Warhawks Fall Just Short in OT
Marcus Washington had a career-high 18 points and Marvin Jean-Pierre added 18 of his own, but the Warhawks fell in another Overtime matchup 73-72. The Warhawks got out to a quick start tonight as they got out to a 22-11 lead early. Travis Munnings and Sam McDaniel continued their good play from Saturday. Munnings continued to be aggressive getting the ball inside. The Warhawks had 18 points in the paint in the first half, as Marcus Washington was also aggressive getting to the basket with 10 points at halftime as the Warhawks took a 33-27 lead into halftime.
Troy answered the inside aggression of the Warhawks in the first half, led by Junior Jordon Varnado. The Warhawks were unable to find an answer for his power inside for a majority of the half. Varnado scored on the first two possessions of the half and that set the tone for the rest of the game. Varnado ended up with 18 points after halftime with a large majority of those in the paint.
ULM kept it close, however, and the teams traded baskets the entire half. Marvin Jean-Pierre hit back-to-back jumpers in the last minute, including one with 25 seconds left that would tie the game and ultimately send it into overtime.
The Warhawks were 0-2 in overtime games in conference play this season and were looking to break that trend. Neither team was able to open up more than a 3 point gap in the extra session. Varnado hit a layup with 42 seconds left, which would ensure the Trojans would get the ball back if ULM scored. Nick Coppola got his 8th assist of the night as he found Travis Munnings in the paint for a layup that would put the Warhawks up 72-70 with 22 seconds left. However, Troy had enough time to get a shot off, as Kevin Baker hit an NBA range 3 with 3.4 seconds left to give Troy a 73-72 lead with 3.4 seconds left. Nick Coppola’s halfcourt shot as time ran out was right on line but his shot and the Warhawks’ hopes at victory fell just short.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: MARCUS WASHINGTON had a career-high 18 points and was a rebound short of a double-double. Marvin Jean-Pierre added 18 points of his own, 11 of those in the last 10 minutes of the game.
The Warhawks (7-19, 1-12) return to action next Saturday as they host in-state rivals Louisiana-Lafayette In the second game of an early doubleheader. Tipoff will be around 2:30.