Troy University Athletics
Troy University
12-5,3-1Sun Belt
Appalachian State
8-9,2-2Sun Belt
Troy Downs App State; Captures Most Wins Since 2018-19 Season
1/8/2022 8:34:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Troy played suffocating defense Saturday afternoon in Trojan Arena as the Trojans won for the seventh time in their last eight games with a 68-53 victory over App State in Sun Belt Conference action; Troy limited the Mountaineers to just 34 percent shooting in the game.
Troy (12-5, 2-1 SBC) gained its 12th victory, surmounting the win total from last season. This win continues its pace to have the team's best record since the 2003-04 season when the Trojans opened the year 24-5 and made the NIT.
Nick Stampley led the Trojans with gritty leadership rather than scoring as he finished with eight points and 12 rebounds in the game. Efe Odigie led the Trojans in scoring with 11 points, while Khalyl Waters was perfect from the field as he connected on all four of his shots, including two from deep, to capture 10 points.
Adrian Delph led App State (8-9, 2-2 SBC) with 16 points and three rebounds, while Donovan Gregory went 5-of-13 from the field for 12 points.
Where Did Troy Win It?
The Trojans finished the opening half on a 5-2 run, setting up a second half where Troy dismantled App State. The first seven minutes of the second half went back-and-forth between the Sun Belt opponents, with neither team taking complete control.
With 12:38 remaining in the second, the Trojans caught fire after Christian Turner knocked down two shots from the charity stripe. Over the following three minutes, the Trojans extended their lead to 10, 52-42.
On their 9-2 run, the Trojans had points come from five different players (Turner, Waters, Rifen Miguel, Odigie).
Feeling It at the End of the First
Throughout the first half, the Trojans were unable to take full control. Troy's led for just 5:20 -- the largest being three.
Just when it seemed like Troy was going into halftime with a deficit, Waters ignited the team with a shot from deep to take the lead, 28-27, with 1:34 remaining in the half.
Miguel followed with a physical make from down low to give the Trojans the advantage entering halftime, 30-29.
What's Head Coach Scott Cross Got to Say?
"It's a blessing. I'm just thankful for this one today. It shows their level of toughness. It shows their level of togetherness. This was good. We knew this was going to be a hard game. I was worried about it because we had a great win over Coastal. Sometimes guys kind of lose their edge. We did not do that. I felt like we played a pretty solid 40 minutes. We were tough. We were physical. Our guys played together. We worked the ball around; we took good shots. So just a huge win for the program.
"I got on [Stampley] pretty bad at halftime, but he responded unbelievably. I mean, he grabbed eight rebounds. The defense that he played in the second half was amazing. Cody Deen also played an amazing game defensively. He didn't have his best offensive game, but the way those guys defended was phenomenal. Christyon Eugene, we had to move him from the two to the one because we were without Duke Miles. He did a great job with four assists and zero turnovers. Christian Turner had to move from the five to the four in Zay [Williams]'s absence. So, we had to move a lot of guys around, and they just worked their butts off and played a great game."
Key Stats
• This is the 12th win of the season for the Trojans. They continue to match for the best start since the 2003-04 season. That year, the team wouldn't receive their sixth loss until the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament against UCF.
• Jakevan Leftridge followed his career-high 13 points on Thursday with his first start of the season. His last start was against Coastal Carolina on Feb. 26, 2021.
• Trojan Arena continues to be a special place for the Trojans. They are 7-1 at home and undefeated in SBC play.
• Nick Stampley's 12 rebounds surpasses his previous season-high of 11 against Tennessee Tech.
What's Coming Next?
The Trojans have a short break before returning to action next Thursday against Georgia Southern. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at Trojan Arena.
