Troy University Athletics
Troy University
14-8,8-2Sun Belt
Georgia Southern
5-17,5-5Sun Belt
Men’s Basketball Beats Georgia Southern, 84-63
2/1/2024 10:30:00 PM | Basketball (M)
STATESBORO, Ga. – Christyon Eugene was unstoppable on Thursday night, as he scored a new career-high en route to Troy's 84-63 win over Georgia Southern on Thursday night at the Hanner Fieldhouse.
Eugene scored 28 points on 9-16 shooting and was 5-8 from 3-point range. His previous high of 26 was set in Troy's loss to James Madison in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament on March 4, 2023. His 28 points were also a game-high. It's the most points scored by a Trojan since Kam Woods scored 28 at Coastal Carolina on Jan. 23, 2021.
Troy (14-8, 8-2 SBC) was firing the ball well from distance all night long, as they shot 52 percent from beyond the arc. The Trojans opened the game on fire and quickly jumped out to a 14-2 lead. They extended the lead to 24-9 before Georgia Southern (5-17, 5-5 SBC) came alive offensively.
The Eagles put together an 11-1 run to bring the score to 25-20 before Troy settled back into its offensive rhythm. The Trojans took a 44-29 lead into the halftime break. Fifteen of Eugene's 28 points came in the first half.
The Troy offense continued to shoot it well in the final 20 minutes, and the Eagles never got the game into single digits.
The Trojans finished the night shooting 43.1 percent from the field. Myles Rigsby scored 13 points and has now scored in double-figures in three consecutive games – the longest streak of his career. Tayton Conerway added 12 points and Aamer Muhammad had 10.
What Road Woes?
The Trojans entered the game with a 1-7 record on the road this season, but that didn't deter them. In addition to the strong offensive performance, Troy dominated in nearly every other category.
Troy's defense continued to cause havoc on the court, as it forced Georgia Southern into 17 turnovers, with nine coming off steals. The Trojans scored 18 points off those turnovers.
In the rebounding category, the Eagles had no answer for Troy's big man, as Thomas Dowd and Theo Seng each had seven rebounds. The Trojans outrebounded Georgia Southern 45-32 and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.
The Trojans dished out 15 assists compared to its 13 turnovers. Dowd, Rigsby and Eugene each had three assists.
Thoughts from Coach
Head coach Scott Cross gave his thoughts following the game:
"I'm so thankful to the good lord for this victory. Our guys really battled tonight. We talked in the locker room before the game tonight about being street dogs, and they were tonight. Obviously, Spudd was amazing. Something that will get overlooked in the stat sheet is how Aamer Muhammad played defense. We did a great job on the glass. We told our guys that if we wanted to win this game, we had to battle on the boards. We won the battle in both halves, so credit to our guys. It gave us a lot of extra possessions."
Cross on Christyon Eugene:
"He was phenomenal on both ends of the floor. One of the things that makes him so great, is that he never forces things. He is one of the best passers. He hits open guys and creates offense not just for himself but for the whole team. He is a ball mover. The ball doesn't stick with him; he makes quick decisions with it. If there's a better guard in the league, I haven't seen him."
Up Next
The Trojans wrap up their two-game road trip with a stop in Atlanta on Saturday as they take on Georgia State at the GSU Convocation Center at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Troy Sports Radio Network. Live stats will be available on TroyStats.com.
Game 22 Notes
• Christyon Eugene scored a career-high 28 points. His previous best was 26 against James Madison on March 4, 2023.
• Christyon Eugene has scored in double-figures in 19 of 22 games this season.
• Myles Rigsby had his third consecutive game of 10-plus points after scoring 13 points on Thursday night.
• The Trojans had four players score in double-figures for the first time since the Trojans defeated Southern Miss 82-56 on Jan. 13 in Trojan Arena.
• Scott Cross is now just one win shy of 299 career wins as a head coach. He is 74-73 as the Troy head coach.
• Troy's win on Thursday is just the second road win of the season for the Trojans, who opened their conference schedule with a road win at Coastal Carolina.
• Troy's 21-point margin of victory is the second 20-plus point win against a conference opponent this season. Troy defeated Southern Miss 82-56 on Jan. 13 in Trojan Arena.
• Troy is now 12-2 (6-1 SBC) on the season when leading at halftime. The Trojans are also 11-5 when winning the rebounding battle.
