Quarterfinals, Tuesday, March 3, 2020 (ESPN+)
#1 Liberty 55, #8 NJIT 49 (Box Score)
Liberty was able to get the win, but it was much closer than expected. The Highlanders were able to cut Liberty’s lead to 5 in the closing seconds as the Flames nearly went the final 8 minutes of game action without a field goal and missing several free throws. Liberty shot just 4-of-20 from three point range, but were able to hang on to the win thanks to a team-leading 14 points from ASUN Player of the Year Caleb Homesley and 13 points from Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz including a clutch bucket in traffic in the final minute.
#4 Stetson 82, #5 North Alabama 72 (Box Score)
North Alabama led the Hatters, 22-20, midway through the first half, but Stetson would respond with a commanding 19-0 run to seize control of the game before halftime. The Lions would climb back in front at the beginning of the second half and wouldn’t relinquish the lead until midway through the second twenty minutes. Stetson took the lead on a Kenny Aninye three pointer with 11:59 to play and would not relinquish the lead.
#3 Lipscomb 68, #6 FGCU 63 (Box Score)
Ahsan Asadullah, perhaps upset that he didn’t get the nod for ASUN Player of the Year, went off for Lipscomb in their win over FGCU. The first-team all-ASUN big man scored 40 points on 18-of-29 shooting while also grabbing 14 rebounds. It was a back and forth game throughout, with the Bisons clinging to a three-point lead in the waning seconds. On a wild sequence, FGCU missed a layup, then stole the ball from Asadullah after he secured the rebound, then turned it over all within 11 seconds. Lipscomb’s Michael Buckland was able to make two free throws with 3 seconds left to secure the win.
#2 North Florida 91, #7 Jacksonville 88 (Box Score)
Jacksonville tested the 2-seed throughout, even leading for much of the first half. The Ospreys were able to build a double digit lead in the second half. UNF led by 13 with 1:37 to play, but the Dolphins used a 15-5 run to put a scare into the heavily favored Ospreys. Carter Hendricksen and Garrett Sams eached scored 21 points while Ivan Gandia-Rosa added 17.
Semifinals, Thursday, March 5, 2020 (ESPN+)
#1 Liberty 66, #4 Stetson 62 (Box Score)
Liberty overcame an ice cold shooting for the first 15 minutes of game action to advance to the program’s third consecutive conference championship game. Caleb Homesley paved the way with 26 points while Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz made all 8 of his free throws in the final 45 seconds of the game to seal the win.
#3 Lipscomb 73, #2 North Florida 71 (Box Score)
In a thrilling semifinal in Jacksonville, the Bisons pull off the upset over the senior-laden Ospreys behind Ahsan Asadullah’s 27 points and Andrew Fleming’s 26 points. Fleming hit a jumper with 3.2 seconds to lift Lipscomb to the win. The Bisons will be making their third consecutive ASUN conference championship appearance.
