Women’s Basketball Plays Texas Southern, Florida Gulf Coast in Resorts World Las Vegas Classic

Thursday, November 27

Las Vegas, Nev.

9:30 p.m.

Troy University

Texas Southern

Women’s Basketball Plays Texas Southern, Florida Gulf Coast in Resorts World Las Vegas Classic

11/26/2025 12:29:00 PM | Basketball (W)

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – The Troy women's basketball program takes its 5-1 record into a two-game showdown at the Resorts World Las Vegas Classic, facing Texas Southern on Thursday, Nov. 27, and Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Resorts World Arena. Both games tip off at 9:30 p.m.

The Resorts World Las Vegas Classic marks the lone in-season tournament for the Trojans (5-1) after a pair in 2024-25, when they won the Great Alaska Shootout and finished third at the Cherokee Tournament. They will meet the Tigers (3-1) for the first time since 2006, when the Trojans claimed a 68-58