Troy University Athletics
Saturday, January 4
Troy, Ala.
3:33 p.m.
Troy University
vs
Marshall
Troy Remains in Trojan Arena to Face Defending Sun Belt Champs Marshall
1/3/2025 4:36:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – After surviving Coastal Carolina in an overtime thriller on Thursday, the Troy women's basketball program prepares for the defending regular season and tournament champions of the Sun Belt Conference: Marshall. The top two teams from 2023-24 matchup on Saturday at 3:33 p.m. in Trojan Arena.
The long-awaited matchup between the Trojans (7-7, 1-1 SBC) and Thundering Herd (5-8, 0-2 SBC) after last season's void comes into fruition as the pair meet for the second time in program history. Troy won the previous meeting on the road in 2023, 87-77.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (7-7, 1-1 SBC) vs. Marshall (5-8, 0-2 SBC)
When: Saturday, Jan. 4 – 3:33 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Overtime Thriller
Down three with 2:25 remaining, the Trojans clutched up with a pair of offensive rebounds before Brianna Jackson put in the tip-in layup, 74-73, at the 7:43 mark. Zay Dyer followed with a bucket inside to reclaim the lead, 75-74. Again, the Trojans found themselves down 77-75 with 1:13 on the clock. However, Troy's defense forced the shot clock violation, allowing Shaulana Wagner to send it to overtime with 0:14 left on a fastbreak layup, 77-77.
The Trojans dominated extra time, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and deep and 83.3 percent at the line while holding Coastal Carolina to 0-of-3 from deep and 3-of-7 from the field to outscore them 15-7 and win 92-84. Briana Peguero strung together a pair of clutch triples and combined with Jackson (4), Ashley Baez (3) and Wagner (2) for Troy's 25th victory in overtime.
For the first time in her career, Leilani Guion finished with 20 points, setting a new career-high on eight made field goals. She joined Dyer with 20-plus points (the first time two Trojans had 20-point performances since Arkansas State on Jan. 27, 2024) as No. 5 tied Jackson and Sky'Lynn Holmes for the fourth-most D-I rebounds in a single game for Troy. The senior forward extended her lead over the conference with her seventh double-double and now averages a double-double on 13.1 points and 10.0 rebounds – her rebound average leads the SBC and ranks 26th nationally.
Wagner unselfishly immortalized herself in the Troy single-game and career record books with a 14-assist performance. Her 14 assists tied Ashley Beverly Kelley and Kira McWaine for the second-most assists by a Trojan in a D-I single game. As No. 13 continues to lead the conference and rank eighth in the country in assists per game (6.4), she also found herself in the top-10 for Troy D-I career history. Through two seasons, Wagner's totaled 239 assists to secure the 10th spot. She sits 43 from surpassing Kylie Morrissy (2005-09 – 281) for ninth.
Defending Champs
The defending Sun Belt Conference Champions are still searching for their first victory in league play, falling to Texas State, 60-49, and Arkansas State, 66-56, by double-digit points. Marshall already eclipsed its total losses in conference play from last season with new head coach Juli Fulks after finishing 2023-24 at 17-1. Shooting has been the issue in both games, as the Thundering Herd has combined to shoot 29 percent from the field and 17.2 percent from deep.
Despite the slow start in SBC play, Marshall remains among the nation's best from behind the arc, sitting 13th in the nation and second in the conference with 9.8 triples per game. Marshall is relentless from deep, averaging 30.8 attempts to sit sixth in the country. The production comes from 2023-24 Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament member Meredith Maier, who ranks fourth in the league in 3-point percentage (38.2) and leads the SBC in makes per game (3.0).
Matchup Numbers
• The Trojans are 1-0 against Marshall all-time, winning the lone matchup 87-77 on Jan. 19, 2023.
• For the second game in 2024-25 and 50th in head coach Chanda Rigby's tenure, the Trojans converted 10-plus triples. Rigby is 44-6 when her team makes double-digit triples.
• Guion erupted in the scoring column in the overtime win against Coastal Carolina, setting a career-high (20) on her 10th game with 10-plus points.
• Wagner's 14 assists marked a career-high and tied her with Ashley Beverly Kelley and Kira McWaine for the second-most assists by a Trojan in a D-I single game.
• Wagner joined the Troy career record book, taking over the 10th spot for total D-I assists at 239. She's 43 from surpassing Kylie Morrissy (2005-09 – 281) for ninth.
• Guion currently sits tied for sixth in Troy D-I history and eighth overall for career 3-point percentage at 35.9 (42-of-117).
