Troy Opens Regular Season at Trojan Arena on Friday

TROY, Alabama – The Troy women's basketball team opens its regular season on Friday when West Alabama visits Trojan Arena for a 12 p.m. contest. Admission to the game is free for all fans.

The special tip time is in place to allow area elementary and high school students a chance to join the Trojans. The game is also being played as part of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Drink Up" and "Let's Move" campaigns and all children in attendance will receive a free bottle of water and fruit.

Links to live stats, live video and free live audio can be found at TroyTrojans.com. Fans in Troy can also hear the game on WTBF 94.7 FM. For live in-game updates on Twitter, follow @TroyTrojansWBB.

The Trojans are opening their season at home for the first time in head coach Chanda Rigby's four season, and for just the third time since joining the Sun Belt in 2005-06.

Troy is coming off of one of the best seasons in school history in which it went 20-11 to earn just the fourth 20-win season in program history. Troy played in the WBI, making just the second postseason appearance in program history, and the first since 1997.

Troy finished third in the Sun Belt last season with a 15-5 record, thanks in large part to two All-Sun Belt First Team selections. The Trojans will have to deal with the graduation of Ronita Garrett, the Sun Belt's leading rebounder. However, the burden will be lightened with the return of Ashley Beverly Kelley, the Sun Belt's second-leading scorer.

Beverly Kelley, one of two seniors on the 2015-16 roster, averaged 17.6 points per game last season on her way to earning Mid-Major All-American honors. In Sun Belt play, she averaged 19.8 per game, the best mark in the conference.

She is one of two Preseason All-Sun Belt selections for the Trojans this year, joining junior Caitlyn Ramirez who earned third team honors after starting the final 12 games of last season, averaging 7.8 points and 5.7 rebounds over that span.

In all, the Trojans return six players and have eight newcomers. Troy was picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt by the league's coaches, but was one of five teams to receive first-place votes in what is predicted to be a very competitive race.

Troy has played one exhibition game, defeating Division II member Stillman, 118-53. Troy forced 36 turnovers and had five players score in double figures, led by 23 from Beverly Kelley.

West Alabama, another Division II member, is coming off of a 10-16 season and has already played two exhibition games, falling to Southern Miss and beating Wallace-Hanceville.

Junior guard Ariel Wilson, a Belhaven transfer who was an NAIA All-American last season, has led the Tigers with 17 points in each of the exhibition contests.

Troy is 11-17 all-time against West Alabama, but the two sides haven't met since the 1990-91 season. The two were Gulf South Conference rivals from 1982-83 to 1990-91, but haven't played since Troy moved to Division I.

For more information on Troy women's basketball, follow the Trojans on Twitter and Instagram at @TroyTrojansWBB.

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

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Players Mentioned

Ashley Beverly Kelley

Ronita Garrett

Caitlyn Ramirez