Late Three By Baker Lifts Troy Over ULM 73-72 in Overtime

Monday, February 13

Monroe, La.

7 PM

Troy University

14-12, 6-6

ULM

7-19, 1-12

OT 1

Troy

ULM

Late Three By Baker Lifts Troy Over ULM 73-72 in Overtime

2/13/2017 10:33:00 PM | Basketball (M)

Box Score

By: Russ Schaffer

Box Score

MONROE, Louisiana – In the first overtime game of the season, it came all the way down to the final seconds as Kevin Baker hit a 3-pointer with three seconds remaining in extra time to give Troy a 73-72 win over ULM on Monday.

Things looked perilous after a jumper by Travis Munnings gave the Warhawks (7-19, 1-12) the 72-70 lead with 22 seconds to play.

Kevin Baker took the ball down the court and called timeout for the Trojans (14-12, 6-6) to set up a play. Troy looked to get the ball to Jordan Varnado, who had a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds, but he was double-teamed.

Instead, Baker played hero as he held the ball at the top of the key and let it fly from about five feet behind the top of the 3-point line. Nick Coppola took the inbound pass and let loose a half-court heave that fell just short to give Troy the victory.

Things may not have gotten to overtime if not for some heroics from Marvin Jean-Pierre of the Warhawks. A free throw by Jeremy Hollimon gave Troy a 61-60 lead with 1:28 remaining in regulation.

Jean-Pierre responded just 20 seconds later with an off-balanced jumper to give the home side the 62-61 advantage. Juan Davis, Jr., responded with a huge three to put the Trojans right back on top 64-61 with 46 seconds to play.

Again, though, it was Jean-Pierre who responded with another leaning shot to tie things up with 26 seconds to play. The Trojans had the ball with the shot clock off, but Hollimon's drive down the lane resulted in a layup attempt that was off the mark as time expired.

The win marked a double-digit comeback for Troy as the beginning of the game saw the Warhawks come out with a slew of energy as they desperately searched for a victory. ULM gave Troy fits on both ends of the court as the Warhawks led 27-16 with 6:59 remaining in the first half.

ULM finished the half leading 33-27. Varnado only had five points and four rebounds at the break, but he erupted in the second half to finish with the aforementioned 23 points and 13 rebounds on 10-19 shooting. He also added three blocks and two assists to his total.

Quotable
"Our plan was to go right back to Jordon," head coach Phil Cunningham said. "We ran the same exact play as we did on the previous possession that Jordon scored on. We had a chance to win it at the end of regulation and we didn't convert. We had a great look; we just didn't knock it down. We've been waiting for this from Kevin Baker; he's been due. I think everybody in a Troy shirt knew it was going in."

Stat of the Game
The three from Baker was made that much more incredulous by the fact that Troy was just 6-25 from 3-point range on the night. Kevin Baker had three from deep, Juan Davis, Jr., had two and Shawn Hopkins had one. Wesley Person was 0-6 from deep as the Trojans shot 24.0 percent from behind the arc. The shots from deep weren't falling for the Warhawks either as ULM shot slightly better at 6-23 (26.1 percent).

Turning Point
Troy trailed 70-68 after Sam McDaniel hit one of two free throws with 1:33 remaining in overtime. The following possession was a disastrous one for the Trojans as Jeremy Hollimon's pass to Jordon Varnado sailed over his head for a turnover. After needing a defensive stop all night, Troy got one as ULM missed a 3-pointer with 1:01 on the clock. Jordan Varnado tied it up on a layup with 42 seconds left.

Noteworthy
• The win marked the first overtime game since Dec. 22, 2015 against Ole Miss and the first overtime win since a double-overtime win Dec. 2, 2013 against Alcorn State.

• It was the ninth double-double in Jordon Varnado's career and the fourth he has had this season.

• Both teams on the night were in single digits in turnovers as the two teams had nine turnovers each.

Up Next
The Trojans will return home for two crucial home games against Coastal Carolina Saturday and Appalachian State on Monday. For more information on Troy men's basketball, follow the team on social media at @TroyMensHoops or visit TroyTrojans.com.