Offense and Defense Meet as Troy Goes for Fourth Straight

TROY, Alabama – The Sun Belt's top offense and top defense will both be on the floor on Thursday as Troy women's basketball hosts UT Arlington at Trojan Arena. Tipoff is set for 5:15 p.m. with the Trojans looking for their fourth consecutive win.

It will be 80s Night in Trojan Arena as Troy women's basketball encourages fans to dress in their best 1980s attire. Links to live video, live stats and a free live audio broadcast can all 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.

Troy (8-5, 3-1) comes in averaging 85.2 points per game, best in the Sun Belt and sixth in the NCAA. The Trojans have won three straight games, including an 81-66 victory at Georgia Southern last Saturday. At 3-1 in league play, the Trojans are tied for second in the Sun Belt standings.

The Trojans came out hot at Georgia Southern and scored a season-high 27 points in the first quarter. Troy led by 17 at halftime and by as many as 22 in the second half as it cruised to the victory. Ashley Beverly Kelley led Troy with 23 points, despite resting the entire fourth quarter.

Beverly Kelley comes into Thursday leading the Sun Belt in scoring in all games at 19.9 points per game and in Sun Belt games at 23.3 per game. The Mid-Major All-American has 1,575 career points, the most among active Sun Belt players. She is just one point away from moving into fifth place, and 11 points from fourth place, on Troy's all-time scoring list.

Caitlyn Ramirez is Troy's second leading scorer at 12.8 points per game, ranking 10th in the Sun Belt. Ramirez only plays 20.1 minutes per game while the rest of the top 10 all play at least 26.0 minutes per game. Ramirez shoots 59.8 percent from the floor to lead the Sun Belt.

A lot of Troy's offense is a product of its pressure defense as the Trojans force 24.5 turnovers per game, ranking fourth in the NCAA. They have forced at least 17 in every game this season.

UT Arlington (7-6, 2-1) leads the Sun Belt in scoring defense, allowing just 53.7 points per game. After a tough loss to Georgia State in their Sun Belt opener, the Mavericks have cruised in their last two, including a 76-45 win at Appalachian State last Thursday in their most recent game.

The Mavericks are a half game behind Troy in the standings and have shot over 50 percent in each of their last two games while holding each opponent to 26 percent or less.

UT Arlington, picked to finish second in the Sun Belt this season, had three Preseason All-Sun Belt selections, including first teamer Rebekah VanDijk, who was the league's Freshman of the Year last season. This season, the 6-foot-5 center is averaging 9.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season. Cierra Johnson leads the Mavs in scoring at 10.5 points per game and also leads the Sun Belt with 3.5 steals per contest.

Troy is 3-2 all-time against the Mavericks, including a 3-1 mark in UTA's two seasons in the Sun Belt. The two sides split last season's meetings with each home team winning.

Following Thursday's game, the Trojans stay at Trojan Arena to host Texas State on Saturday. The Bobcats, also 2-1 in Sun Belt play entering the week, play at South Alabama on Thursday.

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

Caitlyn Ramirez