OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 96 | Central Arkansas 79
Records: Queens 8-13 (2-4) | Central Arkansas 7-15 (3-3)
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
THE SHORT STORY: A season-high 28 points from AJ McKee set the tone for the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team as four different Royals reached double figures in a 96-79 victory over Central Arkansas.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Charlotte native AJ McKee led all scorers with a season-high 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting. The junior added a career-high five steals across 31 minutes of action.
• Floor general Deyton Albury turned it on in the second half netting 15 points in the final 20 minutes to finish the game with 18 total. The junior went 11-of-12 from the charity stripe and added six boards and six assists to his line.
• Sharpshooter Chris Ashby found his groove from behind the arc going 5-for-8 en route to 17 points. The five three-pointers were the most by Ashby in ASUN play this season.
• Rookie Bryce Cash put together another strong performance netting 12 points and bringing down a season-high eight rebounds. Cash connected on 6-of-9 attempts as he has reached double figures in back-to-back games.
• High flyer Jacobi Sebock was all over the floor playing 18 minutes and scoring seven points while matching his season-high with nine rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.
• Georgetown transfer Malcolm Wilson protected the rim matching his career-high with five blocks. The five denials tied for seventh all-time in a single game in program history.
• The Royals attempted 19 three-pointers in the first half which were the most attempts in a single half since they attempted 25 in the second half against Clemson. It was also the most in a half against an ASUN opponent since they attempted 20 in the second half against Jacksonville State last February.

 
NOTABLE MOMENTS

• Queens came out firing as they continually got open looks from three-point range. The Royals jumped out to an early 9-2 lead before continuing to catch fire as they took a 17-5 lead forcing a Central Arkansas timeout with just under 13 minutes remaining in the first half. 
• After taking a 51-37 lead into halftime, the Royals started the second half on a 9-0 run to take a 60-37 lead and force Central Arkansas to take their third timeout early in the second half
• Central Arkansas countered the Royals run with a second half run of their own. Trailing 68-45, the visiting Bears sparked a 21-3 run cutting the Royals lead to five.
• Coming out of the media timeout, Queens settled back in and responded with 10-1 run extending their lead back to 14. During that run, the Royals forced four Central Arkansas turnovers.

 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Wednesday night saw the Royals pour in the most points in ASUN action this season behind a 51 percent mark which was also a season-high in league play.
• The Royals pushed the pace and dominated in transition scoring 45 fastbreak points compared to 17 from the Bears.
• Queens buried 10 shots from behind the arc for the ninth time this season. Queens improved to 6-3 on the year when burying 10+ shots from deep.
• The 96 points were the most points scored by the Royals against an ASUN opponent since January 14, 2023 when they scored 107 in a victory over North Alabama.

 
NEXT UP
The Royals head back on the road this weekend as they face North Alabama in hopes of securing their first true road win. The matchup will tip off at 7:00 PM EST on Saturday, January 27th, and will be the second all-time matchup between the Royals and Lions and the first ever at UNA. Last season, the Royals dominated the Lions to a 107-78 victory inside Curry Arena. The Royals then return home next week for matchups against Eastern Kentucky and Bellarmine.

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.