Queens celebrates its first Selection Sunday in style

Queens gathers at center court as they prepare to watch the NCAA tournament selection show Sunday.  (Photo:  Brian Wilmer/Daly Dose of Hoops)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – Queens fans are not accustomed to waiting.

The Royals joined Division I in May of 2022. Six months later, Queens defeated Marshall, 83-82. It was then announced before the 2025-26 season that the Royals’ transition was finished and they would be eligible for the NCAA Tournament. Six months after that, the team brought an ASUN tournament title trophy back to Charlotte and set up a celebration inside Curry Arena for the team’s first-ever tournament berth.

Despite a false start or two, there was an audible gasp before Duke’s first-round opponent, Siena was revealed – the faithful who filled the building got to celebrate during the second bracket reveal. The CBS announcers had not even finished saying that Purdue would be facing a team going to the tournament for the first time before the crowd erupted in celebration.

“Today is surreal. It could be the biggest moment in school history,” Queens coach Grant Leonard said in remarks after the selection show. “All the unique things that have happened (this season). Winning that (ASUN championship) game and then having Selection Sunday here…that crowd was amazing. I’m glad to be a part of it.”

To call Leonard a part of it is quite the understatement. The head Royal has been a key part of Queens’ success even before the events of the last four years. Leonard recognizes that history, along with the faith shown by the leadership at Queens.

“I’m probably the only coach in college basketball history that went from Division II assistant to Division I head coach in the same year,” Leonard said. “That was Queens’ belief in our culture and our players. Thank them for having the belief in what we did, and for me, it’s about building community through basketball and being a part of this unbelievable community in Myers Park and Charlotte. I’m just elated for everyone to get to be a part of this. Yeah, I’m proud of myself, but as I always say, our standard is our standard. We kind of expect to do well.”

The Royals’ first tournament team is loaded with interesting stories. There are transfers who found themselves again at Queens, star freshmen from the area, and a group of players that have invested in each other as much as any group Leonard has ever coached. Two of those stars, senior transfers Gus Larson and Nas Mann, both cited on Senior Day how they had rekindled their love for the game in Charlotte.

“The most rewarding part about coaching is those relationships,” Leonard said. “I’d like to think that we do things the right way. The biggest thing is watching those guys like Gus who maybe weren’t in love with basketball when they got here because they had tough situations. To watch them now is truly rewarding as a coach.”

The local stories like freshman guards Isaiah Henry and Jordan Watford are also incredibly compelling. Henry battled adversity to become a key contributor on this year’s squad, while Watford made the All-Freshman squad in the ASUN after averaging 11.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

Watford drew specific praise from his leader.

“Wat’s awesome,” Leonard said. “I’m glad we’re part of his journey. He’s a fantastic player, but an even better person. I think he believed in our family values and how we treat people. He wanted to be a part of a culture that was about growth and development. He came here and he got better and better, too. I’m happy that players can see, ‘Hey, if I choose Queens, I’m going to get what I want out of this.”

This may be Queens’ first time on this national stage, but the Royals will not be blinded by the lights. The Royals played Villanova, Furman, Virginia, and Arkansas – all on the road – among this season’s NCAA participants. That scheduling was admittedly challenging, but it paid off in a big way for Queens.

“I think scheduling difficult (games) in the non-conference is really important,” Leonard said. “You learn a lot of lessons early so that you can fix them for conference (play). Our guys will be prepared. They won’t be shocked by Purdue’s size.”

“They’re an unbelievable opponent. We’re going to go there not to smell the roses, but to show them how Queens basketball goes.”

That scheduling should also play dividends for Leonard’s squad and how they process the moment.

“I’m going to tell them that it’s okay to be nervous. I think when you’re nervous, it’s good – that means it’s important,” Leonard said. “The biggest thing is not to try to shoot your way out of the nerves. It’s to make hustle plays to kind of get the butterflies out. The biggest thing is just to play with incredible energy.”

“Our guys are going to be really focused, and they’re super excited about this. Again, our standard is our standard. I know they’re going to go there trying to win that game.”

The Royals will greet the Boilermakers with a balanced scoring attack and an offense that is at its best when the ball moves frequently throughout each possession.

“The way we play is that we play for each other,” Leonard said. “The reason we have six guys (averaging) in double figures and a seventh that’s close is because they share the ball and they love each other. I know they’re going to play with that spirit and Purdue is going to be incredibly difficult to score on. Our guys are going to show that they can really score. Our offense has been fantastic all year.”

As much as this is a significant moment for Queens, it is equally significant for the surrounding Myers Park neighborhood in which Queens is located. A quiet, mostly residential area of Charlotte, Myers Park has rallied around the Royals. The two neighbors seem quite fond of each other.

“This moment isn’t just about us. It’s for the whole community and the whole school,” Leonard said. “For us, it’s going to do unbelievable things for the entire institution – from admissions to advancement to our athletic department. You’ve seen the steady growth over four years with our team, and now our university is going to get rewarded with it. It takes a village to do something like this. I’m just so happy that Queens has been so supportive over these four years.”

The 15th-seeded Royals open NCAA tournament play Friday night against second-seeded Purdue in St. Louis, Mo. Tip time is set for 7:35 (Eastern), with coverage on truTV.

Queens honors standard-bearing seniors, achieves program history in Saturday victory

Queens seniors Nas Mann (1), Chris Ashby (11), and Gus Larson (7) pose with coach Grant Leonard before Saturday's victory.  (Photo:  Brian Wilmer/Daly Dose of Hoops)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – On a cloudy Saturday afternoon in the Queen City, there was a love story going on inside Curry Arena.

It wasn’t anything to do with Valentine’s Day or sappy movies. Instead, Queens fans got one final chance to show their love for a trio of seniors with some of the most important entries in the Royals’ history books.

Oh, and those seniors? They got in on the love, as well.

Senior Nas Mann booked a career-high 26 points and hauled in 10 caroms for his fourth career double-double to guide four Royals in double figures. Queens also got a little getback from its first ASUN loss of the season, fending off a tough West Georgia squad, 91-84, on Senior Day.

“Hats off to West Georgia. The transition (from Division II to Division I) is incredibly difficult,” Queens coach Grant Leonard said. “I think that they have an unbelievable team. (Forward) Shelton Williams-Dryden is a heck of a player and they have other guys that are really good, too. I was really proud of our effort, especially defensively and with the gameplan.”

The Royals and Wolves were in for a showdown almost from the opening jump. Queens (17-12, 12-4 ASUN) took an early lead and quickly stretched the lead to six. The Royals held that lead until West Georgia scored seven of nine to square the contest at 21. Javon Daniel then knocked home a bucket to give the Wolves their first lead of the contest.

After West Georgia led by four, the sides settled into a trade of leads that lasted until the 1:35 mark of the first half, when Mann laid one off the glass to give Queens a 37-35 lead. The Royals then went 2-for-1 at the end of the first half, getting a three from senior Chris Ashby and a Carson Schwieger layup to take a 42-39 margin to the interval.

West Georgia (12-16, 6-10 ASUN) thinly sliced the deficit to one with a Kenneth Chime bucket on the first possession of the second half. That Queens lead stayed within two possessions for the next eight minutes, as the Royals continued to counterpunch on every Wolves basket. The lead was at four with eight-and-a-half minutes remaining, before back-to-back buckets from Avantae Parker and Jordan Watford doubled the lead back to eight.

Josh Smith canned a jumper just inside five-and-a-half minutes remaining to bring West Georgia back within seven. Mann then landed a 1-2 combo that staggered the Wolves and almost put them down for the count.

Mann drove the lane with just fewer than five minutes remaining and put home a bucket through contact, putting the Royals ahead nine at 79-70. Though the free throw attempt was errant, Queens snared the board and fired to Mann on the left side of the perimeter. Mann splashed a lightly-contested triple and let out a yell as Queens seized a 12-point lead.

“In the heat of the moment, we’re really just trying to win,” Mann said of the sequence. “Every game is important, but this one just felt a little more special. My whole family’s here. It’s my last time being on the court with these guys here at Curry Arena. To hit that shot is really a dream come true, just to finish the way we just did.”

Leonard also felt the gravity of the sequence.

“It was huge. I thought that kind of like – it wasn’t the nail in the coffin, but it definitely put the top on it,” he said. “Nas has made those types of plays all year and I expect nothing less. I know Nas is going to come up with the ball when it counts and he does.”

“Sometimes, I look down and we have seven or eight guys. I don’t know who to play at the end of the games. Different guys have different strengths, but Nas has come up with a lot of winning plays. He does a lot of things that aren’t even in the stat book. I really appreciate that, and I know that was a big-time play.”

Leonard’s comment told the tale. The Royals never led by fewer than seven the rest of the way, despite the Wolves making several late charges.

