Troy University Athletics
Saturday, January 21
Troy, Ala.
4 p.m.
Troy University
vs
ULM
Troy Prepares for War with the Warhawks
1/20/2023 1:18:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – A heartbreaking loss on Thursday night sets Troy up for possible redemption on Saturday at 4 p.m. when ULM comes to Trojan Arena.
In a three-way tie for fifth, the Trojans (12-8, 4-3 SBC) aim for the top spot, just one game back. On the other hand, the Warhawks (9-11, 5-2 SBC) look to hold their four-way tie for first in the conference despite sitting below .500 overall.
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.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (12-8, 4-3 SBC) vs. ULM (9-11, 5-2 SBC)
When: Saturday, Jan. 21 – 4 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Heartbreaker on a Thursday Night
The Trojans led by seven with 2:35 after Kieffer Punter went 1-of-2 from the stripe, 73-66. A 6-0 for James Madison followed to trim the Troy lead to one, 73-72, with 0:39 left after Terrence Edwards grabbed the miss from Takal Molson and put it back up for the second-chance lay-in.
Christyon Eugene got sent to the line with 0:10 left, making only one, 74-72. Mezie Offurum saw the opportunity and tossed up the game-winner from deep. However, the shot banged off the rim only for Offurum to grab his own miss and score the bucket to send the game to overtime, 74-74.
Overtime saw the best of Aamer Muhammad as he scored or assisted on 10-of-13 points in the five minutes. The 6-1 guard scored five straight to hold Troy up three, 81-78, with 2:54 left.
Vado Morse flipped the script in favor of the Dukes, 87-83, after scoring his own five points, including a deep shot. Muhammad responded with a 3-point bucket alongside Christian Turner, making one free throw with 0:05 left to tie the game, 87-87.
Those five seconds were all it took for Morse to take it down the court and toss a prayer. The ball hit the rim, died in momentum and fell in to win the game, 89-87.
War Time
The Warhawks' start to conference play in 2022-23 couldn't be better after the team started 3-0 with wins over Texas State, Arkansas State and Georgia State. Then, despite a two-game losing streak, ULM returned to winning form with back-to-back over the Bobcats and Georgia Southern.
ULM rolled over the Eagles for its head coach Keith Richard's 300th career win, 73-59. The Warhawks led by as much as 20 points, hitting 48 percent of their shots with 11 makes from deep. Tyreke Locure accounted for 19 points, and a team-high five made 3-pointers in the win.
Overall defense and 3-point success have been the key to success for the Warhawks as they stand third in the SBC in scoring defense with 64.4 points allowed per game. Combine that with the second-highest 3-point percentage of 39.2, and ULM sits atop the conference.
Locure has stepped up big time with 14 points per game, which is the 11th most in the conference. The junior also leads the team in assists (69) and steals (38). His sidekick is Jamari Blackmon, who's shooting 44.8 percent from the field for 11.9 points. Down low, Thomas Howell and Victor Bafutto dominate the boards with 7.3 and 6.7, respectively.
Battlefield Numbers
• Saturday marks the 23rd meeting between the programs. In the last 10 games, Troy is 3-7 and 1-3 in Trojan Arena. Through the four contests at home, the average margin of victory was 6.75.
• Eugene returned to the lineup against James Madison in fashion, scoring 15 points for his 14th double-digit game of 2022-23. The guard also had six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
• For the first time since the season-opener against Montevallo, Nate Tshimanga led the team in rebounds alongside Christian Turner with seven off the bench.
• The Trojans are on their third losing streak of the season after back-to-back losses in the SBC. The response to these losing streaks has been mixed, with the Trojans going 1-1 after two consecutive losses.
• Troy comes off its first 20-plus turnover game since Feb. 23, 2022, against UT-Arlington with 21 in the loss on Thursday.
• The loss on Thursday required extra time, marking Troy's first overtime loss since Georgia Southern, 67-64, on Jan. 15, 2021.
In a three-way tie for fifth, the Trojans (12-8, 4-3 SBC) aim for the top spot, just one game back. On the other hand, the Warhawks (9-11, 5-2 SBC) look to hold their four-way tie for first in the conference despite sitting below .500 overall.
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.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (12-8, 4-3 SBC) vs. ULM (9-11, 5-2 SBC)
When: Saturday, Jan. 21 – 4 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Heartbreaker on a Thursday Night
The Trojans led by seven with 2:35 after Kieffer Punter went 1-of-2 from the stripe, 73-66. A 6-0 for James Madison followed to trim the Troy lead to one, 73-72, with 0:39 left after Terrence Edwards grabbed the miss from Takal Molson and put it back up for the second-chance lay-in.
Christyon Eugene got sent to the line with 0:10 left, making only one, 74-72. Mezie Offurum saw the opportunity and tossed up the game-winner from deep. However, the shot banged off the rim only for Offurum to grab his own miss and score the bucket to send the game to overtime, 74-74.
Overtime saw the best of Aamer Muhammad as he scored or assisted on 10-of-13 points in the five minutes. The 6-1 guard scored five straight to hold Troy up three, 81-78, with 2:54 left.
Vado Morse flipped the script in favor of the Dukes, 87-83, after scoring his own five points, including a deep shot. Muhammad responded with a 3-point bucket alongside Christian Turner, making one free throw with 0:05 left to tie the game, 87-87.
Those five seconds were all it took for Morse to take it down the court and toss a prayer. The ball hit the rim, died in momentum and fell in to win the game, 89-87.
War Time
The Warhawks' start to conference play in 2022-23 couldn't be better after the team started 3-0 with wins over Texas State, Arkansas State and Georgia State. Then, despite a two-game losing streak, ULM returned to winning form with back-to-back over the Bobcats and Georgia Southern.
ULM rolled over the Eagles for its head coach Keith Richard's 300th career win, 73-59. The Warhawks led by as much as 20 points, hitting 48 percent of their shots with 11 makes from deep. Tyreke Locure accounted for 19 points, and a team-high five made 3-pointers in the win.
Overall defense and 3-point success have been the key to success for the Warhawks as they stand third in the SBC in scoring defense with 64.4 points allowed per game. Combine that with the second-highest 3-point percentage of 39.2, and ULM sits atop the conference.
Locure has stepped up big time with 14 points per game, which is the 11th most in the conference. The junior also leads the team in assists (69) and steals (38). His sidekick is Jamari Blackmon, who's shooting 44.8 percent from the field for 11.9 points. Down low, Thomas Howell and Victor Bafutto dominate the boards with 7.3 and 6.7, respectively.
Battlefield Numbers
• Saturday marks the 23rd meeting between the programs. In the last 10 games, Troy is 3-7 and 1-3 in Trojan Arena. Through the four contests at home, the average margin of victory was 6.75.
• Eugene returned to the lineup against James Madison in fashion, scoring 15 points for his 14th double-digit game of 2022-23. The guard also had six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
• For the first time since the season-opener against Montevallo, Nate Tshimanga led the team in rebounds alongside Christian Turner with seven off the bench.
• The Trojans are on their third losing streak of the season after back-to-back losses in the SBC. The response to these losing streaks has been mixed, with the Trojans going 1-1 after two consecutive losses.
• Troy comes off its first 20-plus turnover game since Feb. 23, 2022, against UT-Arlington with 21 in the loss on Thursday.
• The loss on Thursday required extra time, marking Troy's first overtime loss since Georgia Southern, 67-64, on Jan. 15, 2021.
Players Mentioned
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