Troy Drops Heartbreaker Thursday at South Alabama

Thursday, February 11

Mobile, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

10-11,4-7Sun Belt

South Alabama

13-8,7-5Sun Belt

Troy

South Alabama

Troy Drops Heartbreaker Thursday at South Alabama

2/11/2021 10:22:00 PM | Basketball (M)

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

MOBILE, Ala. -- Despite leading by as many as nine points, and by two points with less than two minutes to play, the Troy men's basketball program dropped a 73-70 last-second heartbreaker to the South Alabama Jaguars Thursday night at the Mitchell Center.

With 1:38 to play and the Trojans (10-11, 4-7 Sun Belt) up by a pair, freshman Duke Miles forced a turnover and raced down the floor with 95 seconds to play and found Desmond Williams in the corner. Williams' triple just rimmed out and the ball hit off the Trojans and out of bounds.

On the ensuing South Alabama (13-8, 7-5 Sun Belt) possession, Michael Flowers came off a screen and nailed a fadeaway, contested triple with Miles in his face that gave the Jaguars a 71-70 lead with 1:09 to play.

On the next Troy possession, Stampley popped off a screen and attempted a corner triple that hit the front and side rim and fell into the hands of a Jaguar defender.

On the next South possession, the Trojans again guarded well, but Tyreke Locure hit a setback 15-footer from the wing to give South a 73-70 lead.

Down three with 19 ticks to play, head coach Scott Cross called timeout. After the timeout, Miles drove the lane and was stripped with 5.9 ticks left.

After originally ruling it South Alabama ball, the officials reviewed the play and determined that the ball did not hit off Miles awarding possession to the Trojans.

Following a South Alabama timeout, the Trojans drew up a perfect play for Waters, whose right-wing triple with three seconds to play was blocked by a charging Sam Iorio.

The block fell to Waters, who heaved a shot from just inside halfcourt that fell short.

After allowing the first four points of the ballgame, the Trojans led by Miles and Zay Williams scored 19 of the next 25 points to open a game-high 19-10 lead with 12:02 to play in the opening period.

Following a timeout, the Jaguars responded, scoring 10 of the next 14 points to cut the Troy lead to just 23-20.

After back-to-back baskets from Zay Williams and Miles gave the Trojans a 27-20 lead with 7:38 to play, South answered with an 11-5 spurt over the next 5:07 to cut the Troy lead to just 32-31 with 2:31 to play in the half.

A Stampley layup was answered by a South Alabama triple that tied the game at 34-34 with 1:42 to play.

A pair of free throws from Waters gave Troy a 36-34 lead, but Flowers answered back with a pair of free throws to send the game into the break tied at 36.

Following the break, the two teams split the first 10 points, as the game was tied at 41 with 18:01 to play.

A Dez Williams triple with 17:25 to play, sparked a mini 9-4 run that gave the visitors a 50-45 lead at the under-16 timeout.

South would answer with a 9-2 run of their own over the next two minutes, to take a 54-52 lead with 13:03 to play.

Over the next eight minutes of action, the Trojans held the dangerous Jaguars attacked to just two field goals and five points. Troy outscored South 9-5 over that span to take a 61-59 lead with five minutes to play.

A Flowers layup tied things up at 61 with 4:40 to play, but Troy led by a Waters triple, scored six of the next 10 to take a 67-65 lead with 2:45 to play.

The Jaguars used a Kayo Goncalves triple with 2:19 to play to take a brief 68-67 lead before Waters answered with another triple to give the Trojans a 70-68 lead with 2:04 to play.

Troy and South didn't score over the next minute of action before the Flowers triple gave the Jags the lead for good.

Stampley scored a game-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Miles answered with 14. Flowers led all Jaguars in scoring, contributing 18 points. Troy held top-five scorer in the NCAA to just one triple with 1:08 to play.

Troy returns to action Saturday afternoon when South Alabama visits Trojan Arena for the second and final game of the weekend series.

HEAD COACH SCOTT CROSS:
"Our guys did a great job of sticking to the game plan. We did a great job of defending each of their guys. The problem was the 50-50 balls tonight. The extra possessions they got all led to easy baskets. That more than anything cost us the game. There were a couple of a big possessions where they were able to slice us apart. We had a key possession up two where we could have really built a bigger lead but we didn't get it done. Credit South Alabama. Flowers hit a big-time three to put them up one and we didn't quite execute down the stretch. We couldn't have done anymore on that shot. We were right in his face and he shot a pull-up fadeaway three. There's not many NBA guys that make that shot. To hold him 7-for-20 was about as well as we could have hoped for because he's a special player. We have to do a better job on guys like Pettway who was efficient. We have to do a better job of eliminating his easy baskets."

On Saturday's matchup:
"We need to find a way to bounce back and be ready for Saturday. We'll head back home tonight and give the guys a chance to sleep in. Normally we practice at 7 a.m. but tomorrow we'll practice in the afternoon. Guys will go to class in the morning and then we'll have film at 3:30. We'll prepare, make a few adjustments and be ready to get after it on Saturday. I know our Trojan fans will be loud on Saturday. It's a huge game and we want revenge. I'm looking forward to it."

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE:
• The Trojans fall to 0-6 this season when getting outrebounded.
• Troy led for 27 minutes and 27 seconds. South led for just six minutes.
• The Trojans held South to just five triples. Troy was previously 7-1 when allowing six or fewer triples.
• Troy's lone loss in that instance prior to tonight was at UAB.
• After winning the opening game at Appalachian State, the Trojans have now lost six-in-a-row away from Trojan Arena.
• Miles scored at least 10 points for the fourth time in his last five conference games.
• Stampley scored at least 20 points for the third time in five conference games.
• Troy held Flowers to just one 3-pointer. The senior had made at least two 3-pointers in every game except for one this season (Southern Miss).
• South Alabama shot 56 percent from the field in the second half.
• After making five of six from the line in the first half, Troy made just seven-of-12 from the line in the second period.
• Freshman Kam Woods returned from missing the last contest, but didn't score in his 11 minutes of play. It's the first time as a Trojan that Woods didn't score in a game.
• Miles had six of Troy's 17 assists.