Trojans Fall to A-Sun Favorite Florida Gulf Coast at Home

Sunday, December 12

Troy, AL

2:00 p.m.

Troy University

Florida Gulf Coast University

Photo by: Edward Fieder

Trojans Fall to A-Sun Favorite Florida Gulf Coast at Home

12/12/2010 4:44:57 PM | Basketball (W)

The game saw 19 lead changes and the score tied 11 other times

By: Travis Jarome

Box Score | Photo Gallery

TROY, Ala. – The Troy University women's basketball team kept Florida Gulf Coast off balance for much of the game Sunday afternoon; however, the preseason Atlantic Sun pick pulled away late in the second half for a 63-50 non-conference victory at Sartain Hall.

Donette McNair (New London, Conn./New London HS) led Troy (2-7, 0-1 Sun Belt) with her fifth double-double of the season by scoring 18 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Her first rebound of the game put McNair in elite company as it was her 600th career rebound, and she later passed former teammate Audrey Muse for fourth on the all-time list at the school in the Division I era.

Although McNair was the lone Trojan in double figures, sophomore Jamesha Blake (Atlanta, Ga./SW Dekalb HS) recorded career-high 10 rebounds and tied her career-high with seven points. Junior Chelsey Johnson (Lexington, Ky./Three Rivers CC) tied her career-high with nine points in the loss.

“I am really pleased with our effort, we are definitely showing some growth,” Troy head coach Michael Murphy said. “The last time we played these guys, they killed us off the bench and tonight we were able to score more bench points than they did. But I am really pleased with our effort. This is a very good basketball team and they are very well coached, this team is the best team (with the exception of Xavier) we will face for a while.”

The Trojans held the lead on several occasions as the two teams traded the lead 19 times and were tied 11 others throughout the contest. The Trojans biggest lead of the day came in the first half when they were up by four points; which stayed the biggest lead for either team until late in the second half.

“They just don't make mistakes and when you make a mistake they exploit it, which is what good teams do,” Murphy said. “We are still learning how to be a good team, we are making strides. I like our effort and I like our attitude, but when you play a team like this team you can't have a mental lapse. When it got to crunch time in the second half, they just kicked up a notch. That is the sign of a confident basketball team, and we are working to get there.”

The Trojans kept Florida Gulf Coast (7-0) off-balance for much of the first half with their defense and their ability to get the ball inside. Troy held one of the nation's best three-point shooting teams to 30.8 (4-for-13) percent shooting the opening half of play.

During the first half, the Trojans jumped ahead quickly by scoring the first two baskets of the game on lay-ups from McNair and junior Tenia Manuel (Leesburg, Fla./Leesburg HS). Florida Gulf Coast was able to come back and take the lead at 9-7 on a three-pointer by Kelsey Jacobson, before the two teams started trading baskets.

After taking a 15-14 lead late in the first half, the Trojans only fell behind on two more occasions for the remaining seven minutes. Blake put the Trojans up 23-21 with 2:45 to play, before Jacobson answered with a three-pointer to put Florida Gulf Coast up 24-23 with 2:26 to play.

The final basket of the first half came with 42 seconds remaining when McNair got open for a lay-up to give Troy a 25-24 lead, and the Trojans had a chance to extend the lead before half but missed the last shot.

“The first half we had a lead on them,” Murphy said. “We defended the three very well. We rebounded very well and we really attacked the glass.”

The second half started out much the same way for the two teams as they traded the lead seven times until Florida Gulf Coast took the final lead of the night at 42-40. From there, the visitors were able to open a lead to as many as 13 and go on to the victory.

“We just didn't make enough shots and we had too many turnovers,” Murphy said. “Most of those turnovers were a product of their pressure, and I have to give all the credit to them. When it was one or two point game in the second half, they kicked it up a notch and that was the difference in the game.”

Florida Gulf Coast was led by Sarah Hansen with 16 points and six rebounds, pacing three players in double figures. Jacobson added 13, while Shannon Murphy scored nine of her 12 points in the second half for the Eagle.

The Trojans shot 34.6 (18-for-52) percent from the floor and 70 (14-of-20) percent from the free throw line. They failed to connect on a three-pointer in seven opportunities, and outrebounded Florida Gulf Coast 42-31.

Meanwhile, Florida Gulf Coast shot 39.3 (22-for-56) percent from the floor and 27.3 (6-of-22) percent from beyond the arc. The Eagle shot 76.5 (13-of-17) percent from the free throw line, and forced 24 Trojan turnovers.

Troy returns to action Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. (EST) in the UNF Holiday Invitational against the host Ospreys of the University of North Florida. The game can be heard beginning at 2:45 p.m. on WTBF-94.7 FM.

The Trojans do not return home until January 2 when they host Florida Atlantic in the Sun Belt Network Game of the Week.

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