Troy University Athletics
Thursday, February 16
Jonesboro, Ark.
7:30 p.m.
Troy University
at
Arkansas State
Trojans Travel to Jonesboro to Take on Arkansas State
2/15/2023 10:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – The Troy men's basketball program, looking to continue its three-game win streak, will travel to the First National Bank Arena to take on Arkansas State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Three straight wins at home have put the Trojans (16-11, 8-6 SBC) back in contention for a bye in the first two rounds of the Sun Belt Tournament as they sit one game back from fourth. However, 11 losses in the last 12 games have put the Red Wolves (10-17, 2-12 SBC) at the bottom of the conference.
In the 26 games played between the programs, Troy leads the series 15-11. When the teams matchup in Jonesboro, things tend to be more even, with Troy holding the 6-5 advantage. In those matchups, the average margin of victory is 8.3.
Game Information
Location: Jonesboro, Ark. – First National Bank Arena
The Matchup: Troy (15-11, 7-6 SBC) vs. Arkansas State (10-17, 2-12 SBC)
When: Thursday, Feb. 16 – 7:30 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Tame the Spice
Nelson Phillips and Zay Williams combined for 49 points on 17-of-24 from the field to propel the Trojans to their first win over Louisiana since Feb. 11, 2017, on Saturday night.
The Trojans were down 35-30 in the first half before roaring back with a 50-point second half on 72.7 percent shooting from the field. Troy also managed to outrebound the top rebounding team in the conference, 39-34, for the 15-point victory, 85-60 – 10th home win of the season.
Let's Hunt
Arkansas State's season has been lackluster with four games left on the schedule, managing two wins through 14 games against Coastal Carolina and Old Dominion. In that span, ASU managed the longest losing streak by an SBC team in 2022-23 with 10 straight conference losses.
The last these teams battled was a low-shooting game, summarized by 25 combined turnovers and two teams that shot below 30 percent from deep. ASU hit 32.8 percent from the field, with Markise Davis being the leading scorer with 13 points in the 66-54 loss.
On defense, the Red Wolves hold the 10th-best scoring defense in the league, with 67.3 points allowed per game. Combined with the 13th-best scoring offense of 64.8 points per game, one gets the worst scoring margin of minus-2.5. ASU's highest team statistical category in the SBC is their 3-point percentage, which ranks fourth in the league at 34.1 percent.
Despite ranking last in the league, Caleb Fields and Omar El-Sheikh rank in the top 30, scoring 11.1 and 11 points, respectively. El-Sheikh is also deemed a top rebounder in the conference, averaging 9.4 rebounds – third in SBC. Over the last four games, Terrance Ford Jr. has risen as a perennial scorer for ASU, ending in double-figures in three of his previous four games – scored 21 over South Alabama.
Road Numbers
• Williams jumped three career statistical leaderboards in the win over Louisiana. First, he jumped to sixth in field goals made with 435 over Brandon Hazzard (06-10). Then, he moved to fifth in free throw attempts (333) and sixth in free throws made (219).
• Troy's rebounding numbers have left a lot to be desired this season. However, it's no coincidence that the Trojans have outrebounded their opponents over the last three games, resulting in three straight victories.
• Phillips continues to be elite on the defensive end, mainly after he accumulated 10 steals over the last two games. In the win over Louisiana, Phillips produced six steals - first time since he tied the NCAA single-game steal record that a player had 5-plus steals.
• A new season-high of 26 points was scored on Saturday night against Louisiana by Williams. Williams also grabbed his first double-double on the season, marking the first 20-point / 10-rebound performance since Nick Stampley against App State on Jan. 29, 2021.
• Senior Williams achieved a historic mark when he entered the court on Saturday for his 89th career start. By checking in, he surpassed Jordan Varnado for the most games played in Troy program history. Through five seasons, Williams has played 131 games.
• Williams has played 131 games in his five-year career at Troy. In that time, the senior averaged 5.8 rebounds, with 6.7 in 2022-23. With five games left, Williams must collect 55 rebounds to surpass Jordon Varnado for first in career rebounds in Troy D-I history.
• Two 20-point performances by Phillips and Williams lifted the Trojans over Louisiana, marking the second time in 2022-23 that the team had two players score 20 points in the same game – Christyon Eugene (22) and Aamer Muhammad (23) against Florida State.
• With his 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, Phillips recorded a new career-high – previous career-high was 22 (twice) against Arkansas on Nov. 28.
• Williams has been dominant on the boards for the Trojans over the last two games, recording two double-figure games after having one in the previous 25 games.
• The win over Louisiana happened due to an offensive explosion in the second half, where the Trojans scored 50 points on 72.7 percent shooting. The 50 points marked the first time since Troy scored 52 against SUNO earlier this season.
• The last these teams matched up, Williams notched his 1,000th career point on a 16-point performance. Christian Turner also tied a career-high with 13 points.
