- Matchup: Queens Royals vs Purdue Boilermakers
- Scheduled Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
- Venue: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
- Broadcast: truTV
- Betting Odds: Purdue favored by 26 points
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The Queens Royals (21-13) will be heading to the Enterprise Center this Friday to take on the Purdue Boilermakers (27-8) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Purdue starts this game as 26-point favorites, with an over/under set at 163.5.
In their previous game, the Queens Royals faced off against Central Arkansas and secured a thrilling victory with a score of 98-93. The Royals committed 18 fouls, while Central Arkansas tallied 21. Queens excelled from beyond the arc, hitting 15 of their 36 attempts. Central Arkansas capped their free-throw performance at 70.0%, converting 14 out of 20 attempts. They also gathered 34 rebounds (14 offensive, 20 defensive) without any blocks. Central Arkansas managed 17 assists and 13 steals. On defense, the Royals allowed their opponents to shoot 42.7% from the field with 32 successful shots out of 75. Queens contributed 19 assists, forced 11 turnovers, and collected 7 steals while securing 41 rebounds, including 12 offensive boards. At the line, the Royals showcased an 81.5% success rate, sinking 22 of their 27 free-throw attempts. Overall, Queens recorded a 46.2% field goal percentage (30 of 65) and hit 16 out of 38 shots from three-point range.
Highlighting the game was Chris Ashby, who played a pivotal role by finishing with 34 points on 10 of 19 shooting. His performance included 4 assists and 4 rebounds over 43 minutes on the court.
For the season, Queens sports a 21-13 record. They average 84.9 points per game (19th in the nation) with a shooting percentage of 48.2%. The Royals are making 36.0% of their attempts from downtown (346 of 962) and an impressive 73.9% from the free-throw line. Collectively, they grab 33.8 rebounds per game and have accumulated 541 assists this season, ranking 50th nationally. They average 10.7 turnovers and commit 19.9 personal fouls each game.
Defensively, the Royals force their opponents into an average of 10.9 turnovers and draw 19.0 fouls per game. They limit their rivals to 35.4% shooting from beyond the arc but rank lower in the national defensive standings, allowing 82.9 points per game. Queens concedes a field goal percentage of 46.6% (970 of 2,082) and an average of 35.4 rebounds per game, ranking them 252nd in Division 1 for assists allowed, having given up 462 this season.
In their last outing, the Purdue Boilermakers clinched an 80-72 victory against Michigan. They recorded a total of 25 rebounds, comprising 18 defensive and 7 offensive boards. The Boilermakers only turned the ball over twice and made 4 steals during the game. Michigan’s 18 fouls led to Purdue attempting 22 free shots, of which they converted 16 for a 72.7% success rate. Purdue shot 28.6% from three-point land, making 4 of 14 attempts. Overall, they concluded the game with a shooting percentage of 52.6%, hitting 30 of 57 attempts from the field. Conversely, they allowed Michigan to shoot 46.9% (30 of 64) with the Wolverines making 7 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc and finishing 5 of 6 from the charity stripe (83.3%). Purdue allowed Michigan to gather 31 total rebounds, with 10 being offensive.
Oscar Cluff stood out for the Boilermakers, converting 7 of 11 shots, giving him an outstanding field goal percentage of 63.6%. He contributed 21 points, accompanied by 5 rebounds and 1 assist in just 25 minutes on the court.
Purdue boasts a record of 27-8 for the season. Offensive statistics show that they hit a remarkable 49.9% from the field, placing them 14th nationally. With a total of 2,858 points this season (averaging 81.7 points per game), they also average 35.4 rebounds per contest. The Boilermakers excel in assists with an impressive average of 19.9 per game (3rd in college basketball) while maintaining a low turnover rate of 8.9 per game. Defensively, they commit 14.7 fouls on average while converting 74.3% of their free-throw attempts.
On defense, Purdue restricts opponents to a 34.2% success rate on three-point attempts (306 of 895) and allows 72.0% accuracy from the charity stripe. They yield an average of 14.6 assists and 28.4 rebounds per game, ranking 274th and 2nd respectively. The Boilermakers are positioned 77th in Division 1 for points per game allowed with an average of 70.1. Their defense forces 10.2 turnovers on average and permits opponents to shoot 44.6% from the field, ranking them 212th in Division 1.
Who will cover the spread in tonight’s NCAA matchup?
Prediction: Bet on Purdue (-26)
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