CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team will look to build upon a dominant start to the season on Friday, November 8^th when the Royals welcome Western Carolina to Curry Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:02 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. Queens is coming off a 90-39 victory over Lynchburg on Monday night to kick off the 2024-25 season.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE
Date: Friday, November 8, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
Watch (ESPN Plus)
Stats (Statbroadcast)
Queens Game Notes
Tickets
 
THE MATCHUP
Friday night marks the second all-time meeting between Queens and Western Carolina as the in-state foes will duke it out for the first time since December 11, 1999. The Royals made the trip to Cullowhee and fell 92-83 on the road. Friday night will be the first game for both programs in the ASUN/SoCon Challenge, a unique partnership between the two leagues that allows teams within the conferences to duel. This season, Queens will challenge Western Carolina and VMI as a part of the event. The challenge got underway on opening night as Florida Gulf Coast made the trip to UNC Greensboro but fell 73-64 to the Spartans. Eastern Kentucky and ETSU will also take the floor on Friday night as a part of the first-year challenge.
 
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (1-0 overall, 0-0 ASUN)

• Queens will look to build upon a convincing 90-39 victory over Lynchburg on opening night. The Royals held the Hornets to the lowest points output by an opponent since January 11, 2007, with stifling defense. Queens forced 27 turnovers which were converted into 33 points.
• Center Malcolm Wilson swatted a career-high eight shots while also bringing down a career-high 12 rebounds. The eight blocked shots were tied for the most in a single game in program history. The last Royal to block eight shots in a game was Jared Hendryx in 2014.
• In his first outing in the Queen City, junior Nasir Mann posted a 14-point and 10-rebound double-double. The Gainesville, Florida native added three steals to his line which sparked 18 total for the Royals defense.
• In his first game running the point, sophomore Bryce Cash filled the stat sheet with five points, five assists, and three rebounds. Cash is coming off a unanimous ASUN All-Freshman team nod a season ago.
• Queens has been lethal from the perimeter as the Royals have made a three-pointer in 344 consecutive games. A key contributor to that success has been Chris Ashby. The sharpshooter has drained a three-pointer in 57-67 appearances and sits eighth all-time in program history for three-pointers made. Against Lynchburg, Ashby went 3-for-9 from deep and turned in 11 points and three steals.
• Freshman phenom Yoav Berman earned his first collegiate start in the season opener. The Tel Aviv, Israel native recorded 13 points on an efficient 5-of-9 clip while adding four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
• The Royals have been tough to beat inside Curry Arena holding a 248-81 mark all-time. Since joining Division 1, the Royals are 10-1 in non-conference games at home.
• After sitting top 10 in the country in pace of play last season, the Royals are right back at the top sitting 11^th according to KenPom.
• Queens was picked to finish ninth in the ASUN Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. Since joining the league, Queens has managed to finish higher than their projected finish. In 2022, the Royals were picked to finish 13^th and turned in a ninth-place finish. Last season, Queens was projected to finish 10^th and turned in an eighth-place finish.

 
SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS (1-0 overall, 0-0 SoCon)

• Western Carolina is coming off a dominant 100-61 victory over Bob Jones on Monday night. Marcus Kell led all scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes of work. The Catamounts executed offensively at a high clip burying 60 percent of their shots from the field.
• Last season, the Catamounts posted a 22-10 record an 11-7 mark in SoCon play. Western Carolina fell in overtime in the opening round of the SoCon Tournament to fifth seeded Furman.
• The 20-win season marked the most wins since the 2009-10 campaign, and the second time in Division 1 program history that the Catamounts have reached that plateau.
• Former Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft enters his first season at the helm of Western Carolina. While in Boiling Springs, the Runnin' Bulldogs went 188-166 and finished .500 or better in eight seasons.
• Bernard Pelote is the lone player from last year's 22-win squad that saw on-court time a season ago posting seven double figure scoring outputs.
• Marshall transfer Chase McKey packed the staff sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on Monday.
• Western Carolina was picked to finish eighth in the SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll.

 
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