CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team will look to build upon a thrilling victory on Wednesday night when they welcome Carolina Christian to Curry Arena on Friday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for noon on ESPN Plus.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE
Dates: December 1, 2023
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
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THE MATCHUP
Friday afternoon marks the first meeting between Queens and Carolina Christian.
 
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (4-4 overall, 0-0 ASUN)

• Queens is coming off a thrilling 83-80 victory over Gardner-Webb on Wednesday night. Senior BJ McLaurin drilled a last-second three-pointer to send the Royals past the Runnin' Bulldogs. The game-winner capped off a double-double performance featuring a career-high 24 points and 12 rebounds. Junior sharpshooter Chris Ashby matched his career-high drilling seven three-pointers en route to a career-high 23 points.
• Wednesday night saw a pair of Royals drop 20+ points in the same game for the second time this season. The last duo to do so was AJ McKee and Deyton Albury in the 97-84 victory over FDU.
• The Royals improved to 7-0 inside Curry Arena since jumping to Division 1 last season.
• Queens has opened up the year 3-0 at home for the 15^th time in program history, including the third straight year.
• The Royals recent explosive offense has allowed them to reach the 80-point threshold in two of the last three games. In Division 1, the Royals are 36-5 when hitting that mark.
• Preseason All-Conference recipient AJ McKee anchors the Royals offense and is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. The Charlotte native sits fifth in the league in scoring and third in steals.
• Junior guard Deyton Albury has put together a solid start to his first campaign in the Queen City. The Nassau, Bahamas native is top 10 in the league in scoring, field goal percentage, and assists. Against the Runnin' Bulldogs, Albury sent Curry Arena into a frenzy with an early second-half posterizing dunk which was featured as the #3 play on SportsCenter Top 10.
• Senior BJ McLaurin has started all eight games on the block for the Royals. The forward has reached double figures in four games this year, including a career-high 24 points against Gardner-Webb. The Royals are 3-1 on the young season when McLaurin reaches double figures.
• The Royals sport one of the best perimeter defenses in the conference holding opponents to a 28 percent clip which is second-best in the league. Against Gardner-Webb, the Royals held the visitors to a 3-for-17 mark from behind the arc, including a 0-for-6 clip in the second half.
• Winning the battle on the boards is a part of the Royals identity. In Division 1, Queens is 19-6 when outrebounding their opponent and 3-12 when losing the battle on the glass. This season, Queens is fifth in rebounds per game, a category which they were second in last season.
• The Royals are one of the league's most efficient teams at getting to the free-throw line. BJ McLaurin, Deyton Albury and AJ McKee sit top 15 in the league in free throw percentage. Queens is 13-6 in non-conference Division 1 games in which they attempt more free throws than their opponent.

 
SCOUTING THE CENTURIONS (0-5 overall, 0-0 NCCAA)

• Carolina Christian enters Friday afternoon 0-5 on the season with their last recorded game being a 118-62 loss against Central State on November 21^st.
• The Centurions are surrendering 116.0 points per game on the year while countering with 62.4 points per game.
• Against Clinton College on November 11^th, Carolina Christian poured in a season-high 80 points.
• William Peay is the leader of the Carolina Christian program.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Royals will head on the road on Tuesday, December 5^th for a non-conference showdown at Winthrop. The game will tip off at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN Plus. Fans can purchase their tickets in advance by visiting the Winthrop Athletics website.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals on Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay up to date on all the Royals sports in action.