Troy beats Georgia Southern for NCAA Tournament berth, Sun Belt title originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Troy left little doubt about who ruled the Sun Belt this season.
Thomas Dowd had 23 points and 13 rebounds as Troy defeated Georgia Southern 77-61 on Monday night in the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship. This secured the Trojans’ second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.
Troy (22-11), which also captured the outright regular season title, controlled the game from the opening minutes and never trailed after the first minute.
The Trojans built a 38-25 halftime lead over Georgia Southern (21-16), playing its sixth game in six days. The Eagles mounted a brief push early in the second half. But couldn't survive in the final nine minute. Troy maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Jerrell Bellamy added 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Victor Valdes finished with 12 points and six assists. Cobi Campbell chipped in 11 points as Troy shot efficiently and repeatedly attacked inside. Dowd and Bellamy combined for 38 points as the Trojans leaned on their frontcourt advantage.
Tavarus “Spudd” Webb led Georgia Southern with 16 points. Nakaveion White added 11 and Tyren Moore had 10.
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Georgia Southern, which averaged 88 points during a five-game run through the tournament, struggled to find its rhythm offensively and shot just 29% from 3-point range.
Despite losing four starters from last season, Troy returns to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history.
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