The finish marked a fitting celebration for the three seniors, who all made key contributions Saturday afternoon and throughout their time as Royals. Mann tallied the double-double, while Ashby and Larson combined for 15.

As for the love story, well…all three of the seniors spoke of that, too.

Ashby found love for the Queens program. The Texas native described Queens as “home” and talked Saturday afternoon about the place he chose to stay to pursue this exact type of season, instead of leaving for greener – financially or otherwise – pastures.

“(Queens) just means a lot to me,” Ashby said. “Coming out of junior college, I didn’t really have a lot of coaches believing in me. Queens and Coach Grant were the only ones that did. I really appreciate them for that.”

“Not a lot of guys can say they have a home. I’m very appreciative for the coaching staff. I’ve made a lot of friends here in Charlotte, and my teammates…I love them.”

For Larson and Mann, they found their love for the game. Both came from situations that left them searching for that element, and Queens helped them find it.

“Queens has been a bit of a resolution,” Larson said. “There have been a lot of ups and downs with basketball. If you look at my resume, I’ve been a little bit all over the place, so I admire guys like Chris, who have been here all four years.”

“Queens has been a place that has just kind of put it all at ease. It has allowed me to really find a love and a passion for the game of basketball.”

Mann voiced a similar message.

“To me, Queens is just the place where I found my love for the game again,” Mann said. “I was falling out of love with it. I just didn’t enjoy it anymore. I really didn’t want to play anymore. I came here and met some great guys last year and this year. It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had in basketball, period.”

“I’m just so happy. I love these guys. I’m sad, but I’m not going to shed a tear. Trust me, I’m a little emotional right now.”

Leonard spoke of the impact the trio has had on Queens’ success on and off the court and its most successful Division 1 season in conference play.

“I know that we’re supposed to say we want to win games, but really, we’re supposed to build community through basketball, and to do that, you’ve got to build an environment guys want to be in,” he said. “I really believe if you do it the right way, if you build it the right way through teaching and positivity – the mission is to serve them, not (to have) them serve us. Our school mission is not to be served, but to serve. It’s been my pleasure to serve these guys.”

“It really is a huge deal that not only did they find their love for basketball here, but I really believe that when they have kids and they’re going to show their kids where they played, it’s going to be here. That makes me proud that we did it right and that Queens did it right. It’s not just basketball, it’s the whole community. I’m just super proud of what these guys have accomplished and what they’ve been able to do.”

Mann’s 26 and 10 paced the Royals in both categories. Guard Yoav Berman and forward Avantae Parker contributed 15 apiece, combining to knock down 8-of-14 tries from the field. Jordan Watford added 14 in reserve duty, hitting 4-of-5 from the deck and 6-of-8 from the line.

Queens shot 51.7 percent from the field (30-for-58), despite hitting just 3-of-20 (15 percent) from beyond the arc. The Royals hit 77.8 percent (29-of-36) from the line. Queens committed just four turnovers in the game, leading to just seven West Georgia points.

Smith led West Georgia with 20, hitting 8-of-13 from the floor (2-of-5 from three) and 2-of-3 from the line. Chime, Williams-Dryden, and Matija Zuzic added 14 apiece, hitting a combined 15-of-31 tries from the field. Kolten Griffin booked 12 on 5-of-10 from the field.

The Wolves hit 48.5 percent (32-for-66) from the field and 30 percent (6-for-20) from three. West Georgia knocked down 73.7 percent (14-for-19) from the line.

Queens begins its final week of regular-season ASUN play Wednesday, traveling to Baptist Health Arena in Richmond, Ky., to battle Eastern Kentucky. Tip time is set for 7:00 (Eastern), with ESPN+ handling streaming coverage. West Georgia returns home to The Coliseum in Carrollton, Ga., to face Lipscomb Wednesday night. ESPN+ will air the telecast beginning at 7:00.

QUEENS 91, WEST GEORGIA 84

WEST GEORGIA (12-16, 6-10 ASUN)

Hardewig 1-4 0-0 2, Williams-Dryden 6-12 2-3 14, Griffin 5-10 1-2 12, Chime 6-10 2-3 14, Noel 1-3 1-1 3, Shegog 0-0 0-0 0, Daniel 2-5 0-0 5, Zuzic 3-9 6-7 14, Smith 8-13 2-3 20. Totals 32-66 14-19 84.

QUEENS (17-12, 12-4)

Mann 10-14 5-7 26, Larson 3-3 2-2 8, Ashby 2-7 1-1 7, Schwieger 2-10 0-0 4, Berman 3-7 9-9 15, Watford 4-5 6-8 14, Henry 1-1 0-0 2, Parker 5-7 5-9 15, Jabriel 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 30-58 28-36 91.

Halftime:  Queens 42-39. 3-Point goals:  West Georgia 6-20 (Hardewig 0-3, Williams-Dryden 0-2, Griffin 1-2, Noel 0-1, Daniel 1-2, Zuzic 2-5, Smith 2-5), Queens 3-20 (Mann 1-3, Ashby 2-6, Schwieger 0-6, Berman 0-2, Watford 0-1, Jabriel 0-2). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  West Georgia 36 (Chime 11), Queens 33 (Mann 10). Total fouls:  West Georgia 23, Queens 16. Technicals:  NA.

 

Queens survives Lipscomb rally in Saturday home victory

 

Queens forward Avantae Parker dunks home a ball in Saturday's win over Lipscomb. (Photo:  Queens Athletics)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – For Queens basketball, Saturday’s first half must have felt like a perfect Valentine’s Day date, with a five-star meal and a great celebration. The second half was more like getting a Happy Meal and getting ghosted.

In the end, the Royals had a happy Valentine’s Day, if not a satisfying one.

Forward Avantae Parker booked a career-high 22 points and swatted away six shots, including a key rejection late, to help fend off a tough Lipscomb team and claim an 87-81 victory at Curry Arena.

“Lipscomb is a really veteran team. They didn’t go away,” Queens coach Grant Leonard said. “I thought we did a lot of things uncharacteristic of us – not taking care of the ball and committing 18 turnovers and missing free throws. That kind of kept it a game and kept it interesting.”

Queens (15-12, 10-4 ASUN) charged out of the gate in the battle for third place in the league. The Royals seized the lead three-and-a-half minutes into the game on a Parker layup and clutched it like the last bag of Valentine’s candy. The Royals scored 20 of the next 31 points to seize a double-digit lead, then used a personal 5-0 burst from Chris Ashby to stretch it to 14.

The Royals continued making shots, hitting well over 70 percent for much of the half. A Kam Clark bucket swelled the advantage to 20 with 3:47 to play in the opening stanza. Lipscomb (16-11, 9-5) began to set the tone for its second-half charge, closing the opening half on an 8-2 run to slice the Queens lead to 52-38 at the interval.

“I think you have to give a lot of credit to them,” Lipscomb coach Kevin Carroll said after the game. “Their ability to switch one through five takes away a lot of the advantages that we often are able to create. Offensively, I thought we had no answer for them in the first half. They were just scoring at will. They shot like 74 percent or something in the first half. They had really good schemes.”

“I thought we were not as physical as we needed to be on the ball and that created a lot of advantages for them. To their credit, they made the most of them.”

Queens continued to take advantage early in the second frame. Parker, Nas Mann, and Yoav Berman made consecutive buckets to again swell the lead back to 20. The Royal lead remained mostly consistent through the early portion of the period, before the Bisons began capitalizing on Royal miscues and hitting shots. Lipscomb used a 7-0 charge with three straight makes and an and-one from Kennedy Okmara to cut it to 10 with 6:30 remaining.

Shortly thereafter, Lipscomb used a Mateo Esmeraldo bucket and two Ross Candelino free throws to clip the Royal lead into single digits for the first time in 23 minutes of game action at the 4:39 mark. Lipscomb then capped scoring 11 of the next 15 with a Charlie Williams three over Carson Schwieger’s outstretched arms to make it 84-81 before Leonard burned a timeout with 10 seconds to play.

Berman calmly stepped to the line – on a day when Queens battled inconsistency with shooting free throws – and knocked home a pair to essentially ice the game. Parker intercepted a long Lipscomb pass under the basket and sank a free throw to produce the final score.

“(I’ve been doing) what the team needs,” Berman said. “We have two amazing shooters in the starting lineup in (guard) Chris (Ashby) and Carson (Schwieger). We need another guy that is going to attack the rim. I’ve just been trying to do that. (It’s just) knowing my role.”

Parker blocked six shots on the day, including one on Grant Asman that prevented the Bisons from trimming the lead to four and gaining further momentum. The Columbia, S.C., native played the entire day without foul trouble, which helped contribute to his playing nearly 31 minutes and being a dominant factor on both ends of the floor.

