Revenge is Sweet For Trojans

Saturday, January 15

Troy, Ala.

7:00 p.m.

Troy University

University of North Texas

Mo Weathers and Steven Cunningham Embrace following Troy's 89-81 win over North Texas on 1/15/11.

Photo by: Edward Fieder

1/15/2011 11:25:40 PM | Basketball (M)

Troy records consecutive victories for the first time this season.

By: Taylor Bryan

BOX SCORE :: PHOTO GALLERY

TROY – Troy gained a measure of revenge over a tournament championship loss to North Texas with a 89-81 win over the Mean Green on Saturday in Sun Belt action.

The Trojans (4-13, 2-3) battled the league-leading North Texas squad to a draw in the first 20 minutes, but for the first time this season Troy put together two halves of strong play. The victory gave Troy back-to-back wins for the first time this season and was the first win over UNT (14-4, 3-2) in Sartain Hall since 2008.

“All the little components that you must do to win a game against a team this good, this young group did tonight,” head coach Don Maestri said.

“This is the most total game, I think, that we have played all year.”

Troy fell to North Texas in both meetings last season, losing 66-63 at home in January before falling 75-72 in Hot Springs at the Sun Belt tournament.

“I wanted it so bad,” senior guard Vernon Taylor said. “I was so focused that I didn't talk to anybody after pregame. Coach showed us the last minute of the North Texas game last year in the championship, where we could've won the game if I stole the ball, but Josh White got it and got fouled. I was so mad that I just had to get up and leave.

“I was so focused. I was so focused that I didn't want to talk to anyone, I just wanted to win.”

Troy was dominated by the Mean Green on the glass in the first half. UNT grabbed 24 boards compared to just 14 for the home team. But the second half was a different story with the Trojans out-rebounding North Texas 20-to-9 to win the board battle for the contest 34-33.

“The the only adjustment at halftime, that we were disappointed about, was that we let them out-work us on the boards in the first half,” Maestri said. “So the objective in the second half was let's make sure we out-rebound them in this 20 minutes.

“Keep it active and at least out-work this team on the boards because that would be the one thing that [North Texas] could have possibly done better than us in the second half that could've beaten us. So, the second 20 minutes we out-rebounded them. So everything we had to do tonight by this basketball team was done.”

Steven Cunningham posted a career high for the second straight game as he finished with 11 points and five rebounds for the night in his second straight start for Troy.

“He's been a big lift,” sophomore Will Weathers said about Cunningham. “The thing about Steve is that he knows what he can do. He knows that he can get the big boards and jump over everybody. He's just been putting it all together and been having some good practices the past couple of weeks. He's been a big spark for us.”

Both teams had hot hands early and with 9:39 left, Troy held a 23-21 lead after a pair of free throws by Bernard Toombs. The team's managed to keep the frenetic pace going and with 4:58 left the score was tied at 38.

Included in the run was Travis Lee's third 3-pointer of the game. After sinking four straight on Thursday against WKU, Lee hit on all three of his attempts from outside on Saturday night. Regis Huddleston hit his first three treys – all in the first half – before missing his only attempt after halftime.

“That's what they do – they're shooters,” Maestri said. “Both those two kids did what they do. That was the beautiful thing and it does give you a lift. Those two kids lifted us six times in a row. That tells you how focused those two kids were to do what they were supposed to do.”

Lee finished with 13 points, while Huddleston scored 11.

The Trojans allowed UNT to rip off a 6-0 run before Taylor sank two free throws to break the streak. He then got a baseline jumper to go and after Tim Owens took a charge by Josh White, the senior from Cross, S.C. scored again, thus knotting the game with his sixth straight point.

After a Weathers basket gave Troy a lead, Tristan Thompson sank two free throws. Levan Patsatsia sank a jumper with 11 seconds to go in the half, but Taylor was called for a foul as time expired and George Odufuwa split a pair at the line to send the teams to the locker room tied at 48.

A 13-4 run by Troy over the first 4:19 of the second half gave it a 61-52 lead and forced UNT head coach Johnny Jones into a timeout. The Trojans would score two more baskets before finally having their streak broken on a lay-up by Kedrick Hogans with 14:24 to go.

North Texas started its comeback on a jumper by Jacob Holmen followed by a three-point play from Thompson paring Troy's lead down to nine. Two free throws by Thompson cut the Mean Green deficit to eight with 8:11 left on the clock.

Shannon Shorter's lay-up cut Troy's lead to six, but the Men of Troy answered with a Taylor jumper. Steve Cunningham went to the line with 1:43 remaining and the chance to push the Trojans' lead back to double-figures.

The junior from Dothan missed the front end of the one-plus-one, but UNT missed an attempt at the rim on the ensuring possession and after a big rebound by Bernard Toombs, Taylor went to the line and hit two for an 84-74 lead with 1:21 to go.

Taylor led the Trojans in scoring (22 points) and rebounding (7 boards). Weathers finished with 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds. He also recorded two steals.

Following a two by Thompson with 41 ticks left, the Trojans would hit 5-of-6 free throws wrapped around a triple from Josh White for the final margin. Thompson scored 25 points in 28 minutes off the bench to pace the Mean Green.

Troy shot 56.4 percent from the field (31-of-55), the team's highest mark of the season.

The Trojans are in action next on Thursday when they travel to face Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro.