Ohio Valley championship
For the first time since Kenneth Faried was hoovering up every rebound across the Ohio Valley, the Morehead State Eagles are headed to the NCAA Tournament.
Johni Broome compiled a Faried-ian stat line with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks to lead the Eagles to an 86-71 win over Belmont in Evansville, clinching the program’s first March Madness bid since 2011.
The freshman big was nearly unstoppable on the block, making 12 of his 19 shots to earn the OVC Tournament MVP. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates DeVon Cooper and Skyelar Potter, fellow freshman Wendell Green Jr. of Eastern Kentucky, and do-it-all Belmont point guard Grayson Murphy.
Payton Youngblood had a career-high 26 points as North Alabama got past Florida Gulf Coast 96-81 in the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tourney
Pedro Bradshaw tied his career high with 24 points as Bellarmine stretched its win streak to nine games, narrowly defeating North Alabama 66-64 on Friday night. CJ Fleming had 12 points for Bellarmine (12-5, 9-2 Atlantic Sun Conference). Payton Youngblood had 13 points for the Lions (10-7, 6-5), whose losing streak reached four games.
North Alabama seeks revenge on FGCU
February 6, 2021 GMT
Alico Arena, Fort Myers, Florida; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Florida Gulf Coast goes for the season sweep over North Alabama after winning the previous matchup in Fort Myers. The teams last faced each other on Feb. 5, when the Eagles shot 46.6 percent from the field while limiting North Alabama to just 34.2 percent en route to a 26-point victory.
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: Florida Gulf Coast’s Cyrus Largie has averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds while Caleb Catto has put up 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds. For the Lions, Mervin James has averaged 15.2 points and 7.4 rebounds while Emanuel Littles has put up 9.4 points and 10.1 rebounds.
North Alabama, FGCU meet in conference play
February 4, 2021 GMT
Alico Arena, Fort Myers, Florida; Friday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Atlantic Sun foes meet as North Alabama takes on Florida Gulf Coast. Both teams are coming off of losses this past Saturday. Florida Gulf Coast lost 77-66 at home to Stetson, while North Alabama fell 82-72 at North Florida.
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: Florida Gulf Coast’s Cyrus Largie has averaged 13.2 points and 6.2 rebounds while Caleb Catto has put up 13.7 points and 4.2 rebounds. For the Lions, Mervin James has averaged 15.4 points and 7.5 rebounds while Emanuel Littles has put up 9.5 points and 10.2 rebounds.