Baker’s Career Night Not Enough As Troy Falls 76-71

Saturday, February 4

Troy, Ala.

4:15 P.M.

Troy University

12-12, 4-6

South Alabama

11-12, 4-6

South Alabama

Troy

Baker’s Career Night Not Enough As Troy Falls 76-71

2/4/2017 7:16:00 PM | Basketball (M)

Box Score

By: Russ Schaffer

Box Score

TROY, Alabama – Kevin Baker had a career-high 19 points, but that would not be enough as Troy fell at home 76-71 to South Alabama on Saturday night.

The Jaguars (11-12, 4-6) led by four with 1:41 left in the first half before the Trojans (12-12, 4-6) ended the half on a 5-0 run to take a 33-32 lead into the break.

The hot streak continued as a layup by Alex Hicks at the 17:31 mark of the second half increased Troy's lead to six. That proved to be the largest lead of the night for Troy.

After the layup, the Jaguars went on a 16-2 run in a span of less than four minutes.
It did not mark the end of the Trojans effort, however, as back-to-back 3-pointers by Wesley Person and Kevin Baker evened the score up again with a second under 12 minutes to play.

Both teams traded baskets for the next seven minutes, as neither team was able to get a lead higher than four in the span. The Jaguars used a combination of forward Don MuepoKelly, who had 16 points, and guard Ken Williams, the team-leader with 18 points, to spread the offense out.

At the 3:18 mark, Wesley Person tied the game up at 63 after hitting a difficult contested shot in the paint while being fouled. The tie didn't last as MuepoKelly took the lead back with a layup 23 seconds later.

Troy answered with a three well behind the 3-point line by Baker for a 66-65 lead with 2:27 to play. That unlikely three may have been a downfall for the Trojans as after another South Alabama layup, Baker attempted a similar deep 3-pointer that was off the mark.

Troy held South Alabama to a free throw on the ensuing possession. Trailing by three with 52 seconds to play, Person attempted a potential tying 3-pointer near the top of the key that bounced off the rim.

The Jaguars were quick to pounce on the miss as MuepoKelly finished off the fast break with an uncontested layup to give South Alabama a five-point lead with 44 seconds left.

Person hit a 3-pointer with nine seconds left to cut the deficit to three, but Troy ran out of time as South Alabama hit two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to ice it.

Quotable
"That was a tough one to swallow," head coach Phil Cunningham said. "I didn't think we played particularly well tonight. We put ourselves in a position to win the game. We took an early lead in the second half and it evaporated quickly. We got back in the game and had a chance there at the end. It was a back-and-forth game that anyone could have won."

Stat of the Game
South Alabama shot nearly 10 percent higher from the floor than Troy. The Jaguars converted 48.2 percent (27-56) from the floor compared to 38.3 percent (23-60) by the Trojans. Kevin Baker hit six shots fueled by five 3-pointers, but he was 6-14 from the floor. No other player on Troy hit more than four shots in the game. Troy was also just 25 percent from deep at 8-32.

Turning Point
Though it was early in the second half, the 16-2 run that South Alabama went on was key in shutting down the momentum that Troy had built up at the end of the first half and start of the second. The Trojans had just one field goal from the 17:31 mark of the second half until the 13:07 mark.

Noteworthy
• It was the best free-throw shooting night on the season for Troy at 89.5 percent. The Trojans hit 17-19 from the charity stripe.

• Though Troy tied a season-best with only eight turnovers, they were outdone by South Alabama's five.

• South Alabama dominated in the paint with a 36-22 advantage.

Up Next
The Trojans will be back on the road this weekend with a game against UL Lafayette on Saturday. For more information on Troy men's basketball, follow the team on social media at @TroyMensHoops or visit TroyTrojans.com.