Trojans Improve In Loss To A-Sun's Best

Sunday, November 21

Fort Myers, FL

2:00 p.m. (EST)

Troy University

Florida Gulf Coast University

Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer

11/21/2010 2:54:57 PM | Basketball (W)

DeAngela Sword and Brooke Bowie record career-highs in loss

By: Travis Jarome

Post Game Notes | Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. – The preseason Atlantic Sun Conference pick to win the conference, Florida Gulf Coast, proved too much for the Troy University Trojans as they were able to pull away for a 60-48 victory in non-conference action Sunday afternoon. The win was the 26th consecutive victory at Alico Arena for Florida Gulf Coast - which is the fifth-best in the country.

For the third straight contest, the Trojans outrebounded an opponent as the pulled down 41 rebounds to 35 for Florida Gulf Coast. They also outshot the home team, shooting 36.8 percent from the floor in the victory.

DeAngela Sword led Troy (0-4) with a career-high 17 points, while pulling down eight rebounds in her third consecutive start. Meanwhile, freshman Brook Bowie came off the bench to score a career-high seven points.

“I am disappointed in the loss but I feel like we got better as a basketball team today,” Troy head coach Michael Murphy said. “Florida Gulf Coast is very well-coached and they play extremely hard. Today we got better as a basketball team, and we have through the course of the season.

“The way Florida Gulf Coast plays, you have to be focused on every play or they will expose your weakness. For the most today I thought we did a really good job with our half court defense. I am really happy with our effort and our focus, and I am looking forward to our next game.”

With 9:17 to play in the half, Troy took their biggest lead of the game when Brooke Bowie connected on one of two free throws, and extended their lead to 20-13 on a free throw by Tenia Manuel and a jumper by DeAngela Sword.

Troy took as much as a six-point lead on two occasions on Florida Gulf Coast in the first half behind the hot-shooting of DeAngela Sword and Brooke Bowie.

The duo combined for 15 of the Trojans' 26 points in the first half, but none bigger than Bowie's shot clock buzzer-beater that gave the Trojans a 22-17 lead.

However, from there, Florida Gulf Coast went on a 12-2 run highlighted by a trio of Kelsey Jacobson three-pointers to take a 29-24 lead over Troy. The Trojans were able to end the run with a Donette McNair lay-up with 1:47 to play, before Florida Gulf Coast closed the half with a free throw for the nine-point lead, 35-26.

In the second half, the Trojans battled to trim the lead to single digits in the second half; but Florida Gulf Coast proved to be too much down the stretch.

Florida Gulf Coast was led by Kelsey Jacobson with 17 points, on five 3-pointers, while Courtney Chihil added 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Eagles shot just 34.5 (20-of-58) percent from the floor and 27.3 (9-of-33) percent from beyond the arc on Sunday.

The Trojans return to home to face Birmingham-Southern College on just one days rest, taking on the Panthers Tuesday night. The game is set to tip at 7 pm in Sartain Hall, for ticket information call the Troy University Athletics Ticket Office at 1-877-878-WINS (9467).

The game with the Panthers will be the seventh meeting between the two schools, with Troy leading the all-time series 5-1. The last meeting between the two teams was back in 2006.

The game can be heard on WTBF-94.7 FM, as well as be seen on TroyTrojans.com Tuesday night.

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