Trojans Earn Season Sweep of South Alabama

Saturday, February 28

Troy, Ala.

7:30 p.m.

Troy University

South Alabama

Trojans Earn Season Sweep of South Alabama

2/28/2009 6:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)

TROY ? Senior Night was sweet for the Troy Trojans as four players scored in double-figures to lead the Trojans past South Alabama 59-51 at Trojan Arena in Sun Belt action.

The win improved Troy's record to 19-11 on the season and 14-4 in Sun Belt play. It also gave the team its first season sweep of the Jaguars (17-12, 10-8 SBC) in school history. It also gave Troy's its best record since the 2003-04 season.

The win did not improve Troy's seed in the 2009 Sun Belt Conference tournament that will be held next week in Hot Springs, Ark. The Trojans needed a loss by Western Kentucky to move up in the seeding, but WKU defeated Middle Tennessee 68-49.

Michael Vogler paced the Trojans with 13 points, while Brandon Hazzard scored 12. Mario Telfair and Antywan Jones both scored 10. Vogler also tallied five assists, four rebounds and four steals.

“It was a hard-fought basketball game tonight. I think from this point forward every game we play will be like this one, if we are fortunate enough to play more than one. The games will be very similar. Every play will be important. You will see hustle from each and every team. This truly was a tournament atmosphere tonight,” head coach Don Maestri said.

“I am happy for our seniors. We have three seniors who don't start, so to speak, but they make every bit as much contributions as the other guys. They really made a major impact tonight and are a major part of this team's success. This was the most positive, unselfish group of seniors we have had here. ?We before me' was not just words for them, they lived it. They are such a major reason for our success. I could not have asked for a better group. I'm so happy for them.”

The senior class helped Troy accomplish their best-ever record as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.

Brandon Hazzard made a steal at the top of the key and took it in for a lay-up to give Troy an 8-3 lead. Hazzard got a jumper to rattle home for a 10-3 lead, but South Alabama put together a rally that included a 3-pointer by Domonic Tilford to make it 15-12 in favor of the Trojans.

DeAndre Coleman got back-to-back baskets to tie the game at 16 with just less than eight minutes left in the opening half. Jervis got a dunk then Hazzard hit a long two to give Troy a 24-18 lead.

Jervis started a key sequence with a big block on Ronald Douglas that led to a Michael Vogler 3-pointer at the other end for a 29-24 lead. After South Alabama cut the lead down to three points, Mario Telfair scored two points in the paint and Richard Delk got on the board with a pair of free throws for a 33-26 advantage with 70 seconds to go.

Coleman converted a three-point play, but Delk answered with a trey for the Trojans and a seven point lead. Tilford missed a triple as time expired in the first half to leave Troy on-top 36-29 at halftime.

Tilford opened the second half with a trey off a screen but then Antywan Jones scored four straight points for the Trojans on a fast break lay-up and then a thunderous dunk resulting in an eight point Troy lead, tying for their largest of the night to that point. Delk then split a pair from the stripe for a 43-36 lead with five minutes gone by in the second half.

Telfair's bucket in the paint gave the Trojans their first double-digit lead at 51-41 with 10:22 left in the second half. USA scored back-to-back baskets off Troy turnovers then a Tilford trey cut the Trojan lead to just three points, 53-50 with six minutes left in the contest.

Vogler halted the 7-0 South Alabama run with a floater in the lane and Jervis added a fast break dunk after the Trojans broke the Jaguars press. Next time down Vogler found Delk in transition for a picturesque dunk reminiscent of his slam against Western Kentucky. The flush stretched Troy's lead back out to eight points, 59-51 with 4:40 left.

Tilford continue to put pressure on Troy with another triple, his fifth, but Vogler countered with a hard-fought two points in the paint and a seven point lead, 61-54.

After a scuffle for the ball that saw four Trojans dive on the floor, USA's Bryan Sherrer came away with the ball and drew a foul. He then sank two free throws with 25 seconds left in the game.

Troy's Hazzard then sandwiched pairs of free throws around a Tilford 3-point miss to give the Trojans the win. Tilford finished with a game-high 17 points and four rebounds. Sherrer was the only other Jaguar to score in double-figures with 12.

The victory on Saturday night was witnessed by the largest Trojan Arena crowd this season. 3,018 fans were on hand to witness the contest.

“It's like anything else. You are nervous as heck when you get your first kiss, but five years later you are a lot more comfortable. Basketball is just like that. If you never play in a packed house, then you are nervous. The more you do it though, the more comfortable you get. You get to where you look forward to it,” head coach Don Maestri said.

The players felt the benefit of the larger following as the season progressed.

“The more we won the more fans showed up each game. So it was a lot of fun to play in front of the big crowds and put on a good show for everyone at the arena,” Tom Jervis said.

Jervis finished the game with six points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks.

Troy will be in action next a week from Sunday against a yet unknown opponent in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The Trojans will learn of their opponent following the on-campus first round of play on Wednesday.