Women's basketball drops WBIT game to Kansas

Troy women’s basketball fell in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament to Kansas, 79-70. 

In the Trojans’ first WBIT game in program history, they led the No. two seed Jayhawks for over 29 minutes of the game, with a lead as large as nine points in the contest. However, Kansas took advantage of Troy’s foul trouble throughout the game with 24 free throws made. 

“Both teams gave tremendous effort tonight,” said head coach Chanda Rigby. “Simply put, they got more comfortable with breaking our press throughout the game, and when the foul and free-throw differential is as high as it was tonight as the road team, it’s hard to overcome that.” 

Despite leading the country in rebounds per game, the Trojans were outrebounded by the Jayhawks, 44-38. Kansas’ Laia Conesa would lead both teams in rebounds with 12, while Troy’s Rachel Leggett was the best for the Trojans with 10. 

Leggett would also score 15 points to earn her fifth double-double of the year in what might be her final game. Fellow seniors Leilani Guion and Fortuna Ngnawo scored double-digit points as well, with 18 and 13, respectively, while Zay Dyer rebounded seven times on the night and Ashley Baez scored eightpoints. 

“I was happy to see players like Rachel and Leilani go out the way they did,” Rigby said. “And honestly, I’m going to remember this team fondly for their desire to grow on and off the court. 

“This was truly a special group.” 

With eight seniors on this season’s roster, including the starting five from the clash with Kansas, and the looming threat of the transfer portal, the Trojans will look to rebuild in Rigby’s 15th season as the head coach. Troy will certainly hope to build off this year’s success, as they finished 25-8, tied for the most wins in program history. Troy was the runner-up in the Sun Belt with a postseason appearance for the ninth time under Rigby.