Troy University Athletics
Saturday, February 4
Troy, Ala.
6 p.m.
Troy University
14-11,6-6Sun Belt
68
vs
64
Texas State
11-14,4-8Sun Belt
1
2
F
Texas St.
24
40
64
Troy
45
23
68
Zay Williams Keeps Troy Above Texas State Late
2/4/2023 9:21:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Zay Williams comes through in the clutch to put Troy back in the win column over Texas State, 68-64, on Saturday night in Trojan Arena.
The three-game skid ends as the Trojans (14-11, 6-6 SBC) get back to .500 in conference play to move up to a three-way tie for sixth. Meanwhile, the Bobcats (11-14, 4-8 SBC) fall for the third straight game to remain in 11th.
Williams produced a game-high 18 points, including the game-winning free throws late, while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. Aamer Muhammad (12) hits double-figures for the third straight game, with Christyon Eugene behind him with 11.
Mason Herrell did his part for Texas State with a 20-point performance on 6-of-14 shooting. Tyrel Morgan tried to join the efforts with 14 points and four rebounds, but falling in the foul battle, 22-15, cost them the ballgame.
Williams in the Clutch
Troy held the 18-point lead, 58-40, with 9:49 remaining when Eugene drove into the lane. This fired the Bobcats up as they roared back with a 12-0 run that ended when Davion Coleman converted the and-one lay-in, 58-52, with 4:49 to go.
A pair of free throws and a turnover by Coleman allowed Williams to extend the lead back to double figures, 64-54. The senior swiped the ball from the opposition and brought it to the lane with 2:55 left.
The Bobcats fired back, cutting the lead to two with 0:38 remaining when Punter missed a 3-pointer which opened the door for Harrell to nail one of his own, 66-64.
Troy brought the clock down to under 0:10 when Williams got the pass from Punter and went up for the game-sealing bucket, only to be fouled and sent to the line by Davion Sykes. The senior clutched up, hitting both at the charity stripe to seal the victory and put Troy back on the win chart.
Three-Point Parade
Texas State took control through the first 2:34 after Brandon Davis banged in a triple off the turnover by Muhammad, 5-2.
That's when the Trojans broke through with three consecutive 3-pointers. First, Muhammad made up for his turnover by hitting Punter for the trey at the 2:48 mark to tie the ballgame, 5-5.
Punter followed up with the defensive rebound after Davis tried to answer with a three for Texas State. Punter dished it to Eugene, who was wide open from the wing, 8-5. A travel by Davis led to the ball in Punter's hands again. He passed it to Christian Turner this time, who hit his three from the top of the arc, 11-5 – 16:00 left on the clock.
The remainder of the first half saw Troy nail four more threes for a total of seven from five players as the team extended the lead to 21 entering the locker room 45-21.
Head Coach Scott Cross
"I am thankful for the victory; they're all hard. Every team in this league is capable of beating us on any given night. Our guys played extremely hard, extremely tough, extremely physical in that first half. We were able to get out to a big lead. We shot the ball well, great rebounding, but you know, when you focus on getting stops and rebounding, it's funny how it's easier to make shots. You know, sometimes in the second half, you start focusing on your shots, and then all of a sudden, it becomes harder to rebound, harder to get stops, but I am thankful that our guys pulled it out. You know, Zay was really big for us down the stretch, kind of refused to give in and kind of put us on his back honestly because we were struggling to score, struggling to get a bucket, and he made some big shots for us."
Win Numbers
• The Trojans returned to form in the first half, entering the break with a 45-21 lead for the first time since ULM on Jan. 21.
• All nine Trojans that touched the court in the first half contributed to the scoreboard, scoring at least one point.
• The deep shot propelled the Trojans in the first half, converting seven with the highest percentage this season at 63.6 percent – previous high was 61.9 against SUNO on Nov. 23.
• Troy outrebounded Texas State, 34-32, marking the first time since ULM and the third time in SBC play.
• Williams led the Trojans in scoring for the fifth time in 2022-23 and the second time in a row with 19 points.
