Troy Falls to Hot-Shooting Bulldogs

Saturday, December 10

Starkville, Miss.

3:00 p.m.

Troy University

106

Mississippi State University

Photo by: Thomas Graning

12/10/2011 5:56:00 PM | Basketball (M)

By: Matt Mays

Box Score

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Once again for the Trojans, the story was the three-pointer, but the roles were reversed against No.17 Mississippi State as the Bulldogs couldn't miss and Troy fell, 106-68, on Saturday afternoon at Humphrey Coliseum.

The Bulldogs (9-1) hit 16 treys on the day, the most by a Troy (4-4) opponent this season, as they shot 51.6 percent (16-for-31) from deep. The 16 long-range makes also tied a Mississippi State school record.

Troy however, hit just 22.9 percent (8-for-35) of their shots from deep. The eight makes were a new season-low for a team that averages 12.0 per game.

“I think we looked a lot more confident in the first ten minutes of the second half,” head coach Don Maestri said. “We were too nervous to start the game.”

Emil Jones led the Trojans with a career-high 15 points. Will Weathers was also in double-figures with 11 points as he also chipped in six assists with no turnovers on the day. Dee Bost led Mississippi State with 28.

Ray Chambers posted a team-high 11 rebounds as the Trojans and Bulldogs were even with 46 boards each. Troy posted 23 offensive boards in the contest.

The Trojans return to the floor on Thursday night as they travel to take on Belmont in Nashville, Tenn. The Trojans and Bruins are set to tipoff at 7:00 p.m. at the Curb Event Center.

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MISSISSIPPI STATE 106, TROY 68

The Trojans opened the second half with better execution as they shot 7-for-11 from the field to start, but MSU hit five shots and the Trojans could only close to 65-43 with 14:55 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs continued to build on their lead in the second half as they connected on eight more threes.

The Trojans shot 35.4 percent (17-for-48) in the second frame as MSU continues their hot shooting and hit 18-of-35 and finished the game at 56.3 percent (40-for-71) from the field.

The Bulldogs used some hot shooting and a 12-0 run midway through the first frame to build their 54-26 halftime lead. MSU finished the half shooting 61.1 percent (22-for-36) from the field and 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from long range.

The Trojans, at the same time, struggled from the floor and struggled to find their touch from long range as they shot just 28.6 percent (10-for-35) from the field and 21.1 percent (4-for-19) from beyond the arc in the first half.

With just under 9:00 to go in the opening frame, the Trojans were within six at 25-19, but that was when MSU went on a 12-0 run in about three minutes to pull ahead, 37-19, with 5:50 remaining in the half.

Mississippi State extended the run to 23-4 as they took a 48-23 lead with 1:32 to go in the half