Troy University Athletics
Double Overtime Buzzer-Beater Sinks Navy, 89-87
1/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. - TROY, Ala. - Laura Lee Holman's nine-foot jumper at the buzzer Wednesday night gave Troy a 89-87 victory over Navy in the Trojans' final non-conference game of the 2005-06 season. Holman finished the game with a season-high 30 points. The win extends a 13-game win streak in Trojan Arena, and gives the Trojans a winning non-conference record for the first time since 2000-01.
Alecia Jones gave the Trojans (6-5) a three-point lead with a free throw with nine seconds remaining in the second overtime, but Navy's Ashley Pelzek connected on a three to tie the game with just 4.9 seconds left. Off the make, Holman drove the length of the floor and connected on a jump shot from the right side as time expired to seal the win for the Trojans.
Holman also hit a three with just six seconds in the first overtime to tie the game at 78 and extend the game for the Trojans.
This game really says something about perseverance,” Troy head coach Michael Murphy said. This really was a great college basketball game. This was a game where both teams made plays when they needed to make them. This is a great win for us to wrap up the non-conference season.”
Jones came off the bench to score 18 points and grab 13 rebounds for Troy, and Valensia Hairston finished with 15 points, despite playing just 13 minutes in her first start of the season. Freshman Kylie Morrissy made her first start for the Trojans, tallying 10 points. Audrey Muse finished with six points and 11 rebounds in the win.
We like to say that every possession counts, and every player contributed to this win,” Murphy said. We had a lot of players who stepped up and made some really big plays.”
Navy (7-6) was led by Lauren Skrel, who finished with 21 points, all in the second half and overtime periods. Pelzek added 18 points and Margaret Knap scored 17 points for the Midshipmen.
Troy took an early 10-4 lead five minutes into play, propelled by five quick points from Holman. The Trojans were outscored 7-1 over the next 3:27, as the Midshipmen drew the game to an 11-11 tie with 11:46 left in the half.
The Trojans responded with an 8-1 run to build a 19-12 lead at the 7:37 mark. The teams traded threes to keep Troy's advantage at seven, but then the Mids connected from behind the arc on back-to-back trips to cut Troy's lead to 22-21 with just under six minutes left in the half.
The Trojans scored on their next six possessions, while holding Navy to just a pair a free throws, extending their lead to 33-23 at the 4-minute mark of the first half.
The Trojans would extend their first-half lead to as many as 12 points before taking a 41-31 lead into the break.
The Trojans shot 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from the floor in the first half, including a 60 percent (3-of-5) effort from behind the three-point line. Troy connected on 10-of-12 (83.3 percent) free-throw attempts in the first half.
Holman led the Trojans with 16 first-half points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor. Holman was 2-of-2 from three-point range and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the first half. Jones grabbed six rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
The Midshipmen shot 9-of-29 (31 percent) from the floor in the first half, including 5-of-15 (33.3 percent) from three-point range. Navy shot 8-of-10 (80 percent) from the free-throw line in the first half.
The Trojans scored the first four points of the second half to stretch their lead to 45-31 with 19 minutes remaining. Navy answered with an 8-0 run to cut Troy's lead to 45-38 with just less than 16 minutes to play.
The Trojans outscored Navy 8-2 over the next 2:29 to push their lead back to 13 at 53-40 with 13 minutes to play. Navy chipped away at the Trojans' lead, and a three from Knap rolled in and capped a 10-0 run by the Midshipmen that brought them to within three, 53-50 with 10:13 on the clock.
Troy responded with a run of their own, scoring the next five points to stretch their lead to eight, 58-50 with 8:40 remaining.
Trailing 60-52, Navy went on 9-1 run that tied the game at 61-61 at the 4:46 mark. Jones put Troy back on top, making a jump shot on the Trojans' next possession. Navy tied the game at 63 off a pair of free throws from Lauren Skrel with 4:03 on the clock. The teams tied at 65 and 67, and a basket from Lewis gave Troy a 69-67 lead with 1:41 to play.
The Midshipmen tied the game at 69 on a pair of free throws from Kate Hobbs, and they took their first lead of the game at 71-69 when Pelzek hit a jump shot with 40 seconds remaining. Morrissy knocked down a 15-foot jump shot with 20 seconds on the clock to tie the game. The Trojans held Navy on their next trip to force overtime.
The Midshipmen scored the first five points of the overtime period to take a 76-71 lead with 2:49 on the clock. Audrey Muse knocked down a pair of free throws to bring Troy to within three, 76-73 with 2:15 remaining.
Neither team scored again until Jones was sent to the free throw line with 16 seconds on the clock. Jones connected on both to draw Troy to within on, 76-75. Troy elected to send Pelzek to the line with 15 seconds left, and the senior captain connected on both to give the Mids a three-point advantage.
A three attempt from Lewis was blocked by Pelzek, but the Trojans retained possession. Holman's three with 6.8 seconds left tied the game at 78.
There is no question that Laura Lee has moved her game to the next level,” Murphy said. In coach speak, she has ?˜it.' There's no secret to her success; it is all hard work and determination. She really stepped up and made some big plays for us.”
Navy had a chance to win the game in the first overtime, when Betsy Burnett rebounded Skrel's missed layup, but missed the put back as time expired.
Knap gave the Mids a three-point lead in the first overtime on a three on Navy's first possession. Jones cut Troy's deficit to one when she hit a layup with 3:05 on the clock, bringing the score to 81-80.
Jones was fouled on Troy's next possession, and she made both free throws to give Troy their first lead of the overtime periods, 82-81 with 2:35 left.
Holman put Troy up three with a jump shot with 2:08 remaining, but Knap answered on Navy's ensuing possession to keep the Midshipmen within one.
Lauren Nelson went to the charity stripe with 1:07 left and the chance to give Navy the lead. Nelson missed the first but made the second, tying the game at 84.
On Troy's next possession, Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and put back the miss, giving Troy a two-point lead with 38 seconds left. After being fouled by Pelzek, Jones made the second of two free throws to put Troy up 87-84 with nine seconds on the clock.Pelzek's three looked to send the Trojans to their first-ever triple-overtime game, but Holman's heroic shot ended the game in an 89-87 win for Troy.
The Trojans shot 42.3 percent (30-of-71) from the floor, including 5-of-15 (33.3 percent) from three-point range. Troy finished 24-of-31 (77.4 percent) from the free-throw line.
Navy shot 37.2 percent (29-of-78) from the floor, including 12-of-32 (37.5 percent) from three-point range. The Midshipmen finished 17-of-20 (85 percent) from the free-throw line.
This was a great overall win for us. We played hard the entire game, and there are a lot of things that we can learn from it,” Murphy said. Hopefully we'll be able to carry over some of those things as we enter conference play.”
The Trojans enter their inaugural Sun Belt season with three straight home games, the first coming on Saturday when they host in-state foe South Alabama at 7 p.m.
