Troy Wins a Thriller Over Arkansas State

Thursday, February 10

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

17-7,8-3Sun Belt

Arkansas State

15-7,6-4Sun Belt

Arkansas St.

Troy

2/10/2022 9:55:00 PM | Basketball (M)

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. - Down by 10 with 9:32 remaining, Troy launches the comeback to claim the victory over Arkansas State, 79-77, in Trojan Arena.

With the win, the Trojans (17-7, 8-3 SBC) extend their winning streak to four - the longest active streak in the conference.

Efe Odigie finished with 19 points, three assists and a career-high five steals, while Desmond Williams tied a career-high six made shots from deep to complete the comeback.

Duke Deen delivered a perfect game in his return to the starting lineup with eight assists and zero turnovers - only the fourth time this season Deen finished with zero turnovers.

Despite the loss, Norchad Omier had his way for the Red Wolves (15-7, 6-4 SBC), going 12-of-16 from the field for 31 points and 11 rebounds - his 16th double-double of the season.

Make the Comeback
The Trojans found themselves down by 10, 59-49, with 9:32 remaining after Omier slammed in two points.

Zay Williams followed it by driving in an easy layup, sparking a 12-4 run that brought the gap to just two points.

Battling back-and-forth, Duke Deen turned the tide, nailing one from deep to give the Trojans their first lead of the second half, 66-65.

Desmond Williams drilled another one from long-range in the following play, seizing all the momentum as Troy had its biggest lead of the game, 69-65.

The Red Wolves came soaring back, retaking the lead, 70-69, on two made free throws from Markise Eaton.

The A-State lead was brief as Odigie drew the foul and knocked two from the charity stripe to retake the lead, 71-70.

The final two minutes saw the Trojans convert 2-of-3 from the field and force three turnovers to maintain the lead through the final seconds.

First Round Goes to the Red Wolves
Both sides started strong, delivering blows back-and-forth for the first four minutes with the Trojans up, 9-8 after Jakevan Leftridge converted an and-one opportunity.

Arkansas State started to pull away after consistently knocking down shots - Red Wolves shot 48.4 percent from the field in the first half.

Omier gave Arkansas State its largest lead of the half (8) on a made jumper with 1:59 left in the first, 35-27 - finished the half with 16 points on 8-of-11 from the field.

Desmond Williams kept the Trojans within reach from behind the arc, knocking down three 3-pointers on five attempts.

The Trojans were able to clip the lead to just six heading into the locker room, 35-29 after Christyon Eugene dropped a difficult layup for his first points of the game with 1:48 left in the half.

Comeback Coach
"Definitely one of the biggest wins of the season. To be down eight or nine points late in the second half. Our guys just kept fighting, and we got the loose balls. We made the tough man plays in the second half. Like you had guys that were diving on the floor. We were able to get some steals and create some points off turnovers."

"Then, Desmond Williams and Cody Deen were phenomenal at shooting the ball. Cody had eight assists, zero turnovers, and as a point guard, you can't ask anything more from a point guard. I think the biggest difference in the second half was the play of Efe Odigie. He grabbed five steals because he picked up his defense. He was like 8-of-11 from the field and just went toe to toe with arguably one of the best players in the league Omier. So, it was a heavyweight battle. Our fans carried us through, and I think they definitely made the difference for us."

Glorified Numbers
• The Trojans scored 50 points in the second half to make a comeback - the second time this season, the team has scored 50 or more points in a half.
• Desmond Williams went 6-of-9 from behind the arc, setting a new season-high for 3-pointers made - his previous was five against Carver and Mercer.
• Odigie finished the game with five steals in the second half, marking the second straight game a Trojan has forced five or more steals.
• Troy extends its conference home record to 4-0 with the victory over Arkansas State - the best record in the SBC.

30th Anniversary of 258
Troy continues its two-game homestand on Saturday against Little Rock in the battle of the Trojans. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. for the 30th anniversary of the highest-scoring NCAA game.