HICKORY, N.C. – For the second straight home game, the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Basketball Team knocked off a nationally ranked foe. This time, the Bears defeated No. 12/15 Queens by a final score of 71-66.

GAME INFORMATION:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 71, Queens 66
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (5-2, 5-2 SAC) | Queens (8-3, 7-2 SAC)
Location: Shuford Gymnasium

STATS AND INFO:
- For the second time in three years, Lenoir-Rhyne has defeated both Lincoln Memorial and Queens in the same season
- Lenoir-Rhyne erased a 49-37 deficit with 11:44 to play and ended the game outscoring the Royals 34-17 down the stretch
- After missing the Carson-Newman game due to injury, Cooper Fowler poured in a season-high 13 points in 26 minutes and added seven boards and three blocked shots
- Five different players scored in double figures for Lenoir-Rhyne, led by senior R.J. Gunn who had 14 and added seven boards

FIRST HALF:
- Neither team found an offensive rhythm in the first 20 minutes as Queens took a 25-22 advantage into the break
- LR shot just 29 percent from the field and 22 percent from three in the first half, while Queens answered with just 32 percent shooting and 20 percent from long range
- Gunn hit his first three shot attempts and had 10 first half points
- Gavin Rains finished the first half with seven points and seven boards for the Royals

SECOND HALF:
- LR came back and tied the game at 31 in the early stages of the second half before a quick 10-0 spurt gave Queens some breathing room
- The lead ballooned to as much as 12 before the Bears came roaring back. A 3-point play and then a corner 3-pointer from freshman Armon Muldrew drew the Bears within six
- Eventually LR evened the game at 55 with 5:43 to play on a bucket by Davion Bradford
- LR held Queens scoreless for nearly five whole minutes and went on a 16-0 run from the 7:50 mark until the 2:56 mark

ABOUT THE BEARS:
- 10 of Fowler's 13 points came in the second half as the big man sparked the comeback
- Simmons was held scoreless in the first half and finished with 11 points, giving him 29 straight games with at least 10 points
- LR didn't get to the free throw line once in the first half but finished the game with 18 free throw attempts
- This is the fourth win for LR over Queens over the past three years

NOTABLE ROYALS:
- Kenny Dye was held to just five points on 2-of-13 shooting
- Rains finished with a double-double as the sophomore had 14 points and 12 boards
- Jamari Smith led the Royals with 16 points but went just 6-of-18 from the field
- Queens shot just 35.7 percent for the game and 22.7 percent from long range

UP NEXT:
Lenoir-Rhyne returns to action on Wednesday night as they host Wingate at 8 p.m. inside Shuford Gym.