Troy Travels to Take on WKU

Live Stats | Game Notes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Troy men's basketball team looks to get back on the winning track as they travel to take on WKU on Saturday. The Trojans and Toppers will tip-off at 4:00 p.m. inside E.A. Diddle Arena

The Trojans (5-9, 0-3), who have lost four straight, including their first three Sun Belt contests, will take on a Hilltopper squad that is coming off an overtime loss to Louisiana at home on Thursday.

Troy, despite losing their fourth straight on Thursday night, is coming off of possibly its best defensive performance of the year as they held the Sun Belt's top offensive team, Middle Tennessee to 63 points in a 63-53 loss.

Tim Owens led the defensive effort for the Trojans with a career-high six blocks while holding the Sun Belt's hottest player, Blue Raider forward LaRon Dendy, to just 2-of-10 from the floor.

WKU (5-11, 1-2) has lost two straight overall, but three straight at home, and will be playing for the first time since fourth year head coach Ken McDonald was released on Friday. Fourth year assistant Ray Harper will take over in the interim for McDonald.

The Trojans will be looking for their first ever win inside E.A. Diddle Arena in their seventh try. Saturday's contest will mark the third on the road for the Trojans in 10 days, but they will return home for three straight, beginning next Saturday, Jan. 14, when South Alabama comes to Sartain Hall.

Gameday Storylines

- The Trojans enter Saturday's contest having lost four straight including a 0-3 start to Sun Belt play.

- Troy will look to improve on a 1-7 road record at WKU who has lost three straight home games including two in Sun Belt contests, and will be playing for the first time since head coach Ken McDonald was released on Friday.

- Troy enters the contest as the nation's second-best three-point shooting team as they make 10.0 threes per game. Troy is second to just Florida (11.3) in that category and is one of just two teams averaging over 10.0.

- The Trojans are able to rain in the threes by creating as many possessions as possible as they average 15.7 offensive boards per game, the second most in the Sun Belt and ninth most in the nation.

- Troy also doesn't waste the extra possessions they create as they commit just 12.6 turnovers per game, the second best mark in the Sun Belt. Pair that with the 15.9 turnovers they force, and the Trojans' +3.3 turnover margin is the best in the league.

- Will Weathers is the engine that makes the Trojans go as he leads the team in scoring (12.3) and the Sun Belt in assists (6.0). The 6.0 assists per game are the 22nd best mark in the nation.

The Series

- The Trojans trail the all-time series with the Hilltoppers, 5-8, including being winless in six tries in Bowling Green. Twelve of the 13 meetings have come with the two sides being members of the Sun Belt. The other meeting came in 1975 in Bowling Green.

- Last season the two sides split a pair of meetings with each team winning at home. The Trojans won by 14 in Troy in early January but fell by 19 in Bowling Green less than two weeks later.

- In the contest in Troy, Vernon Taylor led the Trojans with 20 points while Will Weathers chipped in 17 points and seven assists. The Troy bench outscored WKU's 27-4 in an 82-68 win.

- Just two weeks later at E.A. Diddle Arena, Vernon Taylor again had 20 points, but the Hilltoppers shot 45.3 percent from the floor in a 77-58 win.

A Troy Win Would …

- Make the Trojans 8-6 all-time against the Hilltoppers

- Give the Trojans their first win in Bowling Green in seven tries

- Give Don Maestri his 491st career victory

- Give the Trojans their sixth win of the season, a feat that didn't happen last season until Feb. 10

- Put the Trojans at 6-9, last season the Trojans were 2-13 through 15 games

- Give the Trojans their first Sun Belt win of the season

- Give the Trojans their first road win since Nov. 26

Troy University Athletics

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