Troy University Athletics
Troy University
10-8,7-1Sun Belt
Southern Miss
9-9,2-6Sun Belt
Troy Wins Seventh Straight, Captures First-Ever Victory Over Southern Miss
1/25/2024 9:51:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – For the first time in program history, the Troy women's basketball team triumphs over Southern Miss, 77-70, Thursday night in Trojan Arena to secure its seventh straight Sun Belt Conference victory.
A loss by James Madison tonight gives the Trojans (10-8, 7-1 SBC) sole possession of second place in the conference and pushes the Golden Eagles (9-9, 2-6 SBC) down to .500 overall and tied for 11th in the SBC.
Tai'Sheka Porchia dominated for Troy with a 25-point performance on 8-of-15 from the field and 9-of-12 from the charity stripe. She also continued her impressive season in the offensive rebound category, grabbing four to finish with seven total. Ja'Mia Hollings managed her fifth double-double on 12 points and tied for a season-high of 15 boards. Lastly, Sharonica Hartsfield came off the bench and provided a season-high eight points, including a pair of late critical free throws.
Domonique Davis continued her No. 1-ranked scoring display in Trojan Arena, becoming the first player in 2023-24 to score 30-plus (34) against Troy on 11-of-23 from the field and 11-of-12 at the line. Jacorriah Bracey also finished with a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Melyia Grayson fell one rebound short at 14 points and nine boards.
Finish the Job
A third quarter plagued by fouls and free throws, finished by a Gabbi Cartagena and-one, gave Troy a 55-52 lead to start the fourth.
After Southern Miss opened the final quarter with a fast break lay for Davis, Porchia began her attack, as Shaulana Wagner found her inside for the fast break layup, followed by a steal and score, 59-54 – 7:55 on the clock.
A pair of free throws for Grayson paused the Troy run before Makayia Hallmon drilled three at the charity stripe and Porchia continued her tear with another layup off a Wagner assist for the largest lead of the game, 64-56, with 7:02 on the clock.
The next 4:14 saw the Golden Eagles claw back to tie the game, 66-66, on a 10-2 run that ended with a layup for Davis. Then, despite a tough night from the field, Hallmon clutched up with 2:30 left, drilling the second-chance triple to jumpstart Troy, 69-66.
Both sides remained scoreless until Davis hit two free throws with 0:40 left, but Porchia wouldn't be denied, converting the and-one layup 0:04 later, 72-68, out of the timeout. The final straw happened after Davis converted the lay-in, 72-70, when Southern Miss fouled Hartsfield and she drilled both, 74-70, followed by the game-clinching turnover by Bracey. A free throw by Hallmon and a second-chance layup for Porchia closed out the game, 77-70.
Hartsfield Takeover
Troy took advantage of Southern Miss' shooting woes to open the game as it climbed to a 6-0 lead through the first 2:04 after Porchia converted off a Davis turnover.
The Golden Eagles responded as Troy began to struggle from the field to tie the game, 6-6, at the 4:58 mark off a pair of free throws from Bracey.
Zay Dyer finally broke through for Troy after a nearly five-minute scoring drought. A shot clock violation for USM allowed Porchia to drive inside for a lay-in. When it fell off the right side, No. 5 was there for a follow-up, 8-6 – 3:00 on the clock.
From there, Hartsfield took over the quarter to give Troy the 16-9 lead to end the first. First, she grabbed the assist from Leilani Augmon and converted the jumper, 10-6 – 2:31 left. Then, she swiped the ball from Davis and took it coast-to-coast, 12-6, with 1:26 remaining. After a trio of points from USM, Hartsfield finished the job at the 9:14 mark by grabbing her miss and converting the second-chance lay-in, 14-9.
Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"To get this win in Trojan Arena was a credit to our fans. The energy tonight was incredible. When big moments happened, people were up on their feet cheering. So, when I say this was a team win, I mean all of Trojan Arena. I'm extremely grateful to have won seven straight. I'm grateful to the players for not quitting. They kept believing in us as coaches and each other. Instead, they learned and came back to get some serious wins. It means a lot to beat Southern Miss because of who's on the other end. Joye Lee-McNelis is one of the best and I don't say that lightly. She prepares her team well and makes great adjustments."
Seven Straight
• Hartsfield produced a season-high eight points on 3-of-4 from the field while swiping away two steals.
• The Trojans dominated the fast-break battle, outscoring Southern Miss 32-13.
• With 12 points and 15 rebounds, Ja'Mia Hollings notched her fifth double-double.
• Despite six ties and the largest lead of the game coming with 7:02 left in the fourth by eight, Troy was able to lead for 33:23 of the game.
• For the first time in 2023-24, Troy won despite shooting below 40 percent (32.9). Before tonight, the Trojans were 0-7 in that category.
• Troy kept USM's bench off the scoring column, limiting the Golden Eagles to five, as opposed to its 22.
United in Cardinal
On Saturday, Troy continues its home weekend when it opens the 'United in Cardinal' doubleheader against Arkansas State at 2 p.m.
