OPENING TIP
Score: Southern Illinois 91 | Queens 68
Records: Southern Illinois (2-0) | Queens (0-2)
Location: Banterra Center (Carbondale, Ill.)
 
The Short Story: A slow start plagued the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team as the Southern Illinois Salukis won the first-ever meeting 91-68 on Friday night.

BY THE NUMBERS
- Junior AJ McKee led all scorers with a game-high 23 points on a 9-of-13 mark from the field. The Charlotte native added three rebounds, two assists, and a steal across 32 minutes of work.
-Junior guard Deyton Albury continued his strong start to the season with a 17-point and seven-rebound performance. Albury went 9-for-11 from the charity stripe.
-Forwards BJ McLaurin and Bryce Cash combined to score 14 points while pulling down seven rebounds.
-Newcomer Jacobi Sebock poured in seven points on a 3-for-5 mark from the field. The Midwest City, Oklahoma native added a rebound and an assist across 19 minutes of work.
-Center Malcolm Wilson brought down five rebounds spanning 18 minutes of work.
-After shooting 38 percent in the first half, the Royals began finding a rhythm in the second half shooting 52 percent from the field.
-Queens committed 16 turnovers which the Salukis converted into 26 points.

NOTABLE MOMENTS
- The Royals got off to a slow start falling behind 16-9 in the first nine minutes of action. During that span, Queens shot 3-of-13 from the field and committed six turnovers which were converted into 12 points.
-Midway through the first half, Southern Illinois went on a 12-0 run as the Royals went scoreless for four minutes. The run extended the Salukis lead to 28-11.
-The Salukis opened the second half by connecting on 8-of-12 shots and going on a 20-7 run extending their lead to the largest of the game at 30.
-Queens closed out the final three minutes on a 12-2 run as they connected on 6-of-8 field goals.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- The 27 first-half points and 38-percent shooting mark by the Royals were the lowest in a single half since February 24, 2023, at Liberty.
-The Royals fell to 2-11 in the last two seasons when being outrebounded by their opponent. Southern Illinois won the battle on the glass 36-29, including an 11-8 mark on the offensive boards.
-The 23-point setback was the largest deficit since February 1, 2020.
-Southern Illinois extended their home non-conference winning streak to 21 straight games.        
21 straight non-conference home wins

NEXT UP
Queens will return to the Queen City and prepare for their home opener on Tuesday, November 14^th against High Point. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on ESPN Plus. Fans can purchase their tickets in advance by visiting the Queens Athletics website. The first 200 fans will receive a free rally towel.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow Queens Men's Basketball on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok 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.