• Jamirica Roberson had a career-best performance against Coastal Carolina with seven points.
• Dyer's 25-point, 21-rebound performance marked a Trojans' first 20-20 game since Ja'Mia Hollings had 23 points and 20 rebounds against South Alabama (Jan. 26, 2023).
• Troy improved to 25-16 in overtime games in program history and 2-0 in the 2024-25 season.
• The Trojans shot 66.7 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from deep and 83.3 percent at the charity stripe in overtime to outscore Coastal 15-7.
• Two players ended the night with 20-plus points (Dyer, Guion) for the first time since Arkansas State (Jan. 27, 2024).
• Under head coach Chanda Rigby, the Trojans opened 3-0 at home seven times (2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2024-25) and opened 1-0 in SBC play in Trojan Arena six times (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2024-25). They search for a 4-0 start for the fifth time (2015-16, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2021-22) and a 2-0 start in SBC play for the fifth time (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20)
• Baez finishing with 10-plus points is inevitable as she's recorded 12th games in double-figures.
• "Mo" secured a new career-high in the rebound column as she led the Trojans with 21 at JMU – her previous career-high was 12 against Arkansas.
• Jackson's 11-point, 12-rebound stat line secured her third straight double-double. In all three games, she's had more rebounds than points.
• Dyer and Jackson went back-to-back with 21-rebound performances to tie Sky'Lynn Holmes for the fourth-most rebounds in a single game at the Division-I level.
• Dyer leads the SBC in double-doubles with seven – she also ranks 13th in the nation. She also holds the top spot in rebounds at 10.0 and ranks 26th nationally.
• Wagner leads the league in assists per game (6.4) and total assists (89) while ranking 8th and 9th in the nation, respectively.
• Through the opening 14 games, Troy remains a premiere SBC team in rebounding, leading the pack with 49.86 per game – Troy ranks third nationally.
• In 10 of the last 14 games, Wagner's finished with 5-plus assists. She's collected 5-plus assists 25 times in her Troy career.
• Baez has swiped multiple steals in 7-of-14 games in 2024-25, including 21 in the last 10 games.
• No. 13 has led Troy in scoring and/or assists in all 14 games in 2024-25.
• Wagner became the first D-I player in Troy women's basketball history to record a triple-double on 12 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. She's one of 11 players in the country and the lone SBC player to record a triple-double in 2024-25.
• Wagner earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week two weeks ago with her historic triple-double, becoming the first Trojan of 2024-25 and the first since Ja'Mia Hollings on Feb. 20, 2024.
• Wagner swept the nonconference tournaments with all-tournament recognition, averaging 16 points, 6.5 assists and six rebounds at Cherokee.
• Last season, the Trojans ranked in the top two within the conference for assist/turnover ratio (1st– 1.09), rebounds (1st – 47.88), scoring (2nd – 80.9), defensive and offensive rebounds (2nd – 30.8, 17.1), rebound margin (2nd – 7.8) and assists (2nd – 15.4) – also led the nation in rebounding.
• The victory marked head coach Chanda Rigby and the Trojans' first victory over the Razorbacks, entering 0-1. It also marks the third win over an SEC opponent in Rigby's tenure – she's 3-23 overall. The last win came against Mississippi State, 73-66, on Dec. 18.
• Troy ends the nonconference slate at 6-6, going 3-1 in tournament play.
• Wagner swept the nonconference tournaments with a 2024 Cherokee Tournament All-Tournament team selection on 16 points, six rebounds and 6.5 assists.
• The Trojans became the first Sun Belt Conference team to win the Great Alaska Shootout and 41st in their first nonconference tournament of 2024-25.
• Troy ended with 28 steals on Oakwood for the most since Georgia State (20) on Jan. 7, 2022. The Trojans scored 46 points off those turnovers. The 28 steals were just four shy of Troy's D-I single-game record.
• For the first time since ULM on Feb. 1, 2024, the Trojans finished with 30-plus offensive rebounds (31) against Mississippi Valley State.
• Wagner earned the Most Outstanding Player of the Great Alaska Tournament by scoring 12.5 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
• Dyer got the Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament team nod with 13.5 points, 10 rebounds, one block and two assists.
• A 20-point comeback over Alaska-Anchorage marked the first time the Trojans overcame a 20-plus point deficit since Jackson State on Dec. 20, 2021. That day, the Trojans trailed by 24 and won 99-82.
• Grace Daniels became the newest member of the Trojans, being hired as the new assistant coach to pair alongside Stephanie Murphy on Oct. 26.
