Final Road Trip Brings Troy to ULM

Wednesday, February 22

Monroe, La.

6:30 p.m.

Troy University

ULM

2/21/2023 1:58:00 PM | Basketball (M)

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – The last road trip of the 2022-23 season brings the Troy men's basketball team to Fant Ewing Coliseum, where it plays ULM on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Troy (17-12, 9-7 SBC) is 6-8 on the road, with big wins against Florida State, Montana and Texas State. Now, the Trojans face their final road test tied for fifth in the Sun Belt standings, two games back from a two-round bye and two games ahead of falling back to 10^th.

The Warhawks (11-18, 7-9 SBC) must overcome history with Troy leading the overall series, 13-11 and 7-5 in Fant Ewing Coliseum, to remain the 10^th seed and guarantee a first-round bye.

Game Information
Location: Monroe, La. – Fant Ewing Coliseum
The Matchup: Troy (17-12, 9-7 SBC) vs. UL-Monroe (11-18, 7-9 SBC)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 22 – 6:30 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com

Fell Short
The Trojans had a four-game win streak snapped by the Marshall Thundering Herd last Saturday, 88-78, despite 22 points from Nelson Phillips and 18 from Darius McNeill.

Phillips, combined with Zay Williams, brought a 13-point deficit down to four with 1:57 on the clock, 81-77. However, Marshall fired back behind 27 points from Andrew Taylor to defeat the Trojans.

Sweep in 2022-23
ULM stands in 10^th for the SBC despite having the second-lowest winning percentage of 2022-23 at .379. Since starting league play at 3-0, the Warhawks have dropped nine of its last 13, including their last five.

Troy dominated the Warhawks earlier in 2022-23, erupting in the second half to win 77-53 on 53.2 percent shooting. Despite the loss, ULM forced Troy to commit 19 turnovers. However, a 20-point performance from Aamer Muhammad and a 52-shooting percentage from deep gave the Trojans the win.

The deep ball is how ULM has thrived, with a 35.1 shooting percentage from three to rank third in the conference. Jamari Blackmon is the best sharpshooter on the roster, shooting 38.6 percent on 59 makes – 2.11 per game (fourth in SBC). The Warhawks then sit in the middle of the pack in assists (seventh – 12.9), blocked shots (sixth – 3.5) and steals (seventh – 7.1).

Blackmon isn't just a 3-point threat, with his overall scoring ability placing him 14^th in the SBC with 13.3 points. He also leads the Warhawks in assists with 3.2 – ninth in SBC. However, the leading scorer remains Tyreke Locure with 13.6 points, while also being the top robber with 1.9 steals per game – fourth in SBC.

Wartime Numbers
• Troy's last game against Marshall on Saturday night saw the team give up the most points in a second half since UT-Arlington on March 5, 2021, with 50 points.
• Saturday saw Troy shoot 46.2 percent from the charity stripe, emphasizing the importance of shooting above 70 percent from the line. When Troy shoots below 70 percent from the free throw line, it is 6-5, 3-4 SBC.
• Phillips enters Wednesday coming off setting a new career-high in field goals made with nine.
• The 3-point parade was in full effect last time ULM and Troy matched up, with Troy converting its second-most 3-pointers in 2022-23 at 13.
• If the Trojans win on Wednesday, they will win their third straight game over ULM for the first time since the team won eight consecutive from 2007-13.
• Troy plays its first game on a Wednesday since Mercer on Dec. 21. That game, the Trojans fell 82-79, despite a 20-point performance from Williams.
• Williams has played 133 games in his five-year career at Troy. In that time, the senior averaged 5.9 rebounds, with 6.9 in 2022-23. With three guaranteed games left, Williams needs 38 rebounds (10.8) to surpass Jordon Varnado for first in career rebounds in Troy D-I history.
• Preseason polls place Troy in 10th with 76 total votes. With two games left on the 2022-23 schedule, the Trojans can rise to fourth in the SBC standings and fall to 10th as they sit two games ahead of ULM and two behind Louisiana.
• Through 29 games played and started, Williams has scored 347 points for an average of 12 per game. Of those 29 games, the senior has reached double figures 20 times, including a season-high of 26 points in the win over Louisiana.
• For the first time in 2022-23, the Trojans have a player that scored 20-plus points in three consecutive games in Phillips. Coming off the bench, Phillips averaged 22.3 points per game on 54.5 percent shooting.
• Phillips's steal numbers continue to rise over the last four games, totaling 15 steals for 3.75 per game. The guard averages two steals per game through 29 games, placing him tied for 38th in the nation. With 59 total, he ranks tied for 21st in the country.
• Positioned 93 in the nation in field goal percentage, the Trojans have limited opponents to 42.2 percent for 66.1 points allowed. Since conference play started, the Trojans' defense has only improved, letting their SBC opponents shoot an SBC-best 40.8 percent.