CONWAY, Ark. (Interstat) — In a game defined by its frantic final minute, Camren Hunter’s clutch performance at the free-throw line lifted Central Arkansas to an 84-79 victory over Queens on Saturday afternoon at the Farris Center, completing a regular-season sweep of the ASUN Conference series.

The Bears, who improved to 20-11, survived a furious second-half rally from the Royals, who fell to 18-13, in a contest that featured 14 lead changes and was not decided until the final second.

Central Arkansas appeared to have the game in hand, leading 80-76 with 12 seconds remaining after Hunter made one of two free throws. Queens guard Yoav Berman was fouled on the ensuing possession and calmly sank both free throws to cut the deficit to two points with 9.9 seconds left.

On the inbound pass, Queens immediately fouled Hunter again. The Bears’ leading scorer, who finished with a game-high 30 points and six assists, stepped to the line and made both free throws to push the lead back to 82-78.

Queens answered with a quick three-pointer from Chris Ashby, assisted by Jordan Watford, pulling the Royals within a single point at 82-81 with just over five seconds on the clock.

Needing to foul again, Queens sent Central Arkansas forward Truman Byrne to the line with 1.1 seconds remaining. Byrne, a 64% free-throw shooter entering the game, sank both attempts to seal the victory for the Bears, as a last-ditch heave from Queens fell short.

The dramatic finish capped a game of two distinct halves. Central Arkansas controlled the opening period, using a 12-0 run early to build a lead it would not relinquish before halftime. The Bears’ defense stifled Queens, holding the Royals to 24 points on 30% shooting and forcing seven turnovers to take a 31-24 lead into the break.

Queens emerged from halftime a transformed team, ignited by the scoring of guards Nasir Mann and Berman. The Royals opened the second half on a 13-6 run to tie the game at 37-37 just over three minutes in. From there, the teams traded blows, with neither leading by more than five points until the final minute.

Mann led Queens with 20 points, while Berman and Ashby each added 17. Watford provided 12 points and a team-high six assists. The Royals shot a blistering 55 points in the second half, fueled by 7-of-15 shooting from three-point range after a 3-of-19 first-half performance from deep.

Central Arkansas countered with efficient offense of its own, scoring 53 second-half points. The Bears were paced by Hunter’s 30, marking his third 30-point game in his last four outings. Javion Guy-King added 18 points, and Ty Robinson contributed 12.

While Queens found its shooting touch after halftime, Central Arkansas maintained an advantage at the free-throw line, a critical factor in the tight contest. The Bears made 23 of 26 attempts (88.5%), while Queens was nearly perfect, hitting 17 of 18 (94.4%), but had 10 fewer attempts.

The Bears also won the battle of attrition in several key categories, finishing with advantages in assists (9-7), steals (9-7), and offensive rebounds (9-7). Both teams committed 10 turnovers.

The game was a pivotal one in the ASUN standings, with Central Arkansas solidifying its position near the top and Queens looking to secure seeding for the upcoming conference tournament. The Bears avenged no prior loss, having defeated Queens 100-90 in Charlotte on Jan. 28.

An announced crowd of 1,472 at the Farris Center witnessed the tense conference clash, which exceeded the pregame over/under total of 165 points. Central Arkansas entered as a slight favorite and covered the spread.