Troy University Athletics
Thursday, November 17
Missoula, Mont.
6 p.m.
Troy University
vs
Merrimack
Men’s Basketball Ventures to Montana for Three-Day Zootown Classic
11/16/2022 10:26:00 AM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – After the team's first win over a power-five opponent in a decade, the Troy men's basketball team continues its road trip to the mountains of Missoula, Mont., for the three-day Zootown Classic.
From Thursday to Saturday, the Trojans (3-0) will compete against three teams for the first time. Thursday opens against Merrimack at 4 p.m., followed by St. Thomas on Friday at 6 p.m. The classic culminates against the host team in Montana at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Troy puts their first 3-0 start since the 1992-93 season on the line with three consecutive game days.
Tournament Information
Game One: Troy (3-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. Merrimack (1-1, 0-0 NEC)
When: Thursday, Nov. 17 – 4 p.m.
Game Two: Troy (3-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. St. Thomas (2-1, 0-0 Summit)
When: Friday, Nov. 18 – 6 p.m.
Game Three: Troy (3-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. Montana (0-2, 0-0 Big Sky)
When: Saturday, Nov. 19 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Missoula, Mont. – Dahlberg Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Taking Down the Power-Five
Monday night marked a huge win for the Troy program as the team defeated its first power-five opponent in Florida State, 79-72, since Mississippi State in 2012.
Troy controlled most of the game, leading for 31:49. Aamer Muhammad gave the Trojans momentum as the buzzer sounded at the end of the first half, nailing a 3-pointer to give Troy the lead heading into the half, 32-25.
Christyon Eugene picked up where Muhammad left off in the first, erupting for 19 points in the second half in just 13 minutes.
Troy held the four-point lead with 2:16 before hitting three straight daggers to finish the ballgame.
First, Zay Williams nailed a second-chance 3-pointer. Second, Eugene swiped the ball for an easy layup. Finally, Muhammad finished what he started with his second 3-point make to win the game, 79-72.
Scouting Merrimack
The first two games have been split for Merrimack to open the 2022-23 season. In their season opener, the Warriors fell to St. John's, 97-72. However, the team responded with a defensive win over Clark, 64-48, after limiting them to 29.3 percent shooting.
Jordan Minor plays a major role for the Warriors, leading the team in scoring with 17 points on 63.2 percent shooting. Devon Savage and Jordan Derkack follow him in double figures at 11 and 10.5, respectively.
Scouting St. Thomas
St. Thomas is on a roll after falling in its season opener against No. 9 ranked Creighton, 72-60. The Tommies followed it up with back-to-back wins over Chicago State and St. Francis Brooklyn – won by a combined score of 167-109.
The Tommies have three double-digit scorers in Andrew Rohde (16), Riley Miller (13.7) and Brooks Allen (10.7), who account for 53.3 percent of the total points scored.
Scouting Montana
The Grizzlies host the Zootown Classic in search of their first win of the season. Through two games, the team has fallen by a combined score of 177-127 against Duquesne and Xavier.
Josh Bannan and Dischon Thomas will be the players to watch for Montana, as both average 15.5 points and six rebounds. However, Thomas is the more efficient shooter from the field, with a 57.1 shooting percentage.
Zootown Classic Stats
• Last season, the Trojans competed in the Paradise Classic at Boca Raton, Fla. The team faced North Dakota, UT-Martin and FAU and came away with a 2-1 record.
• All three matchups mark the program's first meeting. Troy already faced MUW for the first time, coming away with a 96-42 victory.
• Eugene and Muhammad both come off career-high performances at Troy against FSU at 22 and 23 points, respectively – accounted for 56.9 percent of total points scored.
• Troy continues to rain down 3-pointers to win ballgames, netting 12 against FSU, which is the second time this season the team has scored 10 or more 3-pointers – last season, the Trojans had five games total with that feat.
