Jeff Edge
Eagle Staff
Saturday, March 6, 2004


NASHVILLE, Ten. -- It may forever be remembered as "The Miracle in Nashville."

Staring elimination from the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament straight in the face, Troy State needed some type of divine intervention and got it.

Greg Davis hit the second of a two-shot foul with 2.3 seconds to play, rallying Troy State from a 10-point deficit in the final two minutes, as the Trojans stunned the Georgia State Panthers 63-62 at the Curb Event Center.

Troy State (24-5) will get a chance to play for an invitation to the NCAA Tournament this afternoon when the Trojans face either Central Florida or Belmont at 3 in the championship game.

"If they (players) didn't have religion, they got it tonight," said a sweat-soaked TSU coach Don Maestri afterward. "We feel very fortunate to have won the game. You've got to be thankful."

The Trojans, stretching their winning streak to 13 games, appeared ready to head home. But thanks to their relentless full-court pressure and a Panther team that couldn't handle it, TSU was able to stick around for another day, scoring the game's final 11 points.

Georgia State had controlled the game from the opening tap, and when Nate Williams hit a 10-foot baseline jumper with 2:23 remaining for a 62-52 lead, the Panthers looked poised to put the game away -- or so they thought.

TSU began turning up the heat and GSU began to wilt. Five turnovers in the final 1:44, coupled with a pair of Panther missed 1-and-1 free throw opportunities in the last 48 seconds, helped open the door, and the Trojans came charging through.

When Davis knocked down a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left to tie the game at 62, the miraculous rally was nearly complete.

Davis then picked off an errant pass from D'Andre McGrew to Lamont McIntosh after the free throws, and the Trojans elected to spread the floor and let Davis work the final 25 seconds off the clock.

The conference's player of the year drove to the basket and was fouled by Williams with two seconds remaining, setting up the final set of charity tosses.

"I didn't worry about the first one," Davis said. "I concentrated on making the second one because I didn't want to play another five minutes."

After Davis hit the second of the two free throws, Herbert Evans picked off a McIntosh inbounds pass to seal the game. It was GSU's 27th turnover and sealed a contest where the roof completely fell in on the Panthers.

Rob Lewin scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half to lead Troy State. He also had 10 rebounds. Davis, despite a woeful 1-of-11 night from behind the arc, had 14 points, while Evans contributed 12.

The Trojans had to turn to pressure defense after suffering through a 31 percent shooting night, including a paltry 5-of-34 from the 3-point line.

"You are going to have games where you don't play very well," Maestri said. "But when you've had the kind of season we've been through, you can't give up on anybody. The guys just kept believing."

For the second straight game, Troy State dug a hole for itself early. Georgia State scored the game's first six points, opened up as much as an 11-point lead, and settled for a 37-24 halftime advantage.

Williams, who led the Panthers with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and McIntosh, who finished with 14 points, keyed the charge. TSU had hit only 2-of-17 threes, was outrebounded 26-12 and found itself struggling to find any kind of offensive rhythm.

The Trojans opened the second half with an 11-3 run to shave the deficit to 40-35 five minutes into the second half after a driving layup by Evans.

Georgia State recovered, riding a 11-2 spurt to a 51-37 lead with 9:28 to play. Lewin would then score 12 points, including a pair of uncharacteristic threes, as the Trojans kept it close, setting up the frantic last two minutes.

and that miracle ends today!!