BOCA RATON, Fla.— Barry University men’s basketball team dropped the opening game of the Lynn University Holliday Classic against Queens University (N.C.) Sunday, 69-64.
Coming off a 44-point win two nights earlier, the Buccaneers struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 35 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc. Barry’s struggles offensively and some hot shooting from the Royals sent Queens into the break ahead 12.
The Royals led by as many as 14 early in the second half, but the resilient Buccaneers continued to scrap and generated momentum offensively, forcing 16 turnovers to stay within striking distance.
Barry (4-7) continued to chip away at the deficit in the meatier portion of the second half, eventually taking a two-point lead with just over two minutes on the clock, but turnovers in key possessions down the stretch proved too costly for the Bucs.
Justin McCoy finished with a game-high 17 points and grabbed three rebounds, and Jermaine Edwards registered a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Evan White and Bryan Van Cott added eight and nine points, respectively.
Daniel Bailey’s 16 points paced the Royals (5-4) three-prong offensive production. Brandon Nichols and Antonio Stabler each chipped in 12 points. Queens, which entered the season with a preseason Top 25 ranking, snapped a two-game losing streak as part of a five-game stretch in which the Royals suffered all of their losses.
The Bucs will finish the tournament at 5 p.m. when they face off against Missouri S & T. Fans can access Live stats and audio broadcast game coverage via Barry University’s athletic website, GOBARRYBUCS.COM.