OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 83 | Gardner-Webb 80
Records: Queens 4-4 | Gardner-Webb 3-5
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
THE SHORT STORY: In a thrilling 83-80 victory over Gardner-Webb on Wednesday night, senior BJ McLaurin posted a career game for the Royals recording his second career double-double while nailing a game-winning three-pointer with 0.9 seconds left.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Three-point specialist Chris Ashby found his rhythm from behind the arc drilling seven three-pointers en route to a career-high 23 points. The seven deep balls matched his career-high from November 23, 2022, against Lynchburg.
• Senior BJ McLaurin had his best statistical game as a Royal setting a career-high with 24 points and 12 rebounds. The double-double was his second as a Royal and first since February 11, 2023, against Bellarmine.
• Jacobi Sebock also had his best statistical game as a Royal with nine points and nine rebounds, both of which were career highs at the Division I level.
• AJ McKee had another strong performance with 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists including the assist on the game-winning three-pointer by McLaurin.
• Point guard Deyton Albury packed the stat sheet with nine points, four rebounds, and a game-high six assists. The junior sent Curry Arena into a frenzy with a posterizing dunk in the second half.
• The Royals improved to 19-6 in Division 1 when outrebounding their opponent as Queens won the glass 45-41. The Royals set a season-high with 18 offensive rebounds.

 
NOTABLE MOMENTS

• The Royals came out of the gates hot in front of their home crowd. After a Gardner-Webb layup cut the Queens lead to 12-9, the Royals went on a 7-0 run capped off by a Deyton Albury dunk which gave the Royals a 19-9 lead and forced the Runnin' Bulldogs to take an early timeout with more than 12 minutes left in the first half.
• After Gardner-Webb grabbed a 53-52 lead early in the second half, Queens went on a 12-4 spurt to take a 64-57 lead with just under 12 minutes remaining. Chris Ashby and BJ McLaurin dominated the scoring for the Royals during the stretch with 10 points combined.
• The visiting Runnin' Bulldogs went on a 10-minute scoreless streak from the field throughout the second half. Gardner-Webb managed to stay within reach going 12-of-13 from the charity stripe.
• After a Gardner-Webb layup tied the game at 80 apiece with 13.1 seconds left, Deyton Albury took the ball down the floor and drove to the basket looking for the bucket. Veteran AJ McKee crashed the glass and picked up the offensive rebound before finding BJ McLaurin on the right wing for a three-pointer to give the Royals an 83-80 lead with 0.9 seconds left.

 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• With the victory, the Royals are now 37-5 in Division 1 when scoring 80 or more points
• Queens defended their den improving to 7-0 at home in non-conference play since joining Division I.
• The double-double by BJ McLaurin is the first of the season for a Queens player, and the first since Jay'Den Turner recorded one against Florida Gulf Coast in the ASUN tournament last season.
• The physical battle forced both teams to capitalize from the charity stripe. Queens went 18-for-26 while the visitors went 25-31.
• Queens has now won three games this season by six points or less.

 
NEXT UP
The Royals will remain home as they host Carolina Christian out of the NCCAA on Friday, December 1st at 12:00 PM. This will be the first-ever matchup between the Royals and the Centurions. The game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus and 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 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.