OPENING TIP
Score: Queens 87 | Lynchburg 76
Records: Queens (1-1) | Lynchburg (0-1)
Location: Curry Arena (Charlotte, N.C.)
 
THE SHORT STORY
In their 2025 home opener, the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team defeated the Lynchburg Hornets 87-76 in Curry Arena on Wednesday night. Despite a gritty effort from the Hornets, Queens never trailed after the 15-minute mark, with three-point shooting being the difference as the Royals shot 47 percent from the three-point line in the second half.
 
FROM COACH LEONARD
"The first thing is we are always the hardest playing guys, but we weren't tonight, and Lynchburg was. The second thing is that we win the glass. I don't care if it's a high-major opponent or not. We're going to Villanova to win the glass, and we haven't done that so far against Winthrop and Lynchburg. The third thing is we're going to win the foul line, which we won tonight, but we still put them on the foul line way too much."

BY THE NUMBERS
-Senior Sharpshooter Chris Ashby had the hot hand from deep, shooting 6-for-9 from beyond the arc while cashing in 22 points.
-In just his second collegiate game, freshman guard Jordan Watford contributed 16 points across 23 minutes of work.
-Senior leader Nasir Mann led the team with 10 rebounds and also contributed eight points.
-Yoav Berman chipped in 15 points and four assists, along with two made three-pointers.
-Kam Clark was a defensive spark plug off the bench, garnering three steals while also adding nine points.
-The visiting Hornets won the battle on the boards 46-37, including a 17-9 margin on the offensive glass.
-After a slow first half saw Queens shoot 46 percent from the field, and 25 percent from deep, the Royals cashed in throughout the second half shooting 53 percent from the field, and 47 percent from deep.
 
NOTABLE MOMENTS
- Queens opened their first home game of the season with the hot hand on offense, shooting 70 percent from the field to lead 12-7 heading into the first media timeout.
-The Royals struggled to defend, allowing Lynchburg to tie the game 16-16 at the 12-minute mark while shooting 58 percent from the field.
-Queens was stagnant on offense throughout much of the first half, only scoring seven points between the 15 and eight-minute marks and Lynchburg took a 36-33 lead into halftime.
-The Queens defense set the tone to begin the second half, forcing three turnovers in the first three minutes.
-Trailing 43-44 with 14:25 remaining in the game, the Royals went on an 11-3 run sparked by two three pointers from Yoav Berman to take a seven-point lead.
Leading 57-55 with 10:34 to play, Queens went on a 9-0 run sparked by a converted and one from Kam Clark and a three-pointer from the top of the key by Chris Ashby.
-With two minutes remaining, a diving baseline save from Avantae Parker improbably reached Chris Ashby 28-feet out, who drilled a three-pointer to stretch Queens' lead back out to 9 points.
 
FROM JORDAN WATFORD
"I was just doing whatever I could to help my team win. I got some open looks early, and me being able to drive created open looks for my teammates, so being aggressive and attacking guys helped open up the floor for everyone else."
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-Queens improved to 12-32 all-time in Division 1 when being outrebounded by opponents.
-The Royals committed 14 turnovers on the day, but forced 16 Hornets miscues, which Queens converted into 24 points.
-The Royals are now 23-0 in non-conference games when leading with five minutes to play.
-Despite being the smaller team, Lynchburg outscored Queens in the paint 34-28.
 
NEXT UP
Queens will head north for a pair of games in Pennsylvania, beginning Saturday, November 8^th at Villanova. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 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.