“I think the biggest thing for him is that he’s been in less foul trouble,” Leonard said. “He didn’t have a foul in the first half. That’s elite. Avantae is an unbelievable player. When he’s disciplined and he’s on the floor, he’s even better. He’s way better on the floor than he is on the bench.”

“Ther eare times where you can get greedy with Avantae because of his energy and accept the fouls, and I told him we were not going to do that. We’re going to stay disciplined. Even though he blocked six shots, I didn’t think he was fouling at all today. I was really proud of him for that.”

The Queens defense notably provided a stout effort against Lipscomb on the perimeter. The Bisons came into the game shooting 37 percent from distance and hitting almost 11 threes per game. The Royals held Lipscomb to 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) from beyond the arc.

“I think they’re the best three-point shooting team in our league, percentage-wise, and we held them to 26 percent,” Leonard said. “I thought we were exceptionally bought in on the gameplan.”

“Our team’s starting to build an identity defensively to get teams to play in isos, which is not the most efficient play in basketball. Our guys are starting to buy in and trust each other to not overhelp. When they need to help, they do. When they don’t need to help, we build walls and we take away the three-point line. In our league, the three-point line is dangerous. Everyone’s got shooters.”

Carroll credited the Royals for their perimeter perseverance.

“They have the ability – unlike every team – to switch one through five,” Carroll said. “They guard everybody with all the players on the floor. They’re very versatile defensively. When that happens, you don’t have as many solutions and we didn’t create as many advantages for ourselves. Now, instead of getting a good look from three, you’re getting a contested three because they’re not having to help as much. They can create problems with their length and their athleticism on both ends of the floor.”

Carroll offered an assessment of the slow start and the fervent finish.

“I was very happy with the fight (we showed),” Carroll said. “The problem is that you can’t be chasing those points like we did. In the beginning, we missed some shots around the paint that fueled their transition offense. They had 14 points in transition in the first half and zero in the second. Some of that was due to their having the ability to alter shots around the rim. Some of that had to do with our shooting it, falling down, and creating five-on-fours on the other end.”

“When you get down 21, you’re scrambling. I think they kind of fell asleep a little bit. I don’t think the score is indicative of how well they played and how poorly they made us play.”

Parker’s 22 led Queens and all scorers. The Georgia Southern transfer hit 9-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line. Berman added 16, hitting 5-of-7 from both the field and line and snagging six caroms. Mann and Ashby booked 11 apiece, hitting a combined 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from three. Queens shot 56.5 percent (31-of-53) from the deck and 66.7 percent (16-of-24) from the line. The Royals bagged nine triples in 22 tries (40.9 percent).

Asman paced the Bisons with 16, hitting 7-of-16 from the field despite knocking down just 1-of-8 from distance. Williams hit 5-of-7 while contributing 12 points, with Esmeraldo scoring 10 and grabbing five boards. The Bisons shot 44.9 percent (31-for-69) from the field while equaling the Royals’ 66.7 percent (12-for-18) from the stripe. Lipscomb hit 7-of-27 (25.9 percent) from the perimeter. The result was the Bisons’ third-lowest three-point percentage this season, trailing 22.6 percent at Asheville and 23.1 percent at Vanderbilt.

Both teams hit the road Wednesday to continue ASUN play. Queens ventures to CB&S Bank Arena in Florence, Ala., to square off with North Alabama. That game is slated for a 7:00 (Eastern) tip, with ESPN+ streaming the contest. Lipscomb heads to Freedom Hall to take on Bellarmine. That game will start at 7:30, with ESPN+ providing the coverage.

QUEENS 87, LIPSCOMB 81

LIPSCOMB (16-11, 9-5 ASUN)

Ashkenazi 0-3 0-0 0, Williams 5-7 0-0 12, Asman 7-18 1-3 16, Esmeraldo 3-6 3-4 10, Candelino 3-10 2-2 8, Sargiunas 2-4 4-6 9, Middleton 3-4 0-0 6, Duncan 3-7 0-0 8, Boylan 2-3 1-2 5, Okpara 3-5 1-1 7. Totals 31-69 12-18 81.

QUEENS (15-12, 10-4)

Parker 9-13 4-5 22, Schwieger 3-7 0-0 9, Mann 5-9 0-0 11, Ashby 3-6 2-2 11, Berman 5-7 5-7 16, Watford 2-3 5-9 9, Jabriel 3-7 0-1 7, Larson 0-0 0-0 0, Henry 0-0 0-0 0, Clark 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-53 16-24 87.

Halftime:  Queens 52-38. 3-Point goals:  Queens 9-22 (Schwieger 3-7, Mann 1-3, Ashby 3-4, Berman 1-3, Jabriel 1-5), Lipscomb 7-27 (Williams 2-3, Asman 1-8, Esmeraldo 1-1, Candelino 0-6, Sargiunas 1-3, Duncan 2-5, Okpara 0-1). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Lipscomb 35 (Candelino 8), Queens 29 (Mann 7). Total fouls:  Lipscomb 22, Queens 19. Technicals:  NA.

 

Austin Peay retains top spot in ASUN after road battle at Queens

 

Austin Peay forward Collin Parker (center) attempts a shot in Wednesday night's victory at Queens. (Photo:  Austin Peay Athletics)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – If numerology is your thing, there were plenty of numbers to enjoy Wednesday night in Charlotte.

32. Five. 21-for-34.

The 32 – worn by Austin Peay’s Collin Parker – easily eclipsed his career-high point total. The five – Rashaud Marshall – backed up his teammate with a 9-for-10 effort of his own. The 21-for-34 came from Queens, which was one of the main points Royals coach Grant Leonard wanted to address after the game.

Austin Peay held serve in Curry Arena, turning away Queens, 95-87, and extending its clutch on the top spot in the ASUN.

“We knew it would be a hard-fought game,” Austin Peay head coach Corey Gipson said after the game. “We knew we had to be the more physical team. And we were.”

Austin Peay (18-6, 12-1 ASUN) asserted its will almost from the opening tip. The Governors ripped off an 11-0 run after Queens took the lead on the first bucket of the game, then pushed the lead as high as 12 on a Parker triple. Queens (14-12, 9-4) gradually whittled away at the lead, snipping it to five on an Avantae Parker bucket at the 5:39 mark of the first half.

The Governors used a 5-0 burst to swell the lead back to 10 a minute later, only for the Royals to clip it to six. Queens then scored 11 of the final 18 points of the half, capped by a Nas Mann jumper at the horn to head to the locker room down 52-50.

Queens charged out of the intermission and landed a haymaker on Austin Peay, delivering a 10-0 killshot run to take a 60-52 advantage buoyed by a pair of Chris Ashby triples. As quickly as the Royals landed the blow, Austin Peay punched back with a killshot run of its own, taking a 62-60 lead. The Royals tied the game on a Jordan Watford jumper but surrendered a 20-8 run from there to put Austin Peay ahead by 12.

“I’ll have to study that stretch to see exactly what happened,” Leonard said. “I thought we came out (in the second half) with great energy. I thought (guard Yoav) Berman’s third foul kind of took some energy away, which was unfortunate. That’s kind of when they went back on their run.”

Austin Peay held Queens at bay through a team defensive effort and strong offense from Parker, Marshall, and others. Gipson had an interesting assessment of how the Governors weathered the storm.

“It’s hard to let the game be boring,” Gipson said. “Our guys really bought into it in the second half. We knew we had to go to a couple of people (on offense) because they would have a mismatch all night long. I thought the second half – and the latter part of the second half – our defense got better, even though it wasn’t predicated off the energy of (our players) getting a touch to score the ball.”

The trading of punches continued, despite the Austin Peay run. Queens responded by halving the Governors’ lead completely keyed by Jordan Watford’s seven points, then using a 7-0 burst to cut it to three on a Watford free throw with 1:38 to play. Austin Peay was able to salt away the game from the line, though, earning the final result in a true battle.

“The fact that we could go on the road and come away with one against a really good team is special,” Gipson said. “At the end of the day, it was just two solid teams getting after each other, making each other better.”

The 21-for-34 number on Leonard’s mind was the final Royal result from the free throw line. Queens had a lot of free throw opportunities circle off, including some in pivotal moments.

“When you’re playing a really good team, the margins are rail-thin,” Leonard said. “There were a couple of categories that I wasn’t really pleased with. Obviously, our free throw shooting kind of went awry. What we’ve got to do is (to) start making our free throws. We can’t go to the line 34 times and make 21, look down, and we’re at 60 percent and they’re at 80 percent, then think we’re going to win a high-stakes game. It’s just not going to happen like that.”

Parker’s 39 points were a career-high for the Govs, with the senior forward hitting 11-of-23 from the field (3-of-5 from distance) and 14-of-17 from the line. Parker’s total was his third 30-point outing in the Govs’ last four games.

