Troy University Athletics
Thursday, December 19
Cherokee, N.C.
6 p.m.
Troy University
6-6,0-0Sun Belt
77
vs
69
Arkansas
6-8,0-0SEC
1
2
3
4
F
Troy
18
17
22
20
77
Arkansas
14
17
23
15
69
Troy Downs Arkansas to Claim Bronze at Cherokee Tournament
12/19/2024 9:49:00 PM | Basketball (W)
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Troy women's basketball played upset from start to finish against Arkansas, 77-69, on Thursday night in the Cherokee Resort & Convention Center. The victory awards Troy a third-place finish in the 2024 Cherokee Tournament as it ends nonconference play.
The victory over Arkansas (6-8) pushes the Trojans (6-6) back to .500 to end nonconference play with the first win over an SEC opponent since Mississippi State, 73-66, on Dec. 18, 2021. It's the third win against the Southeastern Conference for head coach Rigby (3-23 overall) and the fifth in Troy history (5-54 overall).
Zay Dyer, Shaulana Wagner and Brianna Jackson shined in the victory as the three-headed monster combined for 48 points, 38 rebounds and 11 assists. Dyer led the Trojans with her sixth double-double on a team-high 23 points and 18 rebounds (career-high), while Wagner neared another triple-double on a 15-point, 9-assist and 8-rebound stat line. Jackson joined Dyer in the double-double column for the first time as a Trojan with 12 rebounds and 10 points. Brianna Peguero (12 points) and Ashley Baez (10 points) also joined the trio in double-figures for scoring as they combined for five steals.
Former Arkansas State Redwolf turned Arkansas Razorback Izzy Higginbottom had another memorable performance against Troy with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-19 shooting. Kiki Smith and Jenna Lawrence joined her efforts with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Smith also managed four triples on eight attempts and led the Razorbacks in steals (3). But Troy's defense suffocated Arkansas' shooting overall, holding it to 34.2 percent from the field (25-of-73) and 27.3 percent from deep (27.3).
Back-to-Back Triples
The Trojans led the SEC foe for the entirety of the first half, entering the third quarter with a four-point lead, 35-31. Arkansas rolled back in its opening possession of the second half via Higginbottom when she floated one in off a Troy turnover, 35-33. Higginbottom gave the Razorbacks their first lead of the ballgame, 37-35, at the 1:37 mark on a triple – she followed a free throw from Smith.
Jackson would take over, first from the free throw line, where she went 1-of-2 to cut the margin to one, 37-36, with 8:07 remaining. After entering the game 0-of-15 from deep, Jackson erupted from behind the arc after a 1:13 scoreless drought. First, Leilani Guion grabbed the defensive rebound and dished it to No. 22 at the top of the arc. Jackson hesitated, giving the ball back before No. 35 insisted, and Jackson hit to give Troy the 39-37 lead.
Higginbottom would tie the game on the next possession via the assist as she found Lawrence for the lay-in. But Jackson had the answer again from deep. This time, 'Mo' didn't hesitate when Wagner found her from the same spot, and she connected to give Troy the three-point advantage, 42-39 – 6:31 remaining.
The Oklahoma State transfer wasn't done, as she disrupted the Higginbottom layup and secured the defensive rebound. Jackson connected with Wagner, who found Dyer on the fastbreak for a 44-39 advantage with 6:02 left.
Danika Galea paused the 9-2 run at the 4:49 mark when she got the ball from Higginbottom and converted the fastbreak layup, 44-41. But 0:16 later, Peguero resumed it as she took it inside for her fourth point, 46-41, and started a 6-0 burst that ended on a Peguero steal turned fastbreak layup, 50-41, at the 6:02 mark.
After Troy pushed the lead to double-digits on a second-chance triple from Dyer, 53-43 (7:08 mark), Arkansas fired back to end the quarter. The Razorback outscored the Trojans 11-4 in the remaining minutes to enter the fourth with a three-point margin, 57-54, with help from a last-second tip-in layup from Dyer.
Troy didn't waver as Wagner and Baez took over in the first 2:33 of the fourth, pairing together for a 7-0 run. The Detroit native grabbed the offensive board and pulled up for the jumper before Baez drilled one from deep, and No. 13 finished the run inside, 64-54.
