Gaffney, S.C. - The Queens Men's Basketball Team (1-0) opened the season with a 69-61 win over Lenoir-Rhyne (0-1) Friday evening?in the 2011 Conference Carolinas/SAC Challenge at the Timken Center.

The Royals' Brent Evans (Beaufort, S.C.) led all scorers with 25 points while Daniel Bailey (Irmo, S.C.) added 17 points and 10 rebounds as Queens prevailed in the first regular season contest of the year.

L-R sophomore forward Allan Jones (Clemmons, N.C.) finished with a team-high 16 points while freshman guard Denzel Dillingham (Hickory, N.C.) added 15 points for the Bears in the losing effort.

Lenoir-Rhyne held a 34-28 advantage with 17:44 remaining in the contest on a lay-up by senior forward Jeff Thomas (Chapel Hill, N.C.), but Queens responded with a 12-2 run and never trailed again.

The Royals pushed their margin to 13 points on a dunk by Brandon Nichols (Fayetteville, N.C.) for a 58-45 lead with 7:23 left and the Bears never got within five points the rest of the way.

Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore guard R.J. McClure (Canton, N.C.) added 10 points for the Bears, who shot just 31 percent (five-for-16) from behind the three-point line.

On the second day of the challenge Saturday evening, L-R takes on Limestone at 7:30 p.m., while Queens faces Wingate in the first contest beginning at 5:30 p.m.? Limestone edged Wingate by a 67-66 score in the second game Friday.