“I knew (Parker) was going to be – he only shot 50 percent from the field. But I knew he was going to be good,” Leonard said. “We can’t put him at the foul line that much. The difference in the game was small things. If we want to win a championship, we’ve got to be cleaner.”

Marshall tallied 21, connecting on 9-of-10 from the field. Ja’Corey Robinson added 13 in 24 minutes of reserve duty, hitting 4-of-6 from the field and all five of his free throw tries. The Govs shot 56.1 percent (32-for-57) from the deck, with 35.7 percent (5-of-14) of their tries from distance finding the net. The 80 percent Leonard referenced from the line came on 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) from the stripe. Austin Peay also outrebounded Queens by 10, 38-28.

Watford turned in a career-high of his own, netting 26 in 27 minutes of play off the bench for the Royals. The freshman from nearby Lancaster, S.C., hit 8-of-13 from the field and 8-of-12 from the line.

“Jordan was able to get mismatches and get downhill,” Leonard said. “I was really proud of how he played and I thought he played well enough to put us in a position to win. Jordan keeps getting better and better. I know it’s going to keep happening.”

Four other Royals joined Watford in double figures. Chris Ashby scored 15 on 4-for-10 from the field, with Berman notching 13 on 4-for-9 from the field and 5-for-9 from the line. Mann and Avantae Parker tallied 12 apiece, shooting a combined 9-for-18.

Queens shot 51.6 percent (29-for-56) from the field, with 8-of-22 (36.4 percent) connecting from deep. The Royals shot 61.8 percent (21-for-34) from the line.

Austin Peay returns to F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tenn., to face Bellarmine Saturday afternoon. Tip time is set for 5:30 (Eastern), with ESPN+ handling the coverage. Queens welcomes Lipscomb to Curry Arena Saturday afternoon as the Royals close a small home stand. Tip time is set for 4:00 over ESPN+.

AUSTIN PEAY 95, QUEENS 87

AUSTIN PEAY (18-6, 12-1 ASUN)

McCubbin 3-8 2-2 9, Collins 2-5 2-2 6, Marshall 9-10 3-6 21, Brookshire 1-2 0-0 3, Parker 11-23 14-17 39, Wagner 0-0 0-0 0, Morisch 0-0 0-0 0, Torain 2-3 0-0 4, Robinson 4-6 5-5 13. Totals 32-57 26-32 95.

QUEENS (14-12, 9-4)

Mann 5-11 1-2 12, Parker 4-7 4-8 12, Ashby 4-10 3-3 15, Schwieger 2-4 0-0 4, Berman 4-9 5-9 13, Watford 8-13 8-12 26, Henry 1-1 0-0 2, Larson 0-0 0-0 0, Jabriel 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 29-56 21-34 87.

Halftime:  Austin Peay 52-50. 3-Point goals:  Queens 8-22 (Mann 1-5, Ashby 4-10, Schwieger 0-1, Berman 0-3, Watford 2-2, Jabriel 1-1), Austin Peay 5-14 (McCubbin 1-4, Collins 0-3, Brookshire 1-2, Parker 3-5). Fouled out:  Collins (APSU), Schwieger (QUC).  Rebounds:  Austin Peay 38 (C. Parker/McCubbin 9), Queens 28 (A. Parker 7). Total fouls:  Austin Peay 24, Queens 23. Technicals:  NA.

 

Inside the Numbers: Jacksonville at Queens

 

Queens guard Isaiah Henry (3) throws down a dunk in the Royals' win over Jacksonville Thursday night.  (Photo:  Queens Athletics)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – No ASUN game is ever easy.  For Queens, trying to bounce back from a three-game losing streak was daunting enough. Seeing Jordan Mincy’s physical and talented Jacksonville Dolphins on the visiting bench didn’t make the challenge any easier.

After a 40-minute battle that Queens led for the final 34 minutes or so, the Royals finally fended off the Dolphins, 93-84, at Curry Arena Thursday night. Queens led by as many as 20 points in the game, only for Jacksonville to fight back late. Five Royals finished in double figures, all notching between 13 and 17 points on the night.

You know what happened – now, let’s go…Inside the Numbers!

• After Jacksonville took its final lead of the game at 13-12, Queens tore off an 18-7 burst to take a 30-20 lead. The Royals maintained a double-digit lead for much of the remainder of the game. Jacksonville coach Jordan Mincy spoke after the game about the early Royals charge.

“I thought in the first half – just giving a lot of props to Queens – they came out and they punched us right in the mouth,” Mincy said. “They showed a level of physicality on both ends. I was highly impressed with how offensively they just took it to us. I thought our guys really shied away from contact early.”

• Queens flirted with a record for the Division I era of its program, finishing with just five turnovers – one away from its record of four. Jacksonville converted those turnovers into just four points. At the 5:27 mark of the game, the Royals had committed just two miscues that resulted in zero Dolphin points.

“That’s a huge deal (against) them,” Queens coach Grant Leonard said. “Anytime you give them free baskets, it really hurts. I thought we did a good job of minimizing their easy ones. They hit a lot of tough twos, and that’s what we wanted them to do. Twos hurt, but threes kill. I thought we did a great job. They only got off 16 threes, and we really protected the paint.”

• Jacksonville got 28 points off its bench, including 18 from sophomore guard Chris Arias. Mincy cited the impact Arias made in keeping his team in the game.

“I was really happy with Chris,” Mincy said. “He’s a guy who’s been battling through some injuries. He started off league play really well. He loves shooting the ball. He was our leading scorer in (non-conference play). He’s the guy who came into league play with a lot of expectations.”

“At the same time, dealing with the injuries – just to see him get out there and kind of get back in a rhythm, I think that will bode well for us in the future.”

• Queens emphasized getting its identity back entering Thursday’s game. Leonard explained after the game what that meant and how the Royals did so.

“Taking care of the ball is a huge thing for us. Winning the offensive rebound battle, which we won. Winning the turnover battle, which we won,” Leonard said. “We got off more threes than they did, even though I thought they did a good job of limiting us. We almost won (at) the free throw line. Those are the four areas we’re trying to win every game.”

• Freshman guard Isaiah Henry played key minutes Thursday, throwing down a thunderous dunk and drawing praise from Leonard.

“I’d say (the dunk) was (a) top-five (play),” Henry said after the game. “Definitely in high school, I had a few better dunks. That’s definitely up there in the top five. I’d say (it was the best at Queens). That or the Arkansas one.”

“I’m proud of Zay,” Leonard added. “Think about this – he hadn’t played a lot lately, and I thought that was a misstep by me. We shortened the rotation to maybe get more efficient, but I thought it caused (guard) Chris (Ashby) and (guard) Carson (Schwieger) to be tired down the stretch in the last few games. I just thought (Henry) did an unbelievable job. We wouldn’t have won that game without Zay.”

• Schwieger and guard/forward Maban Jabriel shifted into the paint to help stem Jacksonville’s physical tide. Leonard was pleased with their play.

“Maban got a bunch of steals, and to force them into 12 turnovers, I thought Maban got his hands on a bunch of different balls today. Then, there’s the possibility that our baseline out of bounds defense caused more turnovers than it has all year. That was (forward) Avantae (Parker) and Maban’s activity on the ball. That’s a huge deal for us – the switchability.”

“(Forward Yoav) Berman’s done an unbelievable job. He guards point guards. He guards five men. He walls up. Sometimes he’s our most physical defender – even more than Tae. That flexibility and versatility is a huge deal for us.”

• Queens has a tough stretch of games ahead, despite their next three being at home. Leonard was in no mood to look ahead after this game, however.

“It was just today that mattered,” Leonard said. “For our guys to get their confidence back – they know they’re a good team. To get back in the win column was a big deal. We’ll move on to Saturday’s (Homecoming game against North Florida) after midnight. I don’t even want to talk about next week, because that doesn’t matter. What matters is North Florida now. What mattered today was JU, and JU is a formidable opponent. I’m just glad we handled it.”

• Mincy felt Jacksonville played better in the second half, even if the scoreboard did not always indicate that.

“I think our guys really focused in (during the second half),” Mincy said. “In the first half, we felt like we didn’t really stick to the scouting report. They have deadly shooters, and we allowed those guys to have six threes (in the first half). Anytime you let Queens get more than 10 threes (the Royals finished with eight), it’s going to be a hard night for you.”

• Mincy’s message for his team was one of perseverance.

“I told them to keep their heads up,” Mincy said. “We understand that it’s a long season. When you look at the box scores, man, everybody in the league is neck-and-neck. Historically, everybody knows this program. We’re really good when it comes to the conference tournament. For me, it’s just game-by-game. I told them the same thing – it’s game-by-game.”

“I understand we lost to Queens here. You might see them in the tournament. You’ve just got to be ready to go. We’re going to take this as a learning lesson and just keep moving forward.”

