GAMEDAY GUIDE
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Swisher Gymnasium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Watch
Stats
Queens Game Notes
 
QUEENS (7-8 OVERALL, 2-0 ASUN)
 
THE MATCHUP
Wednesday evening marks the fifth all-time meeting between Queens and Jacksonville University, and the third matchup in Florida. The Dolphins hold a 3-1 series lead over the Royals after taking the last meeting in Charlotte 87-77. Former Dolphin and current Florida State standout Robert McCray V led Jacksonville with 24 points and five rebounds.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Queens was victorious in their second ASUN game after defeating Bellarmine on Saturday afternoon, 98-76 inside Curry Arena. Queens made a school record 24 threes on the afternoon, as Chris Ashby connected on 11 shots from deep, which tied the single-game school record.
 
HOT START
The Royals have started hot, going 2-0 in their conference for the second straight year, and searching for their second straight 3-0 start since joining the league in 2022.
 
HOME COURT AND AWAY
The Royals are 35-13 inside Curry Arena, and 10-16 away against ASUN competition over the last four seasons. The Royals will be looking to pick up their first road win of the season, and their first victory inside Swisher Gymnasium after falling in their two previous meetings.
 
REBOUNDING GETS YOU PAID
On Saturday afternoon, Queens won the battle on the glass 40-27, including a 13-3 mark on the offensive end. The Royals converted those 13 second-chance opportunities into 17 points. Since joining the league, Queens has finished top three in the conference in rebounding and finished fourth last season with 11.4 offensive rebounds per game.
 
DISHING DIMES
The Royals rank third in the ASUN with 16.8 assists per game. Queens put up 27 assists against Bellarmine last outing, which marked a season-high
 
ELITE SHOOTER
Chris Ashby put up a huge margin with a career-high 34 points and 11 three-pointers made against Bellarmine. The 11 triples are tied for the second most in a single game by a Division 1 player this season. Ashby is 11 threes away from tying the all-time school record, which is held by Chris Benson, set back in 2003.
 
CHARITY STRIPE
Since joining the league, Queens has earned the most free throw attempts in 2-of-3 seasons. Although it has been a struggle connecting on free throws through the first three seasons, the Royals rank fifth in the league, shooting 73 percent from the line. Three Royals, including Yoav Berman, Nasir Mann, and Jordan Watford, sit top five shooting over 80 percent from the line.
 
MANN DOES IT ALL
For Queens, Nasir Mann is having a stellar season and coming off a performance where he nearly missed a triple-double with eight points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. The Gainesville, Florida native has been one of the league's best this season, ranking top 15 in scoring and rebounding.
 
PARKER'S PAINT
Avantae Parker is a lengthy 6-foot-9 forward who is putting up dominating performances to start conference play. The junior scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the opener against Eastern Kentucky before following it up with nine points, 8 rebounds, and two blocks against Bellarmine.
 
CONFERENCE WINNING STREAK
With the fierce non-conference stretch complete, Queens started 2-0 in their conference games and is looking to start 3-0 for the second time since joining the league. Last season, Queens went on a five-game winning streak to start off their conference games.
 
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. Chris Ashby put on an outstanding performance with a career-high 34 points, rewarding him with the "Street Dog of the Game."
 
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY (5-10 OVERALL, 0-2 ASUN)
 
ASUN START
Jacksonville will look to get right on Thursday night as they enter the second week of league play on a five-game losing skid. The Dolphins are coming off a 71-68 loss at Austin Peay on Saturday afternoon.
 
ALMOST COMPLETELY NEW ROSTER
After going 12-6 in ASUN play last season, the Dolphins have overhauled their roster taking six transfers from across the nation along with five freshmen. Donovan Rivers was the only starter to return from a squad that went to the CBI last season.
 
BOXOUT
Jason Thirdkill Jr. ranks second on the team in rebounding behind Donovan Rivers. Thirdkill Jr. is coming off his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds in their previous game against Austin Peay.
 
MINCY'S PROGRAM
Jordan Mincy is in his fifth season at the helm of the Dolphins program. Under his direction, Jacksonville is 74-67. The 2022 Joe B. Hall Award winner was ranked No. 20 on Seth Davis' "40 Under 40: Rising Stars in Men's College Basketball" piece featured on The Athletic in 2021.
 
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.