JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a thrilling quarterfinal matchup of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament, Robert McCray’s impressive performance of 26 points and 10 rebounds sparked No. 4 seed Jacksonville to a 78-67 win over fifth-seeded Eastern Kentucky on Monday night.
With this victory, the Dolphins (19-12) secure their spot in the semifinals, where they will face No. 2 seed North Alabama on Thursday. The other semifinal clash will see top-seeded Lipscomb go head-to-head with No. 6 seed Queens University on the same day.
McCray’s contribution extended beyond scoring, as he also recorded five assists for Jacksonville. Teammates Stephon Payne III and Zach Bell supported the effort by adding 10 points each.
On the opposing side, Devontae Blanton stood out for the Colonels (18-14) with an impressive display, scoring 27 points, alongside seven rebounds and four assists. Meanwhile, Mayar Wol contributed 14 points, and Montavious Myrick delivered a solid performance with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals.
The game began with McCray scoring 10 of his points in the first half, yet Jacksonville found themselves trailing 41-30 at halftime. Despite the early setback, they rallied in the second half, with Zimi Nwokeji scoring the final six points for the Dolphins, sealing their 11-point triumph as the clock ran down.
The Associated Press used technology provided by Data Skrive, leveraging data from Sportradar, to put together this engaging narrative of the event.