Queens shot 54.1 percent (33-for-61) on the night, adding 47.1 percent (8-for-17) of its tries from distance to the total. The Royals shot 19-for-26 (73.1 percent) from the stripe. Berman led Queens with 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting and 4-for-6 from the line. Nas Mann contributed 15 on 5-for-11 shooting and 4-for-4 on free throws. Jabriel tallied 14 in reserve duty, while Parker and freshman guard Jordan Watford added 13 apiece.

Jacksonville hit 51 percent (26-for-51) from the deck, with 43.8 percent (7-for-16) falling from beyond the arc. The Dolphins hit 25-of-29 (86.2 percent) from the line. Arias led all scorers with 18 on 7-of-10 shooting and 3-for-3 from the line. Power forward Donovan Rivers booked 17, bolstered by an 11-of-14 effort from the line. Guards Jaylen Jones and Hayden Wood each added 12 on 8-for-17 combined shooting, with Jason Thirdkill adding 10.

Next up:  Queens remains at home for a Saturday tilt with North Florida. Tip time from Curry Arena is set for 4:00 (Eastern), with ESPN+ streaming the contest. Jacksonville travels to The Coliseum in Carrollton, Ga., for a Saturday outing against West Georgia. The 2:00 start will stream over ESPN+.

Hustle Stats:

Points off turnovers:  Queens 15, Jacksonville 4

Points in the paint:  Queens 46, Jacksonville 32

Second-chance points:  Jacksonville 9, Queens 8

Fast-break points:  Jacksonville 15, Queens 10

Bench points:  Queens 32, Jacksonville 28

QUEENS 93, JACKSONVILLE 84

JACKSONVILLE (9-15, 4-7 ASUN)

Jones 5-8 1-2 12, Wood 3-9 4-4 12, Thirdkill 3-4 2-2 10, Rivers 3-5 11-14 17, Sterck 2-4 0-0 5, Jordon 0-0 0-0 0, Arias 7-10 3-3 18, Lockett 2-8 4-4 8, Udemadu 1-2 0-0 0, Caporaso 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-51 25-29 84.

QUEENS (13-11, 8-3)

Mann 5-11 4-4 15, Parker 6-10 1-4, Ashby 2-6 2-2 8, Schwieger 3-6 0-0 8, Berman 6-8 4-6 17, Watford 4-6 5-6 13, Henry 2-5 0-0 4, Larson 0-0 1-2 1, Jabriel 5-9 2-2 14. Totals 33-61 19-26.

Halftime:  Queens 44-31. 3-Point goals:  Queens 8-17 (Mann 1-2, Ashby 2-5, Schwieger 2-5, Berman 1-2, Jabriel 2-3), Jacksonville 7-16 (Jones 1-1, Wood 2-5, Thirdkill 2-3, Sterck 1-2, Arias 1-3, Lockett 0-2). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Jacksonville 30 (Arias 7), Queens 27 (Parker 6). Total fouls:  Queens 24, Jacksonville 23. Technicals:  NA.

 

              

 

Inside the Numbers: North Alabama at Queens

 

Queens coach Grant Leonard poses with new Queens all-time three-point leader Chris Ashby (left) before Wednesday's win over North Alabama.  (Photo:  Brian Wilmer/Daly Dose of Hoops)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – The night started at Curry Arena Wednesday with a fitting tribute to Queens’ new three-point standard-bearer, Chris Ashby. Ashby was honored for breaking the school record for triples in a Saturday win at Stetson.

Two hours later, what was at one point a rock fight turned into a runaway Queens victory – in which Ashby did not score, but still made many key contributions – that took the Royals to 7-0 atop the ASUN. It’s been said that any guy on the Royals’ roster can lead on any given night, and Wednesday was the night for Avantae Parker, Jordan Watford, and Yoav Berman, among others.

You know that the Royals won, 87-62. Now that you know that, let’s go…Inside the Numbers!

• Queens coach Grant Leonard knew the Royals would be in for a battle, which they got for most of the night. There was one aspect of the game with North Alabama that made it mean a little more to Queens, though.

“They made the game really physical. That’s an identity of theirs,” Leonard said. “I told our guys before the game that they won the league last year. They tied for the regular season. They played in the championship game. We were at their place when they won and we watched them cut down the nets. Guys like Berman, (guard) Nas (Mann), Chris, and (guard) Maban (Jabriel), that’s what we’re trying to get to, and we’ve got to remember how hard it is and how long 18 games are.”

"I’m proud of our guys, because I thought they put in a full 40-minute effort tonight defensively and on the glass, and I couldn’t be more pleased with their effort.”

• Queens missed just one free throw all night, knocking down 24-of-25 (96 percent) from the stripe. This was just the second game all season in which the Royals canned all but one, matching its 7-for-8 effort against Sacred Heart earlier in the season. Leonard’s side hit 20-for-20 at one point, making the head Royal quite pleased after the game.

“We work on (shooting free throws),” Leonard said. “These guys hate rapid-fire free throws, because they want to take their time and spin the ball. Berman hates that, but we just want to get them as many looks as we can and practice when we have the ability to have multiple courts and four rims.”

“You can see (Parker and Berman’s) releases just getting more consistent because they’re getting more reps. 24-for-25 is special. I know that’s not going to be realistic every game, but I believe that we’re an elite free throw shooting team – 75 percent or better. I know that’s because of (Parker and Berman).”

• The Royals set a season-high with 54 points in the paint, outpacing the Lions by 20 in that statistic. North Alabama clearly aimed to deny the three-ball from the Royals – Queens finished 3-for-15 – but the Royals went at the Lions’ chests and attacked the gaps to great success.

“When we build the roster, we get guys that can really shoot it,” Leonard said. “Then, we get finishers, and we get some guys that can do both, like Berman. For us, having those guys that can really finish at an elite level at the rim like Avantae, Jordan Watford, Mann, and Berman – man, it really puts the defense in a quandary.”

“People think that it’s all the threes we’re hitting that’s winning – we’re actually number one in the league in two-point field goal percentage and we’re crushing people in the paint. I’m just proud of our guys for making the right decisions.”

• To the earlier point about Queens’ team environment and how it could be anyone’s night at any given time, Berman offered some additional insight into the team dynamic.

“It’s awesome. Everybody’s got your back,” Berman said. “Everybody’s had a rough stretch this year, and we’ve got enough guys that can score the ball to kind of cover for us. If somebody’s having an off night, we can still win the game.”

“You think about it – the Preseason Player of the Year Chris Ashby doesn’t score. He goes 0-for-6,” Leonard added. “Last year, when we had games like that, we really couldn’t get over the hump. This year, it hasn’t really affected us. I’m really proud of our guys, because they don’t get rattled.”

“Like Berman said, he had a rough stretch for a little while, and it didn’t affect him. He kept playing, he kept improving and studying the film, and you can really watch these guys – they believe in each other and they just try to make the right play. Different defenses are going to guard us different ways, and we just take what the defense gives us.”

• North Alabama cut the game to five at one point, but Queens raced out to a 22-5 burst that put away the Lions. The Royals’ defense played a huge part in the run, which Leonard shouted out after the game.

“I’m not sure about all the season stats but holding them to six assists and 16 turnovers – I’m fairly certain that’s the most we’ve forced all year,” Leonard said.

(Leonard was technically correct – the Royals also forced 16 against both Duquesne and Lynchburg earlier this season.)

“For a team like this who doesn’t turn the ball over – North Alabama is historically low in turnovers – it’s all because of these guys’ ball pressure, and they’ve been getting better,” Leonard added. “I mean, they’ve been hating me all year about ‘ball pressure, ball pressure, ball pressure’ every single day, but it’s getting there. We’re slowly getting better defensively and on the glass, and I’m proud of these guys for that.”

• Berman was the recipient of Buddy the Street Dog for his performance. The power guard – is that a thing? – scored 20 points and dished five helpers.

“Berman’s been our best defender over this stretch,” Leonard said. “He’s guarded everyone. He’s guarded other teams’ best wings. He’s guarded fours. He’s guarded point guards. He’s switched. He’s walled up on five-men. He’s been the toughest dude on the floor.”

• Finally, Leonard – known for his sweaters – again wore a sweater with the image of Dr. Martin Luther King. Leonard expanded a bit on his admiration for Dr. King in his postgame remarks.

“Martin Luther King is special to me. I think he’s possibly the greatest leader in American history,” Leonard said. “I don’t know that we give him enough love, even though he has his own holiday. He’s inspirational in his courage and leadership, his voice, and how he brought people together. I can’t give him enough credit. He’s possibly the greatest inspiration I’ve ever seen in American history.” 

Watford paced Queens with a career-high 23, dropping 7-of-10 from the field and 8-of-8 from the line in 21 minutes of play. Berman added 20, hitting 8-of-16 from the deck and all three of his tries from the stripe. Parker finished a board shy of a double-double, adding 18 points to the Royal effort. Carson Schwieger added 11, while Mann contributed 10. The Royals hit 53.6 percent of their tries from the field (30-for-56), despite hitting just 20 percent (3-for-15) from distance. The Royals hit 96 percent (24-of-25) from the line.

