Troy University Athletics
Sunday, March 8
Hot Springs, Ark.
9 pm
Troy University
75
vs
78
South Alabama
Third Time is the Charm for South Alabama
3/8/2009 6:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. ? South Alabama outscored Troy 41-34 in the second half to pull off the quarterfinal upset 78-75 on Sunday night in the 2009 Sun Belt Championship.
The loss drops Troy to 19-12 on the season and potentially ends the Troy careers of four seniors. The loss also drops Troy to 2-4 all-time in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, and 0-3 in the quarterfinals of the event.
Troy was 2-0 versus the Jaguars so far this season, but head coach Don Maestri did not believe the third game was any different than the previous two.
“I don't think it makes any difference. I don't care how many times you play its going to be tough. I think they played very well tonight and we didn't play as well as we have the last four or five games. This was going to be a hard fought battle. Each team knew the importance. It was like a heavyweight prize fight,” Maestri said.
“We hung in there and had a chance. We gave ourselves chances to tie or at least stay in it at the end. South Alabama played a really solid game. Watson did a great job. He had a great game. Tilford did what he does and had a real solid game.”
After a pair of free throws by Ronald Douglas, Brandon Hazzard drilled a trey to cut USA's lead to 75-71 with less than two minutes to go. On the Jags next possession Tom Jervis came up with a big block and rebound, but was called for traveling giving USA back the ball.
Hazzard finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting. For his efforts he was named State Farm Player of the Game. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists.
On the following possession, Troy forced South Alabama into a jump ball causing a turnover with 50 seconds left. Jervis hit a 15-foot jumper to slice the Jaguar lead down to just two points.
South Alabama got the ball to half court and called a timeout with 35 seconds on the clock. Troy fouled DeAndre Coleman after the inbounds, sending him to the line for two. Coleman hit two foul shots for a 77-73 lead. Coleman scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds, while battling a stomach virus.
South Alabama missed four free throws with under 30 seconds left, including two by 92.3 percent shooter Bryan Sherrer wih 17.8 left. Unable to answer, Hazzard missed a trey and Troy sent Brandon Davis to the line where he missed two giving the Trojans another chance with 5.2 on the clock. Mike Vogler missed a desperation three attempt ending the Trojan's seasons.
The Trojans attempted 26 3-pointers, hitting just nine (34.6 percent), the most they have attempted since launching 30 against the Jags in a 94-70 win on January 15 at the Mitchell Center.
Troy opened up with five quick points with two in the paint by Jervis and trey from the top of the key by Vogler. Richard Delk added a quick triple and in less than two minutes the Trojans grabbed a 8-0 lead over South Alabama.
Mario Telfair sank two from the charity stripe to make it 14-7 after South Alabama had rallied for seven points. Following an acrobatic lay-up by Vogler, USA's Domonic Tilford got into the action with a 3-pointer from the head of the key to cut Troy's lead to 16-11.
Vogler sank a pair from the line to make it 23-20 in favor of the Trojans, but Tilford countered with two. Travis Lee then drained 2-of-3 from the line for a 25-22 advantage with less than nine minutes left in the first half.
The Jaguars' LaShun Watson was on the receiving end of an alley-oop toss, then Tilford hit a long two to give USA their second lead of the night 26-25. Delk sank a 3-pointer for a two-point lead, but Sherrer countered with his own triple with six minutes to go.
Coleman got two on a put-back, but Hazzard countered with a pull-up jumper to leave the Trojans leading 41-37 at halftime.
Hazzard broke the lid off the bucket from deep with his first triple 55 seconds into the second half. The basket sandwiched consecutive scores by the Jaguars. Watson's trey cut the Trojan lead to just a point, 47-46 with 17:30 to go.
Davis scored a bucket in the paint to give USA the lead, but Hazzard hit a long two for a Troy lead 49-48. Coleman scored on a put-back, then Tilford hit a trey for South Alabama's largest lead of the night, 53-49 with 14:30 to go.
A baseline jumper from Antywan Jones and a three-point play by Delk had Troy back out in front by one, but Coleman made the Trojans pay on a mismatch down low for two. Hazzard continued his strong second half play with another two, but Watson was left open for a three that he converted for a 58-56 South Alabama lead with just more than 12 minutes remaining.
Davis scored two in the lane for South Alabama's largest lead 73-65 with four minutes to go. Hazzard hit his third trey of the night with 2:37 left to cut USA's lead to five, 73-68.
Vogler and Delk both scored 12 for the Trojans. Vogler added eight assists and Delk eight rebounds. Jervis scored eight points with seven boards and four blocks in his final Sun Belt game.
Tilford scored 20 points to lead USA, while Watson added 18 points. Davis chipped in with a double-double (11 points, 12 boards) for the Jaguars.
