Troy University Athletics
Saturday, November 11
Troy, Ala.
3:33 p.m.
Troy University
vs
Ball State
Women's Basketball Opens 2023-24 Season Against Ball State
11/10/2023 12:53:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – The Troy women's basketball team embarks on a journey to postseason play, beginning with its season opener in Trojan Arena on Saturday at 3:33 p.m. against Ball State.
Head coach Chanda Rigby opens her 12th season at Troy with game one of the MAC-SBC Challenge, having never played against Ball State (1-0) in the program's history. The Trojans enter the new year ranked No. 21 in the Mid-Major Top 25 (College Insider) and No. 2 in the Sun Belt Conference.
Saturday also doubles as Veteran's Day. Thus, Troy Athletics is offering free tickets to any military personnel/veterans who present a military ID at the entrances of Trojan Arena. There will also be a special presentation of the colors and former Air Force Staff Sergeant Craig Brown singing the national anthem.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (0-0 SBC) vs. Ball State (1-0, 0-0 MAC)
When: Saturday, November 11 – 3:33 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
New Year, New Trojans
The 2023-24 season sees Troy roll a 13-women roster into Saturday afternoon with eight returners and five newcomers. Troy also sees the rotation of coaching staff with the inclusion of assistant coach Stephanie Murphy from Coahoma Community College. At CCC, the Mississippi native coached for five seasons with a 48-10 record in her final three.
Troy's additions see five newcomers, including two from SBC foes Arkansas State (Leilani Augmon) and Georgia State (Zay Dyer). Meanwhile, of the eight returners, five started the majority of 2022-23 and three earned both 2022-23 All-Sun Belt and 2023-24 Preseason All-Sun Belt honors in Makayia Hallmon, Ja'Mia Hollings and Tai'Sheka Porchia. Overall, 11-of-13 players on the Troy roster are upperclassmen.
2022-23 saw the Trojans lead the league in scoring (83.3), rebounding (50.9), steals (11.6) and offensive rebounds (21.6) en route to a 17-13, 12-6 SBC season to finish fourth in the standings. A quarterfinal exit to Old Dominion on a controversial missed call has the Trojans ramping for their eighth conference title.
Ball State's Report
The Cardinals already have one game under their belt after cruising to a 97-64 victory over Tennessee Tech in the regular season opener. With the win, Ball State opened its season 1-0 for the second time in the last eight seasons.
After four quarters of play, six Cardinals were in double-figures in scoring, with Alex Richard leading the way with 18 points on seven field goals. As a unit, Ball State shot a staggering 63.2 percent from the field, 45 from deep and 66.7 from the charity stripe.
Ball State looks to find new ways to score through 2023-24 after the program lost its top two scorers from last year, Anna Clephane and Thelma Dis Agustsdottir, at 15.8 and 12.6, respectively. The next woman up is Ally Becki, who returns for her junior season. In 2022-23, she averaged 11.2 points on 46.3 percent shooting.
Preseason Numbers
• Troy led the Sun Belt in Preseason All-Sun Belt honors with Makayia Hallmon placed on the first team - fourth straight season Troy earned first-team selection - and Ja'Mia Hollings and Tai'Sheka Porchia on the second team.
• Head coach Chanda Rigby returns for her 12th season with the Troy Trojans, earning 209 wins since her hiring back in 2012-13. In that frame, Rigby led the Trojans to seven 20-plus win seasons, three Sun Belt Tournament Championships, two Sun Belt Regular Season Titles, three trips to the NCAA Tournament, seven postseason appearances, 20 all-conference selections, five Sun Belt Post Season Award winners, a Sun Belt Player of the Year honoree and a Sun Belt Coach of the Year award.
• The Trojans' 2023-24 roster sees a plethora of changes with the acquiring of five new players from the transfer portal. Leilani Guion, Sara Carvajal Caro and Shaulana Wagner all come to Troy from JUCO schools, while Zay Dyer and Leilani Augmon come from Sun Belt foes Georgia State and Arkansas State, respectively.
• Statistically, the Trojans were elite on multiple levels, ending the season ranked first in scoring (83.3), rebounding (50.9), steals (11.6) and offensive rebounds (21.6).
• The Trojans found their identity through winning the battle at the boards. With Ja'Mia Hollings at the helm, Troy finished 18th in the nation in rebounding margin at plus-7.9 - Hollings totaled 245 rebounds.
• Makayia Hallmon returns for her senior season with the Trojans after being the NCAA's most efficient scorer from the 19-22 foot range.
• The 2022-23 Preseason Player of the Year, Felmas Koranga, returns with the Trojans after ending last season early due to injury. In her three years, she averaged 12.1 points and 10.7 rebounds.
• The Trojans were the only team in the Sun Belt Conference in 2022-23 to score 100-plus points in four games.
• Tai'Sheka Porchia was ranked first in the league last season in field goal percentage, ending at 50.3 percent - only player in SBC above 50 percent.
• The Trojans return three All-Sun Belt players from 2022-23. Makayia Hallmon returns after earning second team, while Porchia and Hollings got third.
• The Trojans were voted second in the Sun Belt Conference for the Preseason Coaches Polls, receiving three first-place votes and 177 total to sit 13 behind defending champions James Madison.