• 2023-24 saw the Trojans break the program record for most field goals made in a single season at 1,060 – they also broke the record for points (2,749) and field goal attempts (2,528).
• The 2024-25 roster contains zero underclassmen, with seven as seniors and five as juniors.
The long-awaited matchup between the Trojans (7-7, 1-1 SBC) and Thundering Herd (5-8, 0-2 SBC) after last season's void comes into fruition as the pair meet for the second time in program history. Troy won the previous meeting on the road in 2023, 87-77.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena
The Matchup: Troy (7-7, 1-1 SBC) vs. Marshall (5-8, 0-2 SBC)
When: Saturday, Jan. 4 – 3:33 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Overtime Thriller
Down three with 2:25 remaining, the Trojans clutched up with a pair of offensive rebounds before Brianna Jackson put in the tip-in layup, 74-73, at the 7:43 mark. Zay Dyer followed with a bucket inside to reclaim the lead, 75-74. Again, the Trojans found themselves down 77-75 with 1:13 on the clock. However, Troy's defense forced the shot clock violation, allowing Shaulana Wagner to send it to overtime with 0:14 left on a fastbreak layup, 77-77.
The Trojans dominated extra time, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and deep and 83.3 percent at the line while holding Coastal Carolina to 0-of-3 from deep and 3-of-7 from the field to outscore them 15-7 and win 92-84. Briana Peguero strung together a pair of clutch triples and combined with Jackson (4), Ashley Baez (3) and Wagner (2) for Troy's 25th victory in overtime.
For the first time in her career, Leilani Guion finished with 20 points, setting a new career-high on eight made field goals. She joined Dyer with 20-plus points (the first time two Trojans had 20-point performances since Arkansas State on Jan. 27, 2024) as No. 5 tied Jackson and Sky'Lynn Holmes for the fourth-most D-I rebounds in a single game for Troy. The senior forward extended her lead over the conference with her seventh double-double and now averages a double-double on 13.1 points and 10.0 rebounds – her rebound average leads the SBC and ranks 26th nationally.
Wagner unselfishly immortalized herself in the Troy single-game and career record books with a 14-assist performance. Her 14 assists tied Ashley Beverly Kelley and Kira McWaine for the second-most assists by a Trojan in a D-I single game. As No. 13 continues to lead the conference and rank eighth in the country in assists per game (6.4), she also found herself in the top-10 for Troy D-I career history. Through two seasons, Wagner's totaled 239 assists to secure the 10th spot. She sits 43 from surpassing Kylie Morrissy (2005-09 – 281) for ninth.
Defending Champs
The defending Sun Belt Conference Champions are still searching for their first victory in league play, falling to Texas State, 60-49, and Arkansas State, 66-56, by double-digit points. Marshall already eclipsed its total losses in conference play from last season with new head coach Juli Fulks after finishing 2023-24 at 17-1. Shooting has been the issue in both games, as the Thundering Herd has combined to shoot 29 percent from the field and 17.2 percent from deep.
Despite the slow start in SBC play, Marshall remains among the nation's best from behind the arc, sitting 13th in the nation and second in the conference with 9.8 triples per game. Marshall is relentless from deep, averaging 30.8 attempts to sit sixth in the country. The production comes from 2023-24 Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament member Meredith Maier, who ranks fourth in the league in 3-point percentage (38.2) and leads the SBC in makes per game (3.0).
Matchup Numbers
• The Trojans are 1-0 against Marshall all-time, winning the lone matchup 87-77 on Jan. 19, 2023.
• For the second game in 2024-25 and 50th in head coach Chanda Rigby's tenure, the Trojans converted 10-plus triples. Rigby is 44-6 when her team makes double-digit triples.
• Guion erupted in the scoring column in the overtime win against Coastal Carolina, setting a career-high (20) on her 10th game with 10-plus points.
• Wagner's 14 assists marked a career-high and tied her with Ashley Beverly Kelley and Kira McWaine for the second-most assists by a Trojan in a D-I single game.
• Wagner joined the Troy career record book, taking over the 10th spot for total D-I assists at 239. She's 43 from surpassing Kylie Morrissy (2005-09 – 281) for ninth.
• Guion currently sits tied for sixth in Troy D-I history and eighth overall for career 3-point percentage at 35.9 (42-of-117).
• Jamirica Roberson had a career-best performance against Coastal Carolina with seven points.
• Dyer's 25-point, 21-rebound performance marked a Trojans' first 20-20 game since Ja'Mia Hollings had 23 points and 20 rebounds against South Alabama (Jan. 26, 2023).