North Alabama was led by Kevin de Covachich, who booked 15 despite going just 2-for-9 from the field. Forward Corneilous Williams added 12 despite battling foul trouble much of the second half. Junior guard Canin Jefferson tallied 11 on 3-for-6 (2-for-4 from distance), with freshman point guard Braylon Patton adding 10 with his 5-for-9 performance. The Lions hit 38.9 percent (21-for-54) from the field, with 25 percent (4-for-16) of their three-point tries finding the net. North Alabama hit 72.7 percent (16-for-22) from the stripe.

Next up:  Queens travels to The Coliseum in Carrollton, Ga., for a conference matchup with West Georgia. The game is slated for 4:30pm (Eastern) Saturday, weather permitting. ESPN+ will stream the contest. North Alabama is off until Thursday, Jan. 29, when it travels to Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., to battle Florida Gulf Coast. ESPN+ will cover that 7:00 start.

Hustle Stats:

Points off turnovers:  Queens 25, North Alabama 6

Points in the paint:  Queens 54, North Alabama 34

Second-chance points:  Queens 13, North Alabama 10

Fast-break points:  Queens 15, North Alabama 4

Bench points:  Queens 28, North Alabama 21

QUEENS 87, NORTH ALABAMA 62

NORTH ALABAMA (6-12, 1-6 ASUN)

Williams 5-13 2-2 12, Patton 5-9 0-0 10, de Kovachich 2-9 10-10 15, King 0-0 0-0 0, Howell 1-8 1-2 4, Bacchus 2-4 0-2 4, Jefferson 3-6 3-4 11, Graham-Howard 1-1 0-0 2, Albritton 2-3 0-2 4, Walker 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-54 16-22 62.

QUEENS (12-8, 7-0)

Mann 2-5 6-6 10, Parker 7-8 4-4 18, Ashby 0-6 0-0 0, Schwieger 4-7 2-2 11, Berman 8-16 3-3 20, Watford 7-10 8-8 23, Henry 1-1 0-0 2, Celestin 0-0 0-0 0, Clark 0-0 0-0 0, Larson 1-2 1-2 3, Jabriel 0-1 0-0 0, Crider 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-56 24-25 87.

Halftime:  Queens 42-33. 3-Point goals:  North Alabama 4-16 (Patton 0-1, de Kovachich 1-4, Howell 1-6, Bacchus 0-1, Jefferson 2-4), Queens 3-15 (Mann 0-2, Ashby 0-4, Schwieger 1-4, Berman 1-4, Watford 1-1). Fouled out:  Larson (QUC).  Rebounds:  Queens 35 (Parker 9), North Alabama 26 (Williams 5). Total fouls:  North Alabama 19, Queens 15. Technicals:  NA.

 

 

Inside the Numbers: Bellarmine at Queens

 

Queens guard Chris Ashby knocks down a shot in Saturday's victory over Bellarmine.  (Photo:  Queens Athletics)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – For anyone around the ASUN who hasn’t been inside Curry Arena and relied solely on numbers, they may wonder why Chris Ashby was the league’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Saturday, Ashby answered everybody’s questions. Eleven times.

The senior star set multiple personal records, including a career-high 34 points, as Queens rewrote the school’s record book in a 98-76 offensive outburst over Bellarmine to move to 2-0 in the ASUN.

You know what happened.  Now, let’s go…Inside the Numbers!

• Of all the numbers that stood out from this game – and, as an editor’s note, this is why we’re breaking down the game this way, instead of via a game story – the three-ball obviously carried the day. Queens turned in record performances in numbers of threes attempted (54), made (24), and Ashby’s career-high and Division I best for a Royal (11).

“Obviously, we have record-breaker over here knocking down 11 threes,” Leonard said, while pointing at Ashby. “The hard thing about guarding us is that we allow a lot of guys to bring the ball up – and even (forward) Maban (Jabriel) at times, who’s 6-foot-9. Teams have got to figure out how they’re going to stop that. They decided to play zone and let us shoot 54 threes, which was an interesting decision.”

• Ashby broke a three-point dry spell in the conference opener against Eastern Kentucky, then had Saturday’s career effort. Ashby’s 20 three-point attempts was not a record – or really close – but the Houston native was incredibly effective. Ashby recorded a plus-28 in his time on the floor, which was by far the highest of any Royal.

“It feels good,” Ashby said. “I’ve put in the work, and my teammates just kept trusting me and getting me the ball.”

For his part, Ashby was at least a little aware of the record.

“I knew my record was 10. I didn’t know the school record was 10,” Ashby said. Leonard replied, “It was your record to start, so you broke your own record.”

• Queens tied a season-low in surrendering just three offensive rebounds to the Knights on the day. The Royals also allowed three in a loss to Villanova earlier this season. The mark eclipsed Queens’ prior season-low in a victory, set just two days prior against Eastern Kentucky.

Leonard should have been pleased with that number after the game, right? Well…

“I was pissed about all three,” Leonard said. “I thought we should have had them all. We told them – this is not a joke, I know we were plus-13 on the glass – but before the game, we said we were going to have a party on the glass. We ended up with 13 offensive rebounds to their three – that’s 10 extra possessions.”

“If you’re going to give us 12 more shots and then let us shoot a bunch of threes, we’re going to win. I’m just saying – I appreciate that our guys (repeatedly) went to the glass. They didn’t always get it, but you keep going, you stay consistent, and you wear them down.”

• Leonard was annoyed – coaches always are, in some way – with the Royals’ ball security in the second half. Even still, the result outweighed the annoyance.

“I was super pissed about the turnovers in the second half, because I didn’t think we should have eight. We were still plus-two in that margin.”

Despite the unforced errors, Queens still allowed just eight Bellarmine points off turnovers. The Royals turned 14 Knight miscues into 19 points.

• Saturday demonstrated the Royals’ versatility. Just shy of 48 hours after scoring 50 points in the paint against EKU, Queens notched just 18 in the lane against Bellarmine. This came largely due to the Bellarmine zone allowing the Royals to pass out of the top of the key and find open shooters.
  
  
• Queens set yet another season-high offensively, dishing 27 dimes on 33 made shots. The Royals’ prior season-high was 24 against South Carolina State in mid-December.

“That’s probably my most favorite statistic is the amount of assists,” Leonard said. “Twenty-seven assists for a team is phenomenal. Hats off to these guys. I’m just proud of their effort.”

The Royals have recorded four 20-assist games this season. Along with the 24-assist effort against South Carolina State, Queens helped on 23 buckets against Gardner-Webb and 20 against Sacred Heart.

“I know that our guys play for a spirit and for each other,” Leonard said. “We run the floor for each other. We cut for each other. We screen for each other and we get paint touches for each other.”

• Guard Nas Mann epitomizes the team atmosphere with which Queens plays. Mann continued his development in 2025-26 by nearly logging a triple-double with eight points, eight assists, and 10 rebounds.

“Nas is an unbelievable player, in that he just makes the right play,” Leonard said. That’s why he’s gone from a good player last year to an elite player this year.  They all trust each other and they play to their strengths.”

Mann explained the evolution of his game.

“We were talking over the summer, and the biggest thing they wanted me to do was that they said, ‘We want you to be Josh Hart for our team. Josh Hart rebounds, he scores, he passes, and I responded to them and said I couldn’t pass,’” Mann joked. “I surprised myself, and now I’m over here. You’ve got unbelievable shooters around me. You’ve got Chris, you’ve got (forward) Carson (Schwieger), you’ve got (forward Yoav) Berman.”

“It’s really all just slowed down for me. I’m seeing the lanes open up. I’m seeing my shots open up. I’m playing through my jump shot and playing off two feet. It’s really just the work and watching film, (along with) my coaches and teammates and all the faith they have in me.”

Ashby’s 34 led Queens and all scorers. Ashby hit 11-of-21 tries (11-of-20 from three) on the day. Three Royals joined him in doubles, including Schwieger’s 17 on 6-for-12 shooting (5-for-11 from distance), 12 for Jordan Watford to go with his eight helpers, and 11 for Berman. Queens connected on 33-of-67 (49.3 percent) from the field and 24-of-54 (44.4 percent) from beyond the arc. The Royals sank 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) from the line.

Star Bellarmine forward Jack Karasinski exceeded his 21 points per game average, booking 24 on 7-for-12 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 from distance. Brian Waddell added 15 on 7-of-11 shooting, with Kenyon Goodin scoring 11 and Tyler Doyle contributing 10. The Knights hit 25-of-48 tries (52.1 percent) and knocked down 45 percent (9-of-20) from distance. Bellarmine went to the line 25 times, hitting 17 (68 percent).

