Women's basketball splits week against Georgia squads

Troy head coach Chanda Rigby moves one win away from 500-win milestone as Troy trounces Georgia State 96-69 in week of home matchups

The Troy women’s basketball team experienced a week of extremes at Trojan Arena, falling in a narrow 80-69 heartbreaker to Georgia Southern before dismantling Georgia State 96-69.  

Despite the initial setback, the Trojans maintained their rebounding dominance and moved head coach Chanda Rigby to the brink of a historic career milestone. These two contests solidified Troy’s position at the top of the Sun Belt Conference NET rankings and showcased the team's ability to respond to adversity. 

"We're heartbroken tonight in Trojan Arena," said head coach Chanda Rigby following the loss to the Eagles. "We didn't play the way we wanted, and we didn't get the result we wanted." 

The homestand began with a frustrating loss to Georgia Southern, where a cold third quarter proved too much to overcome. Troy found itself down by 20 points entering the final frame but managed to cut the lead to single digits behind a gritty 13-2 late-game run.  

Even in defeat, the Trojans controlled the glass with a 48-31 rebounding advantage, led by double-doubles from both Zay Dyer and Fortuna Ngnawo. 

"We gave them confidence in the first half by having our hands down instead of up," Rigby said. "We also hurt ourselves with turnovers — they weren't forced; they were mistakes we have to correct." 

Troy found its rhythm on Saturday morning, putting together a wire-to-wire 96-69 victory over Georgia State to sweep the season series. The Trojans shot a clinical 50% from the floor and obliterated the Panthers on the boards with a staggering 63-26 margin. This victory moved Troy to 16-4 overall and maintained its perfect 6-0 record this season when shooting at least 50% from the field. 

"The way you rebound and have a good game after a loss is by being focused on the things you're supposed to be good at," Rigby said. "The three things we are good at are rebounds, runs, and forcing turnovers." 

Zay Dyer turned in a legendary week, officially surpassing the 1,000 career rebound milestone on Thursday before haunting her former team on Saturday. Against Georgia State, Dyer recorded her 12th double-double of the season just three minutes into the second quarter, finishing the day with 23 points and 14 rebounds.  

She now ranks 15th among all active Division I players in career boards, firmly establishing herself as the premier post presence in the conference. 

Supporting the frontcourt was Rachel Leggett, who turned in a flawless 6-of-6 shooting performance on Saturday for her first double-double as a Trojan. Emani Jenkins continued her aerial assault from the perimeter, knocking down four 3-pointers to lead a bench unit that Coach Rigby emphasized must continue to improve for a deep postseason run.  

With the win, the Trojans stayed near the top of the Sun Belt standings as they prepare for a critical road trip. 

"I know one of the most important things, other than rebounding, is that your bench has to continue to improve all year," Rigby said. "By the end of the year, your bench needs to be the most improved in the Sun Belt to win it." 

The Trojans now turn their attention north as they head to Huntington, West Virginia, for a marquee matchup against Marshall. This Wednesday clash offers Rigby her first opportunity to secure her 500th career win and potentially move into the top spot for all-time wins at Troy.  

Following the matchup, the Trojans head to Conway, South Carolina, for a tilt with Coastal Carolina on Saturday.