Red-Hot Trojans Look for Fourth Straight Victory at Chattanooga

TROY, Ala. -- The Troy Trojans men's basketball program closes out non-conference play on Sunday afternoon at Chattanooga, looking for the program's fourth consecutive victory. Tip-off from the River City is set for 3 p.m. CT. Chattanooga defeated Troy 74-68 back on Nov. 12 at Trojan Arena.

After Sunday's matchup at Chattanooga the Trojans will close out the 2019 calendar year with a pair of home games against Coastal Carolina (Dec. 19) and Appalachian State (Dec. 21).

LAST TIME OUT- (Troy, 4-6)
Troy enters Sunday's matchup against the Mocs having won three consecutive games in a row for the first time since last Dec. 12-29. The big change for Troy over the winning streak has been the defensive effort. The Trojans have held opponents to fewer than 65 points in all three games. Last Wednesday night, Troy earned the first road victory over the Scott Cross Era, defeating in-state rival Jacksonville State 60-55. After allowing eight first half 3-pointers, the Trojans locked down on the defensive end in the second half of the ballgame, allowing just five points over the final 10 minutes. The Trojans are 4-1 when allowing fewer than 65 points this season. In the big victory Zay Williams scored a game-high 16 points, while junior Darian Adams added 14 points, reaching double figures for the seventh time this season.

LAST TIME OUT- (Chattanooga, 6-5)
Chattanooga enters Sunday's matchup against Troy looking to extend their perfect 3-0 record at home. The Mocs are just 1-5 on the road, with the lone road victory being the 74-68 triumph at Troy in early November. UTC and Troy have played just one common opponent thus far. The Mocs defeated Jacksonville State 63-60 back on Nov. 30^th in Niceville, Florida. Since the Mocs and Trojans last faced-off Cleveland State transfer Stefan Kenic has been deemed eligible by the NCAA. Kenic has appeared five contests so far this season (one start) and is averaging 10 points and 3.4 rebounds a game. The Serbian recorded 16 points in 16 minutes at Virginia Tech. Graduate transfer Matt Ryan leads Chattanooga in scoring, having averaged 13.8 points a game. The Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. native scored 21 points and recorded five assists against the Trojans in the previous matchup.

Trojan Storylines
• Sunday's have been kind to the Trojans, as Troy is 8-2 in the last 10 Sunday matchups (2013-Pres.). Troy has won three straight games that were played on a Sunday.
• The Trojan defense was on point the final 10-minutes Wednesday night, holding Jax State to 1-of-10 shooting (five total points). The Trojans also forced four turnovers, outscoring the Gamecocks 15-5 over that span.
• The Trojans have won three straight games. Troy is looking for the program's first four-game winning streak since last Dec. 12-29.
• Troy and Chattanooga are playing for the second time this season. It's Troy's first non-conference home-and-home since 2016-17 when Troy played Eastern Ill. at Trojan Arena (Nov. 14) and on the road (Nov. 21).
• Wednesday's victory over JSU was Troy's first victory of the season (1-3) when trailing at halftime. Troy has had a halftime lead in six of 10 games this season.
• Troy has recorded at least 10 offensive rebounds in nine straight contests. It's the longest streak for a Troy team since 2013-14, when Troy grabbed at least 10 rebounds in 15 consecutive games (Dec. 23, 2013-Feb. 20, 2014). The Trojans are 3-2 this season when they out-rebound their opponents, and currently rank in the top-10 nationally in offensive rebounds.
• Troy freshmen Jakevan Leftridge and Desmond Williams made their Troy debuts against Shorter. Originally scheduled to redshirt, Leftridge and Williams also earned their first career starts. The duo combined for 20 points, four assists and four rebounds. Troy is 3-0 when Leftridge and Williams play.
• The Trojans are 4-1 this season when holding teams to fewer than 65 points. Troy's lone loss when holding a team below that mark was at Texas A&M (56-52, loss). Troy has held opponents to 65 points or fewer in three consecutive games (all wins).

Broadcast Information
ESPN +: Chris Goforth (PBP) and Todd Agne (Color)
Live Audio: TroyTrojans.com/watch
Radio: Barry McKnight and Jerry Miller on the Troy Sports Radio Network

One to Watch
Junior Darian Adams enters Sunday's matchup with Chattanooga leading the Trojans in scoring (12.8) and assists (3.1). The junior has scored in double-figures in seven of Troy's 10 games this season, and is shooting a team-best 23-of-27 (.852) from the free-throw line this season. The Montgomery native scored a career-best 20 points at Texas A&M this season, and has recorded at least four assists in five of Troy's 10 games this season.

Red-Hot Trojans Look for Fourth Straight Victory at Chattanooga

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Players Mentioned

Darian Adams

Jakevan Leftridge

Desmond Williams

Zay Williams

Troy University Athletics