Troy University Athletics
Sunday, November 10
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
2 p.m.
Troy University
at
Alabama
Troy Women’s Basketball Faces In-State SEC Foe No. 24/25 Alabama
11/9/2024 12:25:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Nearly 33 months (March 17, 2022) after Troy lost in a heartbreaking nailbiter, 82-79, in the opening round of the WNIT to Alabama, the women's basketball program gets another shot at the No. 24/25 ranked SEC foe on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Coleman Coliseum.
The game is scheduled to air on SEC Network+ as the Trojans (0-2) look to avoid a second straight 0-3 start by winning their first game over the Crimson Tide (2-0) since Jan. 10, 1979. The series favored Troy, 3-2, through the first five matchups, but the program has lost 15 straight to Alabama since then.
Game Information
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Coleman Coliseum
The Matchup: Troy (0-2, 0-0 SBC) vs No. 24/25 Alabama (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
When: Sunday, November 10 – 2 p.m.
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Highly Elevated
The Trojans ventured to Bozeman, Mont., for the program's first-ever matchup in Montana and couldn't overcome 22 turnovers, with Montana State scoring 22 points off them. Quarter No. 2 saw the Bobcats elevate their lead, 39-31, on 47.1 percent shooting to outscore Troy 20-13. From there, Montana State shot 9-of-14 at the charity stripe in the final half for a 73-63 victory.
A second straight 0-2 start for the program doesn't strike panic as 2023-24 saw a 0-6 start turn into Troy winning 22 of its next 28 games en route to the WNIT Fab 4. One bright spot through the winless start remains rebounding as the Trojans continue their reign over the Sun Belt Conference with 49.5 per game – ranked 26th nationally.
Newcomer Fortuna Ngnawo continues to be a star for the Trojans, as her hot start of 13 points and 11 rebounds through the first two games have her leading the league via rebounds (45th nationally). Her two double-doubles also lead the conference and are tied with eight players around the nation for first. Ngnawo's last performance against Montana State saw her produce 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting and grab 11 rebounds.
Montana State's matchup allowed Brianna Jackson to bounce back on the offensive end with a career-high seven made field goals in just nine attempts. No. 22 finished the game with 14 points and four rebounds. Meanwhile, Ashley Baez continued her impressive start as a Trojan with a second-straight game in double-figures (12).
Battle For Bama
Alabama enters Sunday ranked No. 24/25 in the nation behind Sarah Ashlee Barker, who was named to the Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List. The Birmingham native earned All-SEC First Team in 2023-24 on 16.6 points in 33 starts for the Crimson Tide. Aaliyah Nye joined Ashlee Barker on the Preseason All-SEC Teams, joining the second team after setting the single-season program record for triples (108).
Blowout victories over New Orleans, 115-53, and Alabama A&M, 84-59, opened 2024-25 for the Crimson Tide. Through the first two games, Alabama shot 54.1 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from deep, leading the SEC with 11 made triples per game. The weak point stands at the charity stripe, with Alabama shooting 54.8 percent.
Tuscaloosa Tales
• Sunday provides a chance for the Trojans to secure their first victory against a ranked opponent in program history. Before Sunday, Troy is 0-26 overall and 0-18 on the road.
• March 17, 2022, marked the first time the programs met in nearly a decade, with the WNIT round one matchup coming down to the wire in favor of the Crimson Tide, 82-79.
• Troy has been looking for its first win over the SEC foe since Jan. 10, 1979, when the program won 80-65 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama holds the overall series, 17-3, with the Trojans having a 1-8 record on the road.
• The Trojans start the season 0-2 for the second straight season. Last season, the Trojans opened 0-6 but turned it around to win 22 of the program's next 28 to finish 22-12.
• Jackson recorded her first game in double-figures for the Trojans with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting – her 26th career game with 10-plus. The seven made field goals marked a career-high for "Mo"
• For the second straight game and in her first career start, Ngnawo recorded a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds.
