CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team is set to welcome Carolina University to Curry Arena on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on ESPN Plus.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE
Dates: December 9, 2023
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
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THE MATCHUP
Saturday afternoon marks the first meeting between Queens and Carolina University.
 
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (5-5 overall, 0-0 ASUN)

• Queens is coming off a tough 88-82 loss at Winthrop on Tuesday night. After taking a 47-37 lead into the break, the Royals suffered a shooting drought from behind the arc going 0-for-14 in the second half. AJ McKee reached double figures for the 10^th straight game this season with a 23-point effort. The mark was the Charlotte native's fourth 20+ point performance this season.
• BJ McLaurin and Deyton Albury became the first duo since the Division 1 opener last season to record a double-double in the same game. McLaurin earned his second of the season with a 16-point and 10-rebound effort while Albury notched his first as a Royal pouring in 20 points and dishing out 10 assists.
• The Royals will look to remain unbeaten in non-conference games at home since jumping to Division 1. Queens is 8-0 inside Curry Arena against non-conference opponents.
• The Royals explosive offense has allowed them to reach the 80-point threshold in four of the last five games. In Division 1, the Royals are 37-6 when hitting that mark.
• Preseason All-Conference recipient AJ McKee anchors the Royals offense and is averaging 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. The Charlotte native sits fourth in the league in scoring and 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 and assists. Albury is coming off his first career double-double as a Royal with a 20-point and 10-assist performance.
• Senior BJ McLaurin has started all 10 games on the block for the Royals. The forward has reached double figures in five games this year, including a career-high 24 points against Gardner-Webb. McLaurin is coming off his second double-double of the season after scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Winthrop.
• The Royals sport one of the best perimeter defenses in the conference holding opponents to a 30 percent clip which is fourth-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 20-7 when outrebounding their opponent and 3-12 when losing the battle on the glass. This season, Queens is third in rebounds per game pulling down 40.1 boards per outing.
• The Royals are one of the league's most efficient teams at getting to the free-throw line. Deyton Albury, AJ McKee, and BJ McLaurin sit top 20 in the league in free throw percentage. Albury and McKee occupy the second and third spots. Queens is 13-6 in non-conference Division 1 games in which they attempt more free throws than their opponent.

 
SCOUTING THE BRUINS (2-7 overall, 0-0 NCCAA)

• Carolina University enters Saturday afternoon 2-7 on the season and coming off a 94-90 victory over Toccoa Falls on Thursday night.
• In the Thursday night win, Adam Claybourne was relentless posting a 27-point and 16-rebound double-double while also adding four assists, two steals, and a blocked shot.
• Carolina University is averaging 81.6 points per game on 39 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent from behind the arc.
• The Bruins are being outrebounded by 10.3 boards per game.
• Adam Claybourne has been the Bruins leader on both ends averaging 12.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The junior is shooting 62 percent from the field across nine starts.
• Cameron Parker is the leading scorer for Carolina University as the sophomore is averaging 13.2 points per game. The High Point native has reached double figures in seven games this season, including the last four outings.
• Head coach Jacob Heck is in his second season at the helm of the Bruins program. Under his direction, Carolina University is 16-19.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Royals will wrap up their home stretch next Wednesday, December 13^th when they welcome in-state foe Appalachian State to Curry Arena. 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.
 
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.