CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The No. 7/10 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (23-3, 19-3 SAC), notched their 10^th straight win as they defeated Limestone University (9-14, 7-13 SAC), 73-66, inside Curry Arena on Wednesday night. With the win, the Royals complete the regular season sweep against the Saints and move to 27-10 all-time against Limestone, including four straight wins over the Saints.
 
The Royals came out firing on the offensive end, as they hit three deep balls in the first four minutes to take a 13-5 lead. Both sides would trade baskets for the next few minutes before the Saints stormed back using a 9-2 run to tie the game at 19-19 with 9:51 to play in the first half.
 
After the Royals hit another shot from behind the arc to bring their lead to 22-19 with 8:56 left in the half, the Saints would ramp up the defensive pressure to go on a 7-0 run to take a 26-22 lead with 5:16 to play. The Royals would quickly respond with a 5-0 run of their own, to retake the lead, 27-26, with 2:52 to play in half one. To end the half, the Saints would make a layup to re-take the lead before the Royals and Saints would trade free throws as the Saints took a slim, 30-29 advantage into the break. The one-point deficit going into the break was just the sixth time all season the Royals trailed after the first half.
 
The hosting Royals came out on fire in the second half, using stifling defense and selfless offensive basketball to go on a 9-0 run to jump out to a 38-30 lead with 15:41 to play. After a made jumper by the Saints cut the Royals lead to 38-32, the Royals would find another surge on offense. They would go on an 11-2 run to extend their lead to the largest of the night 49-34 with 12:05 to play.
 
However, the visiting Saints would not go away quietly. Over the next three minutes, they would outscore the Royals 12-4 to narrow the Royals lead to 53-46 with 9:38 to play. The Saints would cut the Royals lead to as little as 6, 55-49, before a 9-2 Royals run gave the Royals a comfortable 64-51 advantage with 4:11 to play.
 
The Royals would continue to try to claw back into the game late, cutting the Royals lead to as little as seven, but the Royals sealed the game late with made free throws, as they sealed the 73-66 victory.
 
Jamari Smith led the Royals with 20 points, and he also grabbed 11 rebounds to secure his eighth double-double of the season. Jay'Den Turner pulled down a team-leading 13 rebounds, as well as adding 8 points on the night. Kenny Dye was the usual steady presence for the Royals, totaling 11 points and a team-high 6 assists on the night. BJ McLaurin provided valuable minutes off the bench for the Royals, scoring 10 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.
 
The Royals defense stifled the visiting Saints all night, as they held the visitors to 38% from the field and 28% from three-point range on the night. The Royals remained one of the nation's most dominant teams on the glass, as they outrebounded the Saints 44-36 and 14-9 on offensive rebounds.
 
The Royals return to action next Wednesday night, February 23^rd as they travel to Lenoir-Rhyne for a South Atlantic Conference matchup inside Shuford Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm, as the Royals will look to extend their season-long winning streak to eleven games. 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.