CHARLOTTE \u2013 In most situations, hunters try to kill
\nbears.<\/p>\n
Wednesday night, a Hunter saved the Bears.<\/p>\n
Senior guard Camren Hunter finished with 31 points \u2013 two off
\nhis career-best, set at Queens in 2023 \u2013 and knocked down several key shots to
\npace five Bears in double figures in a 100-90 Central Arkansas victory over
\nQueens at Curry Arena.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe resiliency \u2013 listen, I want our team \u2013 the team\u2019s
\nsupposed to play with my personality,\u201d Central Arkansas coach John Shulman said
\nafter the game. \u201cThey don\u2019t. They play with Cam\u2019s personality. A coach-led team
\nis really good. A player-led team is special. We have a player-led team.\u201d<\/p>\n
The leadership Shulman referenced was challenged early by
\nfoul trouble for the Bears. Freshman guard Ty Robinson was assessed two fouls
\nin the game\u2019s first minute, allowing Queens (12-10, 7-2 ASUN) to bounce back
\nfrom an early deficit. The Royals trailed, 20-16, halfway through the first
\nhalf before unfurling an 11-0 run that afforded the home side a seven-point
\nadvantage. The lead got as high as nine before Central Arkansas sliced it to
\nthree.<\/p>\n
After Hunter hit triples on back-to-back trips that cut it
\nto three each time, Queens pushed it back to seven on four straight free
\nthrows. Yoav Berman again extended it to seven with a late layup with less than
\na minute in the first half. Luke Moore converted a layup on the final Central
\nArkansas possession of the first frame, sending Queens to the locker room
\nahead, 45-40.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we played as well defensively as we\u2019ve ever
\nplayed in the first half,\u201d Shulman said. \u201cWe were unbelievable defensively, and
\nthey went 10-for-16 from the three-point line. I was like, \u2018Guys, they should
\nbe up 12, 13, 14 points, and they\u2019re only up five. Hang in there.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Queens again swelled its lead to nine on a Berman and-one
\nand Maban Jabriel bucket with 16:02 remaining. Central Arkansas (11-10, 6-2)
\ncontinued to persist and hang around as it did throughout the first half, using
\na Cole McCormick and-one and a Harry Beauchamp circling triple to whittle an
\neight-point Queens margin to a single bucket with 13:24 remaining.<\/p>\n
Every punch was met with a counterpunch. Central Arkansas got
\na bucket \u2013 often by Hunter \u2013 and Queens responded. The Royals were staggered as
\nthe Bears charged out of their corner. Then came the final flurry.<\/p>\n
Hunter knocked home a triple at the 10-minute mark to tie
\nthe game at 67, eliciting a three-quarters court celebration from Hunter as Shulman
\ncalled a timeout. After the timeout, McCormick canned a three to again level
\nthe game at 70. Hunter then plunged the dagger, dropping another three to put
\nthe Bears ahead, 73-70. Queens never again led.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried to harp on our guys to stay positive and stay
\ntogether,\u201d Queens coach Grant Leonard said. \u201cI thought their group decided
\n(Hunter\u2019s tying three) was going to energize them, and we were never able to
\nmatch the intensity that they gave the rest of that game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got clean shots and we missed them. I thought that our
\nlack of \u2013 we allowed our missing shots to affect our energy. We never got that
\nback throughout the game. I think we kept searching for it and never (found
\nit). We can\u2019t allow our lack of ability to make shots to drain our energy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The win was Central Arkansas\u2019 fourth in a row and brought
\nthe Bears over .500 on the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re learning. We\u2019re getting better,\u201d Shulman said. \u201cWe\u2019re
\nnot going to listen to rat poison and take it all in. Results lie. We haven\u2019t
\narrived yet. I told them in the locker room I\u2019d let them know when we arrive,
\nand it\u2019s not going to be anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter shared his thoughts on the Bears\u2019 motivation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing is that you walk right past (Queens\u2019)
\nlocker room,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cYou can hear everything they\u2019re saying. You can
\nfeel their whole mood. They felt like they were arrogant and they were better
\nthan us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe spent the whole summer grinding, fighting, and banging against
\neach other. We have a bunch of competitive guys on this team. We\u2019re young, but
\nthat doesn\u2019t mean anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leonard acknowledged the Bears\u2019 effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey definitely played hungrier tonight,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cThey
\noutrebounded us, they forced more turnovers, and they hit all the big shots in
\nthe second half. When you give up 60 points in the second half, you\u2019re probably
\nnot going to win very often. It\u2019s our first home loss. We\u2019ve lost two in a row.
