Troy University Athletics
Trojans Fall to Lady Jags to End Regular Season
2/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (W)
MOBILE, Ala. - The Troy women's basketball team fell to in-state rival and conference foe South Alabama, 56-44 on Saturday night to end the 2006-07 regular season.
Troy had problems scoring with 10 minutes remaining in the game after tying the game at 37.
As Troy went scoreless for five minutes it allowed South Alabama to take a 10-point lead. Junior Amy Lewis hit one from behind the arc with 5:42 left and Troy would only score two baskets after Lewis' three.
As Troy remained unable to score a basket as the Lady Jags went on an 18-7 run to end the game in the last nine minutes of play.
I thought we were a very tired basketball team which I thought reflected our level of play. We really had a hard time scoring and a lot of that credit has to go to South Alabama's defense,? head coach Michael Murphy said.
Lewis ended the game with 13-points making three of seven from behind the arc. Off the bench senior Valensia Hairston added assistance to the Trojan offense posting 13-points of her own.
Hairston also added help on defense as she grabbed seven off the boards. Sophomore Larelle Roper pulled down six rebounds of her own to add assistance on the defensive end.
The Middle Tennessee game really took a lot out of our legs, especially my scorers. South Alabama had four seniors and two of those seniors led in scoring,? Murphy said. We just struggled offensively and that is something we really haven't done a lot this year. I think we have been pretty good offensively as a basketball team.?
To begin the second half Troy came out strong taking a one-point lead at the 13-minute mark, 34-33. Troy then continued to battle knotting the score at 37 with 10 minutes to play before going dry and allowing the Lady Jags to pull ahead by five, 42-37.
For South Alabama Whitney Woodard tallied 20 points to lead the Lady Jags to the win and a home court advantage in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Woodard posted a double-double for South Alabama as well as she grabbed 12 rebounds.
Also assisting South Alabama was Valensia Boswell who scored 11 making four of six from the field.
With no time on the clock Lewis hit a jumper to cut South Alabama's lead to four going into the half time break. Lewis posted five points for Try in the first period of play.
Also assisting the Trojans in the first half was Hairston who added five for Troy as she came in off the bench.
I think the last series of games, Western, Middle and then this one have really taken a lot out of us and it is going to take a lot for us to regroup to play a road game on Wednesday, Murphy said.
The Trojans will travel to Miami on Wednesday, Feb. 28 to face FIU in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Troy has faced FIU twice this season and must win to advance to the second round of the Sun Belt tournament in Lafayette, La.
FIU is a team that obviously we are very familiar with. We have played two very close games against them. I think as a team we match-up well athletically, we both play very similar styles man offense, motion defense and we are just going to have to make it a point that we can't let other teams leading scorers get their numbers,? Murphy said.
