CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- Shaun Willett recorded his NCAA Division II leading 21st double-double of the season to pace the Queens University of Charlotte to a 97-88 South Atlantic Conference victory over Tusculum University Saturday afternoon in men's basketball action at Curry Arena.
The game was marred by 50 combined fouls including five technical fouls and 65 combined free throw attempts as the 11th-ranked Royals improve to 22-3 overall and 14-3 in SAC play to remain atop the league standings.
TU senior Donovan Donaldson led the Pioneers with 23 points as he went 5-of-8 from three-point territory and 6-of-8 at the foul line. Junior Tariq Jenkins added 19 points while junior Dillon Smith and freshman Trenton Gibson poured in 15 and 12 points, respectively. Gibson also posted a team-high eight rebounds for the Pioneers.
The Royals' Lewis Diankulu also posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Daniel Carr added 14 markers and Blake Morrow finished with 11 points and Queens completed the season-sweep over the Pioneers.
The Royals shot 31-of-63 from the floor for 49.2 percent including 53.8 percent in the second half including 12-of-19 (63.2%) from inside the three-point line in the last 20 minutes.
Tusculum (10-12, 6-8 SAC) finished the game shooting 13-of-28 from beyond the arc (46.4%) as a team while the Royals went 7-of-20 from downtown (35%).
Queens out-rebounded by the Pioneers by a 40-35 margin as TU committed 17 turnovers resulting in 30 points for the Royals. Queens made 11 miscues culminating into 14 points for the visitors.
The Royals shot 28-of-35 at the free throw line (80%) including 21-of-26 in the second half. Tusculum went 21-of-30 at the foul stripe for 70 percent.
TU returns to action on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. league bout at Mars Hill University before returning home Saturday to host Lenoir-Rhyne University.
