Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Anderson (L) speaks to coach Tony Bennett (R)
Christian Post Report – The Belmont Bruins face an uphill battle as they play the Virginia Cavaliers at Time Warner Cable Arena in the second round of the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. Tip-off is at 3:10 PM ET on March 20, 2015.
The Cavaliers finished with a 29-3 record, securing the top spot in the ACC standings. They also went 16-2 in the conference, beating out teams like Duke, Louisville and Syracuse. Virginia won 10 of their last 12 matches, but their most recent match ended in a 71-67 loss to the University of North Carolina. In that upset, Malcolm Brogdon scored 25 points for Virginia, but also had three turnovers to his name.
Anthony Gill and London Perrantes both had 12 points in the loss, as Virginia allowed North Carolina to shoot 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc to secure the victory.
Virginia have three players averaging double figures in scoring, with Brogdon leading the way with 13.9, while Justin Anderson converts 12.3 per game. Gill is not far behind with 11.5 per contest.
The Bruins finished the season 22-10, leading the East in the Ohio Valley.
They’ve won seven straight matches, capped off with an amazing upset of Murray State in the conference final. In the 88-87 win, Taylor Barnette hit a clutch three-pointer with only three seconds left to give the Bruins a one-point lead.
This also marks their return to the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time since 2013.
Craig Bradshaw leads the team in scoring with 18.1 per contest, while also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Evan Bradds scores over 14 points per contest, while shooting with an average of 69 percent from the field.
For live scores and updates of this match, visit ESPN.com. For live streaming, click here.
Source : Christian Post