OPENING TIP
Score: Eastern Kentucky 88 | Queens 83
Records: Eastern Kentucky (8-6 overall, 1-0 ASUN) | Queens (11-4 overall, 1-1 ASUN)
Location: McBrayer Arena (Richmond, Ky.)
 
The Short Story: Despite a tough battle until the final horn, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team suffered their first ASUN loss at Eastern Kentucky on New Year's Eve.

BY THE NUMBERS
-Sophomore AJ McKee reached double figures for the 15^th straight game scoring 20 points. McKee also matched his season-high pulling down seven rebounds.
-BJ McLaurin shined matching his season-high with 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.
-Jay'Den Turner put together an efficient night scoring 10 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and swiping a pair of steals.
-Veteran guard Kenny Dye facilitated the offense with 11 points and seven assists. Dye has reached double figures in the last six games.
-Quan McCluney and Chris Ashby combined for 16 points on a 50-percent clip from behind the arc.
-The Colonels shot 47-percent from the field as they lead the league in scoring offense and rank 31^st nationally in points per game.
-EKU controlled the boards and the paint as they won the rebound margin 44-39 and scoring 40 points on the block.

NOTABLE MOMENTS
-Trailing 13-9 in the opening half, Eastern Kentucky used a 12-0 run to grab a 22-13 lead which forced a Royals timeout.
-Trailing 58-45, the Royals would spark a 12-2 run and cut the deficit to 60-55 as AJ McKee buried a pair of three pointers.
-Queens sparked a late 10-2 run over a minute span and closed the deficit to 84-78.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-AJ McKee remains the only player across the ASUN to reach double figures in every game this season.
-The Royals were held to 13 free throw attempts in the game which was the lowest since attempting 12 against Marshall. The Royals capitalized when they got to the line going 13-for-13.
-Queens suffered their first loss in the last two seasons when the Royals reach the 80-point mark.

NEXT UP
The Royals will make their final trip to Kentucky as Queens will open the New Year at Bellarmine on Thursday, Jan. 5^th. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30PM from Freedom Hall and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. Fans can secure their tickets in advance by visiting the Bellarmine Athletics website.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow Queens Men's Basketball on Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok for news and updates throughout the season. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay up to date on all the Royals sports in action.