FLORENCE, Ala. — Jacari Lane delivered an outstanding performance, sinking a personal best of seven 3-pointers and amassing 31 points to propel second-seed North Alabama to a commanding 90-64 victory over seventh-seed Austin Peay in Monday night’s Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
Luck was on North Alabama’s side, as they will progress to face fourth-seed Jacksonville in Thursday’s semifinals. In another matchup on the same night, Lipscomb, the top seed, will contend against sixth-seed Queens University.
Lane displayed remarkable accuracy, making 9 of 13 shots, including an impressive 7 of 8 from beyond the arc and a flawless 6 of 6 from the charity stripe for the Lions, who boast a 23-9 record. Teammate Donte Bacchus also proved instrumental, contributing 16 points and securing five rebounds. Corneilous Williams added to the scoreboard with 14 points, going 6 for 9 on field goal attempts and making 2 of 6 free throws.
Akili Evans stood out for the Governors (14-19), closing the game with 11 points. LJ Thomas complemented with another 11 points while also distributing five assists, and Isaac Haney chipped in with eight points.
North Alabama took control early, seizing the lead 16:39 into the first half and maintaining their advantage throughout the remainder of the game. Lane was pivotal in the first half, scoring 17 points, which helped their team hold a 48-30 lead at halftime.
