Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Coastal Carolina
Troy Men's Basketball Opens Sun Belt Home Slate Thursday
1/5/2022 3:39:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Troy men's basketball returns to the confines of Trojan Arena, where they have won 5-of-6 games this season for their Sun Belt Conference home opener against Coastal Carolina Thursday evening; tipoff is set for 6 p.m.Â
This game kicks off a four-game homestand for the Trojans (10-5, 1-1 SBC), who have won five of their last six games. Coastal Carolina (9-5, 1-1 SBC) split its Sun Belt opening weekend with a win over ULM and a one-point loss to Louisiana.Â
What Happened in Arlington?Â
Troy is coming off a tough 62-57 loss to UTA last Saturday in College Parks Center. The loss snapped the Trojans' five-game winning streak to close out 2021.Â
The Trojans had a six-point lead in the final three minutes before allowing the Mavericks to finish the game on a 10-0 run. David Azore put up seven of his 24 points in that span to secure the win.Â
For the second game in a row, Efe Odigie led Troy in scoring as he finished with 13 points. Odigie was lights out from the charity stripe, going 7-of-8 after drawing five fouls. He also finished with nine rebounds and two assists.Â
Zay Williams had himself a day after being placed back in the starting lineup for the Trojans. Williams led the team with 13 rebounds while finding the bottom of the bucket for eight points. On the defensive end, Williams was a roadblock denying two shots.Â
Watch Us in ActionÂ
Location: Troy, Alabama – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (10-5, 1-1 SBC) vs. Coastal Carolina (9-5, 1-1 SBC)
When: Thursday, January 6 – 6 p.m. Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: Troystats.com - gotroy.us/3pLVU1JÂ
History MattersÂ
Coastal leads overall series 8-4.Â
The Trojans look to end a six-game losing streak against Coastal Carolina. Five of those losses came in 2021. Troy hasn't beaten the Chanticleers since December 19, 2019, in Trojan Arena.Â
Troy's last victory over Coastal came in blowout fashion with a final score of 77-59. The Trojans scored 12 three-pointers on 40 percent accuracy, including five from their leading scorer, Ty Gordon. The Chanticleers were smothered by Troy's defense, shooting only 35.8 percent from the field, including 14.3 percent from behind the arc.Â
The visitor has been victorious in six of the eleven matchups in the series. The Trojans are 2-4 in Trojan Arena against Coastal Carolina, including a two-game losing streak entering the game.Â
How Are Things in Conway, S.C.?Â
Coastal Carolina enters the game having just wrapped up non-conference play with a 76-62 victory over Emory & Henry. The Chanticleers led by as many as 23 points en route to their eighth victory at home.Â
Essam Mostafa led the Chanticleers with his eighth double-double on 20 points and 13 rebounds. Helping boost the win was Vince Cole, who found the bottom of the basket for 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting.Â
Coastal has been able to score early and often this season. Ranking second in the Sun Belt Conference, the Chanticleers average 78.5 points. This includes 16 points per game for Mostafa, ranking third in the SBC. Mostafa isn't alone in the top 10 as Rudi Williams sits ninth with 14.1.Â
Statistics to WatchÂ
• In the 12 meetings between the two Sun Belt Conference programs, the average margin of victory was 11 points. Five of the meetings have been decided by double-digit points, while two have been one-point games.Â
• Troy remains one of the elite defenses in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans find themselves ranked fourth in opponent field goal percentage, allowing 40.1 percent from the field.Â
• Zay Williams and Odigie both rank in the Sun Belt's top-10 in rebounding. Williams finds himself ranked seventh, averaging 6.7, while Odigie sits tenth with 5.8.Â
• Duke Deen continues to excel in his freshman campaign. He ranks sixth in the SBC in three-pointers made with two, eighth in assists (3.5), 14th in steals (1.4) and 29th in scoring (10.1).
