Free Throws Help Eagles End Losing Streak
2/21/2009 5:26:00 AM | Men's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Tyler Troupe (Gallatin, TN/Iowa Western CC) and Ben Drayton III (St. Mary's/Camden County) sank five free throws down the stretch but a missed 3-pointer by Nick Murphy at the buzzer sealed Georgia Southern's 66-63 win over Jacksonville State Saturday night (Feb. 21) at Hanner Fieldhouse. The Eagles (8-18 overall), playing this non-conference game as part of the ESPN BracketBuster event, snapped an eight-game losing streak.
Georgia Southern was the only Southern Conference team to win its BracketBuster game of the four SoCon teams playing today.
Troupe hit five free throws, Drayton added two and Anthony Marshall (Lake Worth, FL/Lake Worth) hit one in the final 80 seconds to help seal the win.
“It's more relief than anything. It's been a tough go for us here lately and our guys deserve it,” said head coach Jeff Price. “We've had some real close ones where we couldn't get over the hump, but they deserve with their efforts to get this one and maybe this one will give us a little bit of confidence so we can take off.”
The Eagles jumped out to a 5-2 lead thanks to a basket by Sandy Perry (Perth Amboy, N.J./Barton County CC) and an old-fashioned three-point play from Troupe.
JSU staged a 16-4 run, as its first four field goal makes were all from 3-point range. Drayton nailed a 3-pointer then followed with two free throws. Colby Wohlleb (Boca Raton, FL/Boca Raton) also hit two free throws and a 3-pointer helping the Eagles start a 25-5 run to close out the half.
Antonio Hanson (Fort Worth, TX/Independence CC) hit a 3-pointer right at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 34-23 lead heading into the locker room.
Georgia Southern shot 36.4 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Gamecocks 17-14. The Eagles went 14-of-17 at the free throw line, nearly matching the team's combined made free throws over the last three games (16).
Jacksonville State started the game 4-of-6 from the field but finished 5-of-18 for 27.8 percent while committing 11 turnovers.
Drayton hit a pair of 3-pointers and Troupe had a highlight reel dunk off a missed field goal for an 8-0 run to start the half and gain a 42-23 lead.
From the 15:03 mark of the first half when JSU took an 18-9 lead it made 1 field goal until the 14 minute mark of the second half ? a span of 21 minutes. The Gamecocks made their free throw attempts to help spur a 10-2 run, cutting the Eagles lead to 10. Hanson drained another 3-pointer with 12:39 remaining, but Jeremy Bynum hit a 3-pointer then added two free throws with nine minutes remaining to make it a three-point game, 49-46.
Hanson missed from the right corner but Kenith Ward (Warner Robins/Northside) got the offensive rebound and kicked it back to Hanson in the same spot, this time the junior guard drained the ?3'.
But JSU staged a 13-2 run of its own, nine from Bynam and a putback by Amadou Mbodji to tie the score with just under six minutes remaining.
Hanson finished with 19 points, leading the Eagles. Drayton added 17 and five rebounds while Troupe added 11 points.
“Our first half was particularly good, we defended really well, but we had trouble attacking the zone in the second half, which put us back on our heels a little bit,” said Price. “We did a nice job down the stretch and with getting those free throws we did what we had to do.”
Georgia Southern shot 35.6 percent for the game and 25-of-32 at the free throw line. The Eagles entered the game having made just 30 free throws the last four games combined. JSU shot 34.8 percent and was 25-of-32 at the line.
Bynum led all scorers with 28 points for JSU (11-16).
Georgia Southern was the only Southern Conference team to win its BracketBuster game of the four SoCon teams playing today.
Troupe hit five free throws, Drayton added two and Anthony Marshall (Lake Worth, FL/Lake Worth) hit one in the final 80 seconds to help seal the win.
“It's more relief than anything. It's been a tough go for us here lately and our guys deserve it,” said head coach Jeff Price. “We've had some real close ones where we couldn't get over the hump, but they deserve with their efforts to get this one and maybe this one will give us a little bit of confidence so we can take off.”
The Eagles jumped out to a 5-2 lead thanks to a basket by Sandy Perry (Perth Amboy, N.J./Barton County CC) and an old-fashioned three-point play from Troupe.
JSU staged a 16-4 run, as its first four field goal makes were all from 3-point range. Drayton nailed a 3-pointer then followed with two free throws. Colby Wohlleb (Boca Raton, FL/Boca Raton) also hit two free throws and a 3-pointer helping the Eagles start a 25-5 run to close out the half.
Antonio Hanson (Fort Worth, TX/Independence CC) hit a 3-pointer right at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 34-23 lead heading into the locker room.
Georgia Southern shot 36.4 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Gamecocks 17-14. The Eagles went 14-of-17 at the free throw line, nearly matching the team's combined made free throws over the last three games (16).
Jacksonville State started the game 4-of-6 from the field but finished 5-of-18 for 27.8 percent while committing 11 turnovers.
Drayton hit a pair of 3-pointers and Troupe had a highlight reel dunk off a missed field goal for an 8-0 run to start the half and gain a 42-23 lead.
From the 15:03 mark of the first half when JSU took an 18-9 lead it made 1 field goal until the 14 minute mark of the second half ? a span of 21 minutes. The Gamecocks made their free throw attempts to help spur a 10-2 run, cutting the Eagles lead to 10. Hanson drained another 3-pointer with 12:39 remaining, but Jeremy Bynum hit a 3-pointer then added two free throws with nine minutes remaining to make it a three-point game, 49-46.
Hanson missed from the right corner but Kenith Ward (Warner Robins/Northside) got the offensive rebound and kicked it back to Hanson in the same spot, this time the junior guard drained the ?3'.
But JSU staged a 13-2 run of its own, nine from Bynam and a putback by Amadou Mbodji to tie the score with just under six minutes remaining.
Hanson finished with 19 points, leading the Eagles. Drayton added 17 and five rebounds while Troupe added 11 points.
“Our first half was particularly good, we defended really well, but we had trouble attacking the zone in the second half, which put us back on our heels a little bit,” said Price. “We did a nice job down the stretch and with getting those free throws we did what we had to do.”
Georgia Southern shot 35.6 percent for the game and 25-of-32 at the free throw line. The Eagles entered the game having made just 30 free throws the last four games combined. JSU shot 34.8 percent and was 25-of-32 at the line.
Bynum led all scorers with 28 points for JSU (11-16).
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