Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals Recap

No. 1 Troy State 85, No. 8 Florida Atlantic 82
Top seed Troy State probably did not want a close game in the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament, but the result is a win and the Trojans cannot complain about that. After trailing for much of the first half, the Trojans built a 14-point second half lead. The Owls rallied to pull to within one, but Troy State made enough free throws down the stretch to seal the deal. Florida Atlantic’s final three-point attempts fell harmlessly away from the rim. Troy State will move on to play Georgia State in the semifinals.

No. 2 Central Florida 71, No. 7 Jacksonville 63
The final score indicates a close game, but the Golden Knights were in control for most of the game. Their defense held Jacksonville under 38 percent shooting while senior Josh Bodden led four players in double figures with 20 points. Jacksonville has never won an Atlantic Sun conference tournament game. They will have to wait until next year to try again.

No. 3 Belmont 71, No. 6 Mercer 63
The Bruins played a nearly flawless game by committing only four turnovers. By limiting mistakes, Belmont never gave Mercer an opportunity to creep back into the game even though the Bruins never built a huge lead. Senior forward Adam Mark has been one of the Atlantic Sun’s most dominating players all season and continued his great play in the conference tournament with 15 points and 10 rebounds. It was his ninth double double of the season.

No. 4 Georgia State 55, No. 5 Stetson 47
In the final game of the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament, Georgia State sneaked past Stetson in a low-scoring affair. The Panthers stifled Stetson throughout the first half, building a 30-18 lead. In the second half, the Hatters continued to struggle any offensive rhythm and traded scores with Georgia State. But when you’re trailing, trading hoops isn’t good enough. Time ran out on the Hatters, and Georgia State moves on to play Troy State. The Panthers cannot afford another sluggish game on offense against one of the best scoring team in the entire nation.