Men’s Basketball Secures Road Win Over ULM, 84-78

Saturday, February 24

Monroe, La.

2:30 p.m.

Troy University

19-10,12-4Sun Belt

ULM

11-16,6-10Sun Belt

Troy

ULM

Men’s Basketball Secures Road Win Over ULM, 84-78

2/24/2024 7:15:00 PM | Basketball (M)

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

MONROE, La. – Following a heartbreaking defeat on the road Thursday against Arkansas State, the Troy men's basketball team picked up a huge 84-78 road win over ULM at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum to split the road trip.

With the win and Louisiana's loss to Southern Miss, the Trojans have clinched a double-bye in the Sun Belt Tournament. Troy's exact seed is still to be determined but will be no lower than No. 4. Troy (19-10, 12-4 SBC) will open its conference tournament play on Saturday, March 9.

Troy shot it well from the field all afternoon despite struggling from three-point range. The Trojans knocked down 25 of 50 shots (50 percent) while only making 25.9 percent of its 27 three-point attempts. The difference in the game was Troy's ability to get to the free-throw line. The Trojans made 27 of 35 free throws – their second most this season – compared to the Warhawk's 19 made free throws.

ULM (11-16, 6-10) had won its previous five home games and was coming off a big win over Louisiana at home on Thursday. The Warhawks shot it well – 47.3 percent – but couldn't quite match the physicality of Troy.

The Trojans came out of the gate shooting the ball well after not having a clean night on offense against Arkansas State on Thursday night. Thanks to a 9-0 run with just under 10 minutes in the first, the Trojans were able to build a comfortable 49-33 lead at the break. Christyon Eugene had 14 first-half points and Tayton Conerway added 10 points in the first 20 minutes.

The Warhawks went 1-7 from distance leading up to halftime.

The second half wasn't as clean for the Trojan, who started the final 20 minutes really well before ULM battled their way back into the game. Troy jumped out to its biggest lead of the game – 19 – with 17:57 remaining in regulation. The Warhawks used an 8-0 run with 11:34 left to make it a single-digit game.

Even though ULM seemed to have found its rhythm, the Trojans remained resilient and kept the lead for the remainder of the half to seal the victory.

Eugene finished the night with a game-high 21 points. The guard out of Spring, Texas continues his elite offensive play this season and has now scored in double-figures in 24 of 29 games. He has also put together a 20-point performance in eight games.

Myles Rigsby once again showed why he is one of the best players in the conference, as he scored 19 points and made 12-14 free throws. The freshman has scored in double-figures in ten straight games and is now averaging 11.7 points, good for second on the team.

Also scoring in double-figures for the Trojans was Thomas Dowd with 14 points – his highest-scoring game since Nov. 10 against Oregon State – and Conerway with 12. Randarius Jones, a native of Monroe, scored nine points on 3-4 shooting.

Built Different
The Trojan defense once again created havoc on the court, as it forced ULM into 18 turnovers. Troy registered an impressive 13 steals, with Rigsby having four and Conerway with three. The Trojans entered Saturday averaging 9.9 steals per game, which is first in the Sun Belt and 10^th nationally.

Troy also dished out 16 assists – its most since Jan. 13 against Southern Miss. Conerway had a team-high six assists, while Eugene and Victor Valdes each had four.

The paint battle also went to the Trojans, who outscored the Warhawks 32-30 under the basket.

Thoughts From Coach
Head coach Scott Cross gave his thoughts following the win:

"We knew ULM was going to fight. They play hard. They have some good players. They do a great job on the boards. It was senior night, so we knew it wasn't going to be easy. I do think we got lackadaisical mentally with a couple of possessions in the second half to let them back into it…We knew it was going to be a battle and I'm thankful that our guys figured out how to finish the job."

Up Next
The Trojans enter the final week of the season in sole possession of third place in the Sun Belt standings. Troy will face off against Louisiana on Wednesday night in Lafayette before heading to San Marcos to take on Texas State on Friday in its regular season finale. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Troy Sports Radio Network. Live stats will also be available on Troystats.com.

Game 29 Notes
• Chrsityon Eugene scored a game-high 21 points. It's his 24th game this season in double-figures and eighth game with 20 or more points.
• Myles Rigsby scored 19 points and has now scored in double-figures in ten straight games.
• Thomas Dowd – 14 points – had his best offensive showing since Nov. 10 at Oregon State (22 points).
• Troy's 27 made free throws are its most since they made 28 against Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 21.
• The Trojans move to 8-0 (5-0 SBC) when shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Troy was 25-50 (50 percent) from the field on Saturday afternoon.
• Troy has yet to lose a conference game this season when scoring 80 or more points.
• The Trojans are now one win shy of being the only team in the Sun Belt to have 20 or more wins in each of the last three seasons. Troy is also the only team in the conference with double-figure conference wins in each of the last three seasons.
• Troy is now 16-11 all-time against ULM and has won four consecutive games against the Warhawks.