Charlotte, N.C.----The fourth-seeded Queens University Royals defeated the fifth-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs 84-66 Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the 2015 SAC Tournament. Queens improves to 17-12 overall, advancing to the SAC Tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs end the season at 15-14 overall.
Rob Lewis had 27 points to lead the Queens attack, going eight-of-15 from the field and nine-for-nine at the free throw line.
Marquis Rankin added 19 points and seven assists, going nine-for-10 at the free throw line.
Jedarian Jackson added six points and 16 rebounds for the Royals.
Junior guard
Xavier Griffin (Marshville, N.C.) had 11 points, three rebounds and two assists to lead the Wingate attack. Senior guard
Ryan Daye (Burlington, N.C.) also had 11 points, while freshman guard
Zeriq Lolar (Orlando, Fla.) contributed 11 points off the bench. Sophomore center
Keith Griffin (Concord, N.C.) added nine points and seven boards for the Bulldogs.
A
Tate Small layup gave the Royals a 12-6 lead five minutes into the opening half. A triple from sophomore forward
Terrill Hilliard (Rocky Mount, N.C.) cut the lead to three, but a three-point play from Lewis put Queens on top by 10 with nine minutes to go in the half.
A Xavier Griffin triple cut the lead to six, while A Lolar triple and
Bryan Rouse (Greensboro, N.C.) free throw got Wingate to within four at 28-24. Queens scored the next eight points, taking a 36-24 advantage on a Lewis jumper 2:50 before halftime. A Daye layup trimmed the lead to seven, but a Rankin triple in the final minute made it 39-29 at halftime.
Queens used a 15-0 run in the second half to stretch the lead to 26. Lewis had seven points in the spurt, which gave the Royals a 59-33 advantage with 11:33 left in the game. A Lolar triple cut the lead to 18 at the 8:10 mark, while a Rouse triple with 4:37 to go made it 73-57. The 'Dogs would get no closer than 16 the rest of the way.
Queens shot 50.9 percent from the field, knocking down seven-of-15 shots from three-point range (46.7 percent). Wingate shot 36.2 percent from the field, hitting six-of-17 shots from beyond the arc (35.3 percent). The Bulldogs held a 35-34 rebounding advantage, while the Royals converted 21 Wingate turnovers into 22 points, outscoring Wingate 22-2 in fast-break points.
Queens is back in action Saturday, taking on top-seeded Lincoln Memorial in the SAC Tournament semifinals.
