OPENING TIP
Score: Kennesaw State 80 | Queens 77
Records: Kennesaw State (10-5, 1-0 ASUN) | Queens (6-10, 0-1 ASUN)
Location: KSU Convocation Center (Kennesaw, GA)
 
THE SHORT STORY: In their first Atlantic Sun action of the 2024 season, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team dropped an exciting back-and-forth affair to the defending league champions from Kennesaw State.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Senior forward BJ McLaurin led the Royals with 19 points on the night, including fourteen points in the second half, while shooting 3-for-7 from behind the arc. The Fayetteville native added five rebounds and a block to his line.
• Deyton Albury totaled 13 points on the night shooting an efficient 5-for-8. The floor general added a team-high three assists and two steals.
• Jaxon Pollard was efficient in his second start this season totaling a career-high 25 minutes of work. The junior forward poured in nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, while grabbing a team-leading seven rebounds, and swiping two steals.
• Senior guard AJ McKee amassed 11 points on the night, and also hauled in four rebounds. The double figure performance was the veterans 15^th of the season.
• Jacobi Sebock provided valuable minutes off the bench for the Royals scoring nine points and grabbing six rebounds.
• Guard Logan Threatt continued to impress off the bench with eight points, two assists, and a steal. The freshman connected on a pair of three pointers.
• For the Owls, senior guard Terrell Burden stuffed the stat sheet as he led the game with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Burden also grabbed four rebounds and dished out a team-leading six assists. 
• The conference opener was a thriller as both teams exchanged buckets. In total, the game saw five ties and seven lead changes.

 
NOTABLE MOMENTS

• The Owls jumped out to an early 14-7 lead forcing Grant Leonard to call his first timeout. The timeout was beneficial for the Royals, as they outscored the Owls 18-5, which included four makes from behind the arc, as the Royals exploded to a 25-19 lead.
• Queens extended their lead to as large as 34-26 in the first half, however, the Owls would end the half strong going on a 12-0 run to take a slim 38-34 lead into the break.
• Queens stormed out of the gates in the second half as their aggressiveness getting to the bucket helped catapult them to a 53-41 lead heading into the under-12 minute timeout.
• The Owls would cut into the deficit with a 17-6 run tying the game back up at 63-63.
• Kennesaw State would go 11-for-11 from the field over the final nine minutes of action. During that span, Terrell Burden and Simeon Cottle accounted for 21 points.

 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• After making six three-pointers in the first half, the Royals went cold in the second half shooting 3-for-10 from long range.
• The Owls proved opportunistic as they scored 19 points off 16 Queens turnovers. 
• The Royals fall to 0-9 in true road games on the season.
• The league opening loss snapped a nine game winning streak for the Royals in conference openers.
• Kennesaw State had the advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Royals 41-37. 

NEXT UP
Queens is back in action this Wednesday, January 10th at 7:00 PM as they host Florida Gulf Coast for their conference home opener on ESPN Plus. The Royals faced FGCU twice last season and won both, including the opening round of the ASUN conference tournament where the Royals came out on top, 61-55.
 
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.