We Aren't Going Anywhere
The Trojans' homestand continues against in-state rival South Alabama in Trojan Arena on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. to conclude a basketball doubleheader.
The three-game skid ends as the Trojans (14-11, 6-6 SBC) get back to .500 in conference play to move up to a three-way tie for sixth. Meanwhile, the Bobcats (11-14, 4-8 SBC) fall for the third straight game to remain in 11th.
Williams produced a game-high 18 points, including the game-winning free throws late, while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. Aamer Muhammad (12) hits double-figures for the third straight game, with Christyon Eugene behind him with 11.
Mason Herrell did his part for Texas State with a 20-point performance on 6-of-14 shooting. Tyrel Morgan tried to join the efforts with 14 points and four rebounds, but falling in the foul battle, 22-15, cost them the ballgame.
Williams in the Clutch
Troy held the 18-point lead, 58-40, with 9:49 remaining when Eugene drove into the lane. This fired the Bobcats up as they roared back with a 12-0 run that ended when Davion Coleman converted the and-one lay-in, 58-52, with 4:49 to go.
A pair of free throws and a turnover by Coleman allowed Williams to extend the lead back to double figures, 64-54. The senior swiped the ball from the opposition and brought it to the lane with 2:55 left.
The Bobcats fired back, cutting the lead to two with 0:38 remaining when Punter missed a 3-pointer which opened the door for Harrell to nail one of his own, 66-64.
Troy brought the clock down to under 0:10 when Williams got the pass from Punter and went up for the game-sealing bucket, only to be fouled and sent to the line by Davion Sykes. The senior clutched up, hitting both at the charity stripe to seal the victory and put Troy back on the win chart.
Three-Point Parade
Texas State took control through the first 2:34 after Brandon Davis banged in a triple off the turnover by Muhammad, 5-2.
That's when the Trojans broke through with three consecutive 3-pointers. First, Muhammad made up for his turnover by hitting Punter for the trey at the 2:48 mark to tie the ballgame, 5-5.
Punter followed up with the defensive rebound after Davis tried to answer with a three for Texas State. Punter dished it to Eugene, who was wide open from the wing, 8-5. A travel by Davis led to the ball in Punter's hands again. He passed it to Christian Turner this time, who hit his three from the top of the arc, 11-5 – 16:00 left on the clock.
The remainder of the first half saw Troy nail four more threes for a total of seven from five players as the team extended the lead to 21 entering the locker room 45-21.
Head Coach Scott Cross
"I am thankful for the victory; they're all hard. Every team in this league is capable of beating us on any given night. Our guys played extremely hard, extremely tough, extremely physical in that first half. We were able to get out to a big lead. We shot the ball well, great rebounding, but you know, when you focus on getting stops and rebounding, it's funny how it's easier to make shots. You know, sometimes in the second half, you start focusing on your shots, and then all of a sudden, it becomes harder to rebound, harder to get stops, but I am thankful that our guys pulled it out. You know, Zay was really big for us down the stretch, kind of refused to give in and kind of put us on his back honestly because we were struggling to score, struggling to get a bucket, and he made some big shots for us."
Win Numbers
• The Trojans returned to form in the first half, entering the break with a 45-21 lead for the first time since ULM on Jan. 21.
• All nine Trojans that touched the court in the first half contributed to the scoreboard, scoring at least one point.
• The deep shot propelled the Trojans in the first half, converting seven with the highest percentage this season at 63.6 percent – previous high was 61.9 against SUNO on Nov. 23.
• Troy outrebounded Texas State, 34-32, marking the first time since ULM and the third time in SBC play.
• Williams led the Trojans in scoring for the fifth time in 2022-23 and the second time in a row with 19 points.
We Aren't Going Anywhere
The Trojans' homestand continues against in-state rival South Alabama in Trojan Arena on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. to conclude a basketball doubleheader.
Team Stats
TXST
TROY
FG%
.423
.453
3FG%
.400
.364
FT%
.700
.667
RB
32
34
TO
13
15
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Basketball (M)G
/ Basketball (M)
F
/ Basketball (M)F
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