MIAMI GARDENS, Fla - The Royals hit the road to take on St. Thomas University in a Sun Conference matchup, taking place in Miami Gardens, FL.

This game witnessed a strong bout that saw the hosting Bobcats come away with the victory 72-58 over the visiting Royals. The Royals came out the gate strong but were unable to match the dominant offensive attack from St. Thomas. On the day, the Royals shot a lackluster 32.3 percent from the field, and a disappointing 23.5 percent behind the arch. Blaize Darling Jr led the way for the visiting Royals, scoring 20 points on 50 percent shooting. Additionally, he finished one rebound shy from a double-double and tied the team lead for steals with three. The Royals paced the Bobcats in steals eight to five, but we were outrebounded 40 to 31. Inefficient shooting hurt the Royals today as they were only able to knock down four threes in the contest.  Knocking down one of these was Jamal Norris who finished with ten points, five rebounds, and a steal. Despite poor perimeter shooting, the Royals made their shots count at the charity stripe shooting an impressive 77.8 percent. The two Warner starters mentioned above combined for 11 out of the 14 free throws made on the day. Logan West put together a strong performance for the Royals, finishing the game with nine points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. The key for the Bobcats in their victory today was their 11 second chance points, compared to the Royals' four. Cearius Warren had a great game for the Bobcats finishing with a double-double. Warren completed the game with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. Warner battled from start to finish but were unable to overcome their shooting woes. The Royals will look to bounce back into the win column Wednesday when they host their Crooked Lake rivals, Webber International University, in a Sun Conference matchup.

INSIDE THE MATCH: Warner vs St. Thomas University
FINAL: Royals 58, Bobcats 72
RECORDS: Royals (11-13, 3-7), Bobcats (19-5, 9-2)

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

• Blaize Darling Jr continued a strong season, knocking down 20 points on 50 percent shooting. Darling Jr finished one rebound shy from a double-double, and improved his season PPG (points per game) total to 17.9.
• Jamal Norris finished the game with 10 points, five rebounds, and a steal. Norris was quiet from the three-point line tonight but expect things to change as conference play continues.
• Logan West put together a positive performance for the Royals, as he finished with nine points, five rebounds, two assists, and three assists. 
• The Royals shot 77.8 percent from the free-throw line.

UP NEXT:
The Royals look to bounce back Wednesday, February 14th, when they take on Webber International University in a Sun Conference bout.