JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — In a game defined by offensive runs and a standout individual performance, the Queens University of Charlotte Royals held off a persistent North Florida Ospreys squad for an 89-82 victory in ASUN Conference men’s basketball action Saturday afternoon at UNF Arena.

The visiting Royals (9-8, 3-1 ASUN) built a double-digit lead in the first half, saw it evaporate after halftime, and then executed down the stretch to secure the road win. The Ospreys (2-15, 0-4), despite a heroic 29-point effort from junior guard Kamrin Oriol of St. Petersburg, Florida, could not complete the comeback and dropped their eighth consecutive game.

The most critical phase of the contest came late in the second half with the outcome still in doubt. After North Florida’s Kent Jackson, a Jacksonville native, drilled a 3-pointer to cut the Queens lead to 73-70 with just under three minutes remaining, the Royals responded with a decisive 7-0 burst. Nasir Mann of Gainesville, Florida, answered with a 3-pointer of his own on the next possession, assisted by Jordan Watford. Following a defensive stop, Chris Ashby of Houston connected from beyond the arc, pushing the Queens advantage to 79-70 with 1:56 to play. That sequence effectively sealed the game, as North Florida could not get the deficit back to a single possession.

Queens controlled the game early, using a 12-2 run midway through the first half to open a 22-10 lead. The Royals maintained that cushion for the remainder of the period, taking a 40-36 lead into the locker room despite Oriol’s 14 first-half points. The second half saw North Florida chip away, finally drawing even at 56-56 on a Trey Cady layup with 13:30 remaining. The teams traded leads until a Yoav Berman 3-pointer put Queens ahead for good at 61-59 with just over 10 minutes left, setting the stage for the final dramatic minutes.

While Oriol’s scoring kept the Ospreys afloat, the Royals won the game with superior efficiency and rebounding. Queens posted an offensive rating of 121.3 points per 100 possessions, significantly better than North Florida’s 108.3. A major factor was the Royals’ work on the glass, where they outrebounded the Ospreys 12-6 on the offensive end, leading to 13 second-chance points. Queens also attempted 24 free throws, making 18, compared to North Florida’s 12 attempts.

Mann led a balanced Queens attack with 17 points, while Avantae Parker of Columbia, South Carolina, and Berman of Tel Aviv, Israel, each added 16. Parker also contributed two blocks and was a force defensively. Watford, from Lancaster, South Carolina, filled the stat sheet with 13 points and a game-high six assists. Ashby finished with 11 points.

For North Florida, Oriol’s 29 points came on 12-of-24 shooting, and he added four assists. Jackson supported him with 16 points. Mason Lee of Jacksonville Beach had nine points, four assists, and two blocks. The Ospreys shot 46.3% from the field but were hampered by 10-of-32 shooting from 3-point range and the rebounding disparity.

The announced attendance at UNF Arena was 1,280. Queens, which has won three of its last four conference games, travels to face Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday. North Florida, still seeking its first ASUN win, visits North Alabama on the same night. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Charlotte on Feb. 7.