Trojans Drop Final Non-Conference Test

Thursday, December 22

Troy, Ala.

7:00 p.m.

Troy University

University of Texas San Antonio

Photo by: Edward Fieder

12/22/2011 9:17:00 PM | Basketball (M)

By: Matt Mays

Box Score

TROY, Ala. – A four minute cold stretch in the second half was the difference as UTSA took the lead and the Trojans couldn't quite comeback in a 76-70 loss to the Roadrunners at Sartain Hall on Thursday night.

Will Weathers led the Trojans (5-6) with 23 points, 17 in the second half, and seven assists. Alan Jones also topped out above 20 points at 21 with seven three-point baskets.

“We missed some open shots and could've built a good lead,” said head coach Don Maestri. “They have great anticipation in their zone, but we had a chance to really break them down with some open shots that we just didn't hit.”

Melvin Johnson III led UTSA (6-5) with 25 points including 6-of-7 from deep.

The Trojans seemed to figure out UTSA's zone defense in the first half as they hit nine three-point shots on 22 attempts, but the four-minute scoreless stretch in the middle of the second half was the difference.

The Roadrunners made 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from deep and 52.0 percent (26-of-50) from the field while the Trojans shot 39.0 percent from both the field (23-of-59) and beyond the arc (16-of-41).

The Trojans will return to the floor next week when they begin Sun Belt play at Denver on Thursday, December 29, before traveling to North Texas on Saturday, December 31.

For more information on Troy Athletics visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter at @TroyAthletics or become fans on Facebook for up to the minute updates.

UTSA 76, TROY 70

The Trojans seemed to shrug off their recent three-point struggles as their first six field goals were all from beyond the arc, giving the Trojans a 19-13 lead at the 11:31 mark in the first frame.

The Trojans wouldn't get their first two-point basket until the 8:50 mark when Ray Chambers hit a jumper to extend the Trojans lead 21-16. The Roadrunners would then get two inside baskets to cut the lead down to one at 21-20.

The Trojans would lose their touch from deep and miss eight straight after starting 6-of-11. During the cold stretch, UTSA would work inside to erase the Trojans lead. At the 5:18 mark, the Roadrunners had made it a tie game at 24-24.

Alan Jones would end a stretch of nearly eight minutes for the Trojans without a long-range make by hitting two in a one-minute span to give the Trojans a 30-26 lead at the 2:02 mark of the first half. The junior guard would connect on another three with 42 seconds to go to give the Trojans their 33-27 halftime lead.

The Trojans finished the first half shooting 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from deep while UTSA hit just 3-of-8 attempts. Troy, who committed a season-low seven turnovers against Southern Utah on Tuesday, continued to value their possessions as they committed just four in the first frame against the Roadrunners.

UTSA would make their first three baskets of the second half, two of them being three-pointers, to again erase the Troy lead and tie things up at 35-35 just two minutes into the half. Alan Jones' fifth three of the game would come at the 17:28 mark and put the Trojans back ahead, 38-35.

The Roadrunners would take their first lead since the score was 6-3 when two free throws put them up 40-39 at the 15:36 mark in the second. Weathers would tie things up at 42-42 with a three-pointer at the 14:52 mark but UTSA would retake the lead on one of Johnson's threes just 20 seconds later.

The UTSA lead would stick around one possession for over four minutes until Weathers buried a three at the 10:35 mark to give the Trojans a 51-50 lead. However, the Roadrunners would be in the bonus before the halfway mark of the half and score their next five at the line for a 55-53 lead with 8:56 remaining.

The Trojans would go scoreless for nearly four minutes and fall behind, 59-53, until Weathers hit a bucket to Troy within four with 6:20 to go. The Roadrunners would get hot after the bucket and extend their lead to nine at 66-57 before Weathers hit another three to get the lead down to two possessions with 4:40 to go.

The lead was still at six with 2:26 to go when Alan Jones hit his sixth trey of the game to make the score 68-65. On the next possession, after a missed shot by the Roadrunners and with the ball on the floor, the Trojans made a heads up play and called timeout with the ball to take possession down three with 2:00 minutes to go.

Steven Cunningham would get his first points of the game with a dunk on the next possession to get the score within one at 68-67 with 1:43 to go. Thanks to two UTSA turnovers, the Trojans would have two more chances in the next minute to take the lead, but couldn't convert, and found themselves in a must foul situation with 25 seconds to go.

The Roadrunners would then break the Troy press and the Trojans committed an intentional foul. UTSA made both free throws and scored on the ensuing possession to take a five point lead at 72-67 with 20 seconds to go.

However, Alan Jones would keep the Trojans in it with a three-pointer with 12 seconds left to make the score 72-70. However, the Roadrunners would make their next two free throws to make the score 74-70 and essentially end the game.