Women’s Basketball Opens SBC Tournament Run Against No. 7 Louisiana

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Step one on the journey to a Sun Belt Conference Tournament title occurs Friday at 7:30 p.m. for No. 2 Troy women's basketball in the Bay Center with a quarterfinal matchup against No. 7 Louisiana.

A seven-game win streak for the Trojans (19-10, 15-3 SBC) secured a double-bye for the eighth straight season as a top-four seed. Meanwhile, the Ragin' Cajuns (16-13, 10-8 SBC) won six of their last seven regular season games before sending No. 10 Arkansas State home in the second round.

Game Information
Location: Pensacola, Fla. – Bay Center
The Matchup: No. 2 Troy (19-10, 15-3 SBC) vs. No. 7 Louisiana (16-13, 10-8 SBC)
When: Friday, March 8 – 7:30 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com

Double-Bye
One week since Troy ended its regular season on a seventh straight victory over in-state rival South Alabama, 108-71, the team looks to redeem last season's Sun Belt Tournament run with its fourth title in the previous eight seasons.

Last Friday's game against South saw the Trojans erupt from beyond the arc, setting season highs in 3-pointers made (11) and 3-point percentage at 47.8 (11-of-23) for their second straight 100-plus point game. Makayia Hallmon led in scoring with 21, while Leilani Guion came off the bench for 18 points in 16 minutes on 7-of-9 from the field.

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 2,553 points, 1,300 rebounds, 215 assists, 187 steals, 86 blocks and 37 double-doubles through 203 games (159 starts).

Friday marks the third matchup between Louisiana and Troy after the first saw Troy's largest victory over a Sun Belt opponent, 90-44. At the same time, the second saw Nia Daniel turn into a hero with 23 points on 10-of-18 from the field and seven rebounds. Porchia also produced 11 of her 19 points in the second half to complete the comeback, 65-57.

Second Round Winner
Louisiana dominated Arkansas State defensively to survive the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament on Wednesday night, 54-41, holding the Red Wolves to 30 percent from the field and fewer than 10 points in each of the first three quarters. Tamara Johnson stood as the leading scorer with 14 points on 7-of-12 from the field, while Tamiah Robinson hit a career-high 10 rebounds.

The Ragin' Cajuns won six of its last seven for the regular season to jump to the seventh seed in the Sun Belt Conference, falling to South Alabama on Feb. 27, 46-43. Since Sun Belt play started, Jaylyn James led Louisiana in the scoring column with 12.1 points on the 16^th-highest 3-pointers made with 1.7 per game.

As a team, the Ragin' Cajuns have the second-lowest scoring offense with 58.8 points per game on the eighth-best field goal percentage of 40.7. However, the defensive end allows the least points for opposing offenses at 59.6. They also have a plus-1.39 turnover margin to rank fifth.

Quarterfinal Quotables
• 15 conference wins for Troy marks the 10^th straight season with 12-plus SBC victories, the fourth time with 15-plus.
• Porchia continues to lead the conference in offensive rebounds at 4.2 while ranking 13^th in the nation.
• Troy reclaimed its crown as the leading rebound team in the nation and SBC with 47.76 per game – own the third most offensive (17.4) and 10^th most defensive rebounds (30.4) in the country.
• For the eighth straight season, the Trojans finished as a top-four seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, winning three tournament championships and three regular season titles – first-ever No. 2-seed.
• Guion scored 18 points in 16 minutes to set a new career-high on 7-of-9 from the field and three triples against South Alabama.
• Troy set numerous season-highs from behind the arc with 11 made threes on 23 attempts for 47.8 percent shooting – went 5-of-7 from deep in the fourth against South Alabama.
• The Trojans scored 64 points in the second half against South Alabama for their first 60-plus point half since LaGrange on Dec. 14, 2022 – finished with 114 points.
• For the first time in head coach Chanda Rigby's career, the Trojans scored back-to-back 100-plus point games – App State (103), South Alabama (108) – improved her record to 31-3.
• The Trojans are 3-1 in the postseason against Louisiana and 5-7 in the SBC quarterfinals.
• On 175 free throw attempts, Hallmon converted 138 to sit fifth for Troy all-time and D-I history for career free throw percentage (78.9).
• Porchia sits fourth in career field goal percentage at 50.2, seventh in scoring average at 13.8 and ninth in rebound average at 7.6 for Troy D-I history – her field goal percentage also sits eighth all-time.
• Hollings surpassed Donette McNair with 255 rebounds to enter the top 10 for rebounds in a single season – sits 33 from jumping to fifth over Alexus Dye (278 – 2019-20).
• If the season ended today, Porchia would have shot the eighth-best field goal percentage in Troy D-I history for a single season at 52.5.
• 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 2,553 points, 1,300 rebounds, 215 assists, 187 steals, 86 blocks and 37 double-doubles through 203 games (159 starts).

Women’s Basketball Opens SBC Tournament Run Against No. 7 Louisiana

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Players Mentioned

Nia Daniel

Leilani Guion

Makayia Hallmon

Ja'Mia Hollings

Tai'Sheka Porchia

Troy University Athletics