Alabama Ties Game Late, Trojans Fall in Overtime

Friday, December 20

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

7:00 p.m.

Troy University

4-6

105

113

Alabama

6-5

OT 1

Troy

105

Alabama

113

Photo by: Chris Davis

Alabama Ties Game Late, Trojans Fall in Overtime

12/20/2013 10:34:00 PM | Basketball (W)

Box Score

By: Matt Mays

Box Score

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Troy women's basketball team led late, but Alabama hit a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining to force overtime and the Crimson Tide pulled ahead in the extra period for a 113-105 win at Foster Auditorium on Friday night.

Troy (4-6) was up 92-89 with 16 seconds remaining after an Ashley Beverly-Kelley free throw, but Alabama's Shafontaye Myers hit a 3-pointer with six seconds showing on the clock to force overtime.

Like the first 40 minutes, overtime was a game of runs as Alabama opened with the first seven points before Troy scored six straight to cut the lead to 99-98. However, with 3:00 to go, Troy came up empty on three of its next four possessions and Alabama pulled away.

Beverly-Kelley led Troy with 33 points and five assists as the Trojans hit the 100-point mark for the third time this season. Four other Trojans were in double-figures, including Joanna Harden who had 21, going over 20 points for the seventh time in 10 games this season.

Brianna Lancaster (13), Ronita Garrett (11) and Dominique Ross (10) all posted double figures on Troy's frontline, perhaps with none bigger than Lancaster's.

The junior, who did not play in the first half, scored 11 points in 14 minutes in the second half, including six on her first three offensive possessions as Troy built a 10-point lead with 9:00 to go in the game.

At that point, Alabama used a 10-0 run to tie the game at 72-72 with 7:18 to go. The score was back-and-forth from there on as the two sides were tied 15 times and the lead changed 15 times in the game.

Daisha Simmons posted a triple-double for Alabama with 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Simmons did so while playing the final 11 minutes of regulation, plus overtime with four personal fouls.

Myers was also over 30 points with 34, including 6-of-12 from deep with none bigger than the pull-up trey from the right wing that tied the game. Ashley Williams posted a double-double for Alabama with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Alabama outrebounded Troy 63-43 and held the Trojans to eight offensive rebounds, which led to just three second-chance points. Troy outscored Alabama in the paint, 48-42, but the Crimson Tide made 13 more and attempted 22 more free throws than the Trojans did.

Troy shot 52.2 percent (24-of-46) from the field in the second half and overtime, but the 3-point shot was not there like it was early in the game.

Troy opened the game 5-of-9 from deep and built a lead as big as 13 points in the second half. However, the Trojans made just 2-of 16 in the rest of the game including 0-of-4 in overtime.

The Trojans now have five days off of practice before returning to the court on Thursday to prep for a Sunday, December 29 game at Savannah State. That will mark the final non-conference game as Troy opens Sun Belt play at Georgia State on New Year's Day.

For more information on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter and Instagram at @TroyAthletics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/TroyAthletics.