ROCK HILL, S.C. – In the 2026-27 season opener,
Jordan Watford's 26 points led the way for Queens University of Charlotte Men's Basketball as the Royals outlasted the Winthrop Eagles 103-98 for a wire-to-wire win inside the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon.
COACH'S CORNER
"Thank you to Field of 68 for putting on this great event," said
Grant Leonard. "Winthrop is a great team, and they did a great job of battling back. Our guys responded to the adversity well and held on for the win. We have a lot to work on still, but I am proud of how the team responded. The season is a long journey so we must continue to grow."
NOTABLES
- Five Royals scored in double figures.
- Queens led wire-to-wire
- Jordan Watford finished with a career-high 26 points, 8 points, and 7 rebounds.
- Nasir Mann scored 19, Isaiah Henry and Caleb Jones 15, and Nic McLean 14.
- Queens shot 26 free throws in the win, shooting 65.4%.
- The Royals won the turnover battle nine to 14.
- 29 fastbreak points for Queens.
HOT START
Queens jumped out to an early lead in the opening minutes of the first half by getting out in transition.
Nasir Mann and
Rickey Ballard each knocked down a three-pointer to give the Royals an 8-2 advantage at the first timeout.
In the first half, Queens did a great job of attacking downhill and getting to the free throw line. Despite shooting 60% from the charity stripe (6-10) the Royals shot an efficient 61.1% from the floor (22-36) led by Mann who scored a team-high 13 points highlighted by a 3-5 shooting clip from behind the arc to fuel a 55-38 halftime lead.
SECOND HALF RALLY
Queens led by as many as 18 points in the second half, but Winthrop did not go down without a fight. The Eagles drained 10 threes and scored 60 points in the second half. Spence Sims, a transfer from Gardner-Webb, impressed in his first game at Winthrop with 19 points, scoring 12 of them in the second half on four made threes.
YEAR TWO
Poised for a strong sophomore season, Watford put on the superman cape in the second half and helped Queens hold on for the win. The Lancaster, S.C. native finished the game with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. To close out the game, Watford scored 14 points and dished out three assists. Perhaps the most important one of the game, finding
Caleb Jones for a three-pointer after Winthrop had cut the deficit to single digits.
"Coach preaches to us to just make the easy plays and simplify the game," said Watford. "We emphasize not forcing anything and taking what the defense gives us. Our energy was much better today all-around from the court to the bench."
FRESHMEN PHENOMS
Caleb Jones and
Nic McLean both made an impact in the first collegiate games of their career. In the first half, McLean scored nine points on three steals, including a three-pointer. It was
Caleb Jones who helped carry Queens in the second half, scoring 11 of his 15 points including a dagger three-pointer to put his team up 96-88 with one minute remaining.
"This was an exciting game," added
Caleb Jones. "I've relied heavily on guys like
Jordan Watford and other vets on the team in preparation for the season. I just try to have fun out there and control what I can control."
NEXT UP
Following this win, Queens will begin a three-game road trip: Loyola Marymount (Nov. 4), Oklahoma State (Nov. 6), and concluding with BYU (Nov. 10).
During non-conference action, Queens will face five teams from a Power Four conference, with four of them coming from the Big 12. In addition to Oklahoma State and BYU, the Royals will meet LSU (Nov. 21), Houston (Nov. 29), Baylor (Dec. 9).
Queens will open the home portion of their season inside Curry Arena on November 14th against Wofford. Fans can purchase tickets
here.
