POST-GAME INTERVIEW WITH ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH GRANT LEONARD

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The No. 17/18 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team opened postseason play with a 96-91 victory over Anderson University (S.C.) in the SAC Pilot Flying J Championship Quarterfinals on Monday night inside Curry Arena.
 
The top-seeded Royals (15-4) held a 43-27 advantage in total rebounds and turned 20 offensive board into 22 second chance points while shooting 50 percent (10-for-20) from 3-point range. Anderson (6-12) proved to be a tough out, shooting 54.8 percent from the floor and made 15-of-28 shots from deep in the loss.
 
Queens and Anderson traded baskets for much of the game's opening six minutes of play and found themselves tied at 19-all after a deep 3-pointer from Anderson's Crosby James II. Sophomore Jay'Den Turner made two free throws to put the Royals back in front, but James II responded with another long-range bomb as the Trojans led 28-27 with just under 11 minutes to play in the first half.
 
A 3-pointer from junior Quan McCluney gave Queens a two-point lead, 30-28, as the Royals built a lead as large as seven points, 48-41, following another McCluney 3-pointer and carried a 52-46 advantage into the halftime break.
 
The Royals opened the second half on a tear and built a lead of 19 points, 82-63, with 9:41 to play after a Turner layup. However, the Trojans cut the deficit to single digits with 3:25 on the clock and got with two points of tying the game with just two seconds remaining. Junior guard Kenny Dye made 3-of-4 free throws with less than two seconds remaining to put the game away.
 
James II led all players with 27 points, while teammate Jalen Hillery finished with 20 points and six rebounds.
 
Dye paced five Royals in double figures with 24 points and nine assists, while McCluney followed with 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep to go along with six rebounds.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Jamari Smith finished with 18 points and nine rebounds and sophomore Gavin Rains tallied 14 points and eight rebounds down low. Redshirt-freshman AJ McKee rounded out the double-digit scorers, collecting 12 points of his own.
 
The Royals remain at home to host fifth-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne University on Thursday, March 4 at 7 p.m. on the Queens Sports Network.