Troy tops Georgia State after dramatic finish
Published 9:29 pm Saturday, December 15, 2012
Troy ended its five-game losing streak in dramatic fashion. With one-tenth second remaining and the Trojans leading 57-56, Ray Chambers was called for a foul on Georgia State’s James Vincent. The 6-foot, 10-inch senior missed both free throws to hand Troy the victory.
The Trojans (5-7, 0-2 Sun Belt) led by as many as 16 in the first half, but watched as Georgia State slowly chipped away eventually reclaiming the lead with 10:24 to play.
Troy tied the game, 51-51, at the 1:05 mark when Tevin Calhoun stole the ball and passed to Hunter Williams who quickly dished it to Antoine Myers for the lay-in.
Georgia State (5-5) outscored Troy 40-27 in the second half, but a solid defensive first half helped the Trojans pull out the victory. The 16 points allowed by Troy in the first 20 minutes was the fewest surrendered since Garner-Webb managed only 17 in the second half in 2003.
Ray Chambers, playing despite battling a case of food poisoning, scored 18 points to go along with seven rebounds. Chambers also made the go-ahead free throw with 33 second remaining.
Emil Jones finished with 11 points while Jeff Mullahey scored a career-high 10.
“This was a big win for us,” Troy head coach Don Maestri said. “Our guys refused to lose.”
Play was delayed for nearly seven minutes as officials reviewed the foul that sent Vincent to the line.
“They knew the shot was no good, it was a matter of whether the foul occurred before the horn sounded. I give all the credit in the end to the Sound of the South,” Maestri said with a smile. “They got so loud as he was shooting those free throws. That was great for our fans and our team.”
The Trojans will travel to Utah Valley on Dec. 19. Troy lost to UVU on Dec. 9, 86-82 in double-overtime.