OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 89 | Central Arkansas 72
Records: Queens (17-11 overall, 10-5 ASUN) | Central Arkansas (7-21 overall, 3-12 ASUN)
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
THE SHORT STORY
Behind 25 points from sharpshooter Chris Ashby, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team bested Central Arkansas inside Curry Arena on Tuesday night. The Royals relentless defensive pressure was on full display forcing 18 turnovers which were converted into 30 points, the most points off turnovers against a Division 1 opponent this season. With the victory, Queens is tied for the fourth seed with Jacksonville and FGCU with three games remaining in the regular season.

BY THE NUMBERS
-Sharpshooter Chris Ashby led all scorers with 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting from downtown. The Houston native has drained 7+ three-pointers in five outings this season, including three of the last five games. During that span, Ashby is averaging 21.0 points per game on 5.2 three-pointers per game.
-Graduate student Leo Colimerio continued his impressive final campaign turning in 15 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native is one of the league's best newcomers averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in ASUN play.
-Freshman Maban Jabriel mailed in a dominant performance off the bench pouring in 14 points while grabbing six rebounds and matching his season-high with two assists. The 6-9 forward connected on four shots from downtown to help spark the Royals offense.
-Franklinton native Kalib Mathews posted his ninth double-figure performance with 11 points while adding four assists.
-Freshman Yoav Berman added 10 points off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, and 2-of-3 from the perimeter. The Tel Aviv, Israel native has posted double figures in 10 outings this season.
-The nation's leading shot blocker Malcolm Wilson protected the rim with five blocks on the night across 22 minutes of action.
-Jaxon Pollard and Asjon Anderson provided valuable minutes off the bench combining to score 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
-On the night, Queens shot 54 percent from the field while holding the Bears to a 48 percent clip. The Royals have shot over 50 percent in nine outings this season, and hold an 8-1 record when they do.

NOTABLE MOMENTS
-Queens jumped on the visiting Bears grabbing a 22-9 advantage heading into the under-12 media timeout. The Royals sparked a quick 6-0 run as a part of a 12-2 rally to take command early. Leo Colimerio paced the early offense with 10 points while Malcolm Wilson locked down the defense with two early blocks.
-Leading 31-21 with 7:50 remaining in the first half, Queens ripped off another 6-0 run to grab their largest lead of the half at 16.
-Queens opened the second half on a quick 10-4 run as the Royals forced back-to-back turnovers and converted into five quick points. The run was capped off by a corner three from Chris Ashby forcing a Central Arkansas timeout as the Royals lead was 52-36.
-Trailing 69-50 with 10:42 remaining in the game, Central Arkansas put together a 14-7 run to cut the deficit back down to 12.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-The Royals bench, a top 15 squad in the nation, scored 36 points on the night surpassing their season average of 31.7 points.
-With seven threes on Tuesday night, Chris Ashby sits at 96 on the season as he looks to become the first player in Division 1 program history to eclipse 100 threes in a single-season.
-Leo Colimerio inched closer to 1,000 career points and sits nine away from reaching the milestone.
-Queens buried a season-high 16 three-pointers in the victory. The mark was the most in a single game against a Division 1 opponent in Division 1 program history.

NEXT UP
Queens will return to Curry Arena on Thursday, February 20^th for their final home regular season game of the season. The Royals will welcome Austin Peay for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off. The game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. Before the game, the Royals will honor their 2025 senior class beginning at 6:30 p.m. Fans can purchase their tickets for both games 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.