Trojans Fall Late to FIU in Conference Action

Thursday, February 3

Troy, AL

5:15 p.m.

Troy University

Florida International University

Photo by: Troy University

Trojans Fall Late to FIU in Conference Action

2/3/2011 8:03:10 PM | Basketball (W)

Box Score

Senior Donette McNair recorded her ninth double-double in the loss Thursday night

By: Travis Jarome

Box Score

TROY, Ala. – A trio of players scored in double figures for the Troy University women's basketball team on Thursday night, but it wasn't enough as FIU was able to overcome a late Trojan lead to escape with a 57-53 Sun Belt Conference victory at Sartain Hall.

“Obviously we are disappointed in the loss,” head coach Michael Murphy said. “I thought we played well enough to give ourselves a shot in the second half. We just didn't take care of the ball down the stretch and not execute well enough to win the game. We have to find someone else beside Sophie Kleeman who wants the ball, someone else who can bring it up the floor, we can't rely on her every single trip down the floor.”

Troy (5-18, 2-8 Sun Belt) led the contest 49-44 with 5:23 remaining in the contest before the Golden Panthers began a run of their own to close out the game. The Golden Panthers actually tied the contest at 49-all with 4:23 to play, before taking the lead for good at 51-49 with 4:07 to play on a lay-up by Jerica Coley.

The pushed the lead to as many as four with 1:37 remaining before the Trojans closed to within 55-53 on a pair of free throws from DeAngela Sword (Montgomery, Ala./Pensacola JC).

That's where things got interesting.

With 42 seconds remaining, Sword took the ball down the right side just in front of her bench. As she launched the shot, the crowd erupted as the ball went through the net … however, the whistle had blown just as she was letting the ball go as she was being called for traveling.

“To be honest I didn't see it,” Murphy said. “I thought it was a good move. I thought we got a good look from our leading scorer, and I thought we were getting ready for a three-point play. That was a huge momentum shift late in the game.”

Neither team scored over the next 30 seconds, until FIU (10-14, 5-5 Sun Belt) found the ball fall into the hands. Michelle Gonzalez missed a jump shot with just 12 seconds remaining in the game, but FIU was able to get the rebound as it was just on the fingertips of a Troy player.

The Trojans were forced to foul and Gonzalez hit the subsequent two free throws to seal the game for the Golden Panthers.

“We are taught to work hard,” senior Donette McNair said. “The play at the end is where you want to be, you want to get the ball in your hands. I really just wanted to feel the ball in my hands, it was so close it was one of those things you could feel.”

Donette McNair (New London, Conn./New London HS) led the Trojans with her ninth double-double of the season as she poured in 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the bigger post players from FIU. Tenia Manuel (Leesburg, Fla./Leesburg HS) added 13 points, while Sword added 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

Meanwhile, FIU placed three players in doubles figures with Coley leading the way with 14 points and seven rebounds. Gonzalez added 11 and Fanni Hutlassa 10 off the bench.

The game saw five lead changes and five other times that the game was tied, and the Trojans maintained that lead for much of the first half.

The Trojans scored the first points of the game with 18:33 to play and pushed the lead to as many as seven with 10:13 remaining in the opening half of play. Troy actually led the entire first half with the exception of when FIU tied the game at 2-all, and the end of the half when the Golden Panthers added a pair of free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining.

Troy shot 38.6 (17-for-44) percent from the floor and 37.5 (3-for-8) percent from beyond the arc. They also connected on 84.2 (16-for-19) percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, FIU shot 39.6 (21-for-53) percent from the floor and 44.4 (4-for-9) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 78.6 (11-for-14) percent from the free throw line, while winning the rebounding battle 32-31.

The Trojans are off until next Wednesday night when they travel south on I-65 to take on the Lady Jags of South Alabama. The Trojans defeated South Alabama 66-41 earlier this season in Sartain Hall. The game will be broadcast on WTBF-94.7 FM, beginning with the pregame show at 6:45 pm and the tip at 7 pm from the Mitchell Center.

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