OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 77 | Jacksonville 51
Records: Queens (8-8 overall, 3-0 ASUN) | Jacksonville (5-11 overall, 0-3 ASUN)
Location: Swisher Gymnasium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
 
THE SHORT STORY
Searching for their first victory in Jacksonville since joining the ASUN in 2022, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team put together a strong defensive performance to surge past Jacksonville 77-51 on Thursday night. The Royals held the Dolphins to 51 points, the lowest by a Royals opponent since February 5, 2025.
 
FROM COACH LEONARD
"It's been a long time since we could go wire-to-wire on the road and ice a game out. Play fast, fast, fast, and then in the last eight minutes pull the cord out and completely control the tempo of the game. Now you guys got rest and recovery, so you're ready to go on Saturday. You guys have no idea how business-like that is, and how great teams start to evolve, and you just did that on the road in the city of Jacksonville."

BY THE NUMBERS
-Senior Chris Ashby led the Royals with a game-high 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from downtown. The Houston, Texas native added four rebounds and two steals on the defensive end.
-Rookie Jordan Watford made a significant impact off the bench dropping 12 points on 5-of-7, while adding two rebounds, two assists, and a steal. The city of Jacksonville took notice when Watford swiped a steal and delivered a posterizing transition dunk sparking a Royals run.
-Carson Schwieger earned his eighth straight start and logged 12 points, two rebounds, and an assist across 19 minutes of action.
-Veteran Nasir Mann packed the stat sheet with nine points, five rebounds, and three assists over 25 minutes.
-Yoav Berman facilitated the offense with a team-high five assists while also adding six points on a pair of three-pointers.
-Maban Jabriel provided a spark off the bench, turning in eight points and a team-high six rebounds over 20 minutes of action.
-Jaylen Jones was the only Dolphin in double figures, pouring in 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
-Jacksonville won the battle on the glass 32-30, including an 11-7 margin on the offensive end which they turned into 11 second chance points.

NOTABLE MOMENTS
-After the Royals jumped out quickly 4-0, the Dolphins chipped away at the deficit as both offenses exchanged buckets for majority of the first half.
-Holding an eight point lead with 3:43 remaining in the first half, Queens sparked a 14-0 run capitalizing on four Jacksonville turnovers to increase their lead to 41-22 heading into halftime. During that run, Chris Ashby connected for five points while Maban Jabriel, Nasir Mann, and Jordan Watford added three each.
-Leading 49-28 with 16:57 to go, the Royals blew the game open with a 12-2 run as five different Royals netted a bucket during that span to increase their lead to 28.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-Queens forced 13 Dolphins turnovers and converted the miscues into 25 points.
-With his six threes on the night, sharpshooter Chris Ashby is now six threes away from breaking the all-time school record set by Chris Benson in 2003.
-The Royals improved to 3-0 in ASUN play for the second straight year as they look to match their five-game streak set last season.

NEXT UP
Queens will remain in Jacksonville and turn their attention to North Florida on Saturday, January 10^th. Tipoff inside UNF Arena is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can purchase their tickets in advance here.
 
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.