Troy Controls South Alabama for Fifth Straight Win

Thursday, January 16

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

11-7,5-1Sun Belt

South Alabama

4-13,0-6Sun Belt

South Alabama

Troy

Troy Controls South Alabama for Fifth Straight Win

1/16/2025 9:50:00 PM | Basketball (W)

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Troy women's basketball led the entirety of Thursday night's battle in Trojan Arena against in-state rival South Alabama for its fifth straight league victory, 99-60.

With losses for Louisiana and App State yesterday, the Trojans (11-7, 5-1 SBC) sit in a three-way tie for the second seed, keeping the Jaguars (4-13, 0-6 SBC) winless in Sun Belt Conference play. The victory extends Troy's dominance in the rivalry, winning 20 of its last 26 meetings.

Troy's shooting left no doubt as it went for season-highs in free throw percentage (90 percent) and 3-point percentage (50 percent) while adding in 45.9 percent from the field. Three Trojans, Ashley Baez (4), Emani Jenkins (4) and Briana Peguero (3), ended with multiple triples as they hit 13 from behind the arc – the most since Texas State (13) on Feb. 28, 2019. The bench scored 46.5 percent of Troy's points, as every member who checked in ended with a bucket. Defensively, Troy left no doubt, forcing South Alabama to shoot 29.9 percent from the field, 23.5 percent from deep and 69.6 percent at the line with 21 turnovers.

Jenkins set a new career-high in points as she led Troy in scoring with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and a career-high four triples (4-of-6). She also ended the night as Troy's top rebounder with nine. Baez tied her with a 19-point performance and eight rebounds, shooting 4-of-6 from deep. The final member of the guard trio was Peguero, who stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points on three triples and a team-high five assists and four steals.

South Alabama forced Troy into 19 turnovers but only managed 14 points off them as it continued its league-low shooting. The Jaguars shot under 25 percent in the second and third quarters, combining for 8-of-36 from the field. Rachel Leggett shined for USA with 18 points, two steals and six rebounds as she shot 8-of-15. Daniela Gonzalez finished with a double-double on 14 points and 10 rebounds, but a 4-of-15 shooting performance couldn't keep USA in the ballgame.

No Doubt
After a hot start by the Trojans, South Alabama trimmed the margin to two, 11-9, with 5:32 remaining on a fastbreak jumper by Michiyah Simmons. From that moment, it was all Troy as Zay Dyer took the pass from Leilani Guion and converted the layup, 13-9. The Bucket opened a 14-0 run for Troy that ended with Dyer, 25-9, as she tipped in the layup off a Troy miss at the 7:31 mark.

Troy didn't allow South Alabama to come within 15 for the rest of the quarter when Amyria Walker made a pair at the line, 32-17, with under a minute remaining. However, Adriana Jones got the final say of the first as Emma Imevbore found her open from deep, 35-17.

Quarter No. 2 saw balanced scoring, but the Trojans found their first 20-point advantage on the opening possession when Baez drilled two at the line, 37-17. A four-point swing for Peguero with 2:14 left in the half allowed Troy, 50-28, to head into the locker room with a 22-point advantage.

The Trojans outdid USA in all efforts for a second-half comeback as Walker and Leggett hit a pair of jumpers. Troy's backcourt in Peguero and Baez responded with a pair of triples in the opening 1:11 to hold a 56-32 lead. South brought the margin down to 21, 60-39, at the 3:44 mark on a pair of free throws for Tara Green. However, the Trojans ended it before the final quarter began, outscoring USA 15-3 in the final 6:16 with buckets from Baez (2), Peguero (3), Jenkins (3), Dyer (2), Fortuna Ngnawo (1) and Jamirica Roberson (4) for a 75-42 lead.

Baez and Peguero went back-to-back from deep again before the 1:38 mark to hold a 38-point advantage, 82-44, and continued Troy's onslaught. The Jaguars rallied behind a triple by Gonzalez for a 32-point deficit, 87-55, with 5:10 remaining. But a four-point run for Jones and an and-one by Imevbore at the 7:19 mark ballooned it back to 39, 94-55. Troy hit its largest lead of 40, 97-57, on a triple by Jenkins and finished with a 39-point victory, 99-60, over South Alabama.

Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"This is a story worth following with how this team in advancing and playing. It was special that we shot 50 percent from the 3-point. Teams have allowed us to take that shot, and rightfully so with how we've shot. But we took advantage and have put in the work in the gym to get better at it. And it showed tonight. I'm overall very pleased and even more proud that two of our wing guards neared double-doubles in Ashley and Emani. Shoutout to Ashley again and Briana for them being dogs on the defensive end. They took care of what they needed to on that end, and it allowed them to score on the other. I give credit to South Alabama. They are going through some growing pains, but they played us hard. Louisiana is next for us, and the Cajuns are the hardest team for us to play. We need a great crowd on Saturday. We need that sixth man in the stands."

Redemption
Next, the Trojans welcome the team that sent them home from the Sun Belt Conference Tournament last season, Louisiana, on Saturday at 3:33 p.m. in Trojan Arena.

Alabama State Numbers
• The Trojans open their homestand at 5-0 for the fourth time (2016-17, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2024-25) in head coach Chanda Rigby's tenure. They also start 3-0 in SBC play for the third time (2016-17, 2018-19, 2024-25).
• Three Trojans ended with 3-plus makes from deep via Peguero (3-of-7), Baez (4-of-6) and Jenkins (4-of-6).
• Jenkins eclipsed her career-high of 11 set at Alabama with a 19-point performance on 7-of-11 shooting and four triples.
• Troy ended with 13 triples for the most since Texas State (13) on Feb. 28, 2019. With the win, Troy is 45-6 when hitting 10-plus triples under Rigby. The 13 triples also marked the 10^th time under Rigby that the program hit 13-plus triples – the Trojans are 10-0 with that feat.
• Baez tied to lead the team in scoring with 19 points on 6-of-13 from the field. She's ended in double-figures in 15-of-18 games and led Troy in scoring five.
• Troy shot a season-high from the charity stripe, going 18-of-20 for 90 percent – Troy also set a season-high from deep, shooting 13-of-26 (50 percent).
• Troy's five-game win streak has seen it shoot higher than 40 percent, win the rebound battle, score more than 80 points and hold the opposition below 40 percent.