Troy University Athletics
Troy University
21-11,15-3Sun Belt
North Carolina A&T
22-12,13-5CAA
Women’s Basketball Advances to ‘Great 8’ Over North Carolina A&T
3/29/2024 10:30:00 PM | Basketball (W)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – In a game of pace at the Corbett Sports Center, the Troy women's basketball program continues to make history by advancing to the 'Great 8' of the WNIT with an 89-75 Super 16 victory Friday night over North Carolina A&T.
The Trojans (21-11, 15-3 SBC) took the Aggies (22-12, 13-5 CAA), a team that averaged 55.8 points allowed, and scored 89 on 48.6 percent shooting for their fifth straight nonconference victory and advanced to the program's first 'Great 8.'
Makayia Hallmon led the way with a 21-point performance on 8-of-14 shooting and three steals. Seniors Tai'Sheka Porchia and Ja'Mia Hollings followed close behind with a 15-point, 8-rebound, and 14-point, 10-rebound game, respectively. Meanwhile, the 'Leilanis' in Leilani Guion (13 points) and Leilani Augmon (four steals) came off the bench to combine for 19 points, nine assists, five steals and four rebounds.
A slow first quarter, where the Aggies shot 27.3 percent, allowed the Trojans to obtain a seven-point advantage to end the first quarter. Despite dominating the points in the paint with 50 of their 75 inside and a pair of double-doubles by Paris Locke off the bench with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Chaniya Clark with 15 points and 10 rebounds, NC A&T couldn't overcome the Trojans.
Push the Pace
North Carolina A&T shot out of the gates for the second quarter to trim the deficit to three, 23-20, off a pair of free throws from Maleia Bracone and a layup for Clark. The next possession had Hollings take the assist from Guion and hit the turnaround jumper to spark the Trojans, 25-20, at the 1:05 mark.
The 3-point game came back to the Trojans after Locke converted the second-chance bucket for A&T, 27-22, with 8:00 remaining. First, Guion drove inside but pulled back and hit from deep, 30-22. Then, after a response by Clark, Shaulana Wagner converted her first triple, 33-24, since Coastal Carolina on Jan. 6.
Once again, Clark responded inside, but at the 4:20 mark of the second, Hallmon got the pass from Porchia after the defensive rebound and pulled up and hit for three for Troy's first double-digit advantage, 36-26.
Hallmon's triple started an 8-0 run that spanned until the 6:08 mark as Guion got the green light from No. 3 and connected for Troy's fourth triple of the quarter, 39-26. Zay Dyer finished the run after Augmon swiped the ball from Clark and found No. 5 on the fast break for the easy lay-in, 41-26, with 3:52 remaining.
Final Push to the Great 8
After controlling most of the third quarter, the momentum shifted to A&T when it outscored the Trojans 11-4 over a 2:36 span to cut the margin to four, 63-59, on a second-chance layup for Clark at the 7:01 mark.
However, the seniors handled business in the final 2:10 when Porchia drove inside for the lay-in, 65-59, followed by a Wagner assist to Hollings for the jumper, 67-59. The final possession of the third saw Troy take complete control when Dyer rejected Laila Acox's shot inside, and Hallmon scored the lay-in as time expired to push the lead back to double-digits, 69-59.
The Aggies didn't go without a fight as they trimmed the deficit again to five after Bracone hit two, 72-66, at the line with 6:03 remaining. Dyer changed the tide back to Troy, 0:10 later when Hallmon found her inside, and she scored, 74-67, to spark a 6-0 run that ended when Hollings converted on the fast break, 78-67, with 4:49 remaining.
A&T cut the deficit back to single digits, 78-69, one last time on an Acox lay-in at the 5:23 mark. But Hallmon hit the dagger from mid-range, using the dribble to create space and hit for the and-one, 81-69, with 4:05 left. Troy matched from there, outscoring A&T 8-6 in the final minutes to advance to the Great 8, 89-75.
Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"I want to thank all the Trojan Fans who watched us tonight. Whether you were in that arena cheering us on or packing Baumhower's Victory Grille in Troy. This was such a tremendous feat and a great night. Today is Good Friday. We took the message that Good Friday didn't start good but ended good as a theme for our team. Our season didn't start great, but we are having good things happen now. I told them that good things will happen as long as we have faith. And we kept believing, and the light shined through. It feels so good to win. I've dreamt about being this far for as long as I've been a D-I coach. I'm beyond thankful for our staff, players and administration because it wouldn't be possible without them."
Great 8
The Trojans host their second WNIT game in Trojan Arena on Monday, April 1, at 6 p.m., when they invite ULM for a third matchup.
Super 16 Numbers
• Wagner chose the right time to start hitting from deep, going 2-of-2 from behind the arch to mark her sixth and seventh make of 2023-24.
• With 11 points, Hollings scored in double-figures for her 18th consecutive game – includes 13 15-plus games, four 20-plus and one 30-plus performance.
• The Trojans controlled every quarter, outscoring the Aggies in each quarter with the largest margin in the first, 23-16.
• Troy continues to hit from deep after a 7-of-16 showing against NC A&T, improving its shooting percentage over the last four games to 47.2 (34-of-72).
• A fifth straight double-double by Hollings (14 points, 10 rebounds) moves No. 11 into sole possession of fifth for most rebounds in a single season (287).
