OPENING TIP
Score: North Alabama 74 | Queens 69
Records: North Alabama (22-9 overall, 14-4 ASUN) | Queens (18-13 overall, 11-7 ASUN)
Location: CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
THE SHORT STORY
In one of the top mid-major games on Wednesday night, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team dropped the regular season finale at North Alabama 74-69 despite a gritty effort from the Royals. With the win, North Alabama clinched the ASUN Regular Season title while the Royals sealed the sixth seed in the upcoming ASUN Tournament.

BY THE NUMBERS
-Leo Colimerio led the Royals offense with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting while adding six rebounds.
-Senior Kalib Mathews added 11 points, including a 3-for-5 evening from the perimeter which was his best shooting performance from deep in Division 1. The Franklinton native grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists.
-Veteran Chris Ashby reached double figures for the 10^th straight game scoring 11 points.
-Freshman Maban Jabriel turned into another quality performance with eight points on 2-of-4 shooting from the perimeter. Jabriel added seven rebounds and two steals on the defensive end.
-Charlotte native Bryce Cash facilitated the offense with four assists while also grabbing seven rebounds, including four offensive boards.
-Senior Jaxon Pollard provided a boost off the bench scoring nine points on 4-of-6 shooting while adding six boards.
-The nation's leading shot blocker Malcolm Wilson swatted three shots on the night bringing his season total to 105.
-Four Lions scored double figures as Jacari Lane led the way with 20 points. Taye Fields added 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals to his line.
-Queens won the battle on the glass 41-33, including a 16-11 margin on the offensive boards. The Royals converted those second-chance opportunities into 17 points.

NOTABLE MOMENTS
-The first eight minutes saw a back and forth affair as North Alabama jumped out to a quick 10-3 lead behind eight early points from Taye Fields. The Royals settled in and battled back with an 8-2 run to tie the game at 16-16. Turnovers were the story early for Queens as they issued four turnovers before the second media break.
-Trailing 21-18 with nine minutes to go in the first half, Queens sparked a 6-0 surge within a minute of action as Leo Colimerio capped off the run with a three-pointer to force a North Alabama timeout.
-The first half saw seven ties and two lead changes. After the Lions jumped out to a 10-3 lead, neither squad was able to extend their lead past five as both offenses exchanged blows in a pivotal regular season finale.
-Coming out of the halftime break, North Alabama ripped off a 6-0 run which included a pair of dunks to energize CB&S Bank Arena. The Lions capitalized on three turnovers by the Royals to grab a 45-39 lead heading into the first media break.
-Trailing by eight with 15:49 remaining, the Royals put together a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to three. However, North Alabama had an answer to every run countering with an 8-2 surge to increase their lead back to nine.
-Looking at a nine point deficit with under four minutes to play, the Royals would chip away and cut the Lions lead down to three with eight seconds remaining. However, a pair of successful free throws from Jacari Lane sealed the victory sending North Alabama to an ASUN Regular Season title.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-Queens turned the ball over 14 times and North Alabama converted those miscues into 11 points.
-The Royals fell to 15-4 this season when outrebounding their opponent.
-With the win, North Alabama evened the all-time series 2-2.

NEXT UP
Queens will turn their attention to the ASUN Tournament, which is set to begin on Sunday, March 2^nd. The Royals secured the six seed in the tournament and will travel to Fort Myers, Florida to face off against the third-seeded FGCU Eagles on Monday, March 3^rd. The quarterfinal game will be familiar for both squads as they have met in the opening round of the last two ASUN Tournaments. Queens took down the Eagles in both tournament games, both of which were played at neutral sites. Fans can learn more about the ASUN Championship, including ticket information by visiting the ASUN 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.