DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team is set to make their first postseason tournament appearance in the 2025 Purple College Basketball Invitational on Sunday, March 23^rd against Northern Arizona University out of the Big Sky Conference. The winner of Sunday's first round game will advance to face Cleveland State in the Quarterfinals on Monday afternoon. Fans can learn more about the CBI by visiting the official tournament website.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA (CBI FIRST ROUND)
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2025
Time: 4:30 PM
Location: Ocean Center (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
Watch (FloCollege)
Stats (StatBroadcast)
Queens Game Notes
Tournament Information

THE MATCHUP
Queens and Northern Arizona are set to meet for the first time ever in the 2025 Purple College Basketball Invitational. The Royals are coming off an appearance in the ASUN Tournament Semifinals where they lost an overtime thriller to the eventual tournament champions in Lipscomb. Northern Arizona enters the postseason tournament after an appearance in the Big Sky Conference Tournament Quarterfinals where the Lumberjacks fell to the eventual tournament champions in Montana by a final score of 74-65. The invite to the CBI marks the Royals first appearance in a postseason tournament, aside from the ASUN conference tournaments.

SCOUTING THE ROYALS (19-14 overall, 11-7 ASUN)

• Queens enters the CBI after putting together a 19-14 overall record, and 11-7 mark in ASUN play. The Royals are coming off an overtime loss in the ASUN Tournament Semifinals at top-seeded Lipscomb. The Bisons erased a 10-point second-half deficit and cashed in 27-of-29 opportunities from the free throw line to advance to the championship. Lipscomb routed North Alabama in the finals to clinch their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
• Since joining the Division 1 ranks in 2022, Queens has made the ASUN Tournament three straight seasons and turned in their highest finish this year with a sixth-place finish. The Royals took down Florida Gulf Coast for the third consecutive year in the opening round of the conference tournament to make their first appearance in the Semifinals.
• Queens has handled their business away from Curry Arena this season holding a 10-9 record in road and neutral games. In conference play, the Royals went 6-3 which tied for the second-highest winning percentage in road games in the ASUN.
• The Royals reached the 15-win mark for the second time in Division 1, and the 29^th time in school history. The Royals are looking to win 20 games for the first time in Division 1, and 19^th in program history.
• Queens head coach Grant Leonard has guided the Royals program to new heights in just his third season at the helm. The Royals have made an appearance in the conference tournament since Leonard took over and embarking on their first appearance in a postseason tournament in Division 1. Earlier this month, the William Penn graduate was named a finalist for the 2024-25 Skip Prosser Man of the Year, an award given annually to the nation's top Division 1 men's basketball coach who wins with integrity on and off the court. Other notable finalists include Rick Barnes (Tennessee), Chris Beard (Ole Miss), Brad Brownell (Clemson), Ryan Odom (VCU), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), and Jon Scheyer (Duke).
• Depth has been a key to success this season for Queens as they rank 10^th in the nation and lead the ASUN in bench scoring with 31.18 points per game. Nine Royals are averaging at least 5.0 points per game as they have a unique ability to wear teams down.
• Closing out games has been a strong suit for Queens this season as the Royals are 19-2 when leading with five minutes to go. Queens rattled off 16 straight wins this season when leading at that mark before an overtime thriller at Eastern Kentucky snapped their streak.
• Seven-foot center Malcolm Wilson was named a finalist for the 2024-25 Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award. The ASUN Defensive Player of the Year led the nation in blocked shots this season and sits five away from breaking the single-season school record set by Moustapha Diouf in 2002-03. Wilson averaged 3.4 blocks while adding a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game.
• Sharpshooter Chris Ashby has been one of the nation's top perimeter shooters this season ranking top 10 in the nation in threes made at the end of the regular season. The Third Team All-ASUN selection is five threes away from breaking the single-season program record set by Van Turner in 2018-19. Earlier this season, Ashby buried a Division 1 program record nine threes against Central Arkansas.
• Second Team All-ASUN recipient Leo Colimerio has paced the Royals offense with 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game this season. The graduate student was one of the league's top newcomers averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in ASUN play which all ranked top 20 in the league. Colimerio has dropped 20+ points in nine games this season and reached the 1,000 career-scoring milestone against Austin Peay.
• Kalib Mathews continues to flourish in his final season in the Queen City. The Franklinton native has appeared in the second most games in program history at 137 and is averaging 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. Mathews has reached double figures in three straight outings.
• Sophomore Bryce Cash has filled the stat sheet each night as the Charlotte native is averaging 4.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and a team-high 4.0 assists per game. The unanimous All-ASUN freshman team selection from a season ago has dropped double figures in four games this season.
• Freshmen Yoav Berman and Maban Jabriel have been key to the Royals depth appearing in all 33 games this season. Berman is third on the team in scoring with 8.1 points per game and scored 22 points at West Georgia to match his season high. Jabriel has used his 6-9 frame to add 5.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks per game

SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS (18-15 overall, 8-10 Big Sky)

• Northern Arizona enters the CBI following an 18-15 overall record and 8-10 mark in the Big Sky. The Lumberjacks made in the appearance in the Big Sky Tournament Quarterfinals, but fell to the eventual champions from Montana.
• Shane Burcar is in his sixth season at the helm of the Northern Arizona program. Under his direction, NAU is 75-110 and reached their first Big Sky Championship since 2008 in just his fourth season.
• Northern Arizona crashes the boards fearlessly as they outrebound their opponents by 5.6 boards per game, a mark that ranks 26th in the country. The Lumberjacks rank 80th in the nation in offensive and defensive rebounds per game.
• Redshirt junior Carson Towt is a key piece on the glass for the Lumberjacks bringing down 12.4 boards per game, a mark that leads the nation. Earlier this season, the Arizona native became the schools all-time leader in rebounds.
• The Big Sky Preseason Player of the Year Trent McLaughlin is the sparkplug for the Northern Arizona offense. The senior is averaging 22.3 points per game, the second most in the country on 43-percent shooting from the field.
• Northern Arizona has proven to win close games this season holding a 5-1 record in games decided by one possession. When the Lumberjacks take the lead into the halftime break, they are 13-2 on the season.
• The Lumberjacks take care of the basketball holding a 1.46 assist/turnover ratio, a mark that leads the Big Sky and ranks 33rd in the country. NAU is dishing out 14.9 assists per game which is second in the league.
• The trio of Jayden Jackson, Trent McLaughlin, and Carson Towt are each averaging nearly 3.5 assists per game.
• The free throw line has been an achiles heel for NAU this season as they're shooting 66.1 percent from the line.
• Northern Arizona was picked to finish fifth in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches Poll and the Media Poll. 

 
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