Trojans Falter at Home

Monday, November 29

Troy, Ala.

7:00 p.m.

Troy University

UAB

Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer

11/29/2010 9:56:22 PM | Basketball (M)

Toombs posts double-double in 78-57 loss.

By: Taylor Bryan

BOX SCORE :: PHOTO GALLERY

TROY – Evenly matched for one half of play, Troy fell off in the second half and the UAB Blazers heated up handing the Trojans a 78-57 loss on Monday night.

The Trojans failed to consistently generate offense in the second half. Troy managed to shoot just 37.9 percent (11-of-29) in the second half, while the Blazers got hot to the tune of 62.1 percent (18-of-29), including 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from beyond the arc.

“When we were playing well was when we were scoring the basketball,” Troy head coach Don Maestri said. “I thought we had a dry spell for what seemed like seven or eight minutes there in the second half. When you are playing a team as good as UAB, who is a very good offensive team also, you can't keep giving them opportunities and you not score. Also, when you are not scoring, you also lose your intensity on the defensive end.

“We had a great crowd that was into the game. In the first half, when we started hitting baskets and made some three's and made some points, the defense was better, the game was tighter, there was pressure on both teams. In the second half, we just couldn't score as well as we did in the first half. It wasn't one guy, it wasn't that we didn't have wide open looks, it was that the ball didn't go into the hole.”

Troy shot just 36.7 percent (22-of-60) from the field – a season low.

The Trojans started the contest in a familiar fashion – cold. With 11:41 left in the first half, Troy trailed 19-10 and had connected on just 4-of-14 attempts from the field. Despite the struggles from the field, the Trojans closed the gap to 24-20 with 5:38 left in the opening stanza.

Regis Huddleston knocked down a 3-pointer and Bernard Toombs scored scored three the hard way to knot the game at 26. After a two by Jamarr Sanders, Vernon Taylor connected on a trey to give the Trojans their first lead 29-28 with two minutes left before the break.

Toombs recorded his second-straight double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He was joined in double-figures by Levan Patsatsia (10 points) and Taylor (12).

The Blazers got a triple from Sanders with 43 seconds left to take the lead into halftime, 31-29.

UAB capped an 11-0 run with a Preston Purifoy dunk to grab a 46-34 lead with 12:59 left. Troy would battle back once more putting the exclamation point on a 12-4 run with Huddleston's second 3-pointer to make it 50-46.

The Blazers followed with another burst of their own – this time a 9-5 run and an eight points lead with 7:54 to go. Sanders' third 3-pointer of the night put the Trojans behind 64-51 with 5:50 left, a deficit that would prove to be too much to overcome.

Sanders scored 23 points with 10 rebounds on the night and was one of three Blazers with a double-double (Ovie Soko – 10 points, 13 rebounds and Cameron Moore – 16 points, 10 rebounds).

UAB closed out the game with an 11-0 run for the final margin of 78-57. The Blazers out-rebounded Troy 43-26.

Will Weathers returned to action after missing Troy's previous two games due to a concussion. He played 35 minutes and scored nine points with three assists.

The Trojans are in action next on Saturday when they face the University of Arkansas at 2 pm.