Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Recap
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Gardner-Webb 64, No. 8 Troy 62
Despite poor shooting and no support from its bench, No. 1 Gardner-Webb slipped past No. 8 Troy 64-62, overcoming a four-point halftime deficit. Junior center Simon Conn was a beast in the paint, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass. The Bulldogs annihilated the Trojans in the rebounding category 41-21. With 19 offensive rebounds, Gardner-Webb managed to work through a sub-40 percent shooting day to advance to the semifinals. Senior forward Corey Hornsby finished his Troy career with 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
No. 2 Central Florida 81, No. 7 Mercer 68
No. 2 Central Florida started the defense of its conference title with an 81-68 quarterfinal win against No. 7 Mercer that wasn’t close by halftime. The Knights jumped out to a 45-24 halftime lead, which allowed Central Florida to give its bench players more playing time to rest the starters. Fresh players are a luxury in conference tournaments in which teams play several games in consecutive days. Sophomore guard Joshua Peppers led the Knights with 16 points and also grabbed six rebounds. Central Florida lit up the nets with three-pointers, sinking 12-of-27 attempts. The Bears were less fortunate, making only two three-pointers. Senior guard James Odoms led Mercer with 14 points.
No. 3 Belmont 67, No. 6 Georgia State 61
No. 3 Belmont used a three guard lineup to maximize the team’s perimeter game, and the Bruins hit 11 three-pointers en route to a 67-61 win against No. 6 Georgia State. Host of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament, Belmont was led by junior guard Brian Collins, who scored 15 points, and senior guard Jese Snyder, who scored all 12 of his points from three-point territory. Georgia State had no answer for Belmont’s long-range accuracy and couldn’t keep pace at the end. Senior forward Sylvester Morgan junior guard Herman Favors each scored 12 points for the Panthers.
No. 4 Jacksonville 68, No. 5 Lipscomb 64
The No. 4 Dolphins can thank the No. 5 Bisons’ inability to sink critical free throws for Jacksonville’s 68-64 quarterfinal win. The Bisons missed 12 free throws to go 15-of-27 from the line. Jacksonville’s 50 percent field goal shooting approached Lipscomb’s 55 percent free-throw shooting, which created the room for the Dolphins to win. Junior guard Jesse Kimbrough had a great game with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. The Dolphins ruined an outstanding performance by junior guard James Poindexter, who scored a game-high 24 points.
Semifinals
No. 1 Gardner-Webb 77, No. 4 Jacksonville 76
The top-seeded Bulldogs once again escaped defeat with a 77-76 squeaker against No. 4 Jacksonville. Junior center Simon Conn had another amazing game with 29 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds. Conn single-handedly kept Gardner-Webb in the tournament in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. The Bulldogs rely almost entirely on their starters as the bench scored only three points. Four of the five starters played at least 36 minutes. The strategy was necessary for the Bulldogs to defeat the upset-minded Dolphins, but it also takes a toll on these players as they play so many minutes on such little rest.
Jacksonville’s upset bid fell short despite great efforts by junior guard Jesse Kimbrough and sophomore forward Haminn Quaintance, who each scored 16 points. Jacksonville shot better than 50 percent from the field but allowed the Bulldogs to win the rebounding battle and collect far too many offensive rebounds. A few defensive boards here and there would have allowed the Dolphins to advance to the championship game. Instead, Gardner-Webb will attempt to make its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament appearance.
No. 2 Central Florida 66, No. 3 Belmont 61
Despite playing in front of a No. 3 Belmont-friendly crowd, No. 2 Central Florida moved within a game of a second consecutive Atlantic Sun title by winning 66-61. The Knights led 35-22 at halftime and outlasted the Bruins in the second half, despite a valiant run by the host. Senior guard Gary Johnson hit four three-pointers and scored 17 points to lead the Knights. But defense continued to be the modus operandi for Central Florida, as the Knights held Belmont to less than 39 percent shooting from the field.
Belmont facilitated Central Florida’s defensive pressure by settling for three-pointers. The Bruins shot 7-of-24 from behind the arc, but they had little choice after trailing by double digits at the half. Junior guard Brian Collins led the Bruins with 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, six of which were on the offensive end. With 11 second chances, Belmont stayed closer than Central Florida would have preferred. But in the end, Central Florida advanced to play No. 1 Gardner-Webb for the Atlantic Sun’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Championship
No. 2 Central Florida 63, No. 1 Gardner-Webb 54
Great play from junior guard Gary Johnson and suffocating defense secured No. 2 Central Florida a second consecutive Atlantic Sun title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Johnson scored 19 points to lead the Knights, who held No. 1 Gardner-Webb to 16 first half points in a 63-54 win in the conference championship. The Bulldogs could not figure out the Knights’ defense until late in the second half, shooting only 35 percent from the field.
In addition to Johnson, the Knights got 14 points from sophomore guard Joshua Peppers as Central Florida’s backcourt outplayed its counterparts from Gardner-Webb. The Bulldogs’ junior center Simon Conn had a third consecutive strong game with 15 points and seven rebounds. But Central Florida contained him compared to his previous two performances with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Brian Bender led the Bulldogs with 17 points.
When the Bulldogs attempted to rally in the second half, Central Florida finished the game with good free-throw shooting. The Knights hit 17-of-20 free throws to close out the deal and give Central Florida a second consecutive opportunity to pull off a major upset in the NCAA Tournament.
Last year, the Knights gave the Pittsburgh Panthers all they could handle in the first round before losing a tight game. This year, Central Florida will likely draw a No. 14 or 15 seed, so the Knights will be scouting some of the major conferences’ top teams in the days to come.