A bucket inside by Galea and a triple for Vera Ojenuwa trimmed the margin back to five, 64-59, with 6:25 remaining. But the Razorbacks couldn't breach the Troy advantage anymore as Dyer and Wagner combined to balloon it back to nine, 68-59, at the 4:26 mark. From there, the margin never went below two possessions as Troy held Arkansas to 3-of-10 from the field in the final five minutes to complete the upset and secure bronze at the 2024 Cherokee Tournament.
Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"What a way to go into the Christmas break. We went out there and worked hard for that win over Arkansas. The team showed just how high our ceiling can be. We had to respond after the heartbreaking loss last night. We had to pick our emotions back up to be able to do what we did today. And that's what I'm most proud of. The key was how we started the game. The starters came out and played together, which gave us the advantage. Our defense translated into other things working well for us. It allowed our offense to get into a flow. Our post players had the biggest response. We were outrebounded last night, but everyone from Zay to Mo to Emma came in and did their job. This is the best Christmas present I could've asked for, and I can't wait to get into SBC play."
Conference Play
The road trip continues in Sun Belt Conference play when the Trojans travel to James Madison for a meeting on Dec. 29 at 1 p.m.
Consolation Numbers
• The victory marked head coach Chanda Rigby and the Trojans' first victory over the Razorbacks, entering 0-1. It also marks the third win over an SEC opponent in Rigby's tenure – she's 3-23 overall. The last win came against Mississippi State, 73-66, on Dec. 18.
• Dyer finished with her fifth double-double in the last six games, posting a team-high 23 points and 18 rebounds. She's had six double-doubles in 2024-25 and 14 in her career.
• 'Mo' also ended the night with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double for her first as a Trojan.
• No. 5's 18 rebounds (six offensive) secured a new career-high. Her previous was 17 against App State on Feb. 28, 2024.
• Jackson converted her first and second triple of 2024-25 for the Trojans after starting 0-of-15. In her career, No. 22 has shot 4-of-30 entering the day.
• The Trojans led for the entirety of the first half, losing the lead only once in the third to hold the advantage for 37:02.
• Troy ends the nonconference slate at 6-6, going 3-1 in tournament play.
• Dyer led the Trojans in Cherokee Tournament play, averaging 14 points and 12.5 rebounds in the two days.
The victory over Arkansas (6-8) pushes the Trojans (6-6) back to .500 to end nonconference play with the first win over an SEC opponent since Mississippi State, 73-66, on Dec. 18, 2021. It's the third win against the Southeastern Conference for head coach Rigby (3-23 overall) and the fifth in Troy history (5-54 overall).
Zay Dyer, Shaulana Wagner and Brianna Jackson shined in the victory as the three-headed monster combined for 48 points, 38 rebounds and 11 assists. Dyer led the Trojans with her sixth double-double on a team-high 23 points and 18 rebounds (career-high), while Wagner neared another triple-double on a 15-point, 9-assist and 8-rebound stat line. Jackson joined Dyer in the double-double column for the first time as a Trojan with 12 rebounds and 10 points. Brianna Peguero (12 points) and Ashley Baez (10 points) also joined the trio in double-figures for scoring as they combined for five steals.
Former Arkansas State Redwolf turned Arkansas Razorback Izzy Higginbottom had another memorable performance against Troy with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-19 shooting. Kiki Smith and Jenna Lawrence joined her efforts with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Smith also managed four triples on eight attempts and led the Razorbacks in steals (3). But Troy's defense suffocated Arkansas' shooting overall, holding it to 34.2 percent from the field (25-of-73) and 27.3 percent from deep (27.3).
Back-to-Back Triples
The Trojans led the SEC foe for the entirety of the first half, entering the third quarter with a four-point lead, 35-31. Arkansas rolled back in its opening possession of the second half via Higginbottom when she floated one in off a Troy turnover, 35-33. Higginbottom gave the Razorbacks their first lead of the ballgame, 37-35, at the 1:37 mark on a triple – she followed a free throw from Smith.
Jackson would take over, first from the free throw line, where she went 1-of-2 to cut the margin to one, 37-36, with 8:07 remaining. After entering the game 0-of-15 from deep, Jackson erupted from behind the arc after a 1:13 scoreless drought. First, Leilani Guion grabbed the defensive rebound and dished it to No. 22 at the top of the arc. Jackson hesitated, giving the ball back before No. 35 insisted, and Jackson hit to give Troy the 39-37 lead.
