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3/8/2008 - MEN'S BASKETBALL
Bruins Capture Third Consecutive Title
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Photo courtesy of ASunPhotos
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Shane Dansby scored a game-high 16 points and led four Belmont players in double figures as the top-seeded Bruins dismantled the No. 2 Jacksonville Dolphins, 79-61 for their third consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference championship.
The Bruins (25-8) become the first team in conference history to win three straight titles, and the first No.1 seed to successfully navigate the conference tournament field since Georgia State in 2001. That Georgia State team was also the last to score a victory in the NCAA tournament, defeating Wisconsin 50-49.
Leading 9-8 five minutes into the game, Belmont went on a 20-6 run over the next seven minutes, and never led by less than double-digits for the remainder of the game. Junior Andy Wicke buried two three pointers during that stretch, and Keaton Belcher and Alex Renfroe each added threes of their own.
Jacksonville pulled within 10 at 29-19 at the seven minute mark on an Aric Brooks three-pointer, but Belmont launched another scoring barrage, and closed the half on a 16-4 run that effectively put the game out of reach at intermission.
The Bruins kept the pressure on early in the second half and the lead ballooned to as much as 30 on a Justin Hare three with just over 13 minutes to play before Jacksonville chipped away at the advantage in the final minutes.
Belmont shot a blistering 61 percent in the first half, and finished the game at a 51 percent clip, including 45 percent from behind the three-point arc. Dansby was 3-for-4 from three-point range, and finished the tournament averaging 14 points and almost seven rebounds per contest en route to tournament MVP honors. Joining Dansby on the All-Tournament Team were teammates Hare and Matthew Dotson, both scored 14 points in the title game victory.
The Bruins now await the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, March 16 to discover their destination for this, their third consecutive NCAA Tournament trip. The Dolphins finish their season at 18-13.
