Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team will open league play on Saturday when ASUN Conference newcomer Queens University of Charlotte visits Baptist Health Arena.
The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. and will air live on ESPN+. The live radio broadcast of the game is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM, and can be heard worldwide on EKUSports.com.
All upper level seating is just $3 each for the New Year’s Eve game.
INSIDE THE SERIES
– This is the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
– Queens is the fourth team the Colonels have faced this season for the first time in program history.
THE COLONELS
– Eastern Kentucky is 7-6 this season. Despite trailing by five with eight minutes to go, the Colonels beat UNC Greensboro, 68-64, on Dec. 22. EKU has won two straight games.
– Devontae Blanton erased Eastern Kentucky’s five-point deficit with a personal 8-0 run. He finished with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists.
– Over the last three games, EKU has held its opponents to 64.3 points per game.
– Also in the last three games, the Colonels have forced 49 turnovers (16.3 per game) and are +16 in turnover margin.
– Eastern Kentucky is 14th in the nation in steals and 23rd in turnover margin. The Colonels are first in the ASUN in both categories as well.
– Freshman point guard Tayshawn Comer pulled down a season-best five rebounds in EKU’s win over UNC Greensboro. He is averaging 6.2 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
– Queens has had little trouble navigating its first season of play at the NCAA Division I level, starting 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the ASUN Conference. The Royals opened league play by beating Austin Peay, 81-77, on Thursday. Queens also has non-conference wins over Marshall (83-82), Bowling Green (72-66), High Point (87-79) and East Tennessee (78-75).
– In its final six seasons at the Division II level, Queens won 30 or more games four times, advanced to two NCAA Elite 8’s and played in one NCAA Final Four.
– On Thursday, the Royals overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to beat Austin Peay at home, scoring 52 points in the second half. Queens shot 49 percent from the field for the game, out-rebounded the Governors by eight and went to the free throw line 21 more times.
– Kenny Dye led the Royals with 27 points, going 8-of-14 from the field, 3-for-5 from deep and 8-of-14 at the free throw line. Gavin Rains grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out four assists.
– Dye, a 6-foot senior guard, leads the team in scoring (17.9 ppg) and Rains, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, is the top rebounder (10.6 rpg). Queens has shot 46 percent from the field this season and has out-rebounded its opponents by 8.4 boards per game. The Royals have committed 2.5 more turnovers per game than their foes.
Kevin Britton
Associate Director of EKUSports Communications
Eastern Kentucky University
