Troy Falls to No. 7 LSU

Monday, November 18

Baton Rouge, La.

7 p.m.

Troy University

1-4,0-0Sun Belt

LSU

5-0,0-0SEC

Troy

LSU

11/18/2024 11:06:00 PM | Basketball (W)

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

BATON ROUGE, La. – A second half where Troy went toe-to-toe with No. 7 LSU proved not enough as it fell 98-59 on Monday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The second half saw the Trojans (1-3) match LSU (5-0), only to fall 40-35 on the score column. Troy's fight flipped the script from the first 20 minutes, as it forced LSU into committing a season-high 21 turnovers.

Ashley Baez finished in double-figures for the fifth straight game as a Trojan. She showed her shooting abilities on all levels, going 4-of-8 on the floor, 1-of-2 from deep and 3-of-4 at the line. Baez also dominated defensively as she became the lone active Trojan to swipe 5-plus steals in a single game (5). Fortuna Ngnawo also took hold for her third game with double-digit points (10), shooting 4-of-9 – she finished with a career-high three steals.

LSU's three-headed monster of Wooden Award Watchlist members, Flay'jae Johnson, Aneesa Morrow and Mikaylah Williams, couldn't be stopped. Johnson finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, three steals and five assists, while Morrow went 8-of-11 for 23 points and secured a double-double on 13 rebounds. The final trio member, Williams, finished 6-of-9 in the field for 14 points.

First Half
Troy couldn't have asked for a better start on both ends to open the ballgame as Baez stole the ball from the Wooden Award Watchlist member Johnson. She went to Shaulana Wagner, who found Emani Jenkins at the wing for the triple, 3-0, 0:26 in.

The Trojans forced a second turnover on the following possession, pressuring the Tigers' Amani Bartlett into a backcourt violation. Turnover No. 3 for LSU came two possessions later as Baez got her second steal on Shayeanna Day-Wilson. Brianna Jackson pushed Troy's early lead to three off the turnover, 5-2, when Wagner found her down low for the lay-in – 8:12 remaining in the quarter.

LSU responded with a 17-0 run that started with a free throw from Morrow and ended at the charity stripe for Sa'myah Smith. Briana Peguero ended the run at the 4:39 mark as Emma Imevbore grabbed the offensive board, and Leilani Guion found No. 1 for the deep ball, 19-8. Peguero continued her run after a free throw by Johnson, 19-10, when she stole the ball from Morrow and went coast-to-coast.

Both sides traded blows on their respective possessions, 24-12, but the Tigers continued to gain control as they finished the first quarter, outscoring the Trojans 11-2 in the final 3:23. Quarter No. 2 saw LSU hold Troy to 26.7 percent shooting for 10 points while it shot 37.5 percent and won the rebound battle 15-8 to walk into halftime with a 58-24 advantage.

Fight Until the Buzzer
Jackson came out swinging for the Trojans to open the second half as she connected with fellow post player Zay Dyer for the layup, 58-26. The Tigers fired back with a pair of buckets by Williams, 62-26, but Jackson continued the battle as she grabbed her miss and converted the second-chance bucket at the 0:55 mark, 62-28.

Neither side gave way throughout the third quarter as the Trojans gave one final push to end the period. After LSU went 1-of-2 at the line, Ngnawo battled on both ends as she finished the layup, 80-42, and corralled the defensive board. No. 12's rebound allowed Baez to get two shots at the charity stripe with 0:40 remaining, and she hit both to cut the margin to 80-44.

The fourth quarter saw Ngnawo continue Troy's longest run, 7-0, with 9:27 left in the ballgame. At 6-0, Ngnawo grabbed the Troy miss and faced 6-2 Smith, converting for the and-one, 80-47.

Defensively, the Trojans held LSU scoreless through the opening 1:50 of the final quarter and without its second bucket until 6:24 remained, 83-48. But on the offensive end, LSU held firm to continue its undefeated start, 98-59.

Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"It was a tough night here in Louisiana. We have plenty to look at and to take away as things to improve. They sent a different type of press than we had seen previously on the film. It took us out of our rhythm, and we couldn't pull it back together in the first half. The message was, 'This wasn't going to help anyone if we keep doing what we are in the second half.' And we turned it around and only lost the second half by five. LSU is a very good team and is obviously well-coached. Overall, we need to take those things and bring those lessons forward. We're about to hit a long trip to Alaska and play some quality teams up there, so we need to be ready."

Great Alaska Shootout
The next spot on Troy's eight-game road trip sends them to a 2-day tournament (Great Alaska Shootout) in the Alaska Airlines Center, opening with Alaska-Anchorage on Nov. 22 (10:30 p.m.) and either Vermont or North Dakota State on Nov. 23 (TBD).

Matchup Numbers
• Baez continued her streak of finishing in double-figures for scoring, ending with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
• The battle for second-chance points remained tight throughout, with the Tigers winning 16-15.
• No. 2 became the lone active Trojan to swipe 5-plus steals in a game as Baez ended with a team-high five steals.
• The Trojans forced LSU into a season-high 21 turnovers. Before today, the Tigers ranked 10^th in the nation in fewest turnovers at 14.8.
• Of the 12 Trojans to check into the ballgame, 10 ended on the scoreboard against the SEC foe.
• Adriana Jones came off the bench late and produced a career-high four points, two rebounds and two free throws.
• The rebound battle lived up to the hype despite LSU coming out on the top 54-39 and 16-14 on the offensive end.