UCA falls 98-93 to Queens in OT of ASUN Championship final

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Central Arkansas came close to a historic finish Sunday afternoon but fell just short in overtime of the Atlantic Sun Conference championship game.

The Bears lost 98–93 to Queens University of Charlotte in the ASUN Championship Final at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

The game went to overtime after a dramatic rally late in regulation, but Queens outscored UCA 16–11 in the extra period to claim the title.

UCA coach John Shulman was emotional after the loss, which prevented the Bears from advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

“It was emotional and hurts really bad because it was so good,” he said later. “Some years it’s not so good. It’s emotional because it was so good and that’s what hurts so bad.”

That hurt, as painful as it is, could be something to benefit going forward.

“We’re very lucky,” he said. “For what our team did is it’s a 30-for-30 or E:60. What we did with (patting Camren Hunter on the back) him leading the way. I thought we could pull a rabbit out of the hat and we almost did.

“We came a long way to get to this point. We were really close.”

Depth played a part of it. The tournament, he told me Saturday evening, is a three-game marathon. The Bears were dead-legged at times against the Royals and it showed for both teams in a sloppy end of the game at times with easy shots being missed. A lot of that is flat-out fatigue.

“We’re not made for three games in three days,” Shulman said. “It takes time. We were slow to the ball. We just didn’t have ‘it’ today. But we dug deep. God almighty. We were down 9 with about two minutes to play and we dug deep and found a way. Our kids were exhausted.”

He knows it wasn’t just big for the basketball program he’s been in charge of for two seasons now.

“What they did for UCA,” he said. “What they did for Conway and what they did for our program, that’s why it hurts.”

Even in defeat, the performance of guard Camren Hunter stood out. Hunter delivered one of the biggest scoring games in program history and kept the Bears within reach throughout the contest.

A historic season for @UCAMBB ends in overtime heartbreak in the @ASUNSports final.

Cam Hunter scored 49, including 28 of the Bears’ final 31 points in regulation. Still, UCA’s dream of an NCAA Tournament bid comes just short.

“It hurts really bad because it was so good.” pic.twitter.com/eWU7JcaA7c

— Jack Allen KATV (@JackAllenTV) March 8, 2026

Strong start helps UCA take halftime lead

UCA opened the championship game with energy and early scoring. Javion Guy-King knocked down a three-pointer just 23 seconds after the opening tip, setting the tone for a fast start.

The Bears quickly built an 8-0 lead thanks to a three-pointer by Ty Robinson and a layup from Malchiah Marable.

Queens answered with a short run of its own, including a three-pointer from Chris Ashby that helped the Royals close the gap midway through the first half.

The two teams traded baskets and momentum the rest of the half. UCA’s offense moved the ball well and recorded eight assists before halftime. When the first half ended, the Bears held a narrow 34-30 advantage.

Hunter scored several key baskets during the half, including a layup with 6:46 remaining that helped maintain the lead as the Royals continued to pressure from outside.

Camren Hunter. | ASUN Conference Photo

Royals surge ahead before late rally

The second half turned into a tense battle as Queens began finding success from long distance.

A three-pointer from Ashby with just over four minutes left pushed the Royals ahead 71-59, putting UCA in a difficult spot late in the game.

Hunter responded with several clutch plays to pull the Bears back into the contest.

With 27 seconds remaining, Hunter hit a three-pointer that cut the deficit to 79-78. Moments later he added two free throws to trim the lead to one point.

Then, with only two seconds left on the clock, Hunter drove to the basket and made a layup that tied the game at 82 and forced overtime.

The basket completed an impressive comeback effort and gave the Bears new life heading into the extra period.

Queens controls overtime

Overtime began with Queens quickly taking back momentum.

A three-pointer by Ashby at the 3:59 mark helped the Royals extend the lead to 87-82. Shortly afterward, Avantae Parker added a dunk that pushed the margin to seven points.

UCA tried to fight back again.

Robinson scored on a layup and converted a free throw for a three-point play to narrow the deficit to 89-85. Hunter later knocked down another three-pointer to pull the Bears within three points.

But Queens sealed the win from the free-throw line. Late foul shots by Ashby and Jordan Watford closed out the 98-93 victory and ended the championship game.

Hunter’s record night highlights effort

While the outcome didn’t go UCA’s way, Hunter’s performance was historic.

The senior guard scored 49 points, which set a new ASUN Tournament record, a UCA single-game record, and a career high.

Hunter also made eight of his 12 attempts from three-point range and finished the game with four steals.

Robinson added 16 points for the Bears, including three made three-pointers and two blocked shots.

Guy-King contributed 10 points along with seven rebounds and five assists, helping run the offense during long stretches of the game.

Cole McCormick added seven rebounds, two steals, and a block.

Both Hunter and Robinson were selected to the ASUN All-Tournament Team after their performances during the championship run.

Season ends after strong tournament run

The loss closed the season for the Bears, who finished with a 22-12 overall record and a 15-3 mark in ASUN play.

The team reached the conference title game after winning the ASUN regular-season championship and advancing through the conference tournament earlier in the week.

Although the final result didn’t deliver an automatic NCAA Tournament berth, UCA’s deep run and Hunter’s historic scoring performance provided a memorable finish to the season.

The Bears battled until the final minutes of overtime, but Queens made the key plays late to secure the conference championship.