Sun Belt Basketball Weekly Recap
Scores
Monday, December 19
Arkansas State 108, Lyon College 61
Denver 57, Wyoming 46
UNLV 81, Louisiana-Monroe 63
South Alabama 70, Georgia Southern 57
Tuesday, December 20
Troy 80, Southern Utah 72
North Texas 82, Grambling State 40
Illinois State 72, Arkansas-Little Rock 65
Wednesday, December 21
Indiana State 50, Louisiana-Monroe 35
Louisiana-Lafayette 61, UCF 60
Middle Tennessee 68, Ole Miss 56
Thursday, December 22
Denver 70, Citadel 58
Bowling Green 61, Florida International 53
Saint Louis 70, Arkansas State 46
LSU 67, North Texas 58
UTSA 76, Troy 70
Harvard 63, Florida Atlantic 51
South Alabama 68, San Diego 62
Friday, December 23
Louisville 70, Western Kentucky 60
The past week was a bloodbath for the Sun Belt Conference. With the enduring exception of the Denver Pioneers, this league got belted in non-conference competition. Denver has remained a bright spot for the Sun Belt. The Pios won two more contests against Wyoming and the Citadel, strengthening their hold on an NIT-worthy resume, which would be a step up in the world for an upper-tier Sun Belt team provided that it fails to win the league tournament in March and advance to the NCAAs. Coach Joe Scott’s DU crew has been noticeably consistent this season, creating the hope that the Pioneers can stay the course when they endure the travel-based rigors of Sun Belt competition.
Elsewhere, however, the past week wasn’t a happy one for the Belt. Arkansas State got whacked by Saint Louis. Florida Atlantic, in what was perhaps the single most attractive national game involving a Sun Belt team, was clearly outclassed by the Harvard Crimson in a mid-major throwdown. Florida International couldn’t overcome Bowling Green. Troy fell against the University of Texas at San Antonio. North Texas couldn’t measure up against LSU, a low-end Southeastern Conference club. Louisiana-Monroe lost a pair of contests against Indiana State and UNLV. If not for wins by Middle Tennessee (against Ole Miss) and Louisiana-Lafayette (against Central Florida), the past week of Sun Belt basketball would have been even more barren than it turned out to be. South Alabama did win against San Diego, but the fact that San Diego is the worst team in the West Coast Conference makes it hard to assign too much positive value to that particular triumph by coach Ronnie Arrow’s Jaguars. Western Kentucky gave Louisville a really strong run on Friday, but the Hilltoppers – like every other Louisville opponent this season – ran out of steam in the final minutes against the Cardinals.
Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer
Leave your response!