Bellarmine returns to Louisville for a pair of home games, beginning with a Thursday tilt against 2-0 Central Arkansas. The Knights and Bears are set for a 7:00 (Eastern) tip from Knights Hall, with streaming coverage over ESPN+. Queens ventures to the Sunshine State for the first of a pair against Jacksonville Thursday night. Game time from Swisher Gym is set for 7:00, with ESPN+ handling the stream.

QUEENS 98, BELLARMINE 76

BELLARMINE (5-9, 0-2 ASUN)

Waddell 7-11 0-0 15, Donald 1-4 0-0 2, Karasinski 7-12 5-9 24, Goodin 3-5 3-4 11, Bolden 0-2 0-0 0, Doyle 3-5 3-4 10, Watkins 0-0 3-4 3, Wilson 2-4 1-2 5, Hunter 0-2 0-0 0, Whitaker 1-2 0-0 2, Neal 1-1 0-0 2, Clark 0-0 2-2 2, Wassler 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-48 17-25 76.

QUEENS (7-8, 2-0)

Parker 3-3 2-3 9, Schwieger 6-12 0-1 17, Mann 3-8 1-3 8, Ashby 11-21 1-2 34, Berman 4-10 0-0 11, Watford 3-5 4-4 12, Larson 1-1 0-0 2, Jabriel 1-3 0-0 3, Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Henry 0-1 0-0 0, Celestin 0-0 0-0 0, Crider 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-67 8-13 98.

Halftime:  Queens 50-40. 3-Point goals:  Queens 24-54 (Parker 1-1, Schwieger 5-11, Mann 1-5, Ashby 11-20, Berman 3-8, Watford 2-4, Jabriel 1-3, Clark 0-2, Henry 0-1), Bellarmine 9-20 (Waddell 1-3, Donald 0-2, Karasinski 5-5, Goodin 2-3, Bolden 0-1, Doyle 1-2, Wilson 0-1, Hunter 0-2, Whitaker 0-1). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Queens 40 (Mann 10), Bellarmine 27 (Goodin 6). Total fouls:  Queens 23, Bellarmine 17. Technicals:  NA.

 

Queens clamps down on defense, outlasts EKU in battle of top ASUN teams

 

Queens' Nas Mann (1) and Avantae Parker (6) celebrate after a play during Queens' Thursday win over EKU. (Photo:  Queens Athletics)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – New Year’s Day marked the opening day of ASUN conference play for 2026. Based on how Thursday’s game between Queens and Eastern Kentucky went, it very well could have been a preview of what may take place the final day of the league’s tournament in Jacksonville.

Queens placed five scorers in double figures and broke open a 40-minute heavyweight bout with a late 11-3 run to finally fend off EKU, 91-89, at Curry Arena.

“Hats off to EKU,” Queens coach Grant Leonard said after the game. “(Coach) A.W. (Hamilton)’s club has been the winningest program in the ASUN over the last three years, and we knew they were going to come in here and battle like crazy.”

As demonstrative as Leonard’s words were, they may have been an understatement.

Eastern Kentucky (4-10, 0-1 ASUN) scored six of the game’s first seven points, as Queens missed its first five shots. Avantae Parker started the festivities for the Royals, booking an and-one that nearly erased the Colonels’ early lead. Queens (6-8, 1-0) seized the lead with a 6-0 run that set the tone for a back-and-forth affair until the final horn. The sides struggled to create separation in an opening half that was largely separated by no greater than two possessions.

Queens looked to gain some breathing room with a 7-0 run that stretched the Royals’ lead to 44-35. The burst was punctuated by a high-effort put-back bucket by Parker over two Colonels, which led to an extremely rare fist-pump and yell from Leonard before the Royals’ big man went on to make the free throw.

“The emphasis for us was for urgency in this game,” Leonard said. “I thought that was our most urgent play in the entire game. (Guard) Chris (Ashby) pulled up for three, which is what we wanted him to do. Avantae went up one-on-two and won the ball and put it back in for an and-one.”

Leonard then addressed Parker’s earning the team’s adopted mascot, Buddy the Street Dog.

“He’s got Buddy the Street Dog for a reason,” Leonard said. “It’s his for the day. He earned it.  I thought he was the hardest-playing guy on the floor.”

The burst would be quickly countered, however. Eastern Kentucky closed the half on a 14-2 run, buoyed by four straight three-pointers – three of them from guard MJ Williams – to take a 49-46 advantage to the interval. Despite the quick burst, Williams would manage just two second-half points – largely because of a reminder from Leonard and his staff.

“I had some choice words for them (at the half),” Leonard said. “He’s one-hand dominant and he’s small, so he shouldn’t be able to shoot over you. If he’s shooting (over you), there’s not enough ball pressure being applied. I thought (that) in the second half, he was way more contested, there was way more pressure, and he was way more sped-up.”

Queens bounced back from the break with three consecutive Parker buckets as part of a run that again leveled the score at 56 following a Yoav Berman basket. The sequence of ties and narrow leads for both sides again ensued throughout much of the second half, creating similar drama to a game played in March. Even when Carson Schwieger canned a triple in front of the Royals’ bench to extend the lead to four, the fans seemed unable to exhale.

As the Royals finally managed to break free a bit with a run in the final four-minute segment of the game, the reason Williams struggled in the second half also proved to be the catalyst for Queens – freshman guard Jordan Watford. Watford got it done on defense, providing several key stops, including one on Colonels guard Turner Buttry that jarred the ball loose and compelled a 10-second violation. He got it done on offense, recording six straight Royal points during the surge. Most importantly, he got it done by responding to his coach’s challenge.

“(Leonard) told me straight up that you can’t play if you’re not going to guard,” Watford said. “That’s kind of been the label on me – people have been saying I can’t guard. That’s not the label I want. I want to be able to show I can guard.”

“(That was) unbelievable character from Jordan,” Leonard added. “To take that – to get put on the bench and to respond. In the first half, he was by far the best defensive player (at) pressuring the ball. That’s character, and I appreciate that from Jordan. He’s always had it. Now he’s just got to maintain it.”

Berman proved to be another defensive standout. As effective as Berman was on the offensive end of the floor, his slowing down of EKU forward Montavious Myrick earned special plaudits from Leonard.

“Berman’s a fantastic player, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s our leading scorer at the end of (the) conference (season). He’s actually been one of our best defenders, as well,” Leonard said. “He guarded Myrick a bunch down the stretch and did the best job on him.”

“Hats off to Berman. He can guard guards. He can guard forwards. He’s really physical, and his basketball IQ is off the charts. I’m really happy with where Berman’s at.”

Ashby also broke an 0-for-15 string from three during the game, draining a triple in front of the Royals’ bench. Leonard has full confidence in his star guard.

“He was 1-for-8 -- alright, he was 1-for-8, and I wish he had shot more, but he's still a plus in the plus-minus, and Chris is a leader by example,” Leonard said. “He's often the toughest dude. He never says anything (negative).”

“We all love Chris, and he makes every single guy on our team better, because of the way he practices and how hard he works. We all trust Chris.  Chris is an unbelievable player.”

Eastern Kentucky coach A.W. Hamilton offered praise for Queens after the game.

“Give them credit,” Hamilton said. “They got 50 points in the paint. They got the calls and they outplayed us. We had a shot right at the end. We let this one get away.”

Watford led Queens with 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting and 5-for-5 from the line in 19 minutes of reserve duty, logging a team-leading plus-20 during his time on the floor. Parker booked 16 and a season-high eight boards. Berman tallied 14 on 6-for-9 shooting, while Nas Mann knocked down 7-of-8 free throw tries to finish with 12. Maban Jabriel logged 11 in 19 minutes off the bench.

The Royals shot 50.8 percent (31-for-61) from the field, shaking off a 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) effort from distance. Queens also shot 77.4 percent (24-for-31) from the line.

Williams led EKU and all scorers with 18, hitting 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-8 from three. Myrick added 16 on 6-of-12 shooting. Buttry finished with 14, while Jackson Holt poured in 13 off the bench and Juan Cranford tallied 12. The Colonels shot 49.2 percent (30-for-61) while hitting 42.4 percent (14-for-33) from beyond the arc. EKU  hit 71.4 percent (15-for-21) from the stripe.

Eastern Kentucky travels to The Coliseum in Carrollton, Ga., to take on West Georgia Saturday afternoon. Tip time is set for 2:00 (Eastern), with streaming planned for ESPN+. Queens remains at home to welcome Bellarmine to Curry Arena. Game time is set for 3:00, with ESPN+ handling the coverage.

