Troy University Athletics
Thursday, November 7
Bozeman, Mont.
8 p.m.
Troy University
at
Montana State
Women’s Basketball Heads to Montana State for Game Two
11/6/2024 3:32:00 PM | Basketball (W)
BOZEMAN, Mont. – With its first-ever matchup in the state of Montana, the Troy women's basketball program looks to secure the first win of the new season in Worthington Arena on Thursday at 8 p.m.
The Trojans (0-1) are 2-4 in game two when they fall in their season opener as the program prepares for a Bobcat (1-0) roster that dominated Chadron State, 92-28. Thursday also marks the second time the programs meet, with the first ending in an overtime victory, 82-78, in Edinburg, Texas.
Game Information
Location: Bozeman, Mont. – Worthington Arena
The Matchup: Troy (0-1, 0-0 SBC) vs Montana (1-0, 0-0 Big Sky)
When: Thursday, November 7 – 8 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Tight Season Opener
Foul trouble plagued the Trojans in their season opener when they committed 33 fouls, which resulted in 27 makes at the charity stripe for Buffalo. Troy forced 24 fouls of its own but left 11 on the board on 27-of-38 shooting at the line.
Despite the foul trouble, five Trojans ended the night in double-figures. Fortuna Ngnawo led the way with her first career double-double in the senior's debut with the Trojans on 11 points and 11 rebounds. She also shot 4-of-4 from the field in just 16 minutes. Briana Peguero paced Troy with a team-high 15 points on five made triples, the first Trojans since Nia Daniel hit five against Southern Miss on Dec. 29, 2022.
Ashley Baez was one point shy of tying her career-high (15) with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting. She also hit numerous career-highs in rebounds (3), assists (2), field goals made (5) and triples (2). Five of her points came in the final 0:30, including a buzzer-beater to give Troy the 48-46 lead heading into halftime.
The final two Trojans in double-figures came from the pair of Preseason All-Sun Belt team members Shaulana Wagner and Zay Dyer. Wagner showed off on all stat columns with 13 points, seven rebounds and a team-high four assists off the bench. Meanwhile, Dyer shined with 11 points (5-of-8 from the field) and eight rebounds before fouling out in 20 minutes.
Up the Mountains of Montana
The Bobcats fired on all cylinders in their season opener against Chadron State, 92-28. Montana State recorded 26 steals, two shy of the all-time mark set against Montana Tech on Dec. 16, 2000. Chadron State allowed the Bobcats to open the season on a 17-0 run and were held to 25 percent shooting from the field for the remainder of the game.
Senior transfer Esmeralda Morales led the Bobcats with 16 points on seven field goals, followed by 10 for Marah Dykstra and Addison Harris. Dykstra was voted to the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team along with Morales after a 2023-24 season, averaging 11 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Overall, the Bobcats were like Troy: they were voted to finish second in the Big Sky in the preseason polls.
Game Two Numbers
• The Trojans and Bobcats met once before in Edinburg, Texas with Troy winning in overtime, 82-78.
• For the most blocks by a Trojan since LaGrange (12/14/22) by Janeen Camp, Brianna Jackson rejected six shots on Buffalo.
• Under head coach Chanda Rigby, the Trojans are 2-4 in game two when falling in their season opener.
• Of the nine newcomers, eight scored their first bucket as a Trojan, and four scored their first in Division-I basketball.
• For the second straight season, the Trojans opened their season with a triple as Peguero drilled one of her five 0:10 into the ballgame.
• Dyer finished with 11 points in 19 minutes before fouling out, marking her 20th career game in double-figures.
• Peguero stretched the floor throughout the ballgame as she set a new career-high in her Troy debut with five threes (5-of-7 from deep). Her five triples marked the first time a Trojans made 5-plus triples in a game since Nia Daniel against Southern Miss on Dec. 29, 2022.
• Grace Daniels becomes the newest member of the Trojans, being hired as the new assistant coach to pair alongside Stephanie Murphy on Oct. 26.
• Troy returners 18.8 percent of its scoring, 43.7 percent of assists, 26.4 percent of rebounds, 26.9 percent of blocks and 26.2 percent of minutes from the 2023-24 roster.
• Of the nine newcomers, three are products of Division-I, while one is Division-III and five are JUCO products.
• Wagner, one of Troy's three returners, comes off a season where she ranked sixth in program D-I history for total assists at 150 and ninth for assists per game at 4.9.
• 2023-24 saw the Trojans break the program record for most field goals made in a single season at 1,060 – they also broke the record for points (2,749) and field goal attempts (2,528).
• Last season, the Trojans ranked in the top two within the conference for assist/turnover ratio (1st– 1.09), rebounds (1st – 47.88), scoring (2nd – 80.9), defensive and offensive rebounds (2nd – 30.8, 17.1), rebound margin (2nd – 7.8) and assists (2nd – 15.4) – also led the nation in rebounding.
• The 2024-25 roster contains zero underclassmen, with seven as seniors and five as juniors.
• Over the summer, Troy went overseas to Costa Rica, where it finished 2-0 with 78-56 and 94-50 victories.
The Trojans (0-1) are 2-4 in game two when they fall in their season opener as the program prepares for a Bobcat (1-0) roster that dominated Chadron State, 92-28. Thursday also marks the second time the programs meet, with the first ending in an overtime victory, 82-78, in Edinburg, Texas.
Game Information
Location: Bozeman, Mont. – Worthington Arena
The Matchup: Troy (0-1, 0-0 SBC) vs Montana (1-0, 0-0 Big Sky)
When: Thursday, November 7 – 8 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Tight Season Opener
Foul trouble plagued the Trojans in their season opener when they committed 33 fouls, which resulted in 27 makes at the charity stripe for Buffalo. Troy forced 24 fouls of its own but left 11 on the board on 27-of-38 shooting at the line.
Despite the foul trouble, five Trojans ended the night in double-figures. Fortuna Ngnawo led the way with her first career double-double in the senior's debut with the Trojans on 11 points and 11 rebounds. She also shot 4-of-4 from the field in just 16 minutes. Briana Peguero paced Troy with a team-high 15 points on five made triples, the first Trojans since Nia Daniel hit five against Southern Miss on Dec. 29, 2022.
Ashley Baez was one point shy of tying her career-high (15) with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting. She also hit numerous career-highs in rebounds (3), assists (2), field goals made (5) and triples (2). Five of her points came in the final 0:30, including a buzzer-beater to give Troy the 48-46 lead heading into halftime.
The final two Trojans in double-figures came from the pair of Preseason All-Sun Belt team members Shaulana Wagner and Zay Dyer. Wagner showed off on all stat columns with 13 points, seven rebounds and a team-high four assists off the bench. Meanwhile, Dyer shined with 11 points (5-of-8 from the field) and eight rebounds before fouling out in 20 minutes.
Up the Mountains of Montana
The Bobcats fired on all cylinders in their season opener against Chadron State, 92-28. Montana State recorded 26 steals, two shy of the all-time mark set against Montana Tech on Dec. 16, 2000. Chadron State allowed the Bobcats to open the season on a 17-0 run and were held to 25 percent shooting from the field for the remainder of the game.
Senior transfer Esmeralda Morales led the Bobcats with 16 points on seven field goals, followed by 10 for Marah Dykstra and Addison Harris. Dykstra was voted to the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team along with Morales after a 2023-24 season, averaging 11 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Overall, the Bobcats were like Troy: they were voted to finish second in the Big Sky in the preseason polls.
Game Two Numbers
• The Trojans and Bobcats met once before in Edinburg, Texas with Troy winning in overtime, 82-78.
• For the most blocks by a Trojan since LaGrange (12/14/22) by Janeen Camp, Brianna Jackson rejected six shots on Buffalo.
• Under head coach Chanda Rigby, the Trojans are 2-4 in game two when falling in their season opener.
• Of the nine newcomers, eight scored their first bucket as a Trojan, and four scored their first in Division-I basketball.
• For the second straight season, the Trojans opened their season with a triple as Peguero drilled one of her five 0:10 into the ballgame.
• Dyer finished with 11 points in 19 minutes before fouling out, marking her 20th career game in double-figures.
• Peguero stretched the floor throughout the ballgame as she set a new career-high in her Troy debut with five threes (5-of-7 from deep). Her five triples marked the first time a Trojans made 5-plus triples in a game since Nia Daniel against Southern Miss on Dec. 29, 2022.
• Grace Daniels becomes the newest member of the Trojans, being hired as the new assistant coach to pair alongside Stephanie Murphy on Oct. 26.
• Troy returners 18.8 percent of its scoring, 43.7 percent of assists, 26.4 percent of rebounds, 26.9 percent of blocks and 26.2 percent of minutes from the 2023-24 roster.
• Of the nine newcomers, three are products of Division-I, while one is Division-III and five are JUCO products.
• Wagner, one of Troy's three returners, comes off a season where she ranked sixth in program D-I history for total assists at 150 and ninth for assists per game at 4.9.
• 2023-24 saw the Trojans break the program record for most field goals made in a single season at 1,060 – they also broke the record for points (2,749) and field goal attempts (2,528).
• Last season, the Trojans ranked in the top two within the conference for assist/turnover ratio (1st– 1.09), rebounds (1st – 47.88), scoring (2nd – 80.9), defensive and offensive rebounds (2nd – 30.8, 17.1), rebound margin (2nd – 7.8) and assists (2nd – 15.4) – also led the nation in rebounding.
• The 2024-25 roster contains zero underclassmen, with seven as seniors and five as juniors.
• Over the summer, Troy went overseas to Costa Rica, where it finished 2-0 with 78-56 and 94-50 victories.
Players Mentioned
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