LYNCHBURG, Va. - In a season that saw eight games decided by a one possession difference, it was a last-second shot that created the final margin as North Florida men's basketball was bested by Bellarmine's buzzer beater during a 76-74 loss in the 2023 ASUN Championship First Round Monday, Feb. 27.
Seventh-seeded North Florida (14-17, 9-9 ASUN) and eighth-seeded Bellarmine (15-17, 9-9 ASUN) traded leads and blows all game, with the contest seeing no greater than a seven-point lead either way. Both teams had their own runs, but UNF's 9-0 run late in the first frame was the largest for either side.
All told, there were 13 lead changes and seven tie scores, with the last of the ties coming when Carter Hendricksen slammed in a game-tying dunk with nine seconds to go. Bellarmine's sixth-year senior, Juston Betz, got the ball on the wing and had a fortuitous-contested fadeaway carom off the rim and through the net with 0.4 on the clock.
UNF's 14th-straight ASUN Championship appearance saw a record-breaking performance by Jarius Hicklen. The lethal guard set the North Florida record for three-pointers made in an ASUN Championship game, draining seven of his 11 attempts for 25 points. He broke the previous mark of six, most recently met by Garrett Sams back in 2019, also at Liberty. Hicklen was one three-pointer shy of his career-high eight treys set Feb. 2022 against Liberty.