OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 69 | FGCU 63
Records: Queens (14-18, 7-9 ASUN) | FGCU (14-18, 8-8 ASUN)
Location: J. Ollie Edmunds Arena (DeLand, Fla.)
 
THE SHORT STORY: Behind 23 points from AJ McKee and five three pointers from Chris Ashby, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team defeated FGCU 69-63 to advance to the ASUN Quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• AJ McKee led the Royals offensive charge as he poured in 23 points on the night for Queens. The Charlotte native has eclipsed 20 or more points in three consecutive games. The junior guard stuffed the stat sheet pulling in six rebounds and swiping three steals.
• Sharpshooter Chris Ashby stayed on a tear from downtown for the Royals as he shot 5-for-9 from deep. With the five made from behind-the-arc, Ashby has now hit 94 threes on the season and moved into fourth all-time in program history for threes made in a season.
• Senior forward BJ McLaurin scored seven points and pulled in eight rebounds as the veteran provided key minutes in his 32nd start of the year. The Fayetteville native also tied for a team-high three assists on the night.
• Highflyer Jacobi Sebock provided valuable minutes off the bench for Queens. The junior forward scored seven points and pulled down seven rebounds across 14 minutes of action.
• Nassau native Deyton Albury and rookie Bryce Cash combined to score 14 points, grab nine rebounds, and dish out nine assists.
• For the Eagles, senior Isaiah Thompson left it all out on the court in his final game with the squad. The guard exploded for 31 points while shooting 7-for-11 from downtown.
• The Royals crashed the offensive glass hard all night as they held the advantage 14-8 over the Eagles. Queens was opportunistic with their second chance opportunities totaling 19 second chance points while holding the Eagles to just nine.
• Queens forced 16 Eagle turnovers which the Royals converted into 14 points.
• The Royals took advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe shooting 18-of-22. The performance was the Royals third best from the stripe in a road game this season.

 
NOTABLE MOMENTS

• The three pointers were raining early for the Royals as they knocked down five to take a 22-15 lead. The Eagles would respond by clamping down on the defensive end and countering with a 12-0 run to take a 27-22 lead with 6:35 to play.
• The second half began with back-and-forth action before an Isaiah Thompson three-pointer gave the Eagles a 47-46 lead with 10:33 to play. The Royals would respond with a 10-2 run to take a 56-49 lead.
• Leading 59-56 late in the game, Chris Ashby would knock down his fifth three of the evening to extend the Royals lead to 62-56 with 2:22 to play. Key stops and clutch free throws at the end would seal the Royals 69-63 win.

 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• The Royals win marked the second year in a row the Royals defeated FGCU in the first round of the ASUN Tournament. The Royals also moved to 5-1 over the Eagles all-time. 
• The bench provided a huge spark for the Royals totaling 22 points while the Eagles bench could only muster five points.
• Queens improved to 8-4 on the year when they win the rebounding battle.
• Queens set the tone on the defensive end, as they held FGCU to shooting just 34% from the field. That mark is the lowest percentage the Royals have held any Division 1 opponent to this year.
• The Royals are finding their stride at the right time going 4-1 over the last five games. During that span, Queens is allowing 71.2 points per game which is 10.0 points less than their season-average.

 
NEXT UP
The Royals will advance to the Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals for the second straight year as they take on number-two seed Stetson tomorrow night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. inside J. Ollie Edmunds Center and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. Fans can purchase their tickets in advance by visiting the Queens Athletics website.
 
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.