Troy University Athletics
Dixon Shines as Troy Upsets Western Kentucky, 76-49
1/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
Official Game Statistics
Troy vs. Western Kentucky Game Notes
TROY, Ala. -- Bobby Dixon finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, adding 18 points and a school-record-tying 16 assists Thursday night as Troy upset preseason Sun Belt favorite Western Kentucky, 76-49, at Trojan Arena.
Boo Ramsey, who needed five stitches postgame to close a cut on his forehead, hit seven of 11 three-pointers enroute to a game-high 21 points. Sammy Sharp tallied 16 points on eight of 10 shooting, five of which came on alley-oops from Dixon.
Benson Callier led Western Kentucky, who had won six straight but fell to 12-5, 4-1, with 13 points and eight rebounds. Courtney Lee posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
"I think this was very important to show us that we can compete in the this league," said Head Coach Don Maestri. "It was an exciting night for us, creating Basketball as an event in town and on campus. We caught Western Kentucky on an off night and had six-seven-eight guys who played above their heads. Bobby played his heart out."
Similar to Saturday's win at Louisiana-Lafayette when a 20-0 run early in the second half was the difference, Troy surged ahead early after intermission. After a Courtney Lee three that made the score 32-31 in the first minute of the half, neither team scored for nearly three minutes. But Troy exploded after that, scoring 12 straight points for a 44-31 lead at the 12:53 mark. Ramsey had three three-pointers during the stretch.
Troy later led by nine, 48-39, with just under 10 minutes remaining when it blew the game open. Dixon hit a pair of free throws, then Jacob Hazouri hit three straight three-pointers around a Hilltopper basket, stretching the lead to 59-41 with just under seven minutes to play.
After another WKU basket, Troy hung another 12-2 run on the Hilltoppers to open a 26-point advantage, 71-45, at the 2:14 mark. The 27-point margin of victory, obtained on a Ramsey three with 38 seconds to play, was the largest of the game.
Troy held a slim 16-13 lead in the game's first eight minutes when Western Kentucky made a surge. The Hilltoppers scored 10 straight points to take a 23-16 lead with 7:40 to play. But the Trojans responded with a 9-2 run, capped by seven straight points to even the game at 25. Dixon scored six points during the run one second under the five-minute mark.
After Winchester hit a three with 2:45 remaining to put the Hilltoppers back up by three, Dixon connected on a three to start a 7-0 run over the remaining time. Sammy Sharp ended the surge with a spectacular alley-oop dunk off a Dixon assist as the horn sounded, giving the Trojans their fourth straight halftime lead, 32-28. Dixon finished the period with a game-high 13 points, plus five rebounds and four assists.
"We saw a whole group of guys playing basketball, most importantly on the defensive end," added Maestri. "Our zone isn't the greatest, but if you put in extra effort, it can be good. This victory was so important for the kids."
Troy's short homestand concludes Saturday night when the Trojans host Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m.
