Troy University Athletics
Thursday, November 17
Missoula, Mont.
6 p.m.
Troy University
4-0,0-0Sun Belt
73
vs
54
Merrimack
1-2,0-0NEC
1
2
F
Merrimack
29
25
54
Troy
38
35
73
Troy Obtains First 4-0 Start in Division-I Program History
11/17/2022 9:45:00 PM | Basketball (M)
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Contact: Robert Stevens IV, 315-807-8109
Troy Obtains First 4-0 Start in Division-I Program History
MISSOULA, Mont. – For the first time in Division-I program history, Troy opens its season at 4-0 with the 73-54 victory over Merrimack on Thursday night in Dahlberg Arena.
In game one of the Zootown Classic, the Trojans (4-0) defeated the Warriors (1-2) in the program's first-ever meeting.
Kieffer Punter was proficient from the free-throw line in the win over Merrimack, going 8-of-9 from the charity stripe for a season-high 14 points.
Javon Bennett (12) and Jordan Derkack (13) both came off the bench for double figures in the loss. Derkack also managed to dominate the board with a game-high nine rebounds before fouling out.
15-2 Run
Troy held a decent margin eight minutes into the second half. Ziggy Reid came out of a media timeout to pull Troy's lead down to 14 with a jump shot outside the paint.
Punter fired back immediately after Zay Williams dished the assist for the wide-open 3-pointer to put the Troy lead up to 17, 57-40.
The Trojans continued to move the ball with back-to-back buckets coming off the assist, with Williams at the scoring helm. First, he hit the hook shot off the pass from Christian Turner and then a dunk from Christyon Eugene. This outburst brought Troy's lead to 21, 61-40, with 10:20 remaining.
Lydell Geffrard jumped into the mix with back-to-back makes in the paint, propelling Troy's lead to 25 with 8:40 remaining. In three possessions, the senior had four points and three rebounds en route to a career-high eight points.
Turner put the exclamation point on the run with a steal off Bryan Etumnu, only to score it on the other end for the easy layup and bring the lead to 27 with 7:13.
Despite a late 9-0 run from Merrimack, it was too late, as Troy walked away with the 73-54 win.
Slow Start, Strong Finish
The road to 4-0 wasn't the prettiest to start as both teams went a combined 0-8 before Duke Miles converted the floating jump shot 3:58 into the ballgame, 4-1.
Neither team could seize momentum until 10:23 left in the first half. Troy opened it up with Aamer Muhammad hitting his jump shot off the dish from Nelson Phillips, giving Troy the 13-8 lead.
From there, the Trojans continued a 10-0 run, 21-8, that was finished by Nate Tshimanga at the 7:12 mark after he crashed the boards for the offensive rebound and putback layup.
Troy distanced themselves enough on that run to hold a nine-point lead, 38-29, as the team went into the locker room after a 3-point make from Nick Filchner.
Zootown Classic Thoughts from Scott Cross
"It was another good game from our guys. I'm very proud of them and the fact we were able to get 19 more shots than them. It says a lot about our defense and our rebounding. Our guys did a great job crashing the boards but also not letting them take second-chance shots. Our guys are playing the right way, but we can clean some stuff up offensively. They do have a zone defense, and it was the first we have faced this year. It's really good too. They fly around, but overall, I'm pleased with how our guys played today."
Game One Numbers
• Troy dominated the points in the paint battle over Merrimack. Through 40 minutes of play, Troy scored 44 points to Merrimack's 14.
• The Trojans start their road to 4-0 with a tough start, shooting 38.7 percent in the first half. However, the team turned it around with 51.5 percent shooting in the second.
• Miles returned to form off the bench, playing 22 minutes for 13 points, four rebounds, one assist and a team-best plus-25 on the floor.
• Through four games, the Troy win has rarely been in question. Tonight was no different as Troy held the lead for 38:42 of the ballgame.
