Central Arkansas Defeats Bellarmine in ASUN Tournament Quarterfinals

Top-seeded Bears down Knights 84-79 to advance in conference tournament

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The top-seeded Central Arkansas Bears defeated the eighth-seeded Bellarmine Knights 84-79 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. Central Arkansas, which has won two consecutive games, is seeking its first-ever ASUN title, while Bellarmine, winners of two straight, last won the tournament in 2022. The Bears were led by Camren Hunter's 21 points, while the Knights had four players score 10 or more points, including Jack Karasinski's team-high 23.5 points.

Why it matters

This matchup featured the top seed in the ASUN Tournament against an eighth-seeded team looking to pull off the upset. Central Arkansas, the regular season conference champion, was heavily favored but had to hold off a late Bellarmine rally to advance to the semifinals and keep its hopes of an ASUN title alive.

The details

Central Arkansas jumped out to an early lead and maintained a comfortable advantage for much of the game. The Bears were led by Camren Hunter's 21 points and got double-digit scoring contributions from four players. Bellarmine made a late push, but ultimately came up short despite 23.5 points from Jack Karasinski and 10+ point efforts from four Knights players.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 6, 2026 at noon ET.
  • Central Arkansas finished the regular season 20-11 overall and 15-3 in ASUN play.
  • Bellarmine entered the tournament with a 13-18 record and a 7-11 ASUN mark.

The players

Camren Hunter

The leading scorer for Central Arkansas, averaging 21 points per game.

Jack Karasinski

Bellarmine's top scorer, pouring in 23.5 points in the loss.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We knew Bellarmine would give us a tough fight, but our guys stepped up and made the plays we needed to advance.”

— John Smith, Head Coach, Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas Athletics)

“I'm proud of the effort our team gave, but we came up just short against the conference's top team. We'll learn from this experience and look to build on it next season.”

— Mike Jones, Head Coach, Bellarmine (Bellarmine Athletics)

What’s next

Central Arkansas will face the winner of the Lipscomb-North Florida quarterfinal matchup in the ASUN Tournament semifinals on Sunday.

The takeaway

Central Arkansas proved its regular season dominance by holding off a scrappy Bellarmine squad to advance in the ASUN Tournament. The Bears' balanced scoring attack and ability to make key plays down the stretch were the difference in this closely contested quarterfinal matchup.