CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team is set to host Mercer in their final home non-conference game on Wednesday night inside Curry Arena. The Royals have navigated their way through the SoCon this season playing Western Carolina, East Tennessee State, and VMI already. Over the last three seasons, the Royals are 3-2 against the league.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE VS. MERCER
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
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THE MATCHUP
Queens and Mercer will square off for the second time on Wednesday night after the two programs met last season in Macon, Georgia. The Bears controlled the series opener 84-65 behind double-doubles from Jalyn McCreary and Jalen Cobb. McCreary led the game with 30 points and 12 rebounds. The tone was set early as Mercer capitalized on a Queens eight-minute scoring drought from the field with a 20-4 run.
 
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (6-5 overall, 0-0 ASUN)

• Queens is coming off their third straight win on Saturday afternoon after dropping Gardner-Webb on the road 85-83. The Royals saw Leo Colimerio drop a season-high 27 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field while also matching his career-high from the free throw line with an 8-of-9 afternoon. The game was seemingly won at the free throw line as the Royals connected on 22-of-29 attempts while the Runnin' Bulldogs struggled with an 11-for-22 mark.
• The Royals are riding a three-game winning streak into Wednesday night, the longest streak since rattling off four straight in 2022.
• Queens managed to surpass their win total on the road from a season ago with the victory at Gardner-Webb. The Royals had not won consecutive road games since taking down ETSU and FDU in 2022.
• Queens has shown their ability to close out games this season holding a 6-0 record when leading with five minutes to play. Over the last three seasons, the Royals are 21-0 in non-conference games when leading down the stretch, and 36-6 all-time in Division 1.
• This season, the Royals are 2-0 in games decided by one possession. In Division 1, Queens is 10-6 all-time.
• Queens is coming off a season-high 76 percent shooting clip from the free-throw line. Despite the early free throw struggles, the Royals are shooting 73 percent from the line over the last two games.
• The Royals have been one of the league's hottest shooting teams over the last four games. During that span, Queen is averaging the third most points per game in the league at 83.8 on the best field goal percentage in the ASUN at 50 percent.
• Queens can score the ball in a hurry and hold a 5-0 record this season, and a 25-10 mark in Division 1 when dropping 80 points.
• Graduate student Leo Colimerio was named the ASUN Newcomer of the Week on Monday following his week six performances. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native averaged 17.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in the Royals 2-0 week. Against Gardner-Webb, the 6-7 forward poured in a season-high 27 points. Colimerio was the first Royals player this season to earn weekly honors, and the fifth Queens player to do so since joining the league in 2022.
• As a team, Queens ranked tied for 25^th in the nation averaging 5.2 blocks per game. The mark leads the ASUN in part to 7-0 Malcolm Wilson's presence in the paint. The center leads the nation in blocked shots and became the fourth player in NCAA Division 1 men's basketball since 2014 to block 34+ shots before December 1^st.
• Earlier this season, Chris Ashby became the sixth player in program history to drain 200 career three-pointers. The Houston, Texas native is sixth all-time in three-pointers made and sits second on the team in scoring. Against Gardner-Webb, Ashby was held scoreless from behind the arc for just the 11^th time in his career.
• The Royals bench has shown its depth this season ranking top 20 in the country, and first in the ASUN in scoring with an average of 33.5 points per game. Newcomers Yoav Berman, Nasir Mann, Maban Jabriel, and DJ Shine have paced the bench scoring with an average of 21.0 points per game.
• Senior Jaxon Pollard has been a physical asset off the bench appearing in all 11 games and netting 7.8 points per game while grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game. Over the last four games, Pollard is scoring 10.8 points and grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game. Against Carolina University, the Cedar Hills, Utah native posted his second career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

 
SCOUTING THE BEARS (6-4 overall, 0-0 SoCon)

• Mercer enters Wednesday night 6-4 overall and riding a three-game winning streak. The Bears have taken down West Georgia, Stetson, and Chicago State during that span.
• The visiting Bears will look to right the ship on the road as they are 1-3 away from Hawkins Arena this season. Mercer has handled business at home going a perfect 4-0.
• Ryan Ridder is in his first season at the helm of the Bears program. Ridder spent the last three seasons at UT Martin where he turned the program around and led the Skyhawks to the fifth-most wins in its more than three decades at the D1 level.
• Mercer is one of the nation's most explosive offenses scoring the 35th most points in the nation at 84.0 per game. The Bears shoot the ball well at 47.9 percent which is top 70 nationally.
• Despite allowing 73.3 points per game, Mercer forces 15.5 turnovers per game which ranks top 40 in the country.
• Three Bears are averaging double figures as Tyler Johnson leads the way with 16.0 points per game on 49 percent shooting from the field.
• Senior forward Alex Holt makes his return to the Carolinas as the Lexington, North Carolina native has started all 10 games for the Bears and is averaging 11.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
• Ahmad Robinson is a player to watch for the Bears as the senior guard is averaging 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Robinson has reached double figures in nine games this season and posted a 16-point and 10-assist double-double against Stetson.
• Mercer was picked to finish seventh in the SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll following a 16-17 overall record, and 8-10 mark in league play.

 
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