TEANECK, N.J. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (9-3 overall) will wrap up non-conference play on Thursday night when they battle Fairleigh Dickinson University (6-7) inside Stratis Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcasted on the NEC Front Row Network.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Royals dropped their first meeting with a power five opponent as Queens fell 75-65 on the road at Nebraska. Kenny Dye stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, and game-high seven assists. AJ McKee reached double figures for the 12^th consecutive game scoring 13 points while also pulling down five boards. The Royals struggled offensively shooting a season-low 38-percent from the field.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Thursday night will mark the first meeting between the Royals and the Knights. Queens has never faced an NEC opponent.
 
Game Notes
QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE (9-3 overall; 0-0 ASUN)

• Queens enters Thursday night averaging 80.0 points per game on 45-percent shooting from the field and 33-percent from behind the arc. The Royals rank second in the ASUN in scoring offense and first amongst provisional schools reclassifying to D1.
• On defense, the Royals are allowing 70.6 points per game on 43-percent shooting from the field and 30-percent from behind the arc. The Royals perimeter defense is second best in the ASUN behind Jacksonville.
• Through games on Dec. 20^th, Queens sits 185^th in the KenPom Rankings and 143^rd in the Net Rankings.
• Kenny Dye is the leader of the veteran Royals squad as the senior is averaging a team-high 17.1 points per game while hauling in 4.2 boards and dishing out 4.4 assists per game. The Royals are 104-23 when Dye is in the starting lineup as he is top two in points per game and assists per game in the ASUN.
• Junior Gavin Rains has been a force on the block for the Royals to open the season. The Trinity, N.C. native is averaging 7.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. The forward leads the ASUN in rebounds per game and is second in field goal percentage. Across the nation in D1, Rains is top 10 in rebounds per game. The forward has been a double-double machine producing 18 double-doubles in his career, and four this season.
• AJ McKee has been a consistent producer this season reaching double figures in all 12 games. McKee matched his season-high 16 points against ETSU as he sits second on the team in scoring and minutes per game.
• BJ McLaurin and Kalib Mathews have been weapons for the Royals as the duo is averaging a combined 17.8 points on 46-percent shooting from the field. McLaurin dropped in a season-high 16 points behind a career-best four three pointers at George Mason while Mathews scored a career-high 16 points against High Point.
• Jay'Den Turner and Quan McCluney have both found their rhythm recently. McCluney has reached double figures in the last two games while Turner is averaging 7.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the last three games.
• The Royals are outrebounding opponents this season 509-395. Through 12 games, Queens is first in the ASUN in rebounds per game with 42.4 and second in the league in offensive boards per game with 13.8. In the last five games, the Royals are winning the rebounding margin by an average of 8.4 boards per game.

 
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY (6-7 overall; 0-0 NEC)

• Fairleigh Dickinson enters Thursday night 6-7 overall and looking to avenge a 77-48 loss at Richmond last week. The loss to the Spiders snapped a three-game winning streak as the Knights took down Saint Joseph's, Columbia, and NJIT during that span.
• The Knights have played well at home this year holding a perfect 3-0 mark.
• Fairleigh Dickinson is averaging 77.2 points per game this season on 44-percent shooting from the field and 31-percent from behind the arc. The Knights are the top scoring offense in the Northeast Conference
• Fairleigh Dickinson is allowing opponents to score 79.2 points per game on 49-percent shooting from the field and 35-percent from behind the arc. The FDU scoring defense ranks second to last in the league.
• Four Knights are averaging double figures on the season as Demetre Roberts leads the way with 16.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. The senior sits fourth in the league in scoring average.
• Grant Singleton and Heru Bligen are two Knights averaging double figures. Together, Singleton and Bligen are scoring a combined 28.9 points per game on 50-percent shooting from the field.
• Last year, FDU finished the season 4-22 overall and fell in the opening round of the NEC Tournament to Central Connecticut State.
• Tobin Anderson enters his first season at the helm of the Knights program. Anderson has spent 22 years leading the charge for four different programs across all three NCAA divisions, including Clarkson (D3), Hamilton (D3), St. Thomas Aquinas (D2), and Fairleigh Dickinson (D1).

 
Fans and families can purchase their tickets for Thursday night's game by visiting the Fairleigh Dickinson Athletics website. The game will tipoff at 7:00PM from Stratis Arena on the NEC Front Row Network.

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.