Championship Central
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Georgia Southern and Old Dominion earned victories in second round action at the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship on Wednesday evening at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The ninth seed, Georgia Southern defeated 12th-seeded Southern Miss, 78-64, and advanced to face eighth-seeded and rival Georgia State in the tournament’s third round on Thursday, March 6 at 5 p.m. CT. The teams split the regular season series, 1-1, as the Eagles defeated the Panthers, 76-75, in the regular season finale in Statesboro on Feb. 28.
Seeded 10th, Old Dominion rolled past 11th-seeded Louisiana, 67-49, for the right to face seventh-seeded Texas State in Thursday’s third round at 7:30 p.m. The Monarchs defeated the Bobcats, 75-64, at home on Feb. 5 during the only regular season meeting between the teams.
Game 3: (9) Georgia Southern def. (12) Southern Miss, 78-64 (Box Score)
Sophomore guard Eren Banks led five Georgia Southern scorers in double-figures with 16 points, while senior forward Tyson Brown recorded a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds
Senior guard Bradley Douglas and junior forward Nakavieon White each chipped in 14 points as the Eagles shot 32-for-61 (.525) overall from the floor in the contest.
Georgia Southern went on a 12-2 scoring run to construct a 17-9 lead midway through the first half, and despite the Golden Eagles pulling back within four points with 2:25 left, the Eagles scored the last five points of the period to take a 33-24 advantage into halftime.
Georgia Southern ripped off a 12-2 scoring run including 10-straight points during that span to start the second half and never looked back. The Eagles widened the margin to as many as 20 points, 62-42, with 6:30 remaining before closing out the 14-point win.
All-Sun Belt Second Team selection Denijay Harris led Southern Miss with 14 points.
Game 4: (10) Old Dominion def. (11) Louisiana, 67-49 (Box Score)
Old Dominion graduate guard Sean Durugordon registered a double-double with a team-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, while junior center Caelum Swanton-Rodger accomplished the same with 18 points on 9-for-13 shooting to complement 10 rebounds
One night removed from his 28-point performance in the tournament’s first round win over ULM, junior guard Mostapha El Moutaouakkil scored 10 of Louisiana’s first 12 points to keep the game level, but the Monarchs closed the first half with a 12-4 scoring run to claim a 29-23 lead at the intermission.
Both sides exchanged offense for the first 10 minutes of the second half, but with Old Dominion ahead 49-44, the Monarchs ripped off a 15-2 scoring run down to the 1:42 mark on a basket by senior forward R.J. Blakney to put the game out of reach.
Old Dominion shot 15-for-26 (.536) from the floor while holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to 8-for-23 (.348) in the second half.
Louisiana was led by El Moutaouakkil’s 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting from the floor, while senior guard Michael Thomas added 14 points and six rebounds.
2025 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship
Tuesday, March 4
Game 1 – (12) Southern Miss def. (13) Coastal Carolina, 66-63
Game 2 – (11) Louisiana def. (14) ULM, 73-69 (OT)
Wednesday, March 5
Game 3 – (9) Georgia Southern 78, (12) Southern Miss 64
Game 4 – (10) Old Dominion 67, (11) Louisiana 49
Thursday, March 6
Game 5 – (8) Georgia State vs. (9) Georgia Southern – 5 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 6 – (7) Texas State vs. (10) Old Dominion – 7:30 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Friday, March 7
Game 7 – (5) Marshall vs. Winner Game 5 – 5 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 8 – (6) App State vs. Winner Game 6 – 7:30 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Saturday, March 8
Game 9 – (4) Arkansas State vs. Winner Game 7 – 5:30 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 10 – (3) Troy vs. Winner Game 8 – 8 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Sunday, March 9
Game 11 – (1) South Alabama vs. Winner Game 9 – 5 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Game 12 – (2) James Madison vs. Winner Game 10 – 7:30 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
Monday, March 10 (Championship)
Game 13 – Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12 – 6 p.m. CT [ESPN/ESPN2]