Monday night could mark a night of firsts for Georgia Southern men’s basketball.
First Sun Belt Conference championship.
First NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992.
The Eagles also can become one of the few teams to win six tournament games in six days on the way to the title.
Georgia Southern, the No. 10 seed in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, faces top-seeded Troy in the title game Monday night at Pensacola Bay Center in Florida for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
To say it’s a rarity is an understatement.
With its seeding, Georgia Southern faced an uphill road to get this far. The Eagles’ streak started with a win over 11th-seeded Old Dominion on Wednesday, followed by an upset of No. 7 seed Arkansas State. They added another victory over sixth-seeded South Alabama on Friday before upsetting No. 3 seed Coastal Carolina on Saturday and second-seeded Marshall on Sunday.
Georgia Southern became just the third team in NCAA history to win five tournament games in five consecutive days, joining North Carolina State (2024) and Connecticut (2011).
Troy has needed just one win — over No. 8 seed Southern Mississippi on Sunday — to reach the championship game.
It’s the Eagles’ first trip to the conference championship game since joining the Sun Belt in 2015.
In their only meeting this season, Troy won 83-78 on Jan. 24.
No. 10 seed Georgia Southern vs. No. 1 seed Troy
Tipoff: 7 p.m. Monday, Pensacola Bay Center, Pensacola, Florida
Records: Georgia Southern (21-15 overall, 8-10 Sun Belt), Troy (21-11, 12-6)
TV: ESPN2
Outlook: Georgia Southern is playing its sixth game in six days and is looking to get its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1992.
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