OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 73 | Mercer 66
Records: Queens (7-5) | Mercer (6-5)
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
THE SHORT STORY
The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team matched their longest winning streak in Division 1 with their fourth straight victory on Wednesday night. Five different Royals reached double figures in the 73-66 win over Mercer as the reigning ASUN Newcomer of the Week led the charge with an 11-point and 12-rebound double-double.
 
FROM COACH LEONARD
"Our defensive effort tonight was phenomenal. We managed to hold a team that shoots the ball well to four threes and under 40 percent, so we're really excited about that. Even though it wasn't our best shooting night, it was a really good defensive effort."

BY THE NUMBERS
-Graduate student Leo Colimerio turned in his second career double-double, and first as a Royal with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
-Nasir Mann turned in a career-high 15 points, including an 8-of-9 mark from the free throw line.
-Franklinton native Kalib Mathews poured in a season-high 10 points while matching his career-high with five steals. Mathews also added four dimes to his line.
-Freshman Yoav Berman paced the Royals bench scoring with 10 points while adding four rebounds, an assist, and a steal. The double-figure scoring total was the rookie's fifth of the season.
-Sharpshooter Chris Ashby added 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers.
-Center Malcolm Wilson made his presence felt on the block scoring six points, grabbing six rebounds, and blocking five shots. Wilson has swatted five or more shots in six outings this season.
-Charlotte native Bryce Cash facilitated the offense with eight assists. The Royals finished the night with 17 total dimes as they sit fourth in the ASUN in assists per game.
-Queens held the visiting Bears to a 38 percent mark from the field and a 16 percent clip from behind the arc. Mercer went 0-for-10 from downtown as the Royals perimeter defense leads the ASUN.
-The Royals executed from the charity stripe going 19-of-24 from the line. The 79 percent margin marks a season-high as the Royals have cashed in over 70 percent of their attempts in the last three games.

NOTABLE MOMENTS
-Wednesday night started slow as both offenses suffered scoring drought to start the nights. Trailing 5-3, the Royals suffered a four-minute scoring drought with four turnovers. However, the Queens defense responded forcing the Bears into three miscues and a four-minute scoring drought. During that defensive stand, Queens put together a 6-0 run to grab a 9-5 lead.
-Leading 14-10, the visiting Bears ripped off a 9-0 run to grab a 19-14 lead. During that span, Queens suffered another three-and-a-half-minute scoring drought.
-All tied 35-35 with 17:25 remaining in the game, Queens sparked a 12-2 run, including a 9-0 run capped off by a Malcolm Wilson dunk to force a Mercer timeout. The surge increased the Royals lead to the largest of the game.
-Leading 61-40 with 9:35 remaining in the second half, the Royals suffered a seven-minute scoring drought from the field as the Bears cut the deficit to six.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-The 17 turnovers from the Royals tied for the second most in a single-game this season. The visiting Bears managed to convert those miscues into 21 points.
-Queens displayed their ability to close out games yet again as they improved to 7-0 this season when leading with five minutes to go. The Royals are 22-0 in non-conference games over the last three seasons when leading at that mark.
-The Royals bench ranks top 20 in the country in scoring and accounted for 34 points on the evening.
-Leo Colimerio became the third Royal this season to notch a double-double joining Jaxon Pollard and Nasir Mann.
-Queens won the battle on the glass 42-38 and improved to 6-0 this season when outrebounding their opponent.
 
FROM LEO COLIMERIO
"Tonight just showed how resilient we are. I feel like we've been through worse with boot camp and summer workouts, and going through that prepared us to stick together for games like tonight and be able to close them out."

NEXT UP
Queens will close out 2024 this Saturday when they travel to Oxford, Mississippi for a Saturday showdown at No. 17 Ole Miss. Tip-off was moved up to 5:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. Fans can purchase their tickets in advance by visiting the Ole Miss Athletics website. The Saturday showdown will mark the Royals final non-conference game before heading into ASUN action to start the new year. Queens will host the reigning ASUN Tournament Champions from Stetson in the league opener on January 2, 2025.
 
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.