Troy University Athletics
Thursday, January 19
Troy, Ala.
6 p.m.
Troy University
vs
James Madison
Troy Eyes Redemption with First-Ever Meeting Against James Madison; Thirsty Thursday and Faculty & Staff Appreciation Set for This Week
1/17/2023 12:52:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – With its four-game win streak snapped against Appalachian State, Troy men's basketball looks to return to winning ways in Trojan Arena on Thursday at 6 p.m. against the final first-ever opponent of 2022-23, James Madison.
In addition to the contest, Thursday will be Thirsty Thursday in Trojan Arena, meaning all soft drinks are $2. The first 500 Troy students at the game receive a mini basketball and will be entered into a series of raffle drawings for game-sponsored prizes. At halftime, Troy Cheer will be recognized for its recent accomplishments at the UCA Nationals.
Saturday marks the Coaches vs. Cancer and Faculty and Staff Appreciation game. In honor of Faculty and Staff Appreciation, all faculty and staff can receive up to four complimentary tickets by contacting Ryan Kay at akay@troy.edu. It's also a "Take a Kid to the Game for FREE" game where kids 12 and under receive a free ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket. In addition, the first 250 Troy students in attendance will receive a free Chick-fil-A sandwich, and all fans can purchase a $6 footlong hot dog.
The Trojans (12-7, 4-2 SBC) sit in a six-way tie for first place in the SBC standings after the longest win streak in the SBC was snapped on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Dukes (12-7, 3-3 SBC) sit one game back in their first season in the Sun Belt Conference.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (12-7, 4-2 SBC) vs. James Madison (12-7, 3-3 SBC)
When: Thursday, Jan. 19 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Bad Time at Boone
The Trojans shot 4-of-21 (19 percent) over the final 11:51 to suffer their first loss of 2023 at Appalachian State, 58-45.
The Mountaineers' lead was trimmed, 39-35, by Nate Tshimanga with 8:22 remaining as he spun into the lane for the tough and-one. However, after he missed the free throw, Xavion Brown found Christopher Mantis for the 3-point make at the 12:26 mark, 42-35.
The margin remained at seven after a pair of buckets, 44-37, until CJ Huntley opened a 6-0 run that lasted until there was 3:05 remaining. That's when Justin Abson took the pass from Brown and slammed it down to push the lead to 13, 50-37.
Troy managed to trim the deficit to seven, 52-45, on a second-chance layup from Zay Williams with 0:33 left. However, App State shot 6-of-6 from the charity stripe combined with Troy going 0-of-4 to finalize the score at 58-45 – lowest scoring game of the season for Troy.
Final First-Ever of 2022-23
JMU got off to a hot start, going 4-0 with two 100-point games before losing to then No. 1-ranked North Carolina, 80-64. The Dukes recently ended a three-game losing streak at the hands of Texas State, App State and South Alabama before reentering the win column over Georgia Southern, 83-71.
The win was never in question for JMU, who shot a season-high 55.4 percent from the field and 55 percent from deep. The Dukes had two 20-point scorers in Vado Morse and Noah Freidel, who combined for 10 made shots from behind the arc.
James Madison has dominated defensively since SBC play began, allowing 63.5 points per game – ranked third in the conference. The Dukes' have also held their conference opponents to a third-best 40.6 percent from the field and a fifth-best 3-point percentage at 28.9. Their ability to steal the ball throughout the season has received national attention, with 10.8 per game to rank third in the nation.
Morse's performance over Georgia Southern isn't rare, with the redshirt senior averaging 12.9 points to lead the Dukes. He is one of four players to average double figures as Takal Molson also leads the team with 30 steals while scoring 11.1 points. Xavier Brown boosts the assist column off the bench with 32 in 12.1 minutes per game – per 36 is 5.3 assists.
Home Game Numbers
• Troy looks for redemption on the offensive side of the ball after netting its fewest points in a game this season at 45. The Trojans' 45 points marked the first time since they scored 45 at Florida on Nov. 26, 2021, that the team scored less than 50 points.
• The Trojans come off a unique loss on Saturday, where the team fell for the first time this season when holding their opponent to under 40 percent shooting and 60 points.
• Thursday marks the Trojans' eighth and final first-ever meeting with an opponent in the 2022-23 season. Through the team's previous seven first-ever matchups this season, the Trojans sit at 5-2.
• After Williams led Troy in the rebounding categories for five straight games, it seems the torch is passed to Phillips, who's been the leading rebounder in the last three games, including his first career double-digit rebound game against App State (11).
• The loss on Saturday gave Troy its first loss in January and dropped Scott Cross's overall record to 70-59 in the month – 13-16 at Troy.