• Troy has owned the last 10 matchups against the Red Wolves, winning seven of the previous 10 contests with an average margin of victory of 5.4.
Three straight wins at home have put the Trojans (16-11, 8-6 SBC) back in contention for a bye in the first two rounds of the Sun Belt Tournament as they sit one game back from fourth. However, 11 losses in the last 12 games have put the Red Wolves (10-17, 2-12 SBC) at the bottom of the conference.
In the 26 games played between the programs, Troy leads the series 15-11. When the teams matchup in Jonesboro, things tend to be more even, with Troy holding the 6-5 advantage. In those matchups, the average margin of victory is 8.3.
Game Information
Location: Jonesboro, Ark. – First National Bank Arena
The Matchup: Troy (15-11, 7-6 SBC) vs. Arkansas State (10-17, 2-12 SBC)
When: Thursday, Feb. 16 – 7:30 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Tame the Spice
Nelson Phillips and Zay Williams combined for 49 points on 17-of-24 from the field to propel the Trojans to their first win over Louisiana since Feb. 11, 2017, on Saturday night.
The Trojans were down 35-30 in the first half before roaring back with a 50-point second half on 72.7 percent shooting from the field. Troy also managed to outrebound the top rebounding team in the conference, 39-34, for the 15-point victory, 85-60 – 10th home win of the season.
Let's Hunt
Arkansas State's season has been lackluster with four games left on the schedule, managing two wins through 14 games against Coastal Carolina and Old Dominion. In that span, ASU managed the longest losing streak by an SBC team in 2022-23 with 10 straight conference losses.
The last these teams battled was a low-shooting game, summarized by 25 combined turnovers and two teams that shot below 30 percent from deep. ASU hit 32.8 percent from the field, with Markise Davis being the leading scorer with 13 points in the 66-54 loss.
On defense, the Red Wolves hold the 10th-best scoring defense in the league, with 67.3 points allowed per game. Combined with the 13th-best scoring offense of 64.8 points per game, one gets the worst scoring margin of minus-2.5. ASU's highest team statistical category in the SBC is their 3-point percentage, which ranks fourth in the league at 34.1 percent.
Despite ranking last in the league, Caleb Fields and Omar El-Sheikh rank in the top 30, scoring 11.1 and 11 points, respectively. El-Sheikh is also deemed a top rebounder in the conference, averaging 9.4 rebounds – third in SBC. Over the last four games, Terrance Ford Jr. has risen as a perennial scorer for ASU, ending in double-figures in three of his previous four games – scored 21 over South Alabama.
Road Numbers
• Williams jumped three career statistical leaderboards in the win over Louisiana. First, he jumped to sixth in field goals made with 435 over Brandon Hazzard (06-10). Then, he moved to fifth in free throw attempts (333) and sixth in free throws made (219).
• Troy's rebounding numbers have left a lot to be desired this season. However, it's no coincidence that the Trojans have outrebounded their opponents over the last three games, resulting in three straight victories.
• Phillips continues to be elite on the defensive end, mainly after he accumulated 10 steals over the last two games. In the win over Louisiana, Phillips produced six steals - first time since he tied the NCAA single-game steal record that a player had 5-plus steals.
• A new season-high of 26 points was scored on Saturday night against Louisiana by Williams. Williams also grabbed his first double-double on the season, marking the first 20-point / 10-rebound performance since Nick Stampley against App State on Jan. 29, 2021.
• Senior Williams achieved a historic mark when he entered the court on Saturday for his 89th career start. By checking in, he surpassed Jordan Varnado for the most games played in Troy program history. Through five seasons, Williams has played 131 games.
• Williams has played 131 games in his five-year career at Troy. In that time, the senior averaged 5.8 rebounds, with 6.7 in 2022-23. With five games left, Williams must collect 55 rebounds to surpass Jordon Varnado for first in career rebounds in Troy D-I history.
• Two 20-point performances by Phillips and Williams lifted the Trojans over Louisiana, marking the second time in 2022-23 that the team had two players score 20 points in the same game – Christyon Eugene (22) and Aamer Muhammad (23) against Florida State.
• With his 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, Phillips recorded a new career-high – previous career-high was 22 (twice) against Arkansas on Nov. 28.
• Williams has been dominant on the boards for the Trojans over the last two games, recording two double-figure games after having one in the previous 25 games.
• The win over Louisiana happened due to an offensive explosion in the second half, where the Trojans scored 50 points on 72.7 percent shooting. The 50 points marked the first time since Troy scored 52 against SUNO earlier this season.
• The last these teams matched up, Williams notched his 1,000th career point on a 16-point performance. Christian Turner also tied a career-high with 13 points.
• Troy has owned the last 10 matchups against the Red Wolves, winning seven of the previous 10 contests with an average margin of victory of 5.4.
Players Mentioned
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