OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 83 | Stetson 77
Records: Queens (12-17, 6-8 ASUN) | Stetson (17-11, 9-4 ASUN)
Location: J. Ollie Edmunds Arena (DeLand, Fla.)
 
THE SHORT STORY: Five Royals reached double figures as the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team picked up a massive road win knocking off conference contender Stetson on Thursday night. The win snapped a 14-game losing skid on the road as Queens inched closer to securing their spot in the ASUN Tournament with two games remaining.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Senior forward BJ McLaurin poured in 16 points of his own on 5-of-9 shooting, including two from behind-the-arc. McLaurin also pulled down six rebounds on the evening. The 16 points marked the Fayetteville native's 16^th time eclipsing double figures this season.
• Nassau native Deyton Albury was the catalyst for the Royals in the second half. The junior guard totaled 16 points off the bench, grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds, and dished out four assists. Albury buried a clutch three pointer as the shot clock expired with 28 seconds remaining in the game to seal the Royals victory.
• Rookie Bryce Cash continues to be one of ASUN's most prolific rookies with another spectacular night. The Charlotte native stuffed the stat sheet scoring 13 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out four assists, and swiping two steals.
• Sharpshooter Chris Ashby was electric from behind the three-point line for the Royals. The junior guard totaled 14 points while shooting 4-for-8 from behind-the-arc. Over the last three games, Ashby is shooting 9-for-20 from downtown.
• Charlotte native AJ McKee remained a steadying presence for the visitors. The junior added 13 points as the Royals leading scorer has eclipsed double digit points in 28-of-29 contests this season.
• For the Hatters, Stephan Swenson was electric for the hosts scoring a game-high 29 points while also adding four assists, two steals, and two blocks.
• The Royals bench provided a huge spark for the visitors totaling 32 points while the Hatters bench could only manage 12 points.
• Queens found their way to the charity stripe more frequently than the Hatters and went 15-for-21.

 
NOTABLE MOMENTS

• The Royals came out with an intense effort on the defensive end using it to catapault them to an early 15-9 lead. The Hatters would claw their way back taking a 21-19 lead before both squads began to exchange leads.
• Leading 36-34 with 3:44 to play in the first half, the Royals tightened the screws on the defensive end again. Queens would counter with a 13-5 run to end the half as they took a 49-41 lead into the intermission.
• Over the course of the second half, the Hatters would continually cut into the Royals deficit closing it to as little as three points. However, the Royals would continually respond extending their lead to as much as 62-52. The Royals would never rescind the lead in the second half.
• With the Royals leading 78-75 with under a minute to play and late into the shot-clock, Deyton Albury nailed a shot from deep to vault the Royals to an 81-75 lead with 28 seconds to play. The shot proved to be the stamp on a massive win for the Royals as the Hatters were unable to answer.

 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• The win proved to be massive as the Royals picked up their first true road win of the season. The young squad had been within a possession on four different occasions in league play, but finally had the ball fall their direction.
• The Royals set the tone in the first half shooting a blistering 64 percent from the field which was their highest mark of the season in the first half. Queens finished the evening with a 53 percent clip from the field which marked a season-high in league play.
• Queens defended the three-point line exceptionally well all night as they held the Hatters to a 6-for-24 mark from behind-the-arc. The Royals defense is slowly rounding into form as that marks the second game in a row the Royals have held their opponent to a season-low 25 percent from three-point range.
• The Royals moved to 7-3 on the season when they eclipse 80 points.
• The visitors were opportunistic as they converted 13 Hatter turnovers into 17 points.
• The win pushed the Royals into a tie for seventh place with Kennesaw State. The top 10 squads will make the ASUN Tournament and a victory on Saturday night would likely clinch a spot for the Royals.

 
NEXT UP
Queens will stay down in the Sunshine State as they take on Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. The Eagles are coming off a loss to Kennesaw State and clinging to the ninth seed in the ASUN standings.
 
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.