• Williams's rise in the rankings of Troy blockers has been exponential over the past four games, totaling 10 blocks (2.5 per game). Before that span, Williams totaled 11 blocks through 15 games for 0.7 per game.
In addition to the contest, Thursday will be Thirsty Thursday in Trojan Arena, meaning all soft drinks are $2. The first 500 Troy students at the game receive a mini basketball and will be entered into a series of raffle drawings for game-sponsored prizes. At halftime, Troy Cheer will be recognized for its recent accomplishments at the UCA Nationals.
Saturday marks the Coaches vs. Cancer and Faculty and Staff Appreciation game. In honor of Faculty and Staff Appreciation, all faculty and staff can receive up to four complimentary tickets by contacting Ryan Kay at akay@troy.edu. It's also a "Take a Kid to the Game for FREE" game where kids 12 and under receive a free ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket. In addition, the first 250 Troy students in attendance will receive a free Chick-fil-A sandwich, and all fans can purchase a $6 footlong hot dog.
The Trojans (12-7, 4-2 SBC) sit in a six-way tie for first place in the SBC standings after the longest win streak in the SBC was snapped on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Dukes (12-7, 3-3 SBC) sit one game back in their first season in the Sun Belt Conference.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (12-7, 4-2 SBC) vs. James Madison (12-7, 3-3 SBC)
When: Thursday, Jan. 19 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Bad Time at Boone
The Trojans shot 4-of-21 (19 percent) over the final 11:51 to suffer their first loss of 2023 at Appalachian State, 58-45.
The Mountaineers' lead was trimmed, 39-35, by Nate Tshimanga with 8:22 remaining as he spun into the lane for the tough and-one. However, after he missed the free throw, Xavion Brown found Christopher Mantis for the 3-point make at the 12:26 mark, 42-35.
The margin remained at seven after a pair of buckets, 44-37, until CJ Huntley opened a 6-0 run that lasted until there was 3:05 remaining. That's when Justin Abson took the pass from Brown and slammed it down to push the lead to 13, 50-37.
Troy managed to trim the deficit to seven, 52-45, on a second-chance layup from Zay Williams with 0:33 left. However, App State shot 6-of-6 from the charity stripe combined with Troy going 0-of-4 to finalize the score at 58-45 – lowest scoring game of the season for Troy.
Final First-Ever of 2022-23
JMU got off to a hot start, going 4-0 with two 100-point games before losing to then No. 1-ranked North Carolina, 80-64. The Dukes recently ended a three-game losing streak at the hands of Texas State, App State and South Alabama before reentering the win column over Georgia Southern, 83-71.
The win was never in question for JMU, who shot a season-high 55.4 percent from the field and 55 percent from deep. The Dukes had two 20-point scorers in Vado Morse and Noah Freidel, who combined for 10 made shots from behind the arc.
James Madison has dominated defensively since SBC play began, allowing 63.5 points per game – ranked third in the conference. The Dukes' have also held their conference opponents to a third-best 40.6 percent from the field and a fifth-best 3-point percentage at 28.9. Their ability to steal the ball throughout the season has received national attention, with 10.8 per game to rank third in the nation.
Morse's performance over Georgia Southern isn't rare, with the redshirt senior averaging 12.9 points to lead the Dukes. He is one of four players to average double figures as Takal Molson also leads the team with 30 steals while scoring 11.1 points. Xavier Brown boosts the assist column off the bench with 32 in 12.1 minutes per game – per 36 is 5.3 assists.
Home Game Numbers
• Troy looks for redemption on the offensive side of the ball after netting its fewest points in a game this season at 45. The Trojans' 45 points marked the first time since they scored 45 at Florida on Nov. 26, 2021, that the team scored less than 50 points.
• The Trojans come off a unique loss on Saturday, where the team fell for the first time this season when holding their opponent to under 40 percent shooting and 60 points.
• Thursday marks the Trojans' eighth and final first-ever meeting with an opponent in the 2022-23 season. Through the team's previous seven first-ever matchups this season, the Trojans sit at 5-2.
• After Williams led Troy in the rebounding categories for five straight games, it seems the torch is passed to Phillips, who's been the leading rebounder in the last three games, including his first career double-digit rebound game against App State (11).
• The loss on Saturday gave Troy its first loss in January and dropped Scott Cross's overall record to 70-59 in the month – 13-16 at Troy.
• Williams's rise in the rankings of Troy blockers has been exponential over the past four games, totaling 10 blocks (2.5 per game). Before that span, Williams totaled 11 blocks through 15 games for 0.7 per game.
Players Mentioned
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/ Basketball (M)
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