Atlantic Sun Finals Recap

No. 2 Central Florida 60, No. 1 Troy State 55

Welcome to the NCAA Tournament, Central Florida. The Golden Knights earned their third bid to the Big Dance with an upset against top seed Troy State, 60-55. Central Florida controlled the tempo, which translated into controlling the win. Troy State shot only 32 percent in the game, which stunted one of the nation’s best offenses. Central Florida did not shoot lights out, either, but made a significantly better 40 percent.

Senior forward Dexter Lyons led the team for the second straight day, scoring 18 points. He helped Central Florida build a lead that the Golden Knights never relinquished. Troy State junior guard Greg Davis did all he could to bring back the Trojans, but Central Florida outlasted Troy State by making seven free throws in the final minute. The Trojans missed three free throws in the same stretch, which significantly hurt their comeback attempt.

Central Florida ended Troy State’s 13-game winning streak, and the Golden Knights were the last team to beat the Trojans. So they will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 when Marcus Camby’s Massachusetts Minutemen slammed the 16th seeded Golden Knights. Central Florida has won nine of the team’s last 10 games. The Golden Knights have a gaudy 25-5 record, but the team’s best non-conference win is against the Citadel. Not exactly a power win.