Atlantic Sun Semifinals Recap

No. 1 Troy State 63, No. 4 Georgia State 62
For 37 minutes, Georgia State played a perfect game by slowing down Troy State. The Trojans are one of the highest scoring teams in the nation, but with just over three minutes remaining in the game, Georgia State led 60-49. But then everything fell apart for Georgia State.

Troy State’s defensive pressure forced 26 turnovers in the game, including a final turnover with 30 seconds remaining and the score tied at 62. Then with two seconds remaining, junior forward Greg Davis drained a free throw to give the Trojans a 63-62 lead. Georgia State could not pull off a miracle at the buzzer, and the Trojans escaped with an uncharacteristically low-scoring win. It was Troy State’s first win this season when the Trojans score less than 65 points.

No. 2 Central Florida 64, No. 3 Belmont 62
Central Florida knocked out the host of the Atlantic Sun tournament, Belmont, 64-62, as the Golden Knights rallied from a five-point halftime deficit. Central Florida destroyed the Bruins on the boards to help fuel the comeback. The team grabbed 12 more rebounds than Belmont.

The difference of the game came at the free-throw line as Central Florida made 12-of-15 free throws. The most important free throws came by senior forward Dexter Lyons, who drained both free throws near the end of the game to give the Golden Knights a two-point win. Lyons finished with 27 points.