EKU Upset in First Round of ASUN Tournament

An unforgettable season ended abruptly for the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. In 2023-24 EKU won its first regular season conference title in 45 years, earning the right to host the ASUN Conference Tournament. They were promptly eliminated by the No. 10 seed in the opening round.

EKU needed a tip-in off a missed free throw to send the game into overtime. Michael Moreno corralled the rebound, but his put-back fell short. Jacksonville survived with a 67-65 win, extending the Colonels’ NCAA Tournament drought to 11 years.

The Dolphins only shot 38% from the field, but their two stars shined brightest. Bryce Workman had 25 points, including the final two, and Robert McCray scored 24 to continue Jacksonville’s miracle run. ASUN Player of the Year Isaiah Cozart had 18 points and 14 rebounds in a losing effort for EKU.

JACKSONVILLE UPSETS TOP-SEEDED EASTERN KENTUCKY 😱

The ASUN tournament is WIDE OPEN 😳

(via @JAX_MBB)pic.twitter.com/kvDPUj3ltx

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 6, 2024

FINAL: No. 10 seed Jacksonville defeats No. 1 seed Eastern Kentucky, 67-65, in the ASUN Tournament quarterfinals.

The ASUN champion Colonels go one-and-done in the conference tournament.

The NCAA Tournament drought for EKU men’s basketball will stretch to 11 years. pic.twitter.com/EYBhbzc17R

— Cameron Drummond (@cdrummond97) March 6, 2024

Jacksonville almost completely missed the ASUN Tournament. Bellarmine had Austin Peay on the ropes, needing a win to secure the final spot into the conference tournament, but the Knights from Louisville faltered down the stretch, paving the way for Jacksonville to enter as the No. 10 seed.

The Dolphins entered the postseason 15-16, just 5-12 in Atlantic Sun play. They knocked off Kennesaw State in the opening round of the ASUN Tournament, then took advantage of a reeling Eastern Kentucky.

Despite their outright ASUN regular season title, EKU ended the regular season with back-to-back losses and defeats in three of their final five games. To amplify the fallout from the disappointing first round loss, the NIT changed its rules this offseason, no longer guaranteeing bids to regular season winners of small-major conferences.

March Madness is not for the faint of heart.

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UPDATE

That wasn’t the craziest finish to a game in the ASUN Tournament on Tuesday night. March, it’s the best.

pic.twitter.com/0hS6SpXvZi

— No Context College Basketball (@ContextFreeCBB) March 6, 2024

Following a crazy night of upsets, this is what Thursday’s semifinals will look like in the ASUN Tournament:

No. 10 Jacksonville at No. 2 Stetson 
No. 6 North Alabama at No. 4 Austin Peay