Troy Earns First Road Win at ULM

Saturday, January 29

Monroe, LA

6:00 p.m.

Troy University

University of Louisiana at Monroe

Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer

1/29/2011 8:14:23 PM | Basketball (M)

By: Taylor Bryan

BOX SCORE

MONROE, La. – It took all 40 minutes to secure the win, but ultimately Troy earned a 74-68 victory over the ULM Warhawks on Saturday night in Sun Belt action.

The victory snapped a streak of 11 consecutive road losses for the Trojans. Troy was able to overcome 18 turnovers – four over its season average – and 27 points off turnovers by the Warhawks.

The Trojans shot 17-of-21 from the free throw line in the second half to aid the victory.

Will Weathers grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a put-back to give Troy a 13-8 lead with 12:43 left in the opening stanza. Weathers finished with a team-high 18 points to go with seven assists.

ULM used a 10-0 run to take an 18-13 lead, but Weathers got a runner to go for Troy's first basket in over five minutes. Back-to-back treys by Travis Lee put the Trojans back on top 23-22 with 5:15 to go before halftime.

A pair of free throws by Weathers following a technical foul call on ULM head coach Keith Richard gave the Trojans a 29-22 lead with 3:18 on the first half clock.

The Warhawks cut Troy's lead to just three on six-straight points from Lawrence Gilbert including ULM's first 3-pointer of the night to close first half scoring with the Trojans up 31-28 at the break.

Both teams struggled from the outside in the first half – they combined to shoot just 4-of-22. The Trojans got three triples – all from Lee. ULM missed its first two chances before Gilbert knocked down a 3-pointer with 46 ticks left.

Lee scored 15 points for Troy in his first start since December 11, 2008 at Middle Tennessee.

The senior from Tallahassee, Fla. picked right up in the second half with his hot shooting. He knocked down a pair of triples as Troy opened up a nine-point advantage. After two ULM free throws, Shawntez Patterson's first 3-pointer made it 46-36.

Patterson had 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench. His nine boards tied a career high.

ULM was able to cut a lead that was once 10 points, down to three, but Vernon Taylor halted the run with two at the stripe. A lay-up by Weathers made it 51-45 in favor of the Trojans with just more than 10 minutes left.

Hugh Mingo's 3-pointer and lay-up tied the game at 53. His third consecutive basket gave the Warhawks their first lead of the second half. A two by Fred Brown was followed by a Trojans turnover that ULM converted into two more from Brown for a 59-54 lead with 4:33 left.

Trailing by two, Patterson knocked down a 3-pointer to take a 60-59 lead with 3:19 on the clock. Taylor widened Troy's lead to four points on a three-point play, but ULM answered with another trey from Mingo.

Weathers split a pair at the line with 2:01 left for a 64-62 lead, but Tommie Sykes again answered with a tying two for ULM. Troy's Taylor drew a foul with a 1:25 remaining, then sank two for another two-point lead.

Weathers went to the line for two with 35.4 second left, leading 66-64. He sank the both for a four-point lead with just 35.4 seconds left.

Troy used a timeout, but ULM was able to score two and erasing just seven seconds off the clock. Weathers went to the line with 24 seconds left following a ULM foul and the sophomore responded sinking two more for another four-point lead.

Brown again got the short runner to go to make it 70-68 with 17.1 left in the game. Taylor was the recipient of the Warhawks' next foul and he hit on both for another four-point advantage.

After Troy used a foul it had left to give, ULM again inbounded with 8.8 left. Mingo missed on a long trey and Toombs rebounded. Following another Warhawk foul, Toombs sank two free throws to secure the victory for the Trojans.

Toombs recorded his second-straight double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. He also had two blocked shots. Taylor marked the fifth Trojan in double-figures with 11 points, including 9-of-9 at the free throw line.

Mingo paced ULM with 18 points - all but two in the second half.

Troy is in action next on Thursday when they host FIU. Tip-off is set for 7 pm.