Homestand Continues for Men’s Basketball Saturday Night

Saturday, February 4

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

Texas State

Tickets

K. Punter - vs. Southern Miss - Chambers - 1

Homestand Continues for Men’s Basketball Saturday Night

2/3/2023 2:06:00 PM | Basketball (M)

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – The four-game homestand continues for the Troy men's basketball program on Saturday when Texas State comes to town at 6 p.m. inside Trojan Arena.

Both sides enter looking to get back in the win column, with the Trojans (13-11, 5-6 SBC) on a three-game losing streak in a three-way tie for seventh in the conference – Bobcats (11-13, 4-7 SBC) are on a two-game losing streak.

Saturday honors the Troy baseball and softball team with their fan day. Ticket prices for general admission will also drop to $5. Additionally, the first 500 students will receive free Conecuh sausage dogs, while the first 500 kids 12 and under in attendance will receive a drawstring bag. The halftime festivities include a special recognition of the baseball and softball teams and a live performance of the shaBANG Dance Studio.

Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (13-11, 5-6 SBC) vs. Texas State (11-13, 4-7 SBC)
When: Saturday, Feb. 4 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com

Three-Game Losing Streak
Troy allowed Southern Miss to shoot 52 percent from the field and 84.2 percent from the charity stripe on 19 attempts to lose its third straight, 74-65.

Zay Williams did all he could with a 19-point, nine-rebound performance to push Troy to victory with help from Aamer Muhammad (13 points) and Nelson Phillips (nine points, eight rebounds). But, in the end, their 43.1 percent shooting couldn't keep up.

After being down 30-23 to start the second, Troy outscored the Golden Eagles 12-6 in the opening four minutes. Three 3-point makes allowed the Trojans to trim the deficit to two, 36-32 – two from Muhammad; one from Christyon Eugene.

Despite the start to the second from Troy, Southern Miss continued to shoot high-percentage shots to extend their lead to as much as 14 to sweep the Trojans.

Get the Brooms Out
Texas State has won one of its last six games (Georgia Southern) as the team is on a two-game losing streak – lost to Southern Miss, 67-58, and Louisiana, 82-63. On Thursday, the Bobcats allowed Louisiana to shoot 57.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep for the 19-point loss.

The last these teams met was to close out 2022, when the Trojans claimed the defensive battle, 55-52. Kieffer Punter willed the Trojans to victory with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Despite being outrebounded 38-22, Troy forced 17 turnovers for the win.

Defense stands as the Bobcats' identity all season, especially since SBC plays with the best defense in points allowed at 64.4, despite having the 13^th-best field goal percentage allowed at 44.8. On the offensive end, Texas State is nonexistent from deep, with 3.27 3-point shots made per game, which is last in the league – next lowest team is Arkansas State at 5.64.

The Bobcats stand as the only team in the conference without a player ranked in the top 25 for scoring since conference play started. However, Mason Herrell averages 15.9 points per game as the only Bobcat averaging double figures through the entire season. Upperclassmen Nighael Ceaser (9.0) and Tyrel Morgan (8.5) follow up Herrell as they rank in the top 20 for rebounds at 7.4 (9^th) and 5.6 (20^th), respectively.

Home Stats
• Christian Turner reached a new career-high in assists, dishing off five in the loss to Southern Miss – previous career-high was four against Carver in 2021.
• Troy rides a three-game losing streak as it prepares for Saturday. The last time the Trojans were on a three-game losing streak, they broke it with an 87-64 victory over Tennessee Tech earlier this season.
• The Bobcats have had considerable success in Trojan Arena in recent years with three straight wins on the road – last time Troy beat Texas State at home was on Jan. 16, 2016.
• Four Trojans scored in double figures the last time these teams met with Punter (16), Williams (11), Muhammad (10) and Eugene (10). The four accounted for 85.5 percent of Troy's points.
• For the first time since Carver on Nov. 9, 2021, Troy didn't get a shot blocked despite the loss to Southern Miss.
• The evening times haven't worked in Troy's favor this season, with Saturday night being the 17^th game played at 5 p.m. or later. In the previous 16, Troy sits at 8-8 and 2-4 in SBC play.
• Williams has played 128 games in his five-year career at Troy. In that time, the senior has averaged 5.7 rebounds, with 6.3 averaged in 2022-23. With eight games left, Williams must collect 85 rebounds to surpass Jordon Varnado for first in career rebounds in Troy D-I history.
• Phillips swiped a team-high two steals in the loss to USM on Thursday. Through 24 games, the senior averages 1.83 steals for 44. Both stats have Phillips ranked in the top 100 in the nation - 72nd in steals per game / 45th in total steals.
• Williams grabbed nine rebounds against Southern Miss, pushing his career rebounding numbers to 734 on 5.7 per game. With those numbers, the senior propelled himself above Mac Madison (1980-84) for sixth in all-time rebounds in Troy history.
• Senior forward Williams has attempted 827 shots in his five-year career at Troy, with 415 makes for 50.2 percent shooting. Williams would rank seventh in career field goal percentage if the season ended today.
• Standing 6-1, Muhammad started his 50th career game and 20th with the Trojans - played 100 career games. In those 100, Muhammad has scored in double figures 51 times for 1,067 points - 10.7 per game. He also averages 2.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
• Over the last two games, the Trojans have struggled defensively, allowing above 50 percent shooting. The percentages come after Troy limited six of its last eight opponents to under 35 percent. When the Trojans allow 50-plus percent, they are 0-5.