Championship Central

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Coastal Carolina and Texas State collected victories in first-round action at the 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship on Tuesday evening at the Pensacola Bay Center. 

The No. 13 seed, Coastal Carolina led by as many as 13 in the first half and was able to hold off a second-half surge to defeat 12th-seeded ULM, 75-71. The Chanticleers shot 25-for-48 (.521) overall and 10-for-16 (.625) from the perimeter and held the Warhawks under 36 percent from the floor.

Seeded 11th, Texas State erased a 10-point halftime deficit to outlast 14th-seeded Old Dominion, 92-83, in overtime. The Bobcats trailed by as many as 12 early in the second half and overcame the Monarchs making nearly 54 percent of their shots in the final 20 minutes to force the extra period and win by nine.

The second round of the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship is slated for Thursday with four games beginning at 11:30 a.m., at the Pensacola Bay Center. 

(13) Coastal Carolina 75, (12) ULM 71 (Box Score)
Coastal Carolina freshman Jacob Meyer scored a career-high 32 points with six rebounds and five assists. He shot 9-for-15 overall, 4-for-5 from 3-point range and a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line.

The Chanticleers enjoyed a 38-29 halftime lead after converting seven of their first 10 3-point attempts, but ULM cut the deficit to just one, 54-53, with 6:24 remaining in the game. The Warhawks were never able to get any closer thanks to more clutch shooting by Meyer down the stretch.

Tyreese Watson led three ULM scorers in double-figures with a career-high 22 points to go with five rebounds and three steals.

Coastal Carolina advances to face fifth-seeded Louisiana on Thursday at 2 p.m.

(11) Texas State 92, (14) Old Dominion 83 (OT) (Box Score)
Coming off the bench, sophomore guard Coleton Benson scored 22 of a career-high 28 points in the second half to lead Texas State’s second-half surge and force the first overtime game in the Sun Belt tournament since 2021.

Benson made four 3-pointers on the night and went 14-for-14 at the free throw line, becoming the first player to have a perfect night at the foul stripe with at least 14 attempts in a Sun Belt tournament game since Kevin Hervey of UT-Arlington in 2018.

Old Dominion took a 38-28 lead into the locker room at halftime and shot 14-for-26 (.538) overall in the second half, but the Bobcats slowed down the pace of play and made 14 of 20 free throws in the period. In overtime, Texas State shot 12-for-12 at the foul stripe and made three of four field goals while holding the Monarchs to 2-for-9 shooting from the floor.

After Old Dominion junior guard Chaunce Jenkins connected on a halfcourt heave just after time expired in regulation, the game moved to overtime with the score knotted at 74. In the extra period, Texas State shot 12-for-12 at the foul stripe and made three of four field goals while holding the Monarchs to 2-for-9 shooting from the floor to seal the nine-point triumph.

Old Dominion junior guard Tyrone Williams led all players with a career-high 36 points on 15-for-29 shooting to go with seven rebounds and four steals. His 29 shot attempts broke the Sun Belt tournament’s previous record of 26 which was accomplished four times.

Texas State moves on to challenge sixth-seeded Southern Miss on Thursday at 5 p.m.

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 – (8) South Alabama vs. (9) Georgia Southern – 11:30 a.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 4 – (5) Louisiana vs. (13) Coastal Carolina – 2 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 5 – (6) Southern Miss vs. (11) Texas State – 5 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 6 – (7) Georgia State vs. (10) Marshall – 7:30 p.m. CT [ESPN+]

Saturday, March 9
Game 7 – (1) App State vs. Winner Game 3 – 11:30 a.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 8 – (4) Arkansas State vs. Winner Game 4 – 2 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 9 – (3) Troy vs. Winner Game 5 – 5 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 10 – (2) James Madison vs. Winner Game 6 – 7:30 p.m. CT [ESPN+]

Sunday, March 10
Game 11 – Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 – 5 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 12 – Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 – 7:30 p.m. CT [ESPN+]

Monday, March 11 (Championship)
Game 13 – Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12 – 6 p.m. CT [ESPN2]

All Times Central