• After an eventful offseason, one coaching change was made with the hiring of Stephanie Murphy as a new assistant coach.
Head coach Chanda Rigby opens her 12th season at Troy with game one of the MAC-SBC Challenge, having never played against Ball State (1-0) in the program's history. The Trojans enter the new year ranked No. 21 in the Mid-Major Top 25 (College Insider) and No. 2 in the Sun Belt Conference.
Saturday also doubles as Veteran's Day. Thus, Troy Athletics is offering free tickets to any military personnel/veterans who present a military ID at the entrances of Trojan Arena. There will also be a special presentation of the colors and former Air Force Staff Sergeant Craig Brown singing the national anthem.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (0-0 SBC) vs. Ball State (1-0, 0-0 MAC)
When: Saturday, November 11 – 3:33 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
New Year, New Trojans
The 2023-24 season sees Troy roll a 13-women roster into Saturday afternoon with eight returners and five newcomers. Troy also sees the rotation of coaching staff with the inclusion of assistant coach Stephanie Murphy from Coahoma Community College. At CCC, the Mississippi native coached for five seasons with a 48-10 record in her final three.
Troy's additions see five newcomers, including two from SBC foes Arkansas State (Leilani Augmon) and Georgia State (Zay Dyer). Meanwhile, of the eight returners, five started the majority of 2022-23 and three earned both 2022-23 All-Sun Belt and 2023-24 Preseason All-Sun Belt honors in Makayia Hallmon, Ja'Mia Hollings and Tai'Sheka Porchia. Overall, 11-of-13 players on the Troy roster are upperclassmen.
2022-23 saw the Trojans lead the league in scoring (83.3), rebounding (50.9), steals (11.6) and offensive rebounds (21.6) en route to a 17-13, 12-6 SBC season to finish fourth in the standings. A quarterfinal exit to Old Dominion on a controversial missed call has the Trojans ramping for their eighth conference title.
Ball State's Report
The Cardinals already have one game under their belt after cruising to a 97-64 victory over Tennessee Tech in the regular season opener. With the win, Ball State opened its season 1-0 for the second time in the last eight seasons.
After four quarters of play, six Cardinals were in double-figures in scoring, with Alex Richard leading the way with 18 points on seven field goals. As a unit, Ball State shot a staggering 63.2 percent from the field, 45 from deep and 66.7 from the charity stripe.
Ball State looks to find new ways to score through 2023-24 after the program lost its top two scorers from last year, Anna Clephane and Thelma Dis Agustsdottir, at 15.8 and 12.6, respectively. The next woman up is Ally Becki, who returns for her junior season. In 2022-23, she averaged 11.2 points on 46.3 percent shooting.
Preseason Numbers
• Troy led the Sun Belt in Preseason All-Sun Belt honors with Makayia Hallmon placed on the first team - fourth straight season Troy earned first-team selection - and Ja'Mia Hollings and Tai'Sheka Porchia on the second team.
• Head coach Chanda Rigby returns for her 12th season with the Troy Trojans, earning 209 wins since her hiring back in 2012-13. In that frame, Rigby led the Trojans to seven 20-plus win seasons, three Sun Belt Tournament Championships, two Sun Belt Regular Season Titles, three trips to the NCAA Tournament, seven postseason appearances, 20 all-conference selections, five Sun Belt Post Season Award winners, a Sun Belt Player of the Year honoree and a Sun Belt Coach of the Year award.
• The Trojans' 2023-24 roster sees a plethora of changes with the acquiring of five new players from the transfer portal. Leilani Guion, Sara Carvajal Caro and Shaulana Wagner all come to Troy from JUCO schools, while Zay Dyer and Leilani Augmon come from Sun Belt foes Georgia State and Arkansas State, respectively.
• Statistically, the Trojans were elite on multiple levels, ending the season ranked first in scoring (83.3), rebounding (50.9), steals (11.6) and offensive rebounds (21.6).
• The Trojans found their identity through winning the battle at the boards. With Ja'Mia Hollings at the helm, Troy finished 18th in the nation in rebounding margin at plus-7.9 - Hollings totaled 245 rebounds.
• Makayia Hallmon returns for her senior season with the Trojans after being the NCAA's most efficient scorer from the 19-22 foot range.
• The 2022-23 Preseason Player of the Year, Felmas Koranga, returns with the Trojans after ending last season early due to injury. In her three years, she averaged 12.1 points and 10.7 rebounds.
• The Trojans were the only team in the Sun Belt Conference in 2022-23 to score 100-plus points in four games.
• Tai'Sheka Porchia was ranked first in the league last season in field goal percentage, ending at 50.3 percent - only player in SBC above 50 percent.
• The Trojans return three All-Sun Belt players from 2022-23. Makayia Hallmon returns after earning second team, while Porchia and Hollings got third.
• The Trojans were voted second in the Sun Belt Conference for the Preseason Coaches Polls, receiving three first-place votes and 177 total to sit 13 behind defending champions James Madison.
• After an eventful offseason, one coaching change was made with the hiring of Stephanie Murphy as a new assistant coach.
Players Mentioned
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