Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic

The Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic is an eight team college basketball tournament held in November and December of the NCAA Division I men's basketball season, with the inaugural tournament beginning in 2017. It is currently the only college tournament played across the Atlantic, and the first-ever NCAA basketball games played in Europe.[1][2] In its inaugural season, only four teams participated, but it was increased for the 2018–19 season to eight teams. In 2017, the four participants played all their games at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with the winners moving on to the championship game, and the losers playing in the consolation game.[3] Towson was the inaugural champion, defeating Manhattan 56–55, and winning the game on a last second shot by Tigers senior guard Mike Morsell.[4]

Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic
SportCollege basketball
Founded2017
No. of teams8
CountryNorthern Ireland
Venue(s)SSE Arena
Belfast
Most recent
champion(s)		Buffalo Bulls (Goliath)
Marist Red Foxes (Samson)
TV partner(s)CBS Sports Network
Official websiteBelfast Basketball Classic.com

The format was changed in 2018, with the schools competing in two four-team brackets, with campus round games in America leading into two tournament brackets in Belfast named Samson and Goliath, which are named after the iconic Harland and Wolff cranes in the Titanic quarter ship yard of Belfast. The semifinals and championship games of each bracket are played in Northern Ireland, with each bracket winner declared champions of their respective brackets.[5]

The tournament is sponsored by The Sport Changes Life Foundation, in partnership with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

2018 participants and brackets

Goliath Bracket

Samson Bracket

Campus Games
Campus Game 1
November 18, 2018
 
   
Long Island 52
San Francisco 84
Campus Game 2
November 20, 2018
ESPN+
   
Marist 60
Stephen F. Austin 64
Campus Game 3
November 20, 2018
 
   
Long Island 87
Milwaukee 92OT
Campus Game 4
November 21, 2018
ESPN+
   
Dartmouth 71
22 Buffalo 110
Campus Game 5
November 23, 2018
ESPN+
   
Albany 70
Milwaukee 79
Campus Game 6
November 24, 2018
ESPN3
   
Marist 49
22 Buffalo 76
Campus Game 7
November 24, 2018
   
Dartmouth 65
San Francisco 84

Goliath Bracket
Goliath Semifinals
November 30 		Goliath Championship
December 1
      
Milwaukee 77
21 Buffalo 96
21 Buffalo 85
San Francisco 81
San Francisco 76
Stephen F. Austin 58

Samson Bracket
Samson Semifinals
November 29 		Samson Championship
November 30
      
Dartmouth 58
Marist 76
Marist 70
Long Island 53
Long Island 80
Albany 77

2017 participants

Bracket
Semifinals
December 1, 2017
CBSSN 		Championship
December 2, 2017
CBSSN
      
Holy Cross 54
Manhattan 70
Manhattan 55
Towson 56
La Salle 60
Towson 67

References
  1. Woods, Mark (November 29, 2018). "How Belfast landed the biggest college hoops tourney on the other side of the Atlantic". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  2. Dobbertean, Chris (November 16, 2017). "2017's Non-Exempt Bracketed Tournaments". bloggingthebracket.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  3. "Inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic Set to Air on CBS Sports Network". MAACSports.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  4. "Tigers Hoist Belfast Classic Trophy After Buzzer Beater!". TowsonTigers.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  5. "The Sport Changes Life Foundation Announces the return of the 2nd Annual Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic". MAACSports.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
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