PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Thomas Dowd finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds, and regular-season champion Troy ended the five-day run of No. 10 seed Georgia Southern with a 77-61 victory in the championship game of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Monday night.
Dowd made 8 of 12 shots with two 3-pointers and 5 of 6 free throws for the Trojans (22-11), who earned a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and their fourth overall.
Georgia Southern (21-16) became the fourth team to win five games in five days in a conference tournament — joining N.C. State (2024, ACC) and Connecticut (2011, Big East). North Carolina did it in 1922 and 1925 while members of the Southern Conference.
Jerrell Bellamy scored 15 on 7-for-11 shooting for Troy. Victor Valdes added 12 points and six assists, and Cobi Campbell scored 11.
Spudd Webb had 16 points to pace the Eagles, and Tyren Moore scored 10 on 3-for-11 shooting with two 3-pointers. Nakavieon White added 11 points off the bench.
Dowd had 13 points by halftime to help the Trojans build a 38-25 advantage. Georgia Southern missed 18 of 26 shots overall and 12 of 16 from 3-point range in the first half.
Moore hit a 3-pointer to begin the game, but Dowd had a layup and Bellamy followed with a dunk and Troy never trailed again.
Georgia Southern has made three NCAA Tournament appearances, none since 1992.
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