Troy University Athletics
Belmont shoots past Troy, 75-64, in regular season finale
2/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The top two 3-point shooting teams tied up in Nashville on Saturday afternoon, but it was Belmont whose 13 treys lifted them to a 75-64 win over the Troy University men's basketball team on Senior Day at the Curb Event Center.
The Bruins (13-15, 12-8 Atlantic Sun) got off to a fast start, hitting their first six shots to jump to an early lead, but a late run by the Trojans (12-17, 10-10 A-Sun) would fall just short.
We had several opportunities to cut into the lead late in the game, but we just couldn;t get some shots to fall,” Troy head coach Don Maestri said. Our kids knew how important this game was, and there is no doubt in my mind that they played as hard as they could. We just have to credit Belmont for playing a good basketball game.”
A win would have guaranteed Troy a spot in the eight-team A-Sun Championships next week here at the Curb Event Center, but now it is up to the rest of the league.
Belmont senior Jese Snyder led all scorers, thanks to six 3-pointers that led to 20 points, leading four Bruins in double figures.
The Trojans were led by senior Corey Hornsby, who poured in 18 points. Senior Eddie Baker was second on the team in scoring with 16 points, while junior Bobby Dixon added 12 points. Junior Jacob Hazouri scored only three points, but he led all players with eight rebounds.
The Bruins shot 52 percent from the floor to Troy's 41 percent, while Belmont was a scorching 48 percent from 3-point land and Troy was just 36 percent.
The Trojans were outrebounded just 31-27, but they turned the ball over 14 times to Belmont's 14.
The Bruins started the game in improbable fashion ,draining their first six shots, including their first four threes, to jump out to a 20-5 lead. The Trojans made some defensive adjustments, and after hitting just one of their first nine shots, rebounded to hit six 3-pointers, their only field goals of the half, to cut the lead to as few as six and to 34-27 at the half.
Belmont stormed out to a 5-0 run to start the second half and once again extended the lead to double figures. The Bruins led by as many as 15 in the first 10 minutes of the second half, only to watch Troy claw back to nine multiple times. Troy would not draw closer than that until just under the four-minute mark, when a Baker spin move set up a jumper off of the glass that cut the lead to seven.
Missed opportunities would spell the Trojans' fate for the remainder of the way. The Trojans had numerous chances to cut the lead to within five in the final three minutes, but the shots just would not fall. The Trojans missed all three of their shots in the final minute to allow the Bruins a window to close the game.
The Trojans must wait for the rest of the league to decide whether or not they will appear in next week's A-Sun Tournament. A Gardner-Webb win against Florida Atlantic later on Saturday would guarantee the Trojans a spot in the event, hosted by Belmont from March 3-5.
