CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team continues their road trip in the Volunteer State as they head west to Clarksville for a Saturday evening showdown with Austin Peay. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE AT AUSTIN PEAY
Date: Saturday, January 11, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM ET
Location: F&M Bank Arena (Clarksville, Tenn.)
Watch (ESPN Plus)
Stats (Statbroadcast)
Queens Game Notes
Tickets

THE MATCHUP
Queens and Austin Peay are set to meet for the fourth time and the third straight time in Clarksville since the Royals joined the ASUN in 2022. The Royals hold a 2-1 advantage over the Governors despite a loss in Clarksville last season. Former Queens standout AJ McKee led the visitors with 31 points, but 48 combined points from Dezi Jones and Isaac Haney carried the Governors to a win. All three meetings have been decided by 1-2 possessions with the last two outings coming down to the final shot. Two seasons ago, former Royals star BJ McLaurin buried a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer inside the Winfield Dunn Center.
 
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (10-6 overall, 3-0 ASUN)

• Queens is coming off a 75-73 victory over the preseason favorites from Lipscomb on Thursday night. The Royals erased a 13 point-second half deficit behind a 57-percent shooting mark to extend their winning streak to three straight games. Sharpshooter Chris Ashby led the way with a game-high 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from downtown.
• Queens has won seven of the last eight games with their only loss coming at No. 16/17 Ole Miss.
• The Royals enter Saturday afternoon 3-0 as they are the only unbeaten squad left in the ASUN. The perfect league record is the best start for the Royals since joining the conference in 2022.
• Graduate student Leo Colimerio was named the CollegeInsider Lute Olson National Player of the Week and ASUN Player of the Week following his performances last week. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native averaged 31.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Colimerio became the first player in Division 1 program history to receive national weekly honors.
• Closing out games has been a strength for Queens this season as the Royals are 10-0 when leading with five minutes to go.
• The Royals are the league's fifth-best scoring offense with 76.8 points per game. This season, Queens is 7-0 when eclipsing 80+ points as they rank top 90 in tempo according to KenPom.
• Distributing the basketball has led to success for Queens as they're averaging 16.3 dimes per game which ranks second in the league. When the Royals facilitate 15 or more assists in a game, they are 8-2 on the season.
• Depth has been a key to success early for the Royals as they rank top 25 in the country, and first in the ASUN in bench scoring with 32.4 points per game.
• Crashing the glass is a recipe for success for Queens as they are 9-1 on the season when outrebounding their opponents.
• As a team, Queens ranks tied for 24^th in the nation averaging 5.3 blocks per game. The mark leads the ASUN in part to 7-0 Malcolm Wilson's presence in the paint. The center has led the nation all season in blocked shots and became the fourth player in NCAA Division 1 men's basketball since 2014 to block 34+ shots before December 1^st.
• Sharpshooter Chris Ashby moved into fourth all-time for career three-pointers made with 222. Against Stetson, Ashby drained the most threes by a Royal in Division 1 with eight as a part of a career-high 24 points.
• Queens was picked to finish ninth in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll. Since joining the league in 2022, the Royals have finished at least two positions higher than projected and claimed their spot in back-to-back ASUN Tournaments.

 
SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS (6-10 overall, 1-2 ASUN)

• Austin Peay enters Saturday evening 6-10 overall and 1-2 in ASUN play. The Governors are coming off a 72-68 loss to West Georgia on Thursday night.
• Since opening the brand new F&M Bank Arena last season, the Governors have defended their court holding a 17-5 record. The Thursday night loss
• Corey Gipson is in his second season at the helm of the Governors program. Under his direction, Austin Peay is 25-26 and coming off an ASUN Tournament Championship appearance. Last season, the Govs fell to Alabama A&M 81-71 in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
• Austin Peay is averaging 65.9 points per game, a mark that ranks last in the ASUN. The Govs are shooting 40 percent from the field which ranks 11th in the league.
• The Govs apply pressure on the defensive side of the ball forcing 13.8 turnovers per game, a mark that is top 100 in the country. Austin Peay is sixth in the league in steals with 7.8 per game.
• Preseason All-ASUN selection Isaac Haney returned to the Govs lineup and is averaging 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
• NC State transfer LJ Thomas has been one of the league's top newcomers earning ASUN Newcomer of the Week praise in week one. The junior is averaging 17.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Thomas sits fourth in the league in scoring.
• The Governors were picked to finish second in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll, and third in the ASUN Preseason Media Poll.

 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals on Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay up to date on all the Royals sports in action.