Women's Basketball Punches Ticket to NOLA with Comeback Victory at South Alabama

Saturday, February 29

Mobile, Ala.

4 p.m.

Troy University

23-4,14-2Sun Belt

South Alabama

13-15,8-8Sun Belt

Troy

South Alabama

Women's Basketball Punches Ticket to NOLA with Comeback Victory at South Alabama

2/29/2020 7:45:00 PM | Basketball (W)

Box Score

By: Troy Athletics Communications

MOBILE, Ala. – The Troy women's basketball team erased a 15-point deficit in the final 15 minutes of action to complete the come-from-behind victory at South Alabama Saturday night. Japonica James led all scorers with 24-points in her homecoming game to help push Troy's record to 23-4 on the year and 14-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. With the win Troy has clinched a top two seed in the upcoming Sun Belt Tournament in New Orleans which will be played at the Smoothie King Center March 14-15.

James was special Saturday night in front a hometown crowd that at times made you think, especially late, that Troy was actually the home team and not South Alabama. James scored at least six points in three of the four quarters on Saturday and shot the ball at a 66 percent clip. Her strong played forced South to double her when she was in the post which then allowed her teammates multiple open looks. Kayla Robinson took full advantage of the extra space scoring 17-points, her highest scoring night since Dec. 20, including seven from the charity stripe in clutch situations. Amber Rivers added 14-points while Jasmine Robinson pitched in eight of her own. As a team the Trojans shot 40 percent from the field, their 10th game this season shooting over 40 percent, while also shooting 71 percent from the free throw line. After scoring just 35-points in the first-half Troy erupted for 42 in the second.

On the defensive end it was the tale of two halves as South scored almost at will, shooting 48 percent from the field 70 percent from three and went into the locker room with a 44-35 advantage. When the two teams came out of the locker room Troy was on a different level. They held South to just 28 percent shooting from the field and 18 percent from deep. After scoring 15-points in the first, South's Shaforia Kines was held to just nine in the second-half. Troy's defense in the second-half allowed just 29 total points after allowing 44 in the first.

After trailing by 15-points with 5:51 left in the third-quarter the tide began to turn as Troy stepped up its defensive pressure. The Trojans outscored the Jags 17-5 the rest of the third to cut the deficit to just one heading into the final frame. In the fourth Troy took its first lead of the game at the 7:13 mark when Rivers nailed a jumper to make it 64-63. The lead didn't last as the two teams traded baskets to a 68 all score. Kayla Robinson put the icing on the cake late with a jumper to make it 70-68, a lead Troy would not surrender, before hitting two free throws late to give Troy its largest lead at 77-70. A little triple from South wouldn't be enough as Troy held on to spoil South's senior day.

Records
Troy: 23-4 (14-2 SBC)
South Alabama: 13-15 (8-8 SBC)

Quoting Coach Rigby
On how the team responded in the second-half
"Hats off the South Alabama, it doesn't get much better than the way they played, especially in the first three-quarters. But our team embodied what a Troy Trojan is. The underdog spirit, nobody is going to beat us when we are down. We never flinched, my assistant coaches never flinched. The adjustments my assistant coaches made at halftime were amazing and the team responded."

on holding one of the best offensives in the Sun Belt to just 29 second-half points
"It's a testament to what can happen when you're truly determined. Both teams were great but the determination by Troy when we were down was when we were at our best."

Notables
• Troy's 23 wins ties the program record for wins in a season
• Troy outrebounded South Alabama 48-36
• This was Troy's first win on Leap Day
• Troy closed out February with a 7-1 record. Their 7-1 record is tied for their best February winning percentage in school history
• On the road Troy is 6-1 in Sun Belt games and 9-3 overall
• This was Troy's first win in Mobile since Dec. 31, 2016 and their first back-to-back wins over South since the 2017-18 season

Up Next
The Trojans will be on the road next weekend to close out the 2019-20 regular season in Arkansas. Troy will take on Little Rock on Thursday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. and then close out the regular season on Saturday, March 7 at 4 p.m. against Arkansas State.

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