FORT MYERS, Fla. (Interstat) — Queens (N.C.) built a first-half lead and held off Florida Gulf Coast for an 85-74 victory in ASUN Conference men’s basketball Thursday night at Alico Arena. The Royals led 41-33 at halftime and maintained control throughout the second half. Jordan Watford scored 19 points to lead Queens. Isaiah Malone paced the Eagles with 17 points and three blocks. Queens shot 45% from the field and made 22 of 28 free throws. Florida Gulf Coast was perfect on 22 free throw attempts but shot just 36.4% overall and 4 for 21 from 3-point range. The Royals improved to 10-8 overall. The Eagles fell to 7-11. An announced crowd of 1,806 attended.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Interstat) — The Queens Royals used a dominant first half and weathered a second-half rally to secure an 85-74 road victory over the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in an ASUN Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Alico Arena. The Royals, improving to 10-8 overall, built a double-digit lead early and never trailed, taking a 41-33 advantage into halftime. They then withstood a persistent Eagles comeback attempt that cut the deficit to single digits multiple times in the final period before pulling away late. Queens established control from the opening tip. Avantae Parker won the jump ball and scored a layup just 10 seconds into the game, setting an immediate tone. The Royals opened the contest on a 7-0 run, capped by a Nasir Mann floating jumper, and extended their lead to 16-4 after a three-pointer from Maban Jabriel with 14:32 remaining in the first half. Florida Gulf Coast struggled to find its offensive rhythm early, missing its first five three-point attempts and committing several turnovers against an active Queens defense. The Eagles, who fell to 7-11, slowly chipped away at the deficit behind the interior play of Isaiah Malone. A dunk by Malone and a driving layup from Rahmir Barno helped Florida Gulf Coast narrow the gap to 23-19 with just over seven minutes left in the half. But Queens responded with a critical 8-2 spurt, highlighted by a three-pointer from Carson Schwieger and a layup from Jordan Watford, to push their lead back to 31-21. The Royals maintained that cushion and took an eight-point lead into the break. Queens shot 45% from the field in the first half while holding Florida Gulf Coast to 33% shooting. The Eagles kept themselves in the game by being perfect from the free-throw line, hitting all 10 of their first-half attempts. The second half saw Florida Gulf Coast mount its most serious challenge. The Eagles opened the period with a 7-2 run, fueled by five quick points from Malone, to cut the Queens lead to 43-40. The Royals’ advantage dwindled to just three points on two more occasions, the last at 45-42 after a J.R. Konieczny three-pointer with 18:05 to play. Each time the Eagles threatened, Queens found an answer. A driving layup by Watford and a tip-in by Jabriel steadied the Royals. Then, with the lead at 52-49, Queens delivered a decisive sequence. Following a media timeout, the Royals engineered a 9-2 run over a three-minute span. Watford initiated it with a layup, Parker converted a pair of free throws, and Schwieger drilled a three-pointer to extend the lead to 61-51 with 9:51 remaining. Florida Gulf Coast made one final push, closing to within 66-60 after a Rory Stewart three-pointer and a pair of Darren Williams free throws. But once again, Queens responded under pressure. Schwieger hit another crucial three-pointer, and after a defensive stop, Jabriel secured an offensive rebound and put it back to push the lead back to 71-60 with 5:45 left. The Eagles could not get closer than nine points the rest of the way as the Royals sealed the game at the free-throw line. Jordan Watford led Queens with 19 points in just 19 minutes off the bench, providing efficient scoring during key stretches. Maban Jabriel added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Carson Schwieger also scored 15, including three three-pointers. Yoav Berman contributed 11 points and a team-high three assists for the Royals. For Florida Gulf Coast, Isaiah Malone posted a strong line of 17 points, three blocks and three steals in 28 minutes. Rahmir Barno scored 15 points and Darren Williams added 10, but the Eagles were hampered by poor perimeter shooting, connecting on only 4 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc. Statistically, Queens won the game with superior offensive efficiency, scoring 85 points on 72 possessions for an offensive rating of 117.6. Florida Gulf Coast managed 74 points on 74 possessions, a rating of 99.4. The Royals also outshot the Eagles from the field, 45% to 36.4%, and made five more three-pointers despite a low percentage. Florida Gulf Coast’s perfect 22-for-22 performance at the free-throw line was a bright spot but insufficient to overcome the shooting disparity. The announced attendance was 1,806. Queens next travels to face Stetson on Saturday. Florida Gulf Coast remains at home to host West Georgia on Saturday.

Preview: Queens (NC) Royals at Florida Gulf Coast Eagles FORT MYERS, Fla. (Interstat) — Two ASUN Conference men’s basketball teams trending in opposite directions will meet Thursday when the Queens (NC) Royals visit the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles at Alico Arena. The Royals (9-8, 3-1 ASUN) arrive with momentum, having won four straight conference games after a challenging non-conference slate. Their most recent victory was an 89-82 road win at North Florida on Saturday, powered by 17 points from guard Nasir Mann and 17 points from Avantae Parker. Mann has been a consistent catalyst during the win streak, averaging 11.2 points and 4.4 assists over the last five games. His most complete performance came in a 98-76 win over Bellarmine on Jan. 3, where he nearly recorded a triple-double with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Conversely, the Eagles (7-10, 1-3) have lost three of their last four, including back-to-back home defeats to Lipscomb (84-77) and Austin Peay (82-71) last week. In both losses, standout wing JR Konieczny delivered heavy scoring loads but lacked sufficient support. Konieczny is averaging 21.8 points and 6.5 rebounds over his last four meaningful outings, including a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double in the loss to Lipscomb. His efficiency and volume will be critical for an Eagles offense that has struggled for consistency. Queens has shown a potent offense during its streak, averaging 88.8 points per game in ASUN play. However, its wins have come against the league’s lower half, and it was soundly defeated in road games at Power Five opponents Auburn, Arkansas and Virginia earlier this season. Florida Gulf Coast will aim to leverage its home court, where it is 5-4 this season, to halt its skid. Defense will be a focal point after allowing opponents to shoot 50% or better in three of the last four games. Thursday’s contest is the only scheduled meeting between the programs this season. Queens continues its Florida road trip at Stetson on Saturday, while FGCU hosts West Georgia the same day. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST Thursday at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University.