OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 84 | FGCU 82
Records: Queens (14-8 overall, 4-5 ASUN) | FGCU (14-8 overall, 4-5 ASUN)
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
The Short Story: The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team used a strong second-half performance to storm by the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Thursday night in a pivotal ASUN showdown.

BY THE NUMBERS
-AJ McKee led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field. McKee also brought down four rebounds and dished out two assists.
-Making his sixth start of the season, BJ McLaurin turned in a remarkable performance scoring 14 points and pulling down nine rebounds.
-Kalib Mathews matched his season-high with 16 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting mark from the field. The sophomore was relentless on defense swiping four steals as he is top 10 in the ASUN in steals per game.
-Kenny Dye reached double figures for the 13^th straight game with a 13-point and eight-assist performance.
-Off the bench, Quan McCluney and Mike Fowler turned in great performances combining for 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
-The evening was won on the boards as the Royals won the battle 37-31. Queens improved to 13-3 this season when winning the battle on the glass.
-Queens played fast all evening and managed to outscore FGCU in transition 18-3.

NOTABLE MOMENTS
-Leading 22-19, FGCU used a 12-3 run to grab a 34-22 lead which was their largest of the half.
-Queens opened the second half on an 8-2 run to grab their first lead of the game at 40-39.
-Trailing 57-54 with 13 minutes remaining in the game, the Royals sparked a 13-4 run to grab their largest lead of the game at six.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-AJ McKee's 23-point performance marked the 22^nd straight game the sophomore has reached double figures the season as he remains the only player in the league to reach double figures in every game.
-The Royals are 10-3 this season, and 33-3 in the last two seasons when reaching the 80-point threshold.
-Queens improved to 19-3 inside Curry Arena in the last two seasons.

NEXT UP
The Royals will welcome the Stetson Hatters to Curry Arena on Saturday, Jan. 28^th for a pivotal ASUN showdown. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. Fans can secure their tickets in advance by visiting the Queens 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.