• For the third straight game to start the season, a newcomer and returner have shared the spotlight in scoring as the two leading scorers (Montevallo – Duke Miles, Nelson Phillips, MUW – Nelson Phillips, Christyon Eugene, Florida State – Aamer Muhammad, Christyon Eugene).
From Thursday to Saturday, the Trojans (3-0) will compete against three teams for the first time. Thursday opens against Merrimack at 4 p.m., followed by St. Thomas on Friday at 6 p.m. The classic culminates against the host team in Montana at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Troy puts their first 3-0 start since the 1992-93 season on the line with three consecutive game days.
Tournament Information
Game One: Troy (3-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. Merrimack (1-1, 0-0 NEC)
When: Thursday, Nov. 17 – 4 p.m.
Game Two: Troy (3-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. St. Thomas (2-1, 0-0 Summit)
When: Friday, Nov. 18 – 6 p.m.
Game Three: Troy (3-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. Montana (0-2, 0-0 Big Sky)
When: Saturday, Nov. 19 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Missoula, Mont. – Dahlberg Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Taking Down the Power-Five
Monday night marked a huge win for the Troy program as the team defeated its first power-five opponent in Florida State, 79-72, since Mississippi State in 2012.
Troy controlled most of the game, leading for 31:49. Aamer Muhammad gave the Trojans momentum as the buzzer sounded at the end of the first half, nailing a 3-pointer to give Troy the lead heading into the half, 32-25.
Christyon Eugene picked up where Muhammad left off in the first, erupting for 19 points in the second half in just 13 minutes.
Troy held the four-point lead with 2:16 before hitting three straight daggers to finish the ballgame.
First, Zay Williams nailed a second-chance 3-pointer. Second, Eugene swiped the ball for an easy layup. Finally, Muhammad finished what he started with his second 3-point make to win the game, 79-72.
Scouting Merrimack
The first two games have been split for Merrimack to open the 2022-23 season. In their season opener, the Warriors fell to St. John's, 97-72. However, the team responded with a defensive win over Clark, 64-48, after limiting them to 29.3 percent shooting.
Jordan Minor plays a major role for the Warriors, leading the team in scoring with 17 points on 63.2 percent shooting. Devon Savage and Jordan Derkack follow him in double figures at 11 and 10.5, respectively.
Scouting St. Thomas
St. Thomas is on a roll after falling in its season opener against No. 9 ranked Creighton, 72-60. The Tommies followed it up with back-to-back wins over Chicago State and St. Francis Brooklyn – won by a combined score of 167-109.
The Tommies have three double-digit scorers in Andrew Rohde (16), Riley Miller (13.7) and Brooks Allen (10.7), who account for 53.3 percent of the total points scored.
Scouting Montana
The Grizzlies host the Zootown Classic in search of their first win of the season. Through two games, the team has fallen by a combined score of 177-127 against Duquesne and Xavier.
Josh Bannan and Dischon Thomas will be the players to watch for Montana, as both average 15.5 points and six rebounds. However, Thomas is the more efficient shooter from the field, with a 57.1 shooting percentage.
Zootown Classic Stats
• Last season, the Trojans competed in the Paradise Classic at Boca Raton, Fla. The team faced North Dakota, UT-Martin and FAU and came away with a 2-1 record.
• All three matchups mark the program's first meeting. Troy already faced MUW for the first time, coming away with a 96-42 victory.
• Eugene and Muhammad both come off career-high performances at Troy against FSU at 22 and 23 points, respectively – accounted for 56.9 percent of total points scored.
• Troy continues to rain down 3-pointers to win ballgames, netting 12 against FSU, which is the second time this season the team has scored 10 or more 3-pointers – last season, the Trojans had five games total with that feat.
• For the third straight game to start the season, a newcomer and returner have shared the spotlight in scoring as the two leading scorers (Montevallo – Duke Miles, Nelson Phillips, MUW – Nelson Phillips, Christyon Eugene, Florida State – Aamer Muhammad, Christyon Eugene).
Players Mentioned
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