QUEENS 91, EASTERN KENTUCKY 89

EASTERN KENTUCKY (4-10, 0-1 ASUN)

Buttry 3-7 5-5 14, Cranford 4-13 2-2 12, Myrick 6-12 4-9 16, Ball 2-4 0-0 6, Paul 2-2 2-2 6, Williams 6-12 2-3 18, Harris 0-0 0-0 0, Cooper 2-3 0-0 4, Holt 5-9 0-0 13, White 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-61 15-21 89.

QUEENS (6-8, 1-0)

Mann 2-8 7-8 12, Parker 6-7 4-9 16, Ashby 1-8 0-0 3, Schwieger 3-7 1-2 9, Berman 6-9 2-2 14, Watford 6-10 5-5 17, Henry 0-1 2-2 2, Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Larson 2-3 1-1 5, Jabriel 4-5 2-2 11. Totals 30-58 15-21 82.

Halftime:  Eastern Kentucky 49-46. 3-Point goals:  EKU 14-33 (Buttry 3-7, Cranford 2-9, Ball 2-4, Williams 4-8, Holt 3-5), Queens 5-24 (Mann 1-4, Ashby 1-8, Schwieger 2-6, Berman 0-2, Clark 0-2, Jabriel 1-2). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Queens 37 (Parker 8), EKU 29 (Myrick 7). Total fouls:  EKU 26, Queens 18. Technicals:  NA.

 

Inside the Numbers: Gardner-Webb at Queens

 

Queens guard Chris Ashby and his family pose with Royals coach Grant Leonard before Wednesday's win over Gardner-Webb. (Photo:  Brian Wilmer/Daly Dose of Hoops)

Follow @sportsmatters

CHARLOTTE – On a Wednesday evening when Queens honored one of its longest-standing stars, a new standout shined, a returning leader set the pace, and a first-year player earned a special honor.

Queens placed five scorers in double figures while turning in two 50-point halves and racing past regional rival Gardner-Webb, 107-74.

You know what happened. The time, then, has obviously arrived to go…Inside the Numbers!

• Queens coach Grant Leonard has spent much of his tenure with the Royals emphasizing that the ball needs to move crisply in the offense for the team to be successful. There was no doubt that this was the case Wednesday. Queens made a dizzying 41 baskets, with help coming on 23 of those shots. The Royals took advantage of their pace and spacing to create great shots.

“23 assists – I think that is special,” Leonard said. “I knew they were going to switch, so we were prepared for how they were going to defend us. Really, our entire offense is predicated on taking what the defense gives them, so if they overhelp, a lot of times, the kicks are going to be there. For us, it’s just about making the right reads.”

“I’ve got (teammates) rolling to the basket every time,” guard Nas Mann added. “If I’m not getting downhill to score or playing off two feet and get some to my teammates, they’re going to be wide open. (The credit) really goes to the bigs. Every single time, they get out of screens.”

• Mann finished with 20 points, just two away from besting his career-high that he logged earlier this season at Villanova. Mann knocked down 8-of-12 shots and snagged six misses while adding three triples.

“It really is just playing with effort,” Mann said after the game. “We knew it was going to be a great game for transition, and that’s something we excel at. All I did was just run the floor and stayed in the shots that I shoot every day.”

• Gardner-Webb put Queens into some different defensive looks, including several different presses.

“I was mad the first time (we were pressed) when Jordan Watford turned it over,” Leonard said. “After that, I thought we got the ball out on their traps and we were able to attack. I think the biggest thing when you play pressing teams and they’re going to put two on the ball at 80 feet, you’ve got to take advantage of it in the full court and try to score. The entire goal is to get two guys on the ball, whether it’s half-court or full-court. We’re going to invite it, and our guys are going to get the ball and make the right play.”

Gardner-Webb also used some zone looks against the Royals just as they did the year prior in Boiling Springs. Leonard was happy with how his team handled the zone.

“(They’re the) first team that’s played zone on us all year, and I thought we didn’t hesitate. We carved it up,” Leonard said.

• Freshman guard Isaiah Henry was awarded the Buddy the Street Dog statue for his play Wednesday night. Henry played 14 minutes and scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished two helpers while finishing plus-18 for the game.

“The best part about coaching – you know that you have a team full of guys and everyone can’t get what they want. Everyone sacrifices for each other,” Leonard said. “At first, Isaiah just wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready to make the right decisions, but we just – and the guys told him – to stay positive and be ready, that his time was coming. Now, the last three games, he’s played really well and solidified himself in our rotation, and he’s going to have a great second half of the year. We all love him and know how good he is. He’s got a lot of talent.”

• The Queens interior defense earned kudos from Leonard. The Royals held the Runnin’ Bulldogs to 28 points in the paint and an even more impressive 17-for-47 (36.2 percent) from two-point range.

“We’re making huge steps defensively with protecting the rim,” Leonard said. “I thought we did a great job with that.”

• Queens forward Avantae Parker also received plaudits for both his defense and offense.

“Defensively, he’s getting better and better, and he’s going to be the anchor of our defense and protect our rim. We’re proud of the steps he’s making. You’re going to keep seeing him have nights like this, where he goes 9-for-10 (shooting) and Nas goes 8-for-12, because people are so worried about our shooting from the perimeter.”

• Star guard Chris Ashby was honored before the game for his stellar career and 1,000-plus career points. Ashby tallied 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting Wednesday, hitting 4-of-8 from three and a long two-pointer. There’s still more time for Ashby to add to his legend at Queens, but he will go down in Royal lore as one of the best players to ever grace the campus.
  
  
• Queens hit 15 threes for the third time this season. The Royals canned 16 against Sacred Heart and 15 against UNC Greensboro. The Royals logged their best three-point shooting percentage of the season, though, knocking down 51.7 percent of their 29 tries. Three shooters hit multiple triples, with Ashby and Carson Schwieger draining four apiece and Mann dropping three.
  
  
• Leonard summed up the inside-outside effort with this succinct quote:  “I thought Gardner-Webb just did not know which poison to take today.”
  
  
• Mann led the Royals and all scorers with 20. Parker added 18, with Ashby and Schwieger notching 14 and 12, respectively. Maban Jabriel contributed 11 and hauled in five boards in reserve duty. Four Runnin’ Bulldogs finished in doubles, with Spence Sims, Jacob Hogarth, and Ace Talbert scoring 15 each. Curtis Williams added 13 for the visitors. Hogarth and Williams also boarded seven misses apiece.

Next up:  Queens will take nine days off for finals before returning to action on Friday, Dec. 12, against South Carolina State. That game is slated for a 7:00 (Eastern) tip, with ESPN+ handling the coverage. Gardner-Webb returns home to Paul Porter Arena for a Saturday afternoon tilt with Georgia Southern. Game time is set for 2:00 from Boiling Springs, N.C., with ESPN+ providing the stream.

Hustle Stats:

Points off turnovers:  Queens 13, Gardner-Webb 8

Points in the paint:  Queens 50, Gardner-Webb 28

Second-chance points:  Gardner-Webb 23, Queens 15

Fast-break points:  Queens 14, Gardner-Webb 6

Bench points:  Queens 36, Gardner-Webb 11

Queens:  1.486 points per possession (72 trips), 65.3% scoring, 13.9% turnovers

Gardner-Webb:  1.014 points per possession (73 trips), 43.8% scoring, 13.7% turnovers

QUEENS 107, GARDNER-WEBB 74

GARDNER-WEBB (0-10)

Sims 6-9 0-0 15, Hogarth 7-12 1-1 15, Williams 4-13 4-4 13, Hawkins 2-9 1-1 5, Talbert 4-12 4-5 15, Ferere 1-5 4-4 6, Hudson 0-4 2-2 2, Riek 0-1 0-0 0, Peterson 1-4 0-0 3, Gales 0-2 0-0 0, Ndiaye 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 25-71 16-18 74.

QUEENS (4-5)

Watford 2-3 3-4 7, Mann 8-12 1-3 20, Parker 9-10 0-2 18, Ashby 5-10 0-0 14, Schwieger 4-5 0-0 12, Henry 4-6 0-0 9, Celestin 0-0 0-0 0, Clark 1-2 0-0 3, Larson 3-4 3-4 9, Jabriel 4-7 2-2 11, Crider 0-1 0-0 0, Berman 1-6 1-2 4. Totals 41-66 10-17 107.

Halftime:  Queens 52-37. 3-Point goals: Queens 15-29 (Mann 3-5, Parker 0-1, Ashby 4-8, Schwieger 4-5, Henry 1-1, Clark 1-2, Jabriel 1-3, Berman 1-3), Gardner-Webb 8-24 (Sims 3-3, Williams 1-6, Hawkins 0-2, Talbert 2-8, Hudson 0-1, Peterson 1-3, Gales 0-1). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Gardner-Webb 38 (Hogarth/Williams 7), Queens 38 (Mann/Larson 6). Total fouls:  Gardner-Webb 15, Queens 13. Technicals:  Parker (QUC).