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3/6/2009 - MEN'S BASKETBALL
ETSU Ends Belmont Streak; Advances to Final
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - ETSU ended two years of frustration, ousting the three-time defending champion Belmont Bruins by an 88-74 decison in the opening semifinal contest of the General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Men's Basketball Championship on Friday night from Lipscomb's Allen Arena.
ETSU (22-10) built a 34-29 halftime advantage and sprinted out of the gates in the second half, scoring the first eight points to extend the the lead to 13. Belmont (19-12) continually closed the margin under 10 points, cutting the lead to a single basket, 72-70 courtesy a Shane Dansby 3-point field goal with three minutes remaining.
On their next possession, the Buccaneers turned to the conference's leading scorer, Kevin Tiggs on the baseline for a lay-up pushing the lead back to four. Belmont did not have another comeback left as ETSU scored 16 of the final 20 points, resulting in the 14-point margin.
Tiggs scored 21 in the game and has poured in 58 in the two A-Sun Championship games this week. His teammate, Courtney Pigram led all scorers with 30 points. On a first-half 3-point field goal, he surpassed the 2,000 point plateau joining former Centenary star Willie Jackson as just the second player in Atlantic Sun history to reach that milestone. Earlier in the game, he moved into third place on the ETSU scoring chart, passing Mister Jennings (1988 points from 1988 to 1991). Mike Smith, the third member of ETSU's "Big Three" added 19 points as the trio combined for 70 of the Bucs’ 88 points.
Dansby, the 2008 Championship MVP paced Belmont with 21 points. Keaton Belcher and Andy Wicke added 15 points. The Buccaneers clamped down on Alex Renfroe, the A-Sun's Player of the Year. Although he grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists, he shot just 3-for-11 from the floor, totaling nine points. He had averaged 19.7 PPG and shot 58.4 percent from the floor in his last 15 games.
The Bucs will play in Saturday's A-Sun Championship title game, their second time into the finals. In its previous appearance, Belmont defeated ETSU, 94-67 in Johnson City, Tenn. All-time, the Buccaneers own a 6-3 record in title games, last winning back-to-back Southen Conference titles in 2003 and 2004. The game airs on ESPN2 at 5:00 p.m. CT and is also available on ESPN360.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
