Troy University Athletics
Trojans Claim First Victory of Season
11/21/2008 6:00:00 AM | Basketball (W)
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - The Troy Trojans used double-digit scoring from four different players en route to a 65-61 victory over Austin Peay Friday night.
Kylie Morrissy paced Troy (1-1) with a game-high 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 shooting from the free throw line. Danielle Realph posted 12 points, while Kirsten Smith and Donette McNair posted career nights for the Trojans. Smith, a freshman, posted a career-high 12 points, while McNair added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the victorious Trojans.
"Donette [McNair] played a great game," Troy coach Michael Murphy said. "She recorded a double-double in her first collegiate start, which was outstanding. We also got great help from our bench tonight. Kirsten [Smith] made some huge plays, Jacklyn Selfe came in and hit a big three, and Lucy Lindley for not having much practice time did a good job of providing us a low-post presence tonight."
Playing without starting guard Brittnie Davis, the Trojans turned to the young players for contributions. They did not disappoint, as the underclassmen scored 31 of the Trojans' 65 points on the night.
"The key to tonight was getting the lead and sustaining that lead," Murphy said. "We got the lead early and were able to sustain it the entire game."
The Trojans jumped ahead early, scoring the first basket and the game and trailed for just two minutes of the contest when Austin Peay held a 10-7 lead just five minutes into the contest.
After leading by six at halftime, 36-30, the Trojans' lead quickly dwindled down to 38-35 just three minutes into the second stanza. Austin Peay (1-2) tied the game at 38-38 on a three point by Whitney Hanley, before McNair gave Troy the lead for good at 40-38 with 16:32 to play in the contest.
After the Lady Govs pulled to within 43-40 with 14:40 to play in the contest, Troy went on a 16-5 run over the next 8:40 to take an insurmountable 59-45 lead with just six minutes to play. During the run, the Trojans got baskets from three different players; including three from Morrissy, three from Realph and one from Alyce Shearing. Morrissy and Smith each connected on three free throws a piece during the run.
Troy held the lead for the remainder of the contest, with Austin Peay pulling within four in the waning seconds of the contest. The Lady Govs used a 16-6 run to close the game, to get to the final deficit of four points.
The game took an odd turn in the final few seconds of the contest, as the two teams went to the bench for 10 minutes while the officials looked at a replay to determine whether a jump shot by Darcie Warner should be counted as a two-pointer or three-pointer. After the delay, the officials determined the shot was a two-pointer and brought Austin Peay to withing 63-59 with just 25 seconds remaining.
Following the delay, senior Larelle Roper knocked down two free throws with 16 seconds remaining for a 65-59 lead, before Hanley hit a jumper with 10 seconds remaining for Austin Peay for the final score.
Troy shot 44.3 (25-of-52) percent from the floor, and a blistering 51.5 (14-of-27) percent in the first half to build the lead. They also shot 33.6 (4-of-12) from beyond the arc in the contest, after shooting 66.7 (4-of-6) in the first half. The Trojans also connected on 78.3 (15-of-19) percent of the free throws in the contest.
Austin Peay was held to 34.6 (20-of-58) from the floor, and just 33.6 (6-of-18) from beyond the arc in the loss. The Lady Govs were led by Ashley Herring with 14 points, while Nicole Jamen added 10 in the loss.
The Trojans return to action Tuesday night in their home opener for the 2008-09 season, hosting in-state rival Jacksonville State University. The game is set to tip-off at 5:15 pm and can be heard on WTBF-94.7 FM with Buddy Johnson providing the play-by-play. For ticket information, contact the Troy Ticket Office at 1-877-878-WINS.
