GAMEDAY GUIDE
Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: CB&S Bank Arena at Flowers Hall (Florence, Ala.)
Watch (ESPN+)
Stats
Tickets
Queens Game Notes
 
QUEENS (15-12 OVERALL, 10-4 ASUN)
THE MATCHUP
Wednesday night marks the sixth all-time meeting between Queens and North Alabama, with the Royals leading the all-time series 3-2. In their last matchup this season, the Royals turned 16 North Alabama turnovers into 25 points. Five Royals reached double figures as Jordan Watford led the charge with 23 points. Veteran Avantae Parker added 18 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Queens travels to Alabama after a hard-fought battle with Lipscomb on Saturday afternoon. In their last outing, the Royals held off a late Lipscomb comeback effort to secure an 87-81 victory inside Curry Arena. Avantae Parker provided the energy for the team from start to finish, with a career high 22 points while contributing with four rebounds, three assists, four steals, and adding six blocks.

QUEENS SLIDES INTO TOP THREE
With the victory against Lipscomb, Queens slid into sole possession of third place in the ASUN standings, behind Austin Peay and Central Arkansas, who already clinched a top-four spot in the tournament.

SEARCHING FOR THE BYE
With a victory over North Alabama on Wednesday night, Queens will lock in a top-four seed in the upcoming ASUN Tournament in Jacksonville. The top four seeds in the tournament will earn a first-round bye and advance to the quarterfinals at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Austin Peay and Central Arkansas are the only two squads to lock in a top-four seed up to this point.
 
QUEENS REACHED NO. 15
With the victory on Saturday night, Queens reached the 15-win mark for the third time in Division 1, and the 30^th time in program history.
 
CAREER NIGHT FROM AVANTAE PARKER
Junior forward Avantae Parker has been one of the best forwards in ASUN play, averaging 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. In the previous matchup against one of the league's best scoring defenses, Parker led the Royals offense with 22 points and added three assists. On defense, the junior secured four rebounds while matching his career-high with four steals and six blocks.
                                                                                                                                                                                   
NCAA TOP 100 SHOOTERS
Sharpshooter Chris Ashby is tied with Bryce Drew (Valparaiso) for 65^th all-time in NCAA history for three-pointers made. The Houston, Texas native is second all-time in ASUN history for threes made, behind Darius McGee (528; Liberty)
 
DEFENSE LEADS TO OFFENSE
Through 14 games in ASUN play, the Royals present the sixth-best scoring defense as opponents are averaging 78.5 points per game while countering with the highest scoring offense in the league with 85.9 points per game.
 
EVERYBODY EATS
The Royals ability to distribute the scoring throughout the lineup has resulted in 13 games this season where five guys reach double figures in the same game.
 
SCORING OFFENSE
The Royals have been one of the nation's highest scoring mid-major offenses this season, averaging 84.3 points per game, a mark that ranks 30^th in the country and first in the league. According to KenPom, the Royals rank 80^th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, which is the highest amongst ASUN program. Queens have also been dominant from beyond the arc averaging 10.2 three pointers per game that ranks 31^st in the country and fifth in the league.
                                                 
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.
 
TOURNAMENT TICKETS
The Atlantic Sun Conference has released ticket opportunities for the 2026 ASUN Basketball Tournament, located at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Fans can purchase tickets for the Championships here or find more information about the tournament here.
 
NORTH ALABAMA (8-17 OVERALL, 3-11 ASUN)
OVERTIME THRILLER
North Alabama enters Wednesday night 8-17 overall and 3-11 in ASUN play. The Lions ended a four-game losing drought with a huge overtime win against Eastern Kentucky on ESPNU on Sunday night.
 
STRONG DEFENSE
Despite ranking last in the ASUN with 70.4 points per game, the Lions have found success on the defensive end, limiting opponents to 78.3 points per game, which is sixth best in the league
 
BUCKETS FOR BACCHUS
Senior Donte Bacchus averages 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. In the Lions previous game, Bacchus paced the team with 21 points and tallied nine rebounds.
 
PRESEASON ALL-ASUN
Redshirt junior Corneilous Williams averages 12.1 points per game while adding 9.5 rebounds, which is 24^th in the country and first in the league. In their previous game, Williams delivered a dominating performance with 16 points and 15 rebounds just before fouling out late in the contest. Williams has recorded nine double-doubles this season, along with 10-plus rebounds throughout 13 of the 24 games for the Lions.
 
TONY POJOL EIGHTH YEAR IN CHARGE
Tony Pujol is in his eighth season leading the UNA program. Pujol led the Lions to the school's first ASUN Regular Season title and their first NIT at-large bid in program history. Pujol was named a finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year in 2025, an award given to the top coach in mid-major basketball.
 
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.