Trojans Ride to Appalachian State on Two-Straight Road Wins

BOONE, N.C. – The Troy men's basketball team heads to Appalachian State on Saturday riding a two-game, road win streak. The Trojans are looking to finish up a rough road stretch with another win under their belt. Tip off between the Mountaineers and Trojans is slated for 2:30 CT at the Holmes Center.

In its latest win, Troy (9-12, 4-8) had four Trojans tally double figures as they were led by Musa Abdul-Aleem who paced Troy with 17 points. Kevin Thomas earned his 12^th career double-double with 16 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the floor, while reeling in a game-high 11 rebounds, six of which were on the offensive end of the court. John Walton III and Wesley Person also scored in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

In the Trojans' last matchup against the Mountaineers, Troy fell to Appalachian State, 69-65, despite out-shooting the Mountaineers, 40.3 percent to 38.3 percent from the floor. App State's 11-of-26 showing from 3-point range proved to be too much for Troy to overcome.

In the loss, Wesley Person led Troy with 15 points while Aaron Ariri reeled in a game and career-high 11 boards. Kevin Thomas added 13 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor, and Musa Abdul-Aleem chipped in 11.

Appalachian State (8-12, 5-6) is looking to snap a two-game losing streak. In their last two losses, both of which were on the road, the Mountaineers have lost by an average of 26 points. In its loss to UL Lafayette, five Mountaineers scored in double figures. Jake Babic and Frank Eaves led App State with 16 points apiece, a career-high for Babic. Chris Burgess tallied 14 points on the night while Tommy Spagnolo and Jacob Lawson each chipped in 10 points.

On the season the Mountaineers are led by Eaves, who averages 17.5 points per game, which ranks him fifth in the Sun Belt. Spagnolo ranks just behind Troy's Thomas, averaging 7.4 boards per game.

Troy returns to Trojan Arena on Thursday as it faces in-state Sun Belt opponent, South Alabama. Tip off between the Trojans and Jaguars is slated for 7:30 p.m.

For more information on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. As always, fans can also find the Troy men's basketball team on Twitter at @TroyMensHoops, Instagram at @TroyHoops Facebook, and YouTube by searching Troy Athletics.

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Players Mentioned

Musa Abdul-Aleem

Aaron Ariri

Wesley Person

Kevin Thomas

John Walton III