Trojans Down WKU with 2nd Half Push

Thursday, January 21

TROY

7:00 PM

Troy University

Western Kentucky

1/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)

TROY – Trailing by six at halftime, The Troy Trojans shot 64 percent from the field in the second half and dropped the Hilltoppers 77-69 in Sun Belt action on Thursday night.

The Trojans out-scored the Hilltoppers 42-28 after the break. With the win, Troy avoided its first three-game losing skid of the season and recorded back-to-back wins over WKU for the first time in program history.

“It was probably the best team game we have played this year,” head coach Don Maestri said. “I thought we had more contributions from more players this particular game and [more players] played well this particular game than any other game this season.

“I thought it was important for us to out-rebound them in the second half. That was one of our big goals at halftime and we are not big on goals. But we told them 'if you will out-rebound them in the second half, you will put yourself in a position to make this game a very competitive game.”

The Trojans did just that responding to the urging of the coaching staff to hit the glass. After being out-rebounded 24-16 before halftime, Troy scrapped for 16 rebounds compared to 12 for the Toppers.

“I thought we really battled hard,” Maestri said. “They were coming off a tough loss at [MTSU] and in first place. There was no doubt they were going to have a lot of fight in them and a lot of energy. In the second half our kids matched that and played a great team game.”

Troy (10-9, 5-3) harassed Western Kentucky into 10 second half turnovers and 17 for the game, while picking up 11 steals.

WKU's AJ Slaughter started the game stroking the ball, connecting on four of his first five 3-pointers on the way to a 13-6 lead. Energized by the home crowd, the Trojans stormed back with a 12-4 run to take a 22-21 lead with 12:18 on the first half clock.

With Trojans starters Antywan Jones and Brandon Hazzard resting on the bench, The Hilltoppers used a 16-7 run over the subsequent 3:51 to take a 35-26 lead capped by a 3-pointer in the corner from Caden Dickerson.

With Jones back in the game he scored on consecutive possessions and after a lay-up by Richard Delk, Troy trailed by just three. After splitting a pair at the line, Western Kentucky turned it over and Michael Vogler got two in the lane for a two point deficit with 1:26 left.

Trailing 41-35, Troy held for the final shot of the first half, but Delk missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity sending the game to the break. Slaugher led all scorers with 15 at the half. Hazzard had 10 for Troy.

WKU opened the second half in a similar fashion to the first, jumping out with a 5-2 run before the Trojans finally got some offense in the form of scores by Delk and Hazzard. Then, Delk's first 3-pointer since the game at FIU on January 9 cut the WKU lead to 48-44 with 14:49 left.

The Trojans battled all the way back to tie the game on a two by Vernon Taylor off a perfect inbounds feed by Vogler, 57-57. Coleman gave Troy its first lead of the game with a pair from the stripe with 7:35 remaining in the game.

A foul shot by Vogler and two in transition by Coleman gave the Trojans a 62-57 lead. After a turnover by WKU, Delk drained his second 3-pointer for an eight point advantage.

Delk's basket capped a 17-3 run by the Trojans that stretched over five minutes and 26 seconds in the second half.

WKU began its climb back with consecutive baskets, but a dunk by Coleman brought the run to a halt. Two by Delk after a steal widened the Trojan advantage back to eight. Another two in the lane by Hazzard made it 71-61 with 2:13 remaining.

Coleman, who was scoreless over the first 13 minutes of the game, finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Hazzard paced the team with 18 points. Slaughter led WKU with 20 points.

The senior transfer was aware of his scoring drought, but was focused on helping his teammates settle down and play hard.

“I knew. I wasn't worried about scoring though,” Coleman said. “I just wanted to help my teammates. Come out, get some rebounds, play good defense and most important get the win.

“We were a little anxious out there. We were trying to make sure we did well out there. We just needed to settle down and make sure we ran our offense the right way and just let the game come to us. That's what we did and the game came out the right way.”

With 1:46 on the clock, Steffphon Pettigrew did his best to get his Hilltoppers back into the game, sinking a free throw and then a 3-pointer to pare Troy's lead to 71-65. But Coleman sank a jumper and then a pair at the free throw line to make it a 10-point lead once more.

Hazzard sank a pair of his own with 37 seconds left and Jameson Tipping's 3-pointer set the final margin. After shooting just 1-of-8 at the foul line in the first half, Troy hit seven of its last nine.

Patsatsia set a new career high with 10 points. Delk (14 points) and Vogler (13 points) were also in double figures. Vogler added eight assists and eight rebounds in 40 minutes.

Delk is hopeful the game will be a turning point for the Trojans as the season moves forward.

“I feel like this is a turning point, but still have to do work,” Delk said. “Our next game is Saturday, so it's a quick turnaround. We have to come out hard, forget about this game and move on to the next game.”

Troy does indeed have a quick turnaround, traveling to Lafayette, La. on Friday before facing the Ragin' Cajuns on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 7:05 pm at the Cajundome.