Troy University Athletics
Trojans Face Rhode Island in Top of the World Matchup
11/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Troy makes it first trip to the 49th state this week when it heads to Fairbanks, Alaska for the BP Top of the World Classic. The Trojans meet Rhode Island in the first round Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. CT).
Led by O'Darien Bassett's 22 points, Troy evened its record at 1-1 Sunday with an 87-52 win over Loyola-New Orleans. The Trojans shot 52.4 percent from the field, including 56.3 percent after intermission. Troy outscored the Wolfpack 45-18 in the second half.
Rhode Island fell to 1-1 with a 101-92 loss to Houston on Monday night.
Other storylines for tonight's game:
The Series
Troy and Rhode Island have never faced each other on the basketball court.
Maestri Against the Rams
Head Coach Don Maestri has also never faced Rhode Island during his 25-year coaching career.
Against the A-10
Troy stands 2-3 all-time against members of the Atlantic 10 Conference, with two of the matchups taking place last year. The Trojans lost 78-54 at Xavier on Dec. 22, then defeated Duquesne 78-72 eight days later.all totalled, Troy stands 2-0 against Duquesne, 0-2 against Xavier and 0-1 against St. Louis.
Outside The League
Troy posted an 8-6 record in non-conference games last year, including 3-1 in neutral-site affairs.
Tournament Title
Troy posted a 3-1 record at in-season tournaments last year, winning the Duquesne Holiday Tournament and finished second at the Columbia Classic. The Duquesne championship was the first in Troy's Division I era. Since 1992-93, when the Trojans moved to Division I, they have participated in 18 in-season tournaments with one win and five second-place finishes. The record also includes four third-place finishes, sixth fourths, a fifth and a sixth.
Opening Night, The Home Edition
With a win over Loyola on Sunday in its home opener, Troy has now opened its home schedule 1-0 for six straight seasons. Since moving to Division I, the Trojans are 12-2 in home openers.
Double-Double Debut
Senior guard Richard Chaney became the first Trojan to post a double-double in his first game in four years on Friday. The Los Angeles native tallied 21 points and 12 boards, matcing the effort of Greg Davis (12 points, 10 assists) against Knoxville College on Nov. 23, 2002. It was the first collegiate double-double for Chaney, who played three seasons at Utah before this year.
More Doubles News
O'Darien Bassett and Richard Chaney are the only two Trojans to top double figures in scoring in both games this season. Bassett scored 13 and 22 points, respectively, against Auburn and Loyola, while Chaney tallied 21 and 14 points during the same span.
Hitting the Boards
One year after being totally dominated on the boards, Troy posted a remarkable improvement in the category last season. The Trojans held a rebounding edge or were even in 11 of the 29 contests during the 2005-06 campaign. The previous season saw an advantage on the boards in only three contests -- two in the first five games. This season's two games have been split, with Auburn holding a 54-38 rebounding margin last Friday night and the Trojans outdistancing Loyola 38-24.
Three-Point Champs, Again!
For the third straight season, Troy led Division I in three-pointers made per game. The Trojans connected on an average of 11.9 per game. West Virginia was second at 10.2, followed by Campbell, Stanford and Notre Dame.
Playing Shorthanded
Troy begins the season with just nine players on its active roster. Junior Justin Jonas is still fulfilling NCAA transfer requirements and is ineligible until the semester break. Senior Boo Ramsey and sophomore Antwaun Burroughs are academically ineligible this semester, but should rejoin the team in mid-December. Additionally, senior Jarvis Acker has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. He has been practicing with the team and could be reinstated at any time.
Oh, So Close
Last season had certain heartbreak element to it, capped by a 66-63 overtime loss to Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference quarterfinals. The game ended on a half-court heave as time expired. Last Friday's result was the 11th in the last 16 losses that were decided by less than 10 points or in overtime. Dating back two years now, 20 of the last 26 losses have been by single digits or have gone to overtime.
From Near to Far
After opening its season 90 miles up the road on Friday and at home Sunday, Troy headed 4,310 miles northwest to compete in the BP Top of the World Classic. The trip marks the first to the 49th state in the program's history.
Forcing Mistakes
Troy has won the battle of the turnovers in both games this season. In each contest they have committed just nine. A year ago, the Trojans had fewer turnovers in 20 of the 29 games. During the 2005-06 season, Troy posted a single digit number in the category just four times, recording a season low of eight against Niagara on Dec. 31.
Block Party
Troy's Sammy Sharp tied his career high Sunday with four blocks. He had two-thirds of the team's six. Starting the season with 45, Sharp now needs just six more to equal two other Trojans with 57 career blocks.
Quite a Run
Troy made some magical runs last season, Troy's Sammy Sharp tied his career high Sunday with four blocks. He had two-thirds of the team's six. Starting the season with 45, Sharp now needs just six more to equal two other Trojans with 57 career blocks.
One Good Half
Troy's 56.3 percent shooting aftermission on Sunday was the best period of the season. A year ago, Troy connected for at least half its shots in 19 of its 58 halves. Those hot-shooting halves were spread out over 16 of the 29 games.
A Big Surge
Troy tallied 18 straight points during its win over Loyola on Sunday. The surge, led by O'Darien Bassett's 11 straight points at the start, turned a 51-43 lead into 69-43 in just under six minutes.
Preseason Honors
Senior forward Cedric Jackson was was a third-team selection to the Sun Belt Conference preseason team. As a junior, he averaged 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds. Additionally, he connected on 46 three-pointers and hit a team-best 81.1 percent from the free throw line.
