Women's basketball splits road tilts to end regular season

After a successful Senior Day sendoff for some record-breaking Trojans, the Troy women’s basketball team faced two key obstacles in its goal to take over the Sun Belt Conference: Arkansas State and South Alabama. Both games were on the road. 

It all started on Feb. 24, and the Trojans walked into a firepit in Jonesboro, Arkansas, home of the Arkansas State Red Wolves.  

Arkansas State was up there with Troy, Georgia Southern, Marshall and James Madison for the regular season conference title, and the game wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. That night, the Trojans handed Arkansas State its first home loss in two years, 61-54, and clinched a top-two seed in the SBC tournament. 

Zay Dyer and Fortuna Ngnawo both capped off the win with double-doubles, their 21st and 17th respectively. Emani Jenkins downed two 3-pointers in the first half, ending with eleven points.  

A Rachel Leggett pass to Dyer put the Trojans up two in the second half after the Red Wolves fought back into the lead, but Dyer made two key free throws. Ashley Baez key free throws and suddenly, it was over. Troy wins. Dyer won conference player of the week, and the focus shifted to South. 

“Overall, the effort here was great, and we did what we needed to do to win,” said head coach Chanda Rigby. “Now, we got to rest our bodies because we got one more to go.  

“We aren’t overlooking South Alabama. We need to not play around with them, especially with a championship on the line.” 

Despite not overlooking a below-.500 Jaguars team, South Alabama upset Troy in 76-69 fashion to steal away Troy’s regular season Sun Belt Championship hopes. An eight-point halftime lead was enough to propel South Alabama to the rivalry win. 

With a close loss on the mind, Ngnawo and Dyer still found ways to rebound and get more double-doubles. Leggett and Baez both got double-digit points as well. 

Jenkins brought in the clutch gene to land a trey, sparking a 14-2 run that put Troy up 51-47 in the third quarter. However, South responded with a 9-0 run of itsown to make it56-51 with time slowly dying.  

Dyer swished a two to make it 59-57 Trojans headed into the fourth quarter. South came out hot against Troy in the fourth, with an 11-0 run to make it 70-60. Despite some last-minute heroics, South Alabama pulled away 76-69. 

“We got punched in the face today,” Rigby said. “They wanted it more... we just need to learn from tonight and use it.” 

The Trojans may have lost one of their two last games, but they sit in the driver seat for the conference tournament. Two more wins, and they’ll be able to hang a brand-newbanner in Trojan Arena. Troy starts play in Pensacola, Florida, in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinals on March 8 at 2 p.m.