AUGUSTA, GA. - The No. 4 Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team (29-3, 21-3 SAC) defeated Columbus State University (20-11, 10-8 PBC) in a thrilling first round matchup in the NCAA Tournament. With the win, the Royals will take on South Atlantic Conference rival, Lincoln Memorial, in the second round on Sunday, March 13 at 5:00 p.m. The second-round meeting will mark the fourth time the Royals and Railsplitters will meet in the Southeast Regional.

The first half was a back-and-forth matchup for the two ballclubs. The game was either tied or a lead change occurred 18 separate times in the first 20 minutes of action. The Cougars would go on a 6-0 run early in the first half, to break the stalemate as they led the Royals 15-9 with 13:54 to play in half one. The Royals would slowly chip away at the Cougars' lead throughout the rest of the half, before re-taking the lead, 25-24, on a Quan McCluney layup with 6:54 to play in the half.

After the two sides traded baskets for the next minutes, the Royals went on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 41-32 with 1:57 to play in the first half. After the Royals took their largest lead of the half, 44-34, the Cougars would quickly respond with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 44-39. Two made free throws and a dunk by Kalib Matthews, closed the half out for the Royals on a 4-0 run, as they took a 48-39 lead into the break.

The Cougars would not go away quietly, however, as they outscored the Royals 15-6 in the first five minutes of the second half, tying the game 54-54 with 14:54 to play. The Royals and Cougars would go blow for blow the rest of the way. Queens would go on runs, taking a lead as large as seven at one point, before the Cougars would quickly respond. Heading into the final media timeout, the Royals held a slim 75-73 advantage.

The Royals were clutch from the foul line in the final stretch, going 9-for-10 from the line in the final four minutes. A key moment in the game was a Kalib Matthews putback dunk with 58 seconds remaining, giving the Royals a slim 83-80 lead. Columbus State would put up a last second three-pointer, but the shot fell short as the Royals defeated the Cougars, 86-84, to move on to the Second Round.

Jamari Smith, followed up his stellar regular season, with a team-leading 24 points. He was clutch at the foul line, shooting a perfect 15-for-15 from the stripe. Kenny Dye stuffed the stat sheet for the Royals, maintaining his steady presence, as he totaled 15 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out a team-high five assists. Josh Dilling was clutch for the Royals off the bench, scoring 11 points, as he went 3-for-5 from behind the arc. The Royals bench was crucial in the victory, totaling 26 points. Jay'Den Turner led the Royals with nine rebounds on the night.

The difference in the game for the Royals was their efficiency at the foul line, as they made 25 of their 28 attempts, good for an impressive 89-percent on the night which is the best performance from the line all season. The Royals looked to get the Cougars in transition all night, as they would add 21 points in transition.

The Royals will return to action tomorrow night, March 12^th, against conference rival Lincoln Memorial at Christenberry Fieldhouse in the Second Round of the Southeast Regional. Tip-off is scheduled for 5pm. Fans are encouraged to follow the men's basketball program on Twitter and Instagram. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics to stay up to date with all of Royals Athletics.