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Neither team could shoot straight when Limestone and Queens got together for their Conference Carolinas men's basketball game Tuesday night at Ovens Gym.
But the visiting Saints got the "A" for effort and a 77-70 victory with a dominating second-half rebounding performance which erased an eight-point halftime lead by the Royals.
"They just wanted the ball more," Queens coach Wes Long said. "They played harder, won the 50-50 balls. And 33-8 in rebounds, it's a testament to their effort, but that's a joke."
Not one that left the Royals (2-1, 0-1) laughing, obviously.
Senior guard Andre Lockhart led four Queens players in double figures with 17 points on a night when the Royals shot 33.8 percent from the field (22-of-65). Limestone (3-0, 1-0), led by Jarrell Douglas' game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, wasn't much better at 34.4 percent (21-of-61).
For most of the way, the game was that close. The Royals scored the first eight points and led by as many as 11 during the first half before taking a 35-27 lead to the break. But during the second half, a stretch of eight minutes in which Queens scored only one field goal was costly.
Tyron Evans, who finished with 14 points, put Limestone in front to stay at 47-44 with a 3-pointer with 11 minutes, 9 seconds left. After a 7-0 run over the next couple of minutes, the Royals never got closer than three (63-60) on a Lockhart 3-pointer with 3:19 left.
"I told my staff at halftime that I wish there wasn't a break, because I thought they (the Saints) were gassed," Long said. "We wanted to push the tempo and we did. I thought we were in control, but the break seemed to be what they needed."
That huge second-half rebound margin didn't hurt, erasing a 22-20 halftime edge in rebounds by the Royals.
Reggie Hopkins scored 14, Daniel Bailey 13 and Devin Seaford 12 for Queens.
The Royals' next game will be Dec.2 against Tusculum in Greeneville, Tenn.