Game Two Tomorrow
The Trojans are back for game two of the Zootown Classic against St. Thomas, with tip-off set for 6 p.m.
Contact: Robert Stevens IV, 315-807-8109
Troy Obtains First 4-0 Start in Division-I Program History
MISSOULA, Mont. – For the first time in Division-I program history, Troy opens its season at 4-0 with the 73-54 victory over Merrimack on Thursday night in Dahlberg Arena.
In game one of the Zootown Classic, the Trojans (4-0) defeated the Warriors (1-2) in the program's first-ever meeting.
Kieffer Punter was proficient from the free-throw line in the win over Merrimack, going 8-of-9 from the charity stripe for a season-high 14 points.
Javon Bennett (12) and Jordan Derkack (13) both came off the bench for double figures in the loss. Derkack also managed to dominate the board with a game-high nine rebounds before fouling out.
15-2 Run
Troy held a decent margin eight minutes into the second half. Ziggy Reid came out of a media timeout to pull Troy's lead down to 14 with a jump shot outside the paint.
Punter fired back immediately after Zay Williams dished the assist for the wide-open 3-pointer to put the Troy lead up to 17, 57-40.
The Trojans continued to move the ball with back-to-back buckets coming off the assist, with Williams at the scoring helm. First, he hit the hook shot off the pass from Christian Turner and then a dunk from Christyon Eugene. This outburst brought Troy's lead to 21, 61-40, with 10:20 remaining.
Lydell Geffrard jumped into the mix with back-to-back makes in the paint, propelling Troy's lead to 25 with 8:40 remaining. In three possessions, the senior had four points and three rebounds en route to a career-high eight points.
Turner put the exclamation point on the run with a steal off Bryan Etumnu, only to score it on the other end for the easy layup and bring the lead to 27 with 7:13.
Despite a late 9-0 run from Merrimack, it was too late, as Troy walked away with the 73-54 win.
Slow Start, Strong Finish
The road to 4-0 wasn't the prettiest to start as both teams went a combined 0-8 before Duke Miles converted the floating jump shot 3:58 into the ballgame, 4-1.
Neither team could seize momentum until 10:23 left in the first half. Troy opened it up with Aamer Muhammad hitting his jump shot off the dish from Nelson Phillips, giving Troy the 13-8 lead.
From there, the Trojans continued a 10-0 run, 21-8, that was finished by Nate Tshimanga at the 7:12 mark after he crashed the boards for the offensive rebound and putback layup.
Troy distanced themselves enough on that run to hold a nine-point lead, 38-29, as the team went into the locker room after a 3-point make from Nick Filchner.
Zootown Classic Thoughts from Scott Cross
"It was another good game from our guys. I'm very proud of them and the fact we were able to get 19 more shots than them. It says a lot about our defense and our rebounding. Our guys did a great job crashing the boards but also not letting them take second-chance shots. Our guys are playing the right way, but we can clean some stuff up offensively. They do have a zone defense, and it was the first we have faced this year. It's really good too. They fly around, but overall, I'm pleased with how our guys played today."
Game One Numbers
• Troy dominated the points in the paint battle over Merrimack. Through 40 minutes of play, Troy scored 44 points to Merrimack's 14.
• The Trojans start their road to 4-0 with a tough start, shooting 38.7 percent in the first half. However, the team turned it around with 51.5 percent shooting in the second.
• Miles returned to form off the bench, playing 22 minutes for 13 points, four rebounds, one assist and a team-best plus-25 on the floor.
• Through four games, the Troy win has rarely been in question. Tonight was no different as Troy held the lead for 38:42 of the ballgame.
Game Two Tomorrow
The Trojans are back for game two of the Zootown Classic against St. Thomas, with tip-off set for 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Merri
TROY
FG%
.333
.453
3FG%
.250
.333
FT%
.818
.611
RB
25
44
TO
12
11
STL
4
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
8
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
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