CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — A historic shooting display from beyond the arc propelled the Queens Royals to a decisive 98-76 victory over the Bellarmine Knights in an ASUN Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Levine Center.

The Royals connected on 24 3-pointers, a program record at the NCAA Division I level, to overwhelm the Knights and improve to 7-8 overall. Bellarmine fell to 5-9.

The offensive explosion was led by junior guard Chris Ashby, who erupted for a career-high 34 points, fueled by 10 made 3-pointers. The Houston native’s performance was a stark turnaround from his recent outings, where he had scored a combined five points in his previous two games. His shooting spree provided the consistent offensive firepower that separated the two teams.

While Ashby lit up the scoreboard, the Royals’ offense operated with notable balance and efficiency. Five players scored in double figures. Carson Schwieger added 17 points, Yoav Berman had 11, and Jordan Watford contributed 12. Nasir Mann orchestrated the attack, finishing just shy of a triple-double with eight points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Bellarmine, despite an efficient offensive afternoon of its own, shooting 52.1% from the field, could not keep pace with the Royals’ torrent of threes. Jack Karasinski led the Knights with 24 points, while Brian Waddell added 15.

The most important stretch of the game came late in the first half, when Queens turned a narrow contest into a commanding lead. Leading 32-29 with just over eight minutes remaining before halftime, the Royals unleashed a game-defining 18-3 run over the next four and a half minutes. The surge was almost exclusively fueled by the long ball, with Ashby hitting three 3-pointers during the burst and Watford and Berman each adding one. When the dust settled, Queens held a 50-32 advantage with 3:46 left in the period.

Bellarmine never recovered. The Knights closed the half on a 7-0 run to trim the deficit to 50-39, but Queens opened the second half with a 3-pointer from Berman and maintained a double-digit lead for the entirety of the final 20 minutes. The Royals’ lead ballooned to as many as 26 points in the closing minutes.

The statistical disparity told the story of Queens’ perimeter dominance. The Royals attempted 54 threes, making 24 for a 44.4% clip, while Bellarmine was an efficient 9 for 20 from deep but could not match the volume. Queens also capitalized on Bellarmine’s mistakes, scoring 19 points off 14 Knights turnovers, and dominated the offensive glass with a 10-3 rebounding advantage that led to 12 second-chance points.

Defensively, Queens registered seven steals and three blocks, with Avantae Parker tallying two blocks and eight rebounds. Bellarmine’s interior advantage, outscoring Queens 32-18 in the paint, was rendered irrelevant by the Royals’ shooting exhibition.

The victory gave Queens its second conference win, while Bellarmine searches for its first in ASUN play. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Louisville on Jan. 31.

Queens next travels to face Jacksonville on Thursday. Bellarmine returns home to host Central Arkansas, also on Thursday.