Bellamy shines to end season

In a weekend where Troy men’s basketball repeated as Sun Belt Conference Tournament Champions in dominating fashion, praises were rightfully given out. One of those players earning praise was senior center Jerrell Bellamy.  

A 6’9” senior from nearby Phenix City, Alabama, Bellamy became a sparkplug for the Trojans near the end of the season. He took over the starting center role for the last six games after fellow senior Theo Seng went down with an injury.  

“He [Theo Seng] supports me a lot,” said Bellamy about his increased role to the media after a conference tournament win against Southern Miss. “He just tells me what I need to do and where I need to be at. 

“The team just keeps me together. I feel like I’m just taking over what Theo built. He built a great spot for me to continue to thrive.” 

In those six games as a starter, Bellamy averaged 15.4 points per game while picking up all Sun Belt Tournament team honors along the way. In the tournament, he bumped that number up to 18.5 points per game.  

Over the two games Troy played in the tournament, Bellamy only spent eight minutes of the full 80 minutes on the bench. The 37 minutes of action in the semifinals against Southern Miss was the most the senior played in the season and his Troy career.  

In the Trojans first game, a matchup with Southern Miss, Bellamy exploded for 22 points and six blocks to lead Troy to the win and subsequent championship game. Over two regular-season meetings with the Golden Eagles, Bellamy scored a combined 11 points.  

The points in the semi-finals win came easily for the senior too, making nine of his 14 shots to finish with a shooting percentage of 64.3 percent from the field.  

Championship Monday was no different for the man from Phenix City, as Bellamy put up 15 points to help guide Troy to back-to-back conference tournament championships.  

It also marked the first time a one seed had made and won the conference tournament championship since the host location was moved to Pensacola, Florida.  

Bellamy’s 15 points came efficiently, with the center making seven of his 11 shots on goal for a 63.6-percent shooting percentage. He also swiped the ball twice in the game to end the tournament with five total steals.  

The senior center, affectionately referred to as JB by his teammates, joins the rest of the Trojans Sunday, Mar. 15, when they find out their seeding for this year's NCAA tournament.