Troy University Athletics
Saturday, February 18
Huntington, W.Va.
6 p.m.
Troy University
at
Marshall
Top-Ranked Defense in Troy Takes on Top-Ranked Offense in Marshall
2/17/2023 1:37:00 PM | Basketball (M)
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – Riding a four-game win streak, Troy men's basketball hits the midway point of its final roadtrip on Saturday at 6 p.m. when the team takes on Marshall in the Cam Henderson Center.
One game from a double bye as the fourth seed and one win or a Texas State and Coastal Carolina loss from clinching a first-round bye, the Trojans (17-11, 9-6 SBC) find themselves in sole possession of fifth.
The Herd (22-6, 11-4) sit one game from tying Southern Miss for first place and clinching a double bye in their first season in the Sun Belt Conference. Marshall hosts Troy for the first time since 2009, leading the overall series 2-0.
Game Information
Location: Huntington, W.Va. – Cam Henderson Center
The Matchup: Troy (17-11, 9-6 SBC) vs. Marshall (22-6, 11-4 SBC)
When: Saturday, Feb. 18 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Rally Time
A battle of free throws went Troy's way, 67-62, with both sides combing for 50 free throw attempts with 38 makes. The Trojans were down 10 at the 6:29 mark before Nelson Phillips and Aamer Muhammad erupted for the rally victory.
Phillips scored 14 of his 22, while Muhammad had 11 of his 16 to complete the comeback. With the Trojans down three, 60-57, with 2:41 left, both players hit back-to-back triples to take the lead, 63-60. The final 2:41 saw Troy hold ASU scoreless from the field to secure its fourth straight win.
Matching Up with Marshall
Marshall is winners of its last three games against Coastal Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Southern. The Herds' previous game saw them comeback from 11 with 1:48 left for the 84-83 victory.
In the final 1:48, Marshall shot 5-of-7 from the field and 7-of-7 from the charity stripe to launch its comeback. Twenty-eight points from Andrew Taylor and 25 from Taevion Kinsey propelled the Herd to victory.
Marshall has been the class of the field since conference play started, with the highest-scoring offense in the league with 80.9 points on the second-best field goal percentage of 46.6. On the defensive end, there is nobody better at shot-blocking in the conference. Through 15 games, Marshall averages 4.67 blocks – 70 total. Through the 2022-23 season, the Herd rank 14th in the nation with 5.2 blocks per game.
Kinsey and Taylor rank first and second in the SBC in scoring with 22.5 and 20.2 points per game, respectively – only two players to average above 20 points since league play started. Outside the top two, Micah Handlogten leads the league, shooting 72.2 percent from the field while ranking fourth in rebounds at 9.3 per game and second in blocks at 2.13.
Herd Stats
• Zay Williams has played 132 games in his five-year career at Troy. In that time, the senior averaged 5.9 rebounds, with 6.8 in 2022-23. With four guaranteed games left, Williams needs 46 rebounds (10.6) to surpass Jordon Varnado for first in career rebounds in Troy D-I history.
• Over the last three games, Phillips has peaked on defense, accumulating 12 steals for an average of four. Phillips leads the Trojans with 56 steals this season (2.0 per game). Through 28 games, the senior ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference – 43rd in the nation.
• Head coach Scott Cross has averaged 17.5 wins in his 15 seasons as a head coach. Through 28 games, the Trojans have seen victory 17 times, one win from increasing his average with four guaranteed games on the schedule - acclimated 280 career wins.
• The Trojans ride a four-game win streak heading into Saturday. In that stretch, the Trojans outrebounded each opponent for the most consecutive games in 2022-23 by a total of 150-133. When the Trojans outrebound their opponent, they are 10-3, 5-1 SBC.
• With the win over Arkansas State, the Trojans secured back-to-back winning seasons after finishing 20-12 last season - sitting at 17-11. The last time the Trojans had two consecutive winning seasons was under former head coach Don Maestri from 2008-2010.
• Williams has been on a tear, crashing the boards over the last five games, leading the Trojans with 48 rebounds for 9.6 per game. With the uptick in rebounds, the senior has bumped his career average for rebounds to 5.9, which stands for 10th in Troy D-I history.
• Muhammad has quietly accumulated 10 multi-steal games in 2022-23 after swiping two against Arkansas State – has 28 career multi-steal games. Through 28 games, Muhammad averages 0.9 for fifth on the roster.
• Troy's defense held Arkansas State to 39.6 percent from the field, marking the 12th time the team held the opposition under 40 percent – record sits at 11-1, 7-1 SBC.
• Since Sun Belt play started, the Trojans have been forced to play in close games, with six being within five points or less. When five or fewer points decide the game, the Trojans are 4-2 in SBC play, compared to 0-3 in nonconference.
• Through February, the Trojans are matching last season's historic pace of 4-1 through the first five games of the month – finished 5-3 in 2021-22.
• The last time these teams matched up, the Trojans fell late 78-75. In the loss, Troy was outrebounded 46-24.
