Trojans Hit the Road to Face North Florida on Saturday

Saturday, December 18

Jacksonville, FL

3:00 p.m. (EST)

Troy University

University of North Florida

Trojans Hit the Road to Face North Florida on Saturday

12/16/2010 12:51:03 PM | Basketball (W)

Troy will play back-to-back days for the second time this season

By: Travis Jarome

Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

TROY, Ala. – One of the longest road trips of the season is in sight for the Troy University women's basketball team, as they depart for six days to play three games in two states beginning with the University of North Florida on Saturday afternoon.

The meeting will be the first between the two schools in their history, and Troy (2-7) looking to get back on track after falling to Florida Gulf Coast last Sunday afternoon. The Trojans and Florida Gulf Coast traded the lead 23 times in that game, with the Eagles taking the final lead with under eight minutes to play.

This season, the Trojans are led by senior Donette McNair (New London, Conn./New London HS) at 14.6 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game. She is currently 27th in the nation in rebounding and leads the Sun Belt Conference in the same category.

In the Trojans last game, McNair recorded her fifth double-double of the season in the loss on Sunday to the preseason pick to win the Atlantic Sun Conference, it was also 23rd time in her career she has recorded a double-double. In the game, McNair recorded her 600th career rebound, making her just the fifth player in school history to grab 600 rebounds in a career since the Trojans went to Division I in 1993. She moved past former teammate Audrey Muse into fourth place all-time during the era, grabbing her 611th rebound in the game; leaving her just 15 from third and 42 from second place all-time. She also moved into sole possession of seventh place at the school in the era with her 51st career block, leaving her one shy of tying Alecia Jones for sixth place all-time. Finally, her two free throws made on Sunday, tied her with Heather Haney for sixth all-time during the era with 211 free throws made; leaving her just three from fifth and four from tying former teammate Amy Lewis for fourth all-time during the Division I era.

Meanwhile, junior DeAngela Sword (Montgomery, Ala./Pensacola JC) is averaging 12.4 points per game this season for the Trojans after starting the last eight games when junior Kirsten Smith (Pensacola, Fla./Washington HS) went down with a head injury. Sword is currently in the top 15 in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring. Sophomore Sophie Kleeman (Newcastle, Australia/Newcastle HS) has jumped into the top 10 in the conference in assists (3.6) and assist/turnover ratio (1.1), while she is second in the conference in minutes played at 38.1 per game.

The Trojans currently stand at one of the best teams in the conference, and the nation, in three-point field goal percentage. They are fourth in the conference and stand 30th in the nation in the category, allowing opponents to shoot just 25.7 percent from beyond the arc.

North Florida (1-7) enters the game on a five-game losing streak after falling to South Florida last Sunday afternoon. The Ospreys are led by Brittany Kirkland at 14.6 points per game, while Larkira Jones is averaging 7.1 rebounds per game.

The game can be heard on WTBF-94.7 FM beginning at 1:45 pm with the pregame show; while live stats and live video are being provided as well.

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