NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Camren Hunter scored 32 points and Cole McCormick added 21 as Central Arkansas built a commanding early lead and then withstood a furious second-half rally from Lipscomb to secure an 86-78 victory in ASUN Conference men’s basketball on Saturday night at Allen Arena.

The Bears, who led by as many as 19 points in the first half, saw their advantage whittled down to just four in the final minutes before clutch plays and free throws sealed the road win before a crowd of 1,147. The victory improved Central Arkansas to 14-10 overall, while Lipscomb fell to 15-10.

The game’s decisive stretch came at the outset, as Central Arkansas capitalized on Lipscomb’s early mistakes to seize immediate control. The Bisons committed turnovers on their first two possessions, and the Bears pounced. Hunter opened the scoring with a jumper off a steal, and after a Ty Robinson layup, Hunter and Javion Guy-King connected on consecutive three-pointers. In just over two and a half minutes, the Bears had raced to a 10-0 lead, forcing a Lipscomb timeout.

The onslaught continued. Central Arkansas’s defense remained disruptive, generating eight first-half steals and converting Lipscomb’s 10 turnovers before halftime into 18 points. The Bears dominated the interior, outscoring Lipscomb 28-8 in the paint in the opening period. Hunter was the catalyst, scoring 18 of his points before the break, while McCormick provided a potent secondary option, hitting three first-half three-pointers, including one just before the halftime buzzer to give Central Arkansas a 45-33 lead.

Lipscomb, which had been projected as a significant favorite according to advanced metrics, struggled to find any offensive rhythm early. Grant Asman, who led the Bisons with 25 points, was one of the few bright spots, but the team shot just 33.3% from the field in the first half.

The second half featured a dramatic shift. Sparked by Asman and improved ball movement from guard Mateo Esmeraldo, who finished with eight assists, Lipscomb began to chip away. The Bisons shot 54.5% from the floor after halftime and connected on 8 of 17 three-point attempts. A 13-4 run midway through the period, capped by a Ross Candelino three-pointer, cut the deficit to 61-55.

Central Arkansas’s offense, so fluid in the first half, grew stagnant, committing several shot-clock violations and turnovers against increased defensive pressure. With 4:53 remaining, an Asman layup brought Lipscomb within 70-66, marking the closest the game had been since the opening tip.

The most critical sequence of the game followed. On the ensuing possession, Cole McCormick fought for an offensive rebound and scored a putback while being fouled. He completed the three-point play to push the lead back to seven. After a Lipscomb miss, Hunter drove for a tough layup to extend the margin to 77-66 with 3:24 left, effectively halting the Bisons’ momentum.

Lipscomb made one final push, closing to within 80-76 on a Grant Asman three-pointer with 31 seconds left. But the Bears, who entered the game shooting 71.4% from the free throw line, were flawless under pressure. Hunter and Ty Robinson combined to make six consecutive free throws in the final 27 seconds to close out the victory.

Beyond the scoring of Hunter and McCormick, Central Arkansas received 15 points and four assists from Luke Moore. The Bears won despite being out-assisted 19-8, relying instead on defensive pressure that led to a 28-15 advantage in points off turnovers and a 21-18 edge in fast-break points.

For Lipscomb, Asman’s 25 points came on 9-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Candelino added 13 points, and Ethan Duncan chipped in nine off the bench. The Bisons’ comeback effort was undermined by 15 total turnovers and the massive early deficit.

The result marked Central Arkansas’s third consecutive victory and continued a strong stretch of play for Hunter, who has now scored 30 or more points in three of his last four games. Lipscomb, which had won four of its last five entering the contest, will look to regroup as conference play continues next week.