• Troy's visited Huntington just once before Saturday. The last result saw Troy fall 99-70 after five players for Marshall ended the night in double-figures.
One game from a double bye as the fourth seed and one win or a Texas State and Coastal Carolina loss from clinching a first-round bye, the Trojans (17-11, 9-6 SBC) find themselves in sole possession of fifth.
The Herd (22-6, 11-4) sit one game from tying Southern Miss for first place and clinching a double bye in their first season in the Sun Belt Conference. Marshall hosts Troy for the first time since 2009, leading the overall series 2-0.
Game Information
Location: Huntington, W.Va. – Cam Henderson Center
The Matchup: Troy (17-11, 9-6 SBC) vs. Marshall (22-6, 11-4 SBC)
When: Saturday, Feb. 18 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Rally Time
A battle of free throws went Troy's way, 67-62, with both sides combing for 50 free throw attempts with 38 makes. The Trojans were down 10 at the 6:29 mark before Nelson Phillips and Aamer Muhammad erupted for the rally victory.
Phillips scored 14 of his 22, while Muhammad had 11 of his 16 to complete the comeback. With the Trojans down three, 60-57, with 2:41 left, both players hit back-to-back triples to take the lead, 63-60. The final 2:41 saw Troy hold ASU scoreless from the field to secure its fourth straight win.
Matching Up with Marshall
Marshall is winners of its last three games against Coastal Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Southern. The Herds' previous game saw them comeback from 11 with 1:48 left for the 84-83 victory.
In the final 1:48, Marshall shot 5-of-7 from the field and 7-of-7 from the charity stripe to launch its comeback. Twenty-eight points from Andrew Taylor and 25 from Taevion Kinsey propelled the Herd to victory.
Marshall has been the class of the field since conference play started, with the highest-scoring offense in the league with 80.9 points on the second-best field goal percentage of 46.6. On the defensive end, there is nobody better at shot-blocking in the conference. Through 15 games, Marshall averages 4.67 blocks – 70 total. Through the 2022-23 season, the Herd rank 14th in the nation with 5.2 blocks per game.
Kinsey and Taylor rank first and second in the SBC in scoring with 22.5 and 20.2 points per game, respectively – only two players to average above 20 points since league play started. Outside the top two, Micah Handlogten leads the league, shooting 72.2 percent from the field while ranking fourth in rebounds at 9.3 per game and second in blocks at 2.13.
Herd Stats
• Zay Williams has played 132 games in his five-year career at Troy. In that time, the senior averaged 5.9 rebounds, with 6.8 in 2022-23. With four guaranteed games left, Williams needs 46 rebounds (10.6) to surpass Jordon Varnado for first in career rebounds in Troy D-I history.
• Over the last three games, Phillips has peaked on defense, accumulating 12 steals for an average of four. Phillips leads the Trojans with 56 steals this season (2.0 per game). Through 28 games, the senior ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference – 43rd in the nation.
• Head coach Scott Cross has averaged 17.5 wins in his 15 seasons as a head coach. Through 28 games, the Trojans have seen victory 17 times, one win from increasing his average with four guaranteed games on the schedule - acclimated 280 career wins.
• The Trojans ride a four-game win streak heading into Saturday. In that stretch, the Trojans outrebounded each opponent for the most consecutive games in 2022-23 by a total of 150-133. When the Trojans outrebound their opponent, they are 10-3, 5-1 SBC.
• With the win over Arkansas State, the Trojans secured back-to-back winning seasons after finishing 20-12 last season - sitting at 17-11. The last time the Trojans had two consecutive winning seasons was under former head coach Don Maestri from 2008-2010.
• Williams has been on a tear, crashing the boards over the last five games, leading the Trojans with 48 rebounds for 9.6 per game. With the uptick in rebounds, the senior has bumped his career average for rebounds to 5.9, which stands for 10th in Troy D-I history.
• Muhammad has quietly accumulated 10 multi-steal games in 2022-23 after swiping two against Arkansas State – has 28 career multi-steal games. Through 28 games, Muhammad averages 0.9 for fifth on the roster.
• Troy's defense held Arkansas State to 39.6 percent from the field, marking the 12th time the team held the opposition under 40 percent – record sits at 11-1, 7-1 SBC.
• Since Sun Belt play started, the Trojans have been forced to play in close games, with six being within five points or less. When five or fewer points decide the game, the Trojans are 4-2 in SBC play, compared to 0-3 in nonconference.
• Through February, the Trojans are matching last season's historic pace of 4-1 through the first five games of the month – finished 5-3 in 2021-22.
• The last time these teams matched up, the Trojans fell late 78-75. In the loss, Troy was outrebounded 46-24.
• Troy's visited Huntington just once before Saturday. The last result saw Troy fall 99-70 after five players for Marshall ended the night in double-figures.
Players Mentioned
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Gerad Parker Press Conference - Buffalo Game
Monday, September 15
Troy Football Press Conference (Players) - Buffalo Game
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Players Postgame Press Conference - Memphis
Saturday, September 13