GAMEDAY GUIDE
Date: Friday, December 12, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Queens Game Notes
 
QUEENS (4-5 OVERALL, 0-0 ASUN)
 
THE MATCHUP
Friday night marks the first-ever meeting between Queens and South Carolina State. The Royals have one previous matchup in Division 1 with a program from the MEAC after taking down Morgan State in the Rose Hall Division Championship at the 2022 Jamaica Classic.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Queens handled Gardner-Webb 107-74 last Wednesday as five Royals reached double figures. The Royals buried 15 threes and dished out 23 assists while holding the Runnin' Bulldogs to a 35 percent mark from the field.
 
QUICK TURNAROUNDS
Friday night will begin a three-game stretch over five days. The Royals host South Carolina State before heading to Wake Forest on Sunday and rounding out the trip at No. 17 Arkansas on Tuesday, December 16^th.
 
DEFEND THE DEN
The Royals have handled their business at home since joining Division 1 in 2022. Queens is 31-13 overall at home, and 16-2 in non-conference games inside Curry Arena.
 
PERIMETER GAME
Queens is splashing 10.9 threes per game, a mark that ranks top 25 in the country. At home, the Royals are connecting on 14.3 per game which is the second highest in the ASUN.
 
ELITE SHOOTER
After breaking the single-season school record last season with 115 threes made, sharpshooter Chris Ashby is 32 threes away from breaking the all-time school record set by Chris Benson in 2003. This season, the Houston, Texas, native leads the ASUN in threes made and ranks 29^th in the country.
 
DISHING DIMES
The Royals have found success this season when dishing out at least 16 assists in a game, as they are 4-1 on the year when hitting that mark. Queens ranks third in the league in assists per game in part due to freshman Jordan Watford facilitating the offense with 3.9 per game, a mark that ranks fifth in the ASUN. Watford is averaging the most assists per game by a true freshman since Vashon Fullwood distributed 5.3 per game in 1991-92.
 
DOUBLE THE MANN
Senior Nasir Mann is having a career-best season, averaging 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Mann ranks 10^th in the league in scoring and sixth in rebounding and is coming off a team-high 20 points against Gardner-Webb. The Gainesville, Florida, native has reached double figures in seven straight games, including a career-high 21 points at Villanova.
 
'TIS THE SEASON
Head Coach Grant Leonard and the Royals coaching staff will be suiting up in Holiday sweaters on Friday night for their annual Holiday Sweater Game. Leonard holds a collection of 40+ Holiday sweaters and debuted one earlier this season at Virginia, which went viral on social media, including being picked up by Yahoo Sports.
 
STREET DOGS
A new face behind the Royals bench, Buddy, has become a staple in the Royals locker room. A new tradition started this season, head coach Grant Leonard awards Buddy, a hollow replica of a dog, to the "Street Dog of the Game," or the person who makes an energetic impact in the game. Buddy sits by that player's locker until the next game, and has even made appearances in the postgame press conferences.
 
 
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (0-10 OVERALL, 0-0 MEAC)
SLOW START
After a 0-10 start to the season, South Carolina State will enter Friday night searching for their first win.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Bulldogs have been on the road for the majority of this non-conference season, with 9-of-10 games coming away from Orangeburg.
 
DEEP BENCH
South Carolina State can score deep into their bench ranking 60^th in the nation in bench scoring with 31.5 points per game.
 
CRASHING THE BOARDS
The Bulldogs crash the offensive glass at a high rate, bringing down 12.7 offensive rebounds per game, a mark that ranks 107^th nationally and second in the MEAC.
 
AT THE HELM
Erik Martin is in his fourth season at the helm of the South Carolina State program. Under his guidance, the Bulldogs are 39-67. Martin was one of the top assistant coaches in the country with over 20 years of coaching experience, including a 16-year stint under Bob Huggins at West Virginia.
 
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.