Troy University Athletics
Monday, December 14
Houston, Texas
7:00 PM
Troy University
85
at
93
Houston
Trojans Fall 93-85 to Hot-Shooting Houston
12/15/2009 3:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
HOUSTON – For the second straight outing to end an eight-game road stretch, the Troy Trojans ran into a hot-shooting team. This time it was the Houston Cougars who blistered the nets at historic Hofheinz Pavilion to take a 93-85 victory over the Trojans.
Houston hit a season-high 16 three-pointers and shot 23 free throws to just four for the Trojans. Those long-range bombs and free throws more than made up for the fact that Troy hit eight more shots from the field.
“Over the last 15 minutes of this game, we probably had the least fortune of any team we have had in a while,” Trojans coach Don Maestri said. “We made five or six straight baskets in the paint when we had to have them, and they answered almost every one with a three at the other end. It wasn't like they were open looks, we had hands in their faces, they just hit the shots.”
Troy falls to 5-5 on the year with the loss while Houston improved to 5-2.
The Trojans finished the game shooting 55.7 percent from the floor and battled from behind to win the rebounding wars 33-32.
Despite trailing by as many as 12 points on two occasions in the second half, the Trojans closed to within four points three times down the stretch.
Brandon Hazzard, who led the Trojans with 21 points despite hitting just 9-of-19 shots, hit a three-pointer at the 1:34 mark, but Aubrey Coleman, the nation's leading scorer, answered with three for the Cougars.
Hazzard hit another three just seconds later, but Coleman again answered, hitting a pair of free throws.
Troy got back to within four again, at 89-85, on a jumper by Richard Delk with 38 seconds left, but the Cougars put the game away at the free throw line.
“It doesn't take away the sting from losing this game, but we played pretty well overall,” Maestri said. “This is the end of a long road stretch, and it would have been very easy for this team to come out and not play hard, but they battled all night and played with a lot of effort and intensity.”
Troy trailed 43-37 at the half despite holding Coleman, who came into play averaging 27 points, to just six. The senior guard keyed the Cougars in the second half and finished the night with a game-high 25 points, eight of which came at the free throw line.
While Coleman struggled in the first half the Cougars got 17 points off the bench, including the first six points of the year for both freshman Nick Haywood and junior Kahmell Broughton. Combined that duo had played 28 minutes total in six games before sparking the Cougars in the first half.
Broughton finished the game with 10 points, one of four Cougars to score in double figures. Kelvin Lewis had 24 points by hitting seven-of-nine from three point range while Adam Brown added 15.
Most of Houston's offense in the opening period came from beyond the perimeter where the Cougars shot 50 percent, hitting nine-of-18 from three-point range. Normally an area where Troy excels, the Trojans hit just two-of-eight from the perimeter in the half.
Houston finished the game having hit 16-of-27 from three-point range, while Troy hit just five-of-20.
The other problem for Troy in the first half was on the boards where Houston, despite averaging just 29.5 rebounds per game so far this year, led the Trojans 24-15 at halftime. Troy improved those numbers in the second half, outrebounding the Cougars 18-8 after halftime.
The bright spot for the Trojans over the first 20 minutes was scoring in the paint, where Troy held a 24-10 advantage. Troy scored 24 more points in the paint in the second half and finished the game with a 58-24 advantage.
Behind Hazzard, Troy got 20 points from Delk, 16 from Michael Vogler and 10 from Yamene Coleman, who also had a double-double with 10 rebounds.
“We got good production in the paint all night,” Maestri said. “Both Yamene and Bernard Toombs played well, and that is something that is going to help us when we get into Sun Belt play.”
The Trojans will finally return home to open play in the Sun Belt Conference on Thursday night when the Privateers of UNO visit for what will likely be the final time. Tipoff for the game at Trojan Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Houston hit a season-high 16 three-pointers and shot 23 free throws to just four for the Trojans. Those long-range bombs and free throws more than made up for the fact that Troy hit eight more shots from the field.
“Over the last 15 minutes of this game, we probably had the least fortune of any team we have had in a while,” Trojans coach Don Maestri said. “We made five or six straight baskets in the paint when we had to have them, and they answered almost every one with a three at the other end. It wasn't like they were open looks, we had hands in their faces, they just hit the shots.”
Troy falls to 5-5 on the year with the loss while Houston improved to 5-2.
The Trojans finished the game shooting 55.7 percent from the floor and battled from behind to win the rebounding wars 33-32.
Despite trailing by as many as 12 points on two occasions in the second half, the Trojans closed to within four points three times down the stretch.
Brandon Hazzard, who led the Trojans with 21 points despite hitting just 9-of-19 shots, hit a three-pointer at the 1:34 mark, but Aubrey Coleman, the nation's leading scorer, answered with three for the Cougars.
Hazzard hit another three just seconds later, but Coleman again answered, hitting a pair of free throws.
Troy got back to within four again, at 89-85, on a jumper by Richard Delk with 38 seconds left, but the Cougars put the game away at the free throw line.
“It doesn't take away the sting from losing this game, but we played pretty well overall,” Maestri said. “This is the end of a long road stretch, and it would have been very easy for this team to come out and not play hard, but they battled all night and played with a lot of effort and intensity.”
Troy trailed 43-37 at the half despite holding Coleman, who came into play averaging 27 points, to just six. The senior guard keyed the Cougars in the second half and finished the night with a game-high 25 points, eight of which came at the free throw line.
While Coleman struggled in the first half the Cougars got 17 points off the bench, including the first six points of the year for both freshman Nick Haywood and junior Kahmell Broughton. Combined that duo had played 28 minutes total in six games before sparking the Cougars in the first half.
Broughton finished the game with 10 points, one of four Cougars to score in double figures. Kelvin Lewis had 24 points by hitting seven-of-nine from three point range while Adam Brown added 15.
Most of Houston's offense in the opening period came from beyond the perimeter where the Cougars shot 50 percent, hitting nine-of-18 from three-point range. Normally an area where Troy excels, the Trojans hit just two-of-eight from the perimeter in the half.
Houston finished the game having hit 16-of-27 from three-point range, while Troy hit just five-of-20.
The other problem for Troy in the first half was on the boards where Houston, despite averaging just 29.5 rebounds per game so far this year, led the Trojans 24-15 at halftime. Troy improved those numbers in the second half, outrebounding the Cougars 18-8 after halftime.
The bright spot for the Trojans over the first 20 minutes was scoring in the paint, where Troy held a 24-10 advantage. Troy scored 24 more points in the paint in the second half and finished the game with a 58-24 advantage.
Behind Hazzard, Troy got 20 points from Delk, 16 from Michael Vogler and 10 from Yamene Coleman, who also had a double-double with 10 rebounds.
“We got good production in the paint all night,” Maestri said. “Both Yamene and Bernard Toombs played well, and that is something that is going to help us when we get into Sun Belt play.”
The Trojans will finally return home to open play in the Sun Belt Conference on Thursday night when the Privateers of UNO visit for what will likely be the final time. Tipoff for the game at Trojan Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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