\nWe\u2019ve got to find our identity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of the Royals\u2019 missing identity centered around the
\ninability to mount a late comeback. Queens had several chances to get back in
\nthe game but could not capitalize.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had two or three careless turnovers in transition and
\nthose were big plays,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t make free throws to come back
\ndown the stretch. I know (we were) 15-for-21, and you look at it and think, \u2018oh,
\nit wasn\u2019t that bad, (we hit) 72 percent,\u2019 but we didn\u2019t convert when we needed
\nto down the stretch.\u201d<\/p>\n
The highlight of the Royals\u2019 night came from the sneakers
\nthey wore as part of the Suits and Sneakers program. Patients at the Levine
\nChildren\u2019s Hospital in Charlotte designed the coaches\u2019 sneakers, which Leonard
\nproudly referenced after the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really intentional about building community through
\nbasketball,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cThose kids down at the Levine Center \u2013 we play in
\nthe Levine Center and the Levines do an unbelievable job with donating so much
\nto the city. I wish the weather would have allowed us to design the shoes with
\nthe kids. I love that those kids are part of the program and that, win or lose,
\nbasketball is a part of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThose kids are the biggest fighters we know, fighting through
\ncancer and other health struggles. I\u2019m so glad they can be a part of our
\nprogram.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s 31 led Central Arkansas and all scorers. The senior
\nhit 12-of-18 shots, including 4-of-6 from three. McCormick and Moore
\ncontributed 19 apiece on a combined 10-for-15 from the deck and 15-of-19 from
\nthe line. Junior Javion Guy-King added 13, with Robinson tallying 11. The Bears
\nhit 54.5 percent from the field (30-for-55), with 44.4 percent (12-for-27)
\nfalling from distance. Central Arkansas hit 82.4 percent (28-for-34) from the
\nline.<\/p>\n
Carson Schwieger led the six Royals in double figures,
\nbooking 17 on 5-for-12 shooting (5-for-11 from three). Berman and Jabriel
\ntallied 16 apiece, knocking down a combined 11-for-20. Chris Ashby scored 14 on
\n4-for-10 shooting, with Jordan Watford finishing with 11 on a 4-for-4 shooting
\neffort. Nas Mann finished with 10, hitting 3-of-6 field goal attempts. Queens
\nfinished 29-for-58 from the field (50 percent), hitting 44.7 percent (17-for-38)
\nfrom three. The Royals hit 71.4 percent (15-for-21) from the line.<\/p>\n
Central Arkansas returns to the Farris Center in Conway,
\nArk., for a Saturday game with Eastern Kentucky. Tip time is set for 4:30
\n(Eastern), with streaming over ESPN+. Queens travels to Freedom Hall in
\nLouisville for a 2:00 start against Bellarmine Saturday. ESPN+ will also stream
\nthat contest.<\/p>\n
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 100, QUEENS 90<\/p>\n
CENTRAL ARKANSAS (11-10, 6-2 ASUN)<\/p>\n
Hunter 12-18 3-5 31, Guy-King 2-11 8-8 13, Robinson 3-4 2-2
\n11, Marable 0-0 0-0 0, Moore 4-5 11-14 19, Byrne 0-3 0-0 0, Lee 1-1 0-0 2,
\nBeauchamp 1-2 0-0 3, Applegate 1-1 0-0 2, McCormick 6-10 4-5 19. Totals 30-55
\n28-34 100.<\/p>\n
QUEENS (12-10, 7-2)<\/p>\n
Mann 3-6 2-2 10, Parker 2-5 2-3 6, Ashby 4-10 2-2 14,
\nSchwieger 5-12 2-2 17, Berman 5-10 4-6 16, Watford 4-4 3-6 11, Celestin 0-0 0-0
\n0, Clark 0-1 0-0 0, Larson 0-0 0-0 0, Jabriel 6-10 0-0 16. Totals 29-58 15-21
\n90.<\/p>\n
Halftime:\u00a0\u00a0Queens 45-40. 3-Point
\ngoals:\u00a0\u00a0Queens 17-38 (Mann 2-3, Ashby 4-10, Schwieger 5-11, Berman
\n2-7, Jabriel 4-7), Central Arkansas 12-27 (Hunter 4-6, Guy-King 1-8, Robinson
\n3-3, Moore 0-1, Burne 0-3, Beauchamp 1-2, McCormick 3-4). Parker (QUC).\u00a0 Rebounds:\u00a0\u00a0Central Arkansas 31
\n(Guy-King 8), Queens 26 (Mann\/Berman 5). Total fouls:\u00a0\u00a0Queens 25,
\nCentral Arkansas 20. Technicals:\u00a0\u00a0NA.<\/p>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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