DELAND, Fla. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team looks to stay on track and solidify their ASUN postseason odds as they travel down to Florida to take on Stetson University on Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE
Date: February 21st, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: The J. Ollie Edmunds Center (DeLand, Fla.)
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THE MATCHUP
Thursday night's battle will be the third all-time matchup between Queens and Stetson. The Hatters took the first meeting this season 84-66 in Charlotte behind a dominant offensive performance. Stetson shot 51 percent from the field and drained nine shots from downtown. Last season, Queens took down the visiting Hatters 71-65 behind double digit scoring from Kenny Dye, AJ McKee, and BJ McLaurin.
 
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (11-17 overall, 5-8 ASUN)

• The Royals are coming off a crucial 74-65 home win against Jacksonville University inside Curry Arena last Friday. The Royals were dialed in on the defensive end holding the Dolphins to just 37 percent shooting from the field which was the second-lowest scoring mark by a league opponent this season.
• With the win, the Royals moved up to 10^th place in the league standings as the top 10 teams will advance to the ASUN Tournament. A victory over the Hatters would be significant as the Royals would have victories over the top two programs in the league should a tiebreaker be necessary.
• Queens is looking to get over the hump on the road as they are 0-14 away from Charlotte this season. Despite the struggle, the Royals have fallen on the road in conference play by one possession in four games.
• The highflying Royals play a fast style of play that catapults their explosive offense. The Royals average 80.3 points per game which is fourth best in the ASUN and top-50 nationally.
• Thursday will feature a clash of styles as the high-octane Royals rank ninth in the country in pace-of-play according to KenPom while the Hatters like to slow the pace down ranking 269th in tempo.
• 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. The Royals are 9-6 when they reach their season-average in three point makes in a 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 3.8 per game which is eighth best in the ASUN.
• Royals' junior guard AJ McKee is the catalyst for Queens as the Charlotte native averages a team-leading 18.4 points per game which is third in the ASUN. McKee also pulls down 4.1 rebounds and dishes out 2.4 assists per game. McKee also averages a team-leading 1.7 steals per game which ranks third in the ASUN. Over his last six games, McKee is averaging 24.8 points on 56 percent shooting from the field while also adding 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
• Junior guard Deyton Albury has quickly stepped up as a leader in his first year in the Queen City. The junior point guard is fifth in in the league in points per game with 17.5. The Nassau, Bahamas native is also top-ten in the ASUN in field goal percentage, assists, and steals.
• Senior forward BJ McLaurin has started all 28 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 is 12th in the conference in rebounds with 5.9 per game.
• Rookie Bryce Cash has become one of the ASUN's most consistent freshman. Cash has started in 27-of-28 contests this year for the Royals and is averaging 7.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Against Jacksonville, Cash affected the game in multiple ways as he scored eight points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out two assists, and swiped three steals.
• Houston, Texas native Chris Ashby leads the Royals in perimeter shooting. The junior is a threat everytime he touches the ball as Ashby ranks top-five in the ASUN in three-point field goal percentage and has made at least three from behind-the-arc in 13 contests this year.

 
SCOUTING THE HATTERS (17-10 overall, 9-3 ASUN)

• The Hatters enter Thursday night with a 17-10 overall record and a 9-3 record in the ASUN as they sit at second place in the conference. Stetson is coming off a razor thin 61-60 victory over FGCU on Saturday.  
• Stetson is beginning to play some of their best basketball as the season winds down winning four straight contests.
• Jalen Blackmon leads the Hatter offense with a conference-leading 20.5 points per game. The junior guard is a threat to score it from anywhere as he ranks third in the conference in shooting from behind-the-arc. Blackmon has eclipsed the 20-point mark 15 times this season and has scored over 30 points in three different contests this year.
• Senior guard Stephan Swanson is the table-setter for the Hatters offense. The Belgium native is averaging 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and a team-leading 6.1 assists per game. Against FIU, Swanson mailed in the best game of his Hatter career with 31 points and 14 assists.
• Aubin Gateretse has rounded into form in conference play. The junior center has eclipsed double figures in seven consecutive games, and has back-to-back double-doubles. Gateretse is fourth in the league in rebounds-per-game.
• Stetson boasts one of the best defenses in the entire ASUN as the Hatters are second in the conference in points allowed, third in field goal percentage, and second in three-point field goal percentage.
• The hosts are incredibly efficient shooting from behind-the-arc on the season boasting a 36 percent mark from deep which is third-best in the league.
• Stetson was picked to finish third in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll and ninth in the ASUN Preseason Media Poll. The Hatters posted a 17-14 and 12-6 record in conference play last season.
• Donnie Jones is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Hatters, and his 14^th year as a head coach at the college level. Under his direction, Stetson is 66-72. Jones has also previously served as head coach at Marshall and UCF.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Royals will remain in Florida for their second game this week as they take on Florida Gulf Coast University this Saturday, February 24th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.
 
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