Troy Faces Sun Belt Foe ULM in WNIT Great 8

TROY, Ala. – It's no April Fool's joke that the Troy women's basketball team is riding high after advancing to its first-ever Great 8 WNIT round with a win over North Carolina A&T. And it's no April Fool's joke that the Trojans host Sun Belt foe ULM in Trojan Arena on Monday, April 1, at 6 p.m. for a chance at the Fab 4.

After two nonconference postseason matchups, the Trojans (21-11, 15-3 SBC) return to Sun Belt play in the WNIT with a third matchup against the Warhawks (21-13, 10-8 SBC), who take on their second straight SBC opponent.

Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (21-11, 15-3 SBC) vs ULM (21-13, 10-8 SBC)
When: Monday, April 1 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com

Sliding Through the Super 16
Troy women's basketball continues to make history, winning its first postseason game over FIU, 92-62, last Monday and advancing to its first-ever Great 8 with a victory on Friday against North Carolina A&T, 89-75. Makayia Hallmon led the charge on a 21-point performance on 8-of-14 shooting.

The Trojans took a CAA team that ranked third in opposing field goal percentage (35.3) and 17^th in scoring defense (55.8) throughout the nation and flipped it on its head. Instead, Troy shot 48.6 percent and scored 89 points behind four double-digit scorers: Hallmon (21), Tai'Sheka Porchia (15), Ja'Mia Hollings (14) and Leilani Guion (13).

Through two games of postseason play, the Trojans have dominated with a plus-22 win margin, scoring 90.5 points while limiting opponents to 68.5. They've done this while shooting efficiently at 50.7 in the field, 42.9 from deep and 72 at the charity stripe. Hollings averaged a double-double through the first two games as the leading scorer (22) and rebounder (10).

Monday night marks the third Troy-ULM matchup after a regular-season sweep extended Troy's win streak over ULM to 12. Nia Daniel led the charge through game one with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting at the line. Meanwhile, game two saw three double-doubles from Porchia (20 points, 14 rebounds), Hollings (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Daniel (17 points, 12 rebounds) on senior day.

Familiar Foes
ULM can't get away from Sun Belt opponents in postseason play as Monday marks back-to-back matchups after defeating Southern Miss on Wednesday, 84-71. For the second straight game, Jakayla Johnson hit 30-plus points with 31 on 11 made field goals and nine free throws – victory marked a three-game sweep for the Warhawks over USM.

Through Sun Belt play, the Warhawks ranked fifth in scoring offense and field goal percentage, averaging 72.1 points and shooting 40.9 from the field. ULM also sat third in the league for 3-point field goals at 7.7 behind Lauren Gross (2.2) and Daisha Bradford (2.2), who ranked in the top 10 individually.

Postseason Numbers
• Troy claimed its eighth 20-plus win season in head coach Chanda Rigby's career and the first since the program won the SBC Tournament in 2021-22 at 24-9, 13-2 SBC.
• The win over FIU last Monday marked the first-ever postseason victory through eight appearances in program history.
• Monday also marks the third meeting between Troy and ULM in 2023-24, with Troy claiming victory in both. Nia Daniel (22) and Tai'Sheka Porchia (20.5) led the Trojans in those matchups, averaging 20-plus points. Both games saw Troy obliterate the Warhawks 122-69 in the rebound game for a plus-26.5 margin.
• Troy sits second in the nation and SBC for rebounding, sitting .02 behind Sun Belt rival James Madison at 47.47 – ranked ninth nationally in defensive (30.5) and second offensively (17).
• 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) – marked 14^th double-double in 2023-24 and 23^rd in her career.
• 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).
• With 11 points, Hollings scored in double-figures for her 18^th consecutive game – includes 13 15-plus games, four 20-plus and one 30-plus performance.
• Hallmon received All-Sun Belt Third Team honors for her third straight SBC nod, joining Tai'Sheka Porchia (First Team) and Ja'Mia Hollings (Second Team). The trio brought head coach Chanda Rigby's numbers to 26 for all-conference selections, and Porchia became her ninth first-team selection. Hallmon, Porchia and Hollings have combined for 2,693 points, 1,269 rebounds, 226 assists, 253 steals, 92 blocks and 40 double-doubles through 212 games (168 starts).
• Porchia continues to lead the conference in offensive rebounds at 4.1 while ranking 17^th in the nation.
• Through three years at Troy, No. 11 ranks sixth in career field goal percentage (47.9) and sixth for rebounds in a D-I career (635), passing Ashley Beverly Kelly and Alexus Dye against NC A&T.
• Single Season D-I Record Watch: Porchia –-field goal percentage (eighth – 52.8), free throws (eighth – 105), Hollings – most points (10^th – 489), field goals made (eighth – 199), rebounds (fifth – 287), Shaulana Wagner – assists (eighth – 139), assists per game (eight – 4.8).
• Career D-I Record Watch: Porchia – field goal percentage (fourth – 50.4) – also sits eighth all-time –, scoring average (seventh – 13.6), rebound average (ninth – 7.6), Hallmon – scoring average (fifth – 15), free throw percentage (fifth – 78.1) – also sits sixth all-time –, Hollings – field goal percentage (sixth – 47.9), rebounds (sixth – 635).
• After 35 made field goals, the 2023-24 roster set a D-I team record for most field goals made in a single season, converting 999 through 32 games.
• Guion set a career-high in assists with five at North Carolina A&T and set a team-high 3-for-3 from deep.

Troy Faces Sun Belt Foe ULM in WNIT Great 8

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Players Mentioned

Nia Daniel

Leilani Guion

Makayia Hallmon

Ja'Mia Hollings

Tai'Sheka Porchia

Shaulana Wagner

Troy University Athletics