Troy University Athletics
Second Half Run Lifts Middle Tennessee to 72-64 Victory in Sun Belt First Round
2/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala.- An 8-0 run midway through the second half proved to be just enough of a cushion for ninth-seeded Middle Tennessee to hold on to a 72-64 upset victory over Troy Wednesday night in the opening round in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The Blue Raiders advance to the quarterfinal round in Lafayette, La., on Sunday, where they will face top-seeded South Alabama.
Cedric Jackson led a trio of Trojans with 16 points and seven rebounds. O'Darien Bassett added 14 points, while Boo Ramsey tallied 13 points. Calvin O'Neil of Middle Tennessee led all scorers with 21 points.
A game that featured nine ties and 20 lead changes swung for the last time after a 45-45 tie with 6:25 remaining. Kevin Kanaskie hit a three-pointer at the 6:09 mark to start an 8-0 run and the Blue Raiders (14-16) never trailed again. In fact, they built the lead to 13 points with 1:29 left before Troy tried to rally.
Jackson hit a pair of threes and Bassett knocked down a third to close the margin to 60-56 with 52 seconds left. From there, Middle Tennessee hit 12 of 14 free throws to end Troy's season at 13-17. Just four days ago, Troy rallied from a 10-point deficit with 3:59 remaining to defeat South Alabama in overtime.
We just didn't play well and Middle Tennessee did,? Head Coach Don Maestri said. We could have shot the ball better and played better defense. They are a solid team.?
In the first half, the Trojans shot a miserable 24 percent from the floor, connecting on just seven of 29 shots. While the percentage after intermission, the 32.8 percent shooting was just too much to overcome. Middle Tennessee held a 38-35 rebounding edge and stayed close in turnovers, 15-14. The Blue Raiders also hit 45.1 percent from the field, including 50.0 percent in the second half, and made 23 of 29 free throws in the contest.
Troy closes the season 13-17 with 13 of the losses by a single-digit margin or in overtime. The Trojans had beaten the Blue Raiders twice during the regular season, including 73-70 at Trojan Arena on Senior Night last Thursday.