• Troy improved to 25-16 in overtime games in program history and 2-0 in the 2024-25 season.
• The Trojans shot 66.7 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from deep and 83.3 percent at the charity stripe in overtime to outscore Coastal 15-7.
• Two players ended the night with 20-plus points (Dyer, Guion) for the first time since Arkansas State (Jan. 27, 2024).
• Under head coach Chanda Rigby, the Trojans opened 3-0 at home seven times (2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2024-25) and opened 1-0 in SBC play in Trojan Arena six times (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2024-25). They search for a 4-0 start for the fifth time (2015-16, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2021-22) and a 2-0 start in SBC play for the fifth time (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20)
• Baez finishing with 10-plus points is inevitable as she's recorded 12th games in double-figures.
• "Mo" secured a new career-high in the rebound column as she led the Trojans with 21 at JMU – her previous career-high was 12 against Arkansas.
• Jackson's 11-point, 12-rebound stat line secured her third straight double-double. In all three games, she's had more rebounds than points.
• Dyer and Jackson went back-to-back with 21-rebound performances to tie Sky'Lynn Holmes for the fourth-most rebounds in a single game at the Division-I level.
• Dyer leads the SBC in double-doubles with seven – she also ranks 13th in the nation. She also holds the top spot in rebounds at 10.0 and ranks 26th nationally.
• Wagner leads the league in assists per game (6.4) and total assists (89) while ranking 8th and 9th in the nation, respectively.
• Through the opening 14 games, Troy remains a premiere SBC team in rebounding, leading the pack with 49.86 per game – Troy ranks third nationally.
• In 10 of the last 14 games, Wagner's finished with 5-plus assists. She's collected 5-plus assists 25 times in her Troy career.
• Baez has swiped multiple steals in 7-of-14 games in 2024-25, including 21 in the last 10 games.
• No. 13 has led Troy in scoring and/or assists in all 14 games in 2024-25.
• Wagner became the first D-I player in Troy women's basketball history to record a triple-double on 12 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. She's one of 11 players in the country and the lone SBC player to record a triple-double in 2024-25.
• Wagner earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week two weeks ago with her historic triple-double, becoming the first Trojan of 2024-25 and the first since Ja'Mia Hollings on Feb. 20, 2024.
• Wagner swept the nonconference tournaments with all-tournament recognition, averaging 16 points, 6.5 assists and six rebounds at Cherokee.
• Last season, the Trojans ranked in the top two within the conference for assist/turnover ratio (1st– 1.09), rebounds (1st – 47.88), scoring (2nd – 80.9), defensive and offensive rebounds (2nd – 30.8, 17.1), rebound margin (2nd – 7.8) and assists (2nd – 15.4) – also led the nation in rebounding.
• The victory marked head coach Chanda Rigby and the Trojans' first victory over the Razorbacks, entering 0-1. It also marks the third win over an SEC opponent in Rigby's tenure – she's 3-23 overall. The last win came against Mississippi State, 73-66, on Dec. 18.
• Troy ends the nonconference slate at 6-6, going 3-1 in tournament play.
• Wagner swept the nonconference tournaments with a 2024 Cherokee Tournament All-Tournament team selection on 16 points, six rebounds and 6.5 assists.
• The Trojans became the first Sun Belt Conference team to win the Great Alaska Shootout and 41st in their first nonconference tournament of 2024-25.
• Troy ended with 28 steals on Oakwood for the most since Georgia State (20) on Jan. 7, 2022. The Trojans scored 46 points off those turnovers. The 28 steals were just four shy of Troy's D-I single-game record.
• For the first time since ULM on Feb. 1, 2024, the Trojans finished with 30-plus offensive rebounds (31) against Mississippi Valley State.
• Wagner earned the Most Outstanding Player of the Great Alaska Tournament by scoring 12.5 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
• Dyer got the Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament team nod with 13.5 points, 10 rebounds, one block and two assists.
• A 20-point comeback over Alaska-Anchorage marked the first time the Trojans overcame a 20-plus point deficit since Jackson State on Dec. 20, 2021. That day, the Trojans trailed by 24 and won 99-82.
• Grace Daniels became the newest member of the Trojans, being hired as the new assistant coach to pair alongside Stephanie Murphy on Oct. 26.
• 2023-24 saw the Trojans break the program record for most field goals made in a single season at 1,060 – they also broke the record for points (2,749) and field goal attempts (2,528).
• The 2024-25 roster contains zero underclassmen, with seven as seniors and five as juniors.
Players Mentioned
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