Atlantic Sun Finals Recap
by Kristy Shonka
Trojans get to dance
The third-seeded Troy State Trojans held off a resilient UCF team to beat the fifth-seeded Knights 80-69 Saturday for the Atlantic Sun Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Knights were able to cut multiple double-digit leads to single figures, but it wasn’t enough as the bigger and more athletic Trojans kept them at bay. Troy State led 51-38 at halftime, largely behind the shooting of tournament MVP Ben Fletcher, who had 19 of his 29 points in the first half. Fletcher was 4-of-8 from three-point range and 7-of-12 overall. Ed Dotson was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor in the first stanza for the Knights, but foul severely limited his time on the court.
In the second half the Trojans managed to get their lead up to 17 with 9:49 left, but the Knights cut it to six with 1:18 left. Troy State hit seven free throws and a breakaway dunk in the final minute to close out the game.
UCF’s Ray Abellard and Dotson, TSU’s Rob Lewin and Georgia State’s Nate Williams joined Fletcher on the all-tournament team.
The Trojans will probably go to Birmingham, Ala., for their first-round game. The Troy State victory probably means Mercer, who was upset by UCF in the semifinals, will get a bid to the NIT. UCF’s season should be over.
