Troy University Athletics
Heart-Breaking Loss Ends Season
3/6/2010 9:00:00 PM | Basketball (W)
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The Troy University women's basketball season concluded the way it began, with a heartbreaking loss on the road. The Trojans dropped a five-point decision to Auburn to start the season, and fell 60-54 to Arkansas State University Saturday afternoon in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Troy (12-17) lost seven games this season by six points or less, including the game to the eighth-seeded Red Wolves at the Convention Center Court on Saturday.
“Today was a great college basketball game,” Troy head coach Michael Murphy said. “We did some things well today and gave ourselves a chance to win the basketball game. I am proud of the way the girls played today, and I am very grateful for my team and who they are. The unfortunate thing is that today was the last game for two of our seniors who give true meaning to the word student-athlete.”
Senior guard Brittnie Davis, who returned for a fifth-year after last season's loss in the tournament, led the Trojans with 19 points in the final game of her career. She left the game with four minutes to play in the contest with an ankle injury, but was able to return with less than two minutes remaining. She finished with four steals and two blocked shots.
Fellow senior Alyce Shearing finished her last game with six points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Meanwhile, junior Donette McNair added 12 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
These two teams met just one week ago in Jonesboro, with the Trojans claiming the victory; but the overwhelming difference between the two games was the free throw shooting. In the game at Jonesboro, the Trojans were able to connect on 24-of-31 free throws; while Saturday afternoon they connected on just 4-of-6 from the charity stripe.
In that contest, the Trojans allowed Arkansas State to shoot over 50 percent from beyond the arc and 37.5 percent from the floor. On Saturday afternoon, the Trojans held Arkansas State to 31.8 (21-of-66) percent from the floor and just 21.4 (3-of-14) percent from beyond the arc.
“I thought we did a very good job defending the entire basketball game,” Murphy said. “ If you look at the shooting percentages, we did a good job of mixing up our defenses and keeping them off balance. The biggest difference in this game was offensive rebounding and getting to the line. They did it and to their credit they were able to knock down free throws.
A week ago we were able to get to the free throw line 30 times, and tonight we were at the line to shoot just six. They also did a very good job rebounding the ball offensively, and I guessed we fouled them and they got to the line. We made two more shots than they did and held them to a low percentage shooting the basketball. But we were able to defend the basketball well all day.”
The Trojans fell behind early in the first half, but were able to move ahead by four and came back to tie the contest at the half, 31-all.
In the second half, the Trojans went 4:30 minutes with a bucket until freshman Sophie Kleeman drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to give Troy a 34-33 lead with 15:33 to play in the contest. After a free throw by Ebonie Jefferson tied the game at 34-all with 13:38 to play, the Trojans went on a 9-0 run to take a 43-34 lead with 11:06 to play in the contest.
Arkansas State was able to come back to tie the game at 47-all with 5:48 to play in the game, going on a 10-0 run to take a 53-47 lead with 2:52 to play in the game.
Troy trimmed the deficit to 53-50 with 2:34 to play on a Sarah McAppion 3-pointer from the corner, but Arkansas State was able to hold the Trojans at bay as they got as close as two when Shearing hit a lay-up with 1:48 to play in the contest.
The Trojans shot 39.7 (23-of-58) percent from the floor and 22.7 (4-of-18) percent from beyond the arc.
Arkansas State was led by Jefferson with 14 points, while Sherina Scott added 12 and Lyndsay Schlup added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The loss is the first in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in three seasons for the Trojans. Arkansas State advances to play top-seeded UALR on Sunday afternoon, while the Trojans end the season at 12-17.
Troy (12-17) lost seven games this season by six points or less, including the game to the eighth-seeded Red Wolves at the Convention Center Court on Saturday.
“Today was a great college basketball game,” Troy head coach Michael Murphy said. “We did some things well today and gave ourselves a chance to win the basketball game. I am proud of the way the girls played today, and I am very grateful for my team and who they are. The unfortunate thing is that today was the last game for two of our seniors who give true meaning to the word student-athlete.”
Senior guard Brittnie Davis, who returned for a fifth-year after last season's loss in the tournament, led the Trojans with 19 points in the final game of her career. She left the game with four minutes to play in the contest with an ankle injury, but was able to return with less than two minutes remaining. She finished with four steals and two blocked shots.
Fellow senior Alyce Shearing finished her last game with six points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Meanwhile, junior Donette McNair added 12 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
These two teams met just one week ago in Jonesboro, with the Trojans claiming the victory; but the overwhelming difference between the two games was the free throw shooting. In the game at Jonesboro, the Trojans were able to connect on 24-of-31 free throws; while Saturday afternoon they connected on just 4-of-6 from the charity stripe.
In that contest, the Trojans allowed Arkansas State to shoot over 50 percent from beyond the arc and 37.5 percent from the floor. On Saturday afternoon, the Trojans held Arkansas State to 31.8 (21-of-66) percent from the floor and just 21.4 (3-of-14) percent from beyond the arc.
“I thought we did a very good job defending the entire basketball game,” Murphy said. “ If you look at the shooting percentages, we did a good job of mixing up our defenses and keeping them off balance. The biggest difference in this game was offensive rebounding and getting to the line. They did it and to their credit they were able to knock down free throws.
A week ago we were able to get to the free throw line 30 times, and tonight we were at the line to shoot just six. They also did a very good job rebounding the ball offensively, and I guessed we fouled them and they got to the line. We made two more shots than they did and held them to a low percentage shooting the basketball. But we were able to defend the basketball well all day.”
The Trojans fell behind early in the first half, but were able to move ahead by four and came back to tie the contest at the half, 31-all.
In the second half, the Trojans went 4:30 minutes with a bucket until freshman Sophie Kleeman drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to give Troy a 34-33 lead with 15:33 to play in the contest. After a free throw by Ebonie Jefferson tied the game at 34-all with 13:38 to play, the Trojans went on a 9-0 run to take a 43-34 lead with 11:06 to play in the contest.
Arkansas State was able to come back to tie the game at 47-all with 5:48 to play in the game, going on a 10-0 run to take a 53-47 lead with 2:52 to play in the game.
Troy trimmed the deficit to 53-50 with 2:34 to play on a Sarah McAppion 3-pointer from the corner, but Arkansas State was able to hold the Trojans at bay as they got as close as two when Shearing hit a lay-up with 1:48 to play in the contest.
The Trojans shot 39.7 (23-of-58) percent from the floor and 22.7 (4-of-18) percent from beyond the arc.
Arkansas State was led by Jefferson with 14 points, while Sherina Scott added 12 and Lyndsay Schlup added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The loss is the first in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in three seasons for the Trojans. Arkansas State advances to play top-seeded UALR on Sunday afternoon, while the Trojans end the season at 12-17.
Monday, April 06
Saturday, March 21
Thursday, March 19
Monday, March 09