Troy will now wait to see if an invitation is extended for any post season play.
The loss drops Troy to 19-12 on the season and potentially ends the Troy careers of four seniors. The loss also drops Troy to 2-4 all-time in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, and 0-3 in the quarterfinals of the event.
Troy was 2-0 versus the Jaguars so far this season, but head coach Don Maestri did not believe the third game was any different than the previous two.
“I don't think it makes any difference. I don't care how many times you play its going to be tough. I think they played very well tonight and we didn't play as well as we have the last four or five games. This was going to be a hard fought battle. Each team knew the importance. It was like a heavyweight prize fight,” Maestri said.
“We hung in there and had a chance. We gave ourselves chances to tie or at least stay in it at the end. South Alabama played a really solid game. Watson did a great job. He had a great game. Tilford did what he does and had a real solid game.”
After a pair of free throws by Ronald Douglas, Brandon Hazzard drilled a trey to cut USA's lead to 75-71 with less than two minutes to go. On the Jags next possession Tom Jervis came up with a big block and rebound, but was called for traveling giving USA back the ball.
Hazzard finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting. For his efforts he was named State Farm Player of the Game. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists.
On the following possession, Troy forced South Alabama into a jump ball causing a turnover with 50 seconds left. Jervis hit a 15-foot jumper to slice the Jaguar lead down to just two points.
South Alabama got the ball to half court and called a timeout with 35 seconds on the clock. Troy fouled DeAndre Coleman after the inbounds, sending him to the line for two. Coleman hit two foul shots for a 77-73 lead. Coleman scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds, while battling a stomach virus.
South Alabama missed four free throws with under 30 seconds left, including two by 92.3 percent shooter Bryan Sherrer wih 17.8 left. Unable to answer, Hazzard missed a trey and Troy sent Brandon Davis to the line where he missed two giving the Trojans another chance with 5.2 on the clock. Mike Vogler missed a desperation three attempt ending the Trojan's seasons.
The Trojans attempted 26 3-pointers, hitting just nine (34.6 percent), the most they have attempted since launching 30 against the Jags in a 94-70 win on January 15 at the Mitchell Center.
Troy opened up with five quick points with two in the paint by Jervis and trey from the top of the key by Vogler. Richard Delk added a quick triple and in less than two minutes the Trojans grabbed a 8-0 lead over South Alabama.
Mario Telfair sank two from the charity stripe to make it 14-7 after South Alabama had rallied for seven points. Following an acrobatic lay-up by Vogler, USA's Domonic Tilford got into the action with a 3-pointer from the head of the key to cut Troy's lead to 16-11.
Vogler sank a pair from the line to make it 23-20 in favor of the Trojans, but Tilford countered with two. Travis Lee then drained 2-of-3 from the line for a 25-22 advantage with less than nine minutes left in the first half.
The Jaguars' LaShun Watson was on the receiving end of an alley-oop toss, then Tilford hit a long two to give USA their second lead of the night 26-25. Delk sank a 3-pointer for a two-point lead, but Sherrer countered with his own triple with six minutes to go.
Coleman got two on a put-back, but Hazzard countered with a pull-up jumper to leave the Trojans leading 41-37 at halftime.
Hazzard broke the lid off the bucket from deep with his first triple 55 seconds into the second half. The basket sandwiched consecutive scores by the Jaguars. Watson's trey cut the Trojan lead to just a point, 47-46 with 17:30 to go.
Davis scored a bucket in the paint to give USA the lead, but Hazzard hit a long two for a Troy lead 49-48. Coleman scored on a put-back, then Tilford hit a trey for South Alabama's largest lead of the night, 53-49 with 14:30 to go.
A baseline jumper from Antywan Jones and a three-point play by Delk had Troy back out in front by one, but Coleman made the Trojans pay on a mismatch down low for two. Hazzard continued his strong second half play with another two, but Watson was left open for a three that he converted for a 58-56 South Alabama lead with just more than 12 minutes remaining.
Davis scored two in the lane for South Alabama's largest lead 73-65 with four minutes to go. Hazzard hit his third trey of the night with 2:37 left to cut USA's lead to five, 73-68.
Vogler and Delk both scored 12 for the Trojans. Vogler added eight assists and Delk eight rebounds. Jervis scored eight points with seven boards and four blocks in his final Sun Belt game.
Tilford scored 20 points to lead USA, while Watson added 18 points. Davis chipped in with a double-double (11 points, 12 boards) for the Jaguars.
Troy will now wait to see if an invitation is extended for any post season play.
Players Postgame Press Conference - Memphis
Saturday, September 13
Gerad Parker Postgame Press Conference - Memphis
Saturday, September 13
PODCAST - Kaleb Canales
Friday, September 12
Troy vs Mercer (Full Highlights)
Thursday, September 11