Championship Central
PENSACOLA, Fla. – James Madison and Arkansas State earned victories to secure spots in Monday evening’s 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship Game at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The title game will be televised nationally on ESPN with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
Arkansas State (18-15), the No. 4 seed, ousted top-seeded App State (27-6), 67-65, on a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation by junior guard Freddy Hicks to earn their first Sun Belt championship game appearance since 2007. The Red Wolves are in search of their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1999.
James Madison (30-3), the No. 2 seed, outlasted 11th-seeded Texas State (17-18), 73-68, to notch its first 30-win campaign in program history and extend their winning streak to 12 games. The Dukes will make their first Sun Belt title game appearance and seek their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2013.
(4) Arkansas State 67, (1) App State 65 (Box Score)
The Red Wolves were led by senior guard Caleb Fields’ game-high 23 points and six assists, while Hicks shot 8-for-9 from the field to tally 18 points with seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Izaiyah Nelson led all players with 13 rebounds.
Arkansas State held a 39-29 lead at halftime after shooting 15-for-26 (.577) from the floor in the first half. The Red Wolves’ largest advantage was 11 points early in the second half, but App State slowly chipped away at its deficit before a dunk by sophomore forward Justin Abson with 4:38 remaining put the Mountaineers in front, 62-61, for their first lead since the 14:44 mark of the first half.
Meanwhile, Fields scored night-straight Arkansas State points with the last two coming on a layup with 2:16 left to tie the game at 65.
Defense was on full display for both teams from that moment with no scoring until the final possession of regulation ended with Hicks sinking a leaning jumper as time expired to give the Red Wolves the win.
App State was led by junior guard Terence Harcum’s 15 points, as the Mountaineers shot 26-for-53 (.491) overall while committing just five turnovers in the contest.
(2) James Madison 73, (11) Texas State 68 (Box Score)
The Dukes were lifted by Noah Freidel’s career-high 28 points, as the redshirt senior guard made five 3-pointers, blocked three shots and converted all nine of his free throw attempts. Graduate forward T.J. Bickerstaff pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
James Madison led Texas State by as many as 15 points with under two minutes left in the first half before taking a 37-29 advantage into halftime. The Dukes grew the margin back to 10 points on two occasions in the second half, but a 10-0 scoring run by the Bobcats tied the game at 55 with 8:52 left in the game.
James Madison responded with a 9-2 run of its own from that point and did not allow Texas State to draw closer than three points for the remainder of the contest. The Dukes made each of their final six free throw attempts in the final 21 seconds to seal the victory.
Junior forward Brandon Love scored a team-high 17 points, while junior guard Dontae Horne registered 15 points and four assists off the bench.
2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship
Tuesday, March 5
Game 1 – (13) Coastal Carolina 75, (12) ULM 71
Game 2 – (11) Texas State 92, (14) Old Dominion 83 (OT)
Thursday, March 7
Game 3 – (9) Georgia Southern 76, (8) South Alabama 71
Game 4 – (5) Louisiana 80, (13) Coastal Carolina 66
Game 5 – (11) Texas State 75, (6) Southern Miss 59
Game 6 – (10) Marshall 86, (7) Georgia State 74
Saturday, March 9
Game 7 – (1) App State 85, (9) Georgia Southern 80 (OT)
Game 8 – (4) Arkansas State 89, (5) Louisiana 62
Game 9 – (11) Texas State 74, (3) Troy 68
Game 10 – (2) James Madison 81, (10) Marshall 64
Sunday, March 10
Game 11 – (4) Arkansas State 67, (1) App State 65
Game 12 – (2) James Madison 73, (11) Texas State 68
Monday, March 11 (Championship)
Game 13 – (2) James Madison vs. (4) Arkansas State – 6 p.m. CT [ESPN]