The Stetson Hatters men’s basketball team has been at the NCAA Division I level since the 1979-1980 season, but as of the beginning of this year, it was one of the programs that had never made it to the tournament.
That was until Sunday, when the team won the Atlantic Sun Conference championship. The Hatters defeated Austin Peay 94-91 to earn an automatic berth and earn their 22nd win of the season. Stetson trailed by three points at halftime, but scored 58 points in the second half to win.
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The Stetson Hatters men’s basketball team had been at the NCAA Division I level since the 1979-1980 season, but had never competed in the tournament. (Mitchell Leighton/Getty Images)
Stetson guard Jalen Blackmon scored 43 points on 12-of-22 field goals. He made five 3-pointers and 14 free throws. He also collected five rebounds, recorded three assists, and recorded one steal.
Steven Swenson and Aubin Gatresse each had 13 points. Alec Oglesby scored 10 points.
The Hatters held off Governors forward Cy Witt, who led Austin Peay with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Digi Jones had 17 points and DeMarcus Sharpe had 16 points off the bench.
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Jalen Blackmon, 5, of the Stetson Hatters handles the ball while being guarded by John Newman III of the Cincinnati Bearcats during the first half at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati on December 22, 2023. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Stetson entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Hatters defeated No. 10 Jacksonville in the semifinals to advance to the championship game.
Stetson played in the NCAA Tournament while in Division II and reached the Elite Eight in 1970.
Since moving to the Division I level, the program has only participated in the College Basketball Invitational. The Hatters reached the semifinals in 2021, but were eliminated in the first round in 2023.
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Next week, they will hear their names called on Selection Sunday.
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