OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 92 | FGCU 83
Records: Queens (9-6 overall, 2-0 ASUN) | FGCU (6-9 overall, 1-1 ASUN)
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
THE SHORT STORY
The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team improved to 2-0 in ASUN play for the first time since joining the league with a convincing 92-83 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday afternoon. Graduate student Leo Colimerio led the charge with a career-high 35 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field.
 
FROM COACH LEONARD
"I thought our energy was phenomenal today. I told these guys yesterday that a good portion of their prep would be in the film room, the training room, and the weight room which they were locked in for in all three phases. I challenged them to have a championship mindset today during shootaround and I thought they executed it and I was really happy with how we started the game."

BY THE NUMBERS
-Leo Colimerio turned in a career-high 35 points, including a 6-of-8 mark from downtown. The veteran has poured in 20+ points in four outings this season, including back-to-back.
-Center Malcolm Wilson turned in a dominant performance with 10 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks. The nation's leading shot blocker was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field finishing one shy of trying his career-high.
-Floor general Bryce Cash totaled 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
-Senior Jaxon Pollard turned in a quality performance off the bench with 10 points on 50 percent shooting while grabbing five key rebounds and dishing out two assists.
-The remainder of the Royals bench consisting of Yoav Berman, Nasir Mann, Maban Jabriel, and Asjon Anderson combined to score 18 points.
-Queens controlled the boards and won the rebounding margin 37-30. The Royals improved to 8-1 this season when outrebounding their opposition.
-The Eagles capitalized on 12 turnovers by the Royals with 15 points.

NOTABLE MOMENTS
-Queens jumped on the visiting Eagles early with a quick 12-4 run as the Royals connected on four of their first five attempts. During that span, veteran Leo Colimerio buried 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers.
-Leading 30-21 with 9:21 remaining in the first half, Queens ripped off an 8-0 run capped off by a Bryce Cash layup to grow the lead to the largest of the half at 17.
-After trailing 51-39 at the break, FGCU opened the second hot strong. The Eagles, losing 59-49 with 14:18 remaining ripped off a 13-3 run to tie the game.
-The two conference foes exchanged blows before Queens closed the half on a 15-6 run, including a 9-0 surge to claim their second straight league win.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-The 35 points from Leo Colimerio were the most points scored by a Queens player in the Division 1 era.
-Queens improved to 5-1 all-time against FGCU.
-The Royals 92-point effort marked the second straight game, and the first time since 2023 that Queens has scored 90+ in consecutive games.
-Queens improved to 9-0 this season when leading with five minutes to go as they continued to show their ability to close games out.
 
FROM LEO COLIMERIO
"This means a lot for me individually, but it also feels great for the guys. We worked so hard throughout the summer and every day, especially when it comes to finishing games, so it feels great to get a win like this and protect our home court."

NEXT UP
Queens will open up a four-game road stretch next Thursday, January 9^th in Nashville, Tennessee as the Royals take on the preseason favorites from Lipscomb. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. The trip to Nashville will mark the Royals third straight as they look to right the ship against the Bisons who are 2-0 in the series. Fans can purchase their tickets in advance by visiting the Lipscomb 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.