Higginbottom would tie the game on the next possession via the assist as she found Lawrence for the lay-in. But Jackson had the answer again from deep. This time, 'Mo' didn't hesitate when Wagner found her from the same spot, and she connected to give Troy the three-point advantage, 42-39 – 6:31 remaining.
The Oklahoma State transfer wasn't done, as she disrupted the Higginbottom layup and secured the defensive rebound. Jackson connected with Wagner, who found Dyer on the fastbreak for a 44-39 advantage with 6:02 left.
Danika Galea paused the 9-2 run at the 4:49 mark when she got the ball from Higginbottom and converted the fastbreak layup, 44-41. But 0:16 later, Peguero resumed it as she took it inside for her fourth point, 46-41, and started a 6-0 burst that ended on a Peguero steal turned fastbreak layup, 50-41, at the 6:02 mark.
After Troy pushed the lead to double-digits on a second-chance triple from Dyer, 53-43 (7:08 mark), Arkansas fired back to end the quarter. The Razorback outscored the Trojans 11-4 in the remaining minutes to enter the fourth with a three-point margin, 57-54, with help from a last-second tip-in layup from Dyer.
Troy didn't waver as Wagner and Baez took over in the first 2:33 of the fourth, pairing together for a 7-0 run. The Detroit native grabbed the offensive board and pulled up for the jumper before Baez drilled one from deep, and No. 13 finished the run inside, 64-54.
A bucket inside by Galea and a triple for Vera Ojenuwa trimmed the margin back to five, 64-59, with 6:25 remaining. But the Razorbacks couldn't breach the Troy advantage anymore as Dyer and Wagner combined to balloon it back to nine, 68-59, at the 4:26 mark. From there, the margin never went below two possessions as Troy held Arkansas to 3-of-10 from the field in the final five minutes to complete the upset and secure bronze at the 2024 Cherokee Tournament.
Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"What a way to go into the Christmas break. We went out there and worked hard for that win over Arkansas. The team showed just how high our ceiling can be. We had to respond after the heartbreaking loss last night. We had to pick our emotions back up to be able to do what we did today. And that's what I'm most proud of. The key was how we started the game. The starters came out and played together, which gave us the advantage. Our defense translated into other things working well for us. It allowed our offense to get into a flow. Our post players had the biggest response. We were outrebounded last night, but everyone from Zay to Mo to Emma came in and did their job. This is the best Christmas present I could've asked for, and I can't wait to get into SBC play."
Conference Play
The road trip continues in Sun Belt Conference play when the Trojans travel to James Madison for a meeting on Dec. 29 at 1 p.m.
Consolation Numbers
• The victory marked head coach Chanda Rigby and the Trojans' first victory over the Razorbacks, entering 0-1. It also marks the third win over an SEC opponent in Rigby's tenure – she's 3-23 overall. The last win came against Mississippi State, 73-66, on Dec. 18.
• Dyer finished with her fifth double-double in the last six games, posting a team-high 23 points and 18 rebounds. She's had six double-doubles in 2024-25 and 14 in her career.
• 'Mo' also ended the night with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double for her first as a Trojan.
• No. 5's 18 rebounds (six offensive) secured a new career-high. Her previous was 17 against App State on Feb. 28, 2024.
• Jackson converted her first and second triple of 2024-25 for the Trojans after starting 0-of-15. In her career, No. 22 has shot 4-of-30 entering the day.
• The Trojans led for the entirety of the first half, losing the lead only once in the third to hold the advantage for 37:02.
• Troy ends the nonconference slate at 6-6, going 3-1 in tournament play.
• Dyer led the Trojans in Cherokee Tournament play, averaging 14 points and 12.5 rebounds in the two days.
Team Stats
TROY
AR
FG%
.390
.342
3FG%
.316
.273
FT%
.700
.714
RB
57
44
TO
11
13
STL
11
6
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Basketball (W)
G
/ Basketball (W)
F
/ Basketball (W)G
/ Basketball (W)Ashley Beverly Kelley - Troy University Sports Hall of Fame
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