helped the Royals secure the No. 1 overall seed in next week's Pilot Fly J Basketball Championships, earning a first round bye in the tournament.
 
Junior Quan McCluney opened the game with a 3-pointer before the Cobras (4-10, 4-10 SAC) used an 11-2 run to build a six-point lead across the game's first two minutes of play. The Royals (14-3, 13-3 SAC) responded with eight unanswered points of their own, regaining the lead with 13:38 on the clock following a 3-pointer from junior Kenny Dye.
 
The Queens' lead quickly grew to double digits, 26-15, just three minutes later as the Royals built an advantage as large as 19 points on a 3-pointer from freshman Kalib Mathews with just under two minutes remaining in the half. At intermission, Queens led 44-26 after collecting 10 offensive rebounds in the game's first period.
 
In the second half, Coker chipped away at the deficit behind the strong play of Wiliams Onyeodi and got as close as seven points with just over 11 minutes to play. Onyeodi finished with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds, while teammate Anderson Keller followed with 17 points of his own.
 
Queens extended its lead back to double figures, 55-43, on a 3-pointer from redshirt AJ McKee and closed out the game by making 13-of-28 shots in the second half.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Jamari Smith led the Royals with 14 points in just 18 minutes after getting into foul trouble, while Dye finished with 13 points, six assists, and four steals. Sophomore Gavin Rains secured his fifth double-double of the season, tallying 11 points and a season-high 16 rebounds.
 
The Royals will have a week to prepare for its next opponent in the postseason as the team will host the Pilot Flying J Championship Quarterfinals in Curry Arena on Monday, March 1 at 7 p.m. on the Queens Sports Network.