Belmont, Fairleigh Dickinson move on
Bruins, Knights post First Four triumphs
DAYTON, Ohio — A few seconds were still left on the clock when Fran Dunphy headed to midcourt for his final postgame handshake, the outcome long decided. Belmont was simply too much for his Owls.
Nobody else in the NCAA Tournament is excited to face their efficient offense, either.
Kevin Mcclain scored 29 points and led the decisive second-half run as Belmont got its first NCAA Tournament win, pulling away to an 8170 victory Tuesday night and ending Dunphy’s career in the First Four.
The 11th-seeded Bruins (27-5) play Maryland on Thursday in the East Region.
“We belong in this tournament,” said Mcclain, who finished two points shy of his career high. “You can see that.”
Belmont got an at-large bid after losing to Murray State in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title game. The Bruins showed the selection committee’s faith was not misplaced, getting the breakthrough win on their eighth try.
“I think that they can play in this atmosphere and this is important,” coach Rick Byrd said. “I didn’t think many times we played well, or knew what we were in offensively, but they found a way to win. And you never play perfect, and I think they’ve got some toughness about them.”
The loss sent Temple (23-10) into a transition. Dunphy is retiring after his 13th season at Temple, where he replaced John Chaney. Dunphy previously coached 17 seasons at Penn.
“The game of basketball has given me way more than I have given to it,” Dunphy said.
He was hoping to coach another day, but Belmont’s high-scoring offense pulled away at the end. Senior guard Shizz Alston Jr. led the Owls with 21 points.
Fairleigh Dickinson 82, Prairie View A&M 76 —
At Dayton, Ohio, Darnell Edge scored a career-high 33 points, and the Knights (2113) rallied to win their first NCAA Tournament game, taking down the Panthers (22-13) in a First Four No. 16-seed game.
Edge was 7 for 9 from beyond the 3-point line, and Jahil Jenkins scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half for Fairleigh Dickinson, which advanced out of the First Four to play No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Thursday in Salt Lake City.
Prairie View, also seeking its first tournament win, built up 13-point leads in both halves, but Fairleigh Dickinson took control in the second half behind the shooting of Edge and Jenkins.
Gary Blackston led the Panthers with 26 points and Devonte Patterson had 17.