Staff report

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Even a career game by Terrence Whitfield couldn’t end Catawba’s long string of frustration against Queens in South Atlantic Conference basketball.

Whitfield poured in 31 points on 11-for-16 shooting and made four 3-pointers on Saturday night, but the second-seeded Royals outscored third-seeded Catawba 104-95 in a SAC semifinal played at Timmons Arena on the campus of Furman University.

Catawba (20-9) shot 57 percent, but it still wasn’t enough. Queens shot 56 percent and had a 20-10 edge in the turnover battle to maintain its mastery of Catawba since joining the SAC.

Catawba dug a 48-35 hole at halftime.

Catawba scored 60 in the second half and moved within three points of the Royals with 13 minutes left, but Queens pulled away and kept the Indians at arm’s length.

Devin Cooper made five 3-pointers and scored 17 for the Indians. Ben Zemonek and Malik Constantine scored 13 each.

Queens (23-6) got 27 from Daniel Carr. Six Royals scored in double figures.

Queens advances to play top-seeded Lincoln Memorial in Sunday’s championship game.

Catawba will find out if its season will continue when brackets for the D-II playoffs are released on Sunday at 10:30 p.m.

CATAWBA (95) — Whitfield 31, Cooper 17, Zemonek 13, Constantine 13, Haskett 7, McLeod 4, Lilly 4, Matthews 3, Johnson 2.

QUEENS (104) — Carr 27, Rains 19, Smith 16, Dye 16, Cunningham 11, Taylor 10, Turner 4, Brodowicz 1.

Catawba   35   60  — 95

Queens     48   56  — 104