Troy Set for Thursday Night ESPN3 Contest

TROY, Alabama – After its longest period of rest in weeks, the Troy women's basketball team is set to face ULM on Thursday night at Trojan Arena. The 5:15 p.m. contest will be aired on ESPN3.

Both teams just finished a stretch of five games in 10 days. Troy has lost its last two games while ULM has won its last three. That stretch started with an 82-77 win for Troy at ULM just two weeks ago.

Live audio and live stats will be available through TroyTrojans.com and can be accessed through the women's basketball schedule page. Fans in Troy can also hear the game on WTBF 94.7 FM. To follow the action on Twitter, follow @TroyWomensBBall.

Troy (11-7, 6-3) is coming off of a tough, 82-76, loss to Arkansas State on Saturday at home. In a game where the winner would take control of second place in the Sun Belt, Troy went scoreless over the final 2:48 as the Red Wolves finished on a 6-0 run to hand Troy its second straight loss.

After winning six straight games, Troy has now lost back-to-back games for the first time since starting the season 0-2 (at Auburn, at Clemson). However, Troy is still off to its best conference start since opening Atlantic Sun play 7-2 in 2002-03.

Ronita Garrett led the Trojans against Arkansas State with 18 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, including 10 offensive boards. Garrett now has 12 double-doubles on the season, ranking first in the Sun Belt in 10th in the NCAA. With at least 11 games still to play, Garrett's 12 double-doubles are already the most in a single season in Troy's Division I era (1993-present).

Garrett leads the Sun Belt with 10.7 rebounds per game this season and ranks seventh in scoring at 14.2 points per game. Ashley Beverly-Kelley ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 14.6 points per game, making Troy the only Sun Belt team with two players over 14.0 per game.

Troy has scored 75-plus points in five of its last six games, upping its scoring average to a Sun Belt best 74.7 points per game. The Trojans also lead the league in rebounding (42.9), assists (14.2) and steals (11.0). Now in her third season, Chanda Rigby and the Trojans led the league in scoring in each of the first two seasons as well.

ULM (8-10, 4-5) comes into Thursday's contest having won three straight games, including two in overtime. In their most recent game, the Warhawks beat Georgia Southern at home, 72-66, in overtime. ULM held the Eagles scoreless in overtime.

Sharnice Brooks, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Week, has scored 20-plus in three of her last five games, including a career-high 28 against Troy and Georgia Southern.

Despite Brooks' career night, Troy escaped Fant-Ewing Coliseum with the win two weeks ago, 82-77. In that game, Troy scored just 21 points in first half and trailed by 12 points, but scored 61 in the second and raced back for the win. Lacey Buchanon led Troy with a career-high 19 points off the bench, all in the second half.

ULM now leads the all-time series over Troy, 13-4, but Troy's win snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Warhawks. ULM is 5-1 in Troy with three straight wins since the Trojans' last victory in 2009-10.

For more information on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube by searching for Troy Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Ashley Beverly Kelley

Lacey Buchanon

Ronita Garrett

Troy University Athletics