JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Central Arkansas, FGCU, Austin Peay and Queens earn victories on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the 2026 ASUN Men's Basketball Tournament on Saturday night.
#1 Central Arkansas 86, #8 Bellarmine 73
Central Arkansas used a strong first half and a standout performance from Camren Hunter to defeat Bellarmine, 86-73, on Friday morning at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena to advance to the tournament semifinals.
UCA controlled the game from early in the first half and never trailed after the opening minutes. The Bears led for 36:30 of the contest and built a double-digit advantage midway through the first half before carrying a 48-34 lead into the break. Bellarmine’s only lead came at the 17:50 mark of the opening half, while UCA steadily widened the margin and eventually pushed its advantage to as many as 27 points in the second half. Hunter powered the Bears offensively with a game-high 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. Luke Moore added 14 points and a game-high seven assist, while Ty Robinson contributed 12 points. Harrison Beauchamp also finished in double figures with 12 points as Central Arkansas shot 58.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc (13-of-26). Bellarmine was led by Jack Karasinski’s 23 points while Brian Waddell scored 15 and Tyler Doyle added 12. The Knights shot 51.9 percent from the field and hit nine three-pointers, but Central Arkansas capitalized in transition with a 13-2 advantage in fast-break points and received 23 points from its bench.
#5 FGCU 77, #4 Lipscomb 53
FGCU earned a spot in the ASUN Championship semifinals with a 77-53 victory over Lipscomb on Friday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. FGCU controlled the game for the majority of the afternoon, leading for 38:55 of the contest. After an early tie, the Eagles built momentum in the first half and carried a 36-27 advantage into the break before extending the lead in the second half. FGCU pushed its margin to as many as 24 points in the final minutes.Isaiah Malone paced the Eagles with 17 points while shooting 7-of-11 from the field and adding six rebounds. Rahmir Barno followed with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 mark at the free throw line. J.R. Konieczny contributed 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while Jordan Ellerbee finished with 11 points as FGCU placed four players in double figures. FGCU shot 50.8 percent from the field (31-of-61) and connected on 7-of-22 attempts from three-point range. The Eagles dominated inside with a 46-22 advantage in points in the paint and held a 42-21 edge on the glass. Lipscomb shot 38 percent from the field (19-of-50) and finished with eight three-pointers.
#2 Austin Peay 69, #10 Stetson 60
Austin Peay rallied in the second half to defeat Stetson, 69-60, on Friday afternoon at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena to advance to the ASUN Tournament Semifinals. Stetson led for much of the opening half and carried a 37-32 advantage into the break after building a lead as large as 14 points in the first period. Austin Peay responded after halftime, outscoring the Hatters 37-23 in the second half to take control of the game and secure the nine-point victory. Rashaud Marshall led the Governors with 15 points and seven rebounds while shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Zyree Collins added eight points and three rebounds, while Collin Parker contributed seven points and four rebounds. Anton Brookshire chipped in five points as Austin Peay erased the halftime deficit. Austin Peay shot 43.6 percent from the field (24-of-55) and went 16-of-20 from the free-throw line. The Governors held advantages in points in the paint (38-30) and second-chance points (11-5), helping fuel the second-half comeback. Stetson finished the contest shooting 43 percent from the field (23-of-53) and connected on eight three-pointers, but was limited to 23 points in the second half as Austin Peay seized momentum down the stretch. With the win, Austin Peay advances to the ASUN Championship semifinals.
#6 West Georgia 71, #3 Queens 63
Queens pulled away early and maintained control throughout the night, defeating West Georgia, 71–63. Queens built an early advantage in the first half, taking a 33–25 lead into the break. The Royals shot 42.3 percent from the field in the opening period and knocked down four three-pointers while holding West Georgia to 28.1 percent shooting. The Royals continued to maintain the lead in the second half as both teams scored 38 points over the final 20 minutes. Queens’ largest advantage reached 23 points with 8:36 remaining in the second half. Queens finished the game shooting 43 percent (24-of-56) from the floor and 36 percent (9-of-25) from three-point range, while adding 14 free throws. West Georgia shot 35 percent (25-of-72) from the field and was limited to 13 percent (3-of-23) from beyond the arc. Nasir Mann paced Queens with 10 points in the first half, while Carson Schwieger added eight points and Avantae Parker chipped in seven. Chris Ashby and Maban Jabriel each contributed scoring in the second half as the Royals maintained their advantage. Queens also capitalized in transition, scoring 17 fast break points compared to nine for West Georgia.
Due to the Gate River Run in Downtown Jacksonville on Saturday, roads surrounding the stadium will be closed until approximately 1:00 PM. Guests traveling to the arena should plan to enter via Union Street or Beaver Street, with traffic redirected over the Mathews Bridge from the MLK Expressway or via the Expressway ramp downtown. Please allow extra travel time.
Follow @ASUNSports for updates throughout the postseason.