DELAND, Fla. - For the first time in program history, Stetson University captured the Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Basketball Championship after the Hatters defeated Austin Peay on Sunday inside the Edmunds Center.
Sixth Man of the Year Sai Witt started the game for the Governors and made his presence felt early. At the first timeout of the game, he had 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor to help APSU to a 16-11 lead on the scoreboard. The teams played back and forth throughout the first half and traded leads at several points. At the media timeout with 3:33 on the clock, the Governors were ahead 29-26 with Isaac Haney heading to the free throw line. Haney connected on both of his shots to push the APSU lead to five points. The final few minutes of the half saw the Hatters fight back and they were only down three (39-36) when both teams entered their locker rooms.
A quick 5-0 run gave Stetson the lead coming out of the half gave the Hatters a lead but Austin Peay quickly responded. A layup from Haney put the Govs ahead by one point with a timeout at 15:50 on the game clock. APSU continued to put pressure on the home team and had a four-point advantage at the under-12 timeout of the second half. A three fromfirst Team All-ASUN selection Jalen Blackmon tied the game at 60 with 9:50 on the clock then he put Stetson ahead by three with an and-one free throw after a layup. DeMarcus Saharp quickly cut into the Hatters' lead before another bucket by Blackmon increase the Stetson lead. Despite a strong effort from the fourth-seeded Govs, the Hatters held on to bring their first tournament title home to DeLand. Blackmon, the 2024 Tournament MVP, ended the game with 43 points which were the most scored by any individual in ASUN Men's Basketball Championship history.
Stetson earned the league's automatic qualifier to represent the ASUN in the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. The Hatters await the selection show which airs on CBS at 6 PM ET on March 17 to see who they face first when March Madness begins.
All-Tournament Team
Jalen Blackmon, Stetson (MVP)
Aubin Gateretse, Stetson
Stephan Swenson, Stetson
Dezi Jones, Austin Peay
DeMarcus Sharp, Austin Peay
Robert McCray V, Jacksonville
Damian Forrest, North Alabama