Troy Picks Up Tight Conference Win to Close Out 2022

Saturday, December 31

San Marcos, Texas

4 p.m.

Troy University

9-6,1-1Sun Belt

Texas State

7-8,0-2Sun Belt

Troy

Texas St.

Troy Picks Up Tight Conference Win to Close Out 2022

12/31/2022 7:52:00 PM | Basketball (M)

Box Score BOX SCORE (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Troy breaks through for its first conference win to end 2022, 55-52, at Bobcat Stadium against the defending regular season champions, Texas State, on Saturday afternoon.

The win ends a two-game losing streak for the Trojans (9-6, 1-1 SBC) and keeps them from falling to 0-2 in SBC play for the first time since 2016-17. Meanwhile, the Bobcats (7-8, 0-2 SBC) still search for their first conference win as they enter 2023.

Seniors Zay Williams and Kieffer Punter willed the Trojans to victory with 27 points combined on 10-of-20 from the field. Christyon Eugene returned to double figures for the 11^th time this season alongside Aamer Muhammad with 10 points apiece.

Mason Herrell was locked up but still managed a team-high 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting. Down low, Tyrel Morgan was one rebound shy from a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Put Them Up, Then Lock Them Up
Both teams were on a roll as Harrell kept the combined 5-of-5 shooting going with an easy layup to push the Bobcat lead back to four, 44-40, with 9:21 remaining.

Williams responded on the other end with the slam dunk, taking the pass from Eugene seconds later, 44-42, to open an 8-0 run for Troy that lasted five minutes.

After Muhammad drilled two free throws, 44-44, a long three-minute drought for both sides occurred. Eugene broke the silence with a dunk of his own off the steal, spin and assist from Punter to take the lead, 46-42.

The final 8:23 saw Troy dominate on the defensive end, locking the Bobcats up and holding them to 2-of-12 from the field to hold onto its first conference win.

Second Half Strong
The Trojans entered the second half coming off their lowest-scoring half with 20 points on 9-of-25 shooting and nine turnovers.

Punter flipped the script to open the second as Williams passed it to the guard from the inside 0:09 into the half. At the wing, Punter converted his second 3-pointer to take the lead, 23-22.

The following possession saw Troy fight for the free points by Muhammad at the stripe with 19:05 remaining. Christian Turner swiped the ball from Nighael Ceasar, which led to a miss by Punter. Turner grabbed the offensive rebound and dished it to Muhammad, who drew the foul.

Despite back-to-back buckets from Texas State, Eugene and Muhammad responded with two straight buckets of their own to hold the three-point advantage, 29-26, with 16:20 left.

Head Coach Scott Cross
"I'm super proud of these guys. We battled and got the defensive stops toward the end. I can't remember the last time we held a Division-I program under 35 percent. Back-to-back games where we played really solid defense, so I can identify with this group. After Christmas, all we worked on was defense, and we clearly got better. Obviously, our offensive numbers are a little off because we have been out of rhythm. Once we can get the defense a constant, we'll have a chance to win every game, and then we can work a little more offensively. You just don't stand a chance in this league if you don't defend. Spudd brought the heat. Every game, Zay plays phenomenally defensively, and Punter has been with me for so long. They are some of the best defensive guys I've coached. We're going to continue to get better. The basket is going to start opening up for us again soon."

New Year's Eve Notables
• Troy finished 2022 undefeated on the opening tip-off through 15 games with Williams at the helm.
• With the win by Troy, the road team has won the last five meetings between the conference foes. The last time the home team won was Texas State in 2018, 57-56.
• For the second consecutive game, Troy played in its lowest-scoring first half, combining for 43 points – scored 49 at Southern Miss.
• With the 55-52 victory, Troy wins its first game decided by five points or less after starting the season 0-4 in games.
• The Trojans remain elite with their perimeter defense, holding Texas State to just one make from deep on nine attempts for a season-low 11.1 percent.

Moving Into 2023
The Trojans return home to kick off 2023 with their first of a two-game homestand in Trojan Arena against Old Dominion. The matchup is set for Thursday at 6 p.m.