Trio Leads Trojans Past UNCW

Monday, December 22

Troy, Ala.

7 p.m.

Troy University

101

UNC-Wilmington

12/22/2008 6:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)

TROY ? A trio of Troy's juniors combined for 68 points to lead the Trojans to a revenge victory 101-92 over UNC-Wilmington on Monday night in men's basketball action at Trojan Arena.

Troy's Richard Delk (28 points), Brandon Hazzard (22 points) and Michael Vogler (18 points) keyed the Trojans offensive attack. Delk and Vogler both set career-high's with their point totals and Vogler also posted his first career double-double with 11 assists.

For the game Troy shot 58.7 percent from the field and a blistering 52 percent (12-for-23) from beyond the arc.

“This was a good win especially before the Christmas break when the guys will have a few days off. Very few teams get fired up for a game before the break but our guys rose to the challenge. Our numbers were very good and we had to win this ball game. I didn't think we played all that well, we did not have a lot of emotion or intensity but the name of the game is to win and we did,” head coach Don Maestri said.

“We accomplished what we needed to do to win, but it wasn't pretty. It's very important to win at home and we are now 3-1 here. To establish yourself in this league it is very important to win at home.”

Both teams scored at a frenetic pace early, trading baskets through most of the first half and battling to a tie at 27 with seven minutes to go. Delk broke the tie with his first three-pointer to give the Trojans a 30-27 lead.

The Trojans (5-7) settled in and Vogler found Mario Telfair down low for a reverse lay-in and Delk added a lay-up down the lane to stretch Troy's lead out to 36-29 at the 5:22 mark of the opening half. Telfair finished the game with eight points and eight rebounds.

Hazzard completed a four-point play and then picked up a run-out lay-up to give Troy 50 points and a 10 points lead, 50-40.

Kevon Moore sliced through the Trojans for two points to cut the lead to 52-45 for the halftime deficit.

Hazzard and Delk paced the Trojans with 13 points apiece in the first half. Johnny Wolf scored 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting from behind the arc in the opening frame.

The Seahawks (3-9) started off the second half with a couple of quick baskets, but Delk was able to get Troy on the board with a three-pointer putting the score at 57-49. A few seconds later Darion Jeralds answered back on UNCW's next trip down with a three of his own.

Moore knocked down a pair of free throws with 6:50 remaining to cut Troy's lead to just one point at 79-78.

The Trojans stretched the lead back out to 10 points with a Delk three-point play with 4:15 to go. After a Wolf three-pointer, Antywan Jones drained two free throws before UNCW's Chad Tomko hit a three-pointer for his team to cut the Trojan lead to 92-85.

With the Seahawks trailing 97-92 and under a minute remaining Wolf missed a three-point attempt and after an outlet pass Hazzard was fouled and sent to the line for two shots.

He sank both of his attempts pushing Troy's lead to 99-92. Vogler split a pair of free throws on Troy's next possession to push the Trojans to the century mark before Hazzard split a pair for the final deficit.

Wolf finished the game with 26 points on 6-of-15 shooting from downtown. Jerel Stephenson added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Tomko chipped in with 14 points and eight assists.

Troy now breaks for the Christmas holiday until December 29 when they travel to face Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla.