Troy University Athletics
Troy University
0-2,0-0Sun Belt
Samford
3-0,0-0SoCon
Women’s Basketball Drops Defensive Grudge Match
11/14/2023 8:55:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – Troy women's basketball falls to former conference rival Samford Tuesday night 65-61 in a defensive grudge match where both teams combined for 45-of-136 (33.1 percent).
A quiet second quarter for the Trojans (0-2) sees them drop their first two at home, while the Bulldogs start 3-0 for the first time since 2009-10.
The post remained dominant for Troy, with Ja'Mia Hollings (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Tai'Sheka Porchia (10 points, 12 rebounds) stating double-doubles on a combined 27 points and 14 rebounds. For the second straight game, Shaulana Wagner finished in double figures (10), while Gabbi Cartagena caught fire with 11 points, six rebounds and three steals.
For Samford, five players finished in double-figures (Lexie Pritchard, Masyn Marchbanks, Carly Heidger, Kiersten Nelson, Kennedy Langham) to account for 100 percent of the points.
Second Quarter Shortage
The first quarter went Troy's way as it marked the first lead for Troy at the buzzer when Zay Dyer nailed a free throw with 0:30 remaining, 16-14.
Quarter No. 2 looked to be more of the same when Porchia took the assist from Sharonica Hartsfield for a deep 2-point make, 18-14, 0:10 in.
However, the Trojans went cold from the field, shooting 1-of-16 from the field and 0-of-4 from deep, while Samford shot 5-of-18 and 1-of-9 from deep to fall into a seven-point deficit heading into the locker room.
Battle Back
The Trojans fixed their shooting woes early on in the third quarter when they scored back-to-back buckets to trim the Samford lead to three on two occasions, 32-27, on a layup from Porchia.
Despite a slight rally from the Bulldogs, Troy kept battling back, taking its first lead of the ballgame with 5:13 left in the third quarter off a Cartagena steal, which resulted in a Leilani Guion deep ball and a Hartsfield assist, 49-48.
Two points from Nelson in the paint were met with two Cartagena free throws before the Bulldogs made their final push, 55-55, with 2:41 left.
The final 1:47 saw Samford outscore 10-6 after a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe to secure the 65-61 win.
Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"They were extremely smart on the defense. We were able to work down low on the post. We just have to be smarter on offense. We can be an extremely high-paced team, but it's just not flowing right now. Once we get over that hump, we will be efficient offensively. For lack of a better term, Hollings is a dog. She's a dominant player and I'm proud of the work she puts in. Nothing is easy and we just have to keep getting better every day. We have to stay locked in and stay in the faith and we will be alright."
Game Two Numbers
• Troy won the battle of turnovers, limiting its numbers to 15 as opposed to Samford's 18, which resulted in 14 points.
• Two Trojans ended with double-doubles (Hollings, Porchia) for the first time since facing ULM on the road on Feb. 11, 2023. That day, it was the same faces in No. 10 and 11.
• In 3-of-4 quarters, the Trojans outscored the Bulldogs, with the second being the exception – outscored them 56-51.
• First 0-2 start for the women's team since 2014-15 – team went on to finish 20-11, 15-5 SBC and battle for the championship.
• Cartagena's 11 points marked a season-high and the first double-digit game since UT-Martin on Nov. 10, 2022.
Next to Knoxville
Troy women's basketball returns to action with its first road matchup against No. 15 Tennessee on Sunday at 1 p.m.
