Troy University Athletics
Second Half Surge Gives Maestri win No. 400
12/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
Troy vs. Stillman Game Notes
TROY, Ala. -- Troy shot 66.7 percent in the second half to overcome a slow start and three players hit double figures as Coach Don Maestri earned his 400th career win Saturday night, 87-66 over Stillman.
Boo Ramsey paced the Trojans (3-2) with 26 points, hitting seven three-pointers. Cedric Jackson and Jacob Hazouri added 16 each, while Bobby Dixon scored 11 points and dished out six assists. Stillman (3-4) was led by Dannelle Smith's 20 points and six rebounds.
Troy used a 15-4 run over six minutes midway through the second half to pull away. The Trojans' top three scorers keyed the run as Hazouri tallied seven and Dixon and Jackson added four each, turning a 47-42 lead into 65-49 with 6:05 to play.
Playing their first game in eight days, the Trojans got off to a sluggish start, shooting just 36.7 percent in the opening period. The Tigers used an 11-2 run to turn a 7-4 lead into a 12-point margin, 18-6 with 13:41 left in the first half. A 13-2 run gave Troy its first lead of the contest, 25-24 with just 3:45 to play before halftime. Stillman held a one-point advantage in the final minute of the period, but a Todd Martin layup with five seconds left put the Trojans up 31-30 at the break.
Troy looked to surge ahead early in the second half with a 7-0 run for a 42-35 advantage, but Stillman stayed within five, 47-42 with 12:39 remaining.
"We needed this won tonight," said head coach Don Maestri. "Not because it was No. 400, but because they are a good team and have some tough opponents coming up."
