Troy Wins Sun Belt Title, Heads Back to NCAA Tournament

Trojans top Georgia Southern 77-61 in championship game to secure second straight NCAA berth

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Troy Trojans secured their second straight NCAA tournament berth with a 77-61 victory over Georgia Southern in Monday night's Sun Belt tournament championship game. Troy, the outright regular-season Sun Belt champion, led nearly throughout and withstood a second-half surge by the 10th-seeded Eagles to claim the conference title.

Why it matters

Troy's victory marks the second consecutive Sun Belt tournament championship for the Trojans, solidifying their status as the top men's basketball program in the conference. The win also earns Troy an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA tournament, where they will look to improve upon their first-round exit in 2025.

The details

Troy built a double-digit lead by halftime and then held off a 10-1 run by Georgia Southern to open the second half. The Trojans' big men, Thomas Dowd and Jerrell Bellamy, combined for 38 points, while Georgia Southern struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 29% as a team.

  • The championship game was played on Monday night at the Pensacola (Fla.) Bay Center.
  • Troy won the Sun Belt's regular-season title earlier this year.
  • The Trojans lost in the first round of the 2025 NCAA tournament.

The players

Thomas Dowd

A Troy Trojans basketball player who scored 23 points in the Sun Belt tournament championship game.

Jerrell Bellamy

A Troy Trojans basketball player who combined with Thomas Dowd to score 38 points in the Sun Belt tournament championship game.

Georgia Southern Eagles

The 10th-seeded team that lost to Troy in the Sun Belt tournament championship game.

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What’s next

Troy will learn its NCAA tournament destination during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday.

The takeaway

Troy's second consecutive Sun Belt tournament championship and NCAA tournament berth solidifies the Trojans as the dominant force in the conference, as they look to make a deeper run in the 2026 NCAA tournament after a first-round exit in 2025.