• Jenkins scored her first points as a Trojan with a pair of free throws to have all nine newcomers score in the first two games.
• For the most blocks by a Trojan since LaGrange (12/14/22) by Janeen Camp, Brianna Jackson rejected six shots on Buffalo.
• 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 game is scheduled to air on SEC Network+ as the Trojans (0-2) look to avoid a second straight 0-3 start by winning their first game over the Crimson Tide (2-0) since Jan. 10, 1979. The series favored Troy, 3-2, through the first five matchups, but the program has lost 15 straight to Alabama since then.
Game Information
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Coleman Coliseum
The Matchup: Troy (0-2, 0-0 SBC) vs No. 24/25 Alabama (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
When: Sunday, November 10 – 2 p.m.
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Highly Elevated
The Trojans ventured to Bozeman, Mont., for the program's first-ever matchup in Montana and couldn't overcome 22 turnovers, with Montana State scoring 22 points off them. Quarter No. 2 saw the Bobcats elevate their lead, 39-31, on 47.1 percent shooting to outscore Troy 20-13. From there, Montana State shot 9-of-14 at the charity stripe in the final half for a 73-63 victory.
A second straight 0-2 start for the program doesn't strike panic as 2023-24 saw a 0-6 start turn into Troy winning 22 of its next 28 games en route to the WNIT Fab 4. One bright spot through the winless start remains rebounding as the Trojans continue their reign over the Sun Belt Conference with 49.5 per game – ranked 26th nationally.
Newcomer Fortuna Ngnawo continues to be a star for the Trojans, as her hot start of 13 points and 11 rebounds through the first two games have her leading the league via rebounds (45th nationally). Her two double-doubles also lead the conference and are tied with eight players around the nation for first. Ngnawo's last performance against Montana State saw her produce 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting and grab 11 rebounds.
Montana State's matchup allowed Brianna Jackson to bounce back on the offensive end with a career-high seven made field goals in just nine attempts. No. 22 finished the game with 14 points and four rebounds. Meanwhile, Ashley Baez continued her impressive start as a Trojan with a second-straight game in double-figures (12).
Battle For Bama
Alabama enters Sunday ranked No. 24/25 in the nation behind Sarah Ashlee Barker, who was named to the Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List. The Birmingham native earned All-SEC First Team in 2023-24 on 16.6 points in 33 starts for the Crimson Tide. Aaliyah Nye joined Ashlee Barker on the Preseason All-SEC Teams, joining the second team after setting the single-season program record for triples (108).
Blowout victories over New Orleans, 115-53, and Alabama A&M, 84-59, opened 2024-25 for the Crimson Tide. Through the first two games, Alabama shot 54.1 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from deep, leading the SEC with 11 made triples per game. The weak point stands at the charity stripe, with Alabama shooting 54.8 percent.
Tuscaloosa Tales
• Sunday provides a chance for the Trojans to secure their first victory against a ranked opponent in program history. Before Sunday, Troy is 0-26 overall and 0-18 on the road.
• March 17, 2022, marked the first time the programs met in nearly a decade, with the WNIT round one matchup coming down to the wire in favor of the Crimson Tide, 82-79.
• Troy has been looking for its first win over the SEC foe since Jan. 10, 1979, when the program won 80-65 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama holds the overall series, 17-3, with the Trojans having a 1-8 record on the road.
• The Trojans start the season 0-2 for the second straight season. Last season, the Trojans opened 0-6 but turned it around to win 22 of the program's next 28 to finish 22-12.
• Jackson recorded her first game in double-figures for the Trojans with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting – her 26th career game with 10-plus. The seven made field goals marked a career-high for "Mo"
• For the second straight game and in her first career start, Ngnawo recorded a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds.
• Jenkins scored her first points as a Trojan with a pair of free throws to have all nine newcomers score in the first two games.
• For the most blocks by a Trojan since LaGrange (12/14/22) by Janeen Camp, Brianna Jackson rejected six shots on Buffalo.
• 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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