CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team is set to welcome Jacksonville University on Friday night in a pivotal ASUN showdown with tournament implications on the line. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE
Date: February 16th, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
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THE MATCHUP
Friday's clash will be the third matchup between Queens and Jacksonville with the Dolphins holding a 2-0 advantage. Earlier this season, Jacksonville stormed from behind in the second half to beat the Royals 79-77 inside Swisher Gymnasium. In a game that featured 83 combined free throws, the difference proved to be at the charity stripe as the Royals shot a season-low 48 percent from the line going 21-for-43.
 
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (10-17 overall, 4-8 ASUN)

• The Royals are coming off a tough loss to North Florida on Wednesday night. Despite a second consecutive 30-point effort from AJ McKee, the Ospreys led for the majority of the game enroute to the decisive win.
• Friday night is a crucial matchup for Queens as the Royals are looking to snap a three-game losing skid and remain in the ASUN Tournament hunt. Since joining the ASUN last season, the Royals have not lost four straight in league play.
• Queens has been tough to beat inside the safe confines of Curry Arena as the Royals are 9-3 defending their den this year.
• Friday will be a clash of styles as Queens ranks ninth in the country in pace of play while Jacksonville looks to slow the pace with the 249^th tempo in the country.
• Queens style of play catapults their explosive offense as the Royals average 80.5 points per game which is fourth best in the ASUN and top 50 nationally.
• The Royals offense is centered around the three-point shot as they are third in the conference in total attempts with 26.3.
• Queens is knocking down 8.8 three-pointers per game which is fifth best in the league and ranks top-50 in the NCAA in makes per game.
• Sharing the ball efficiently is a key for the Royals as they are 7-2 on the year when dishing out 15+ assists as a team. Queens ranks seventh in the ASUN in assists as guard Deyton Albury leads the way with 3.9 per game which is eighth best in the ASUN.
• Junior AJ McKee is the catalyst for the Royals as the Charlotte native averages a team-leading 18.4 points per game which is third in the ASUN. McKee also pulls in 4.1 rebounds, dishes out 2.4 assists per game, and swipes 1.7 steals per game which is third-best in the league. McKee is fresh off back-to-back 30-point performances and moved into seventh all-time in school history with 1,463 points.
• Junior Deyton Albury missed the last game due to an undisclosed injury. The point guard is fourth in the league in points per game and top 10 in field goal percentage, assists, and steals. The Nassau native has three double-doubles under his belt this season as he has solidified himself as one of the top newcomers.
• Senior forward BJ McLaurin has started all 27 games down low for the Royals. The forward has reached double figures in 15 games this year as he averages 11.8 points on the season. The senior forward is 10^th in the conference in rebounds with 6.0 per game.
• Rookie Bryce Cash has become one of ASUN's most prolific freshmen as he has stepped into a prominent role in his first year as a Royal. Cash has started in 26-of-27 contests this year for the Royals and is 7.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

 
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS (13-13 overall, 4-8 ASUN)

• The Dolphins enter Friday night with a 13-13, and a 4-8 record in the ASUN. Jacksonville is coming off a 66-61 road loss at Kennesaw State.
• Friday night will mark the Dolphins last game on the road as they return home for three straight home games to close out the regular season. The Dolphins will face North Florida, Stetson, and FGCU as they look to lockdown a spot in the tournament. 
• Jacksonville is eager to return to Swisher Gymnasium as they are 10-1 inside their home this year. On the contrary, the Dolphins have struggled on the road going 2-12 and 0-7 in league play.
• The Dolphins are a defensive oriented team as they give up the fourth fewest points per game and hold opponents to the second lowest field goal percentage. On the boards, Jacksonville ranks third in the league bringing down 36.9 per game.
• Offensively, the Dolphins are averaging 71.8 points per game which is ninth best in the league. Jacksonville is shooting 44 percent from the field which is 10^th best in the conference, and a league-worst 32 percent from deep.
• Jacksonville is prone to turn the ball over ranking last in assist/turnover ratio. In the first meeting with the Royals, the Dolphins committed 21 turnovers which the Royals turned into 17 points.
• Redshirt sophomore Robert McCray V leads the charge on offense for the Dolphins. McCray is seventh in the ASUN in scoring averaging 16.8 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field. The Wake Forest transfer has eclipsed double digits in 20 games this year, including nine straight.
• The Dolphins recently recieved a boost to their lineup as forward Bryce Workman returned to the lineup from injury. Workman is the Dolphins workhorse downlow as he averages a team-leading 7.6 rebounds. In his second game back from injury against North Alabama, Workman poured in 13 points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds for his third double-double this season.
• Jacksonville was picked to finish ninth in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll and 10th in the ASUN Preseason Media Poll. The Dolphins posted a 13-16 and 6-12 record in conference play last season.
• Jordan Mincy enters his third season as the head coach of the Dolphins. After six seasons as the assistant at the University of Florida, Mincy has posted a 43-34 record as Head Coach of the Dolphins. In his first season at the helm, he navigated Jacksonville to its first ASUN Tournament Final since 2009.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Royals head down to the sunshine state on Thursday, February 22^nd for their final road trip of the regular season. Queens will face off against Stetson before closing the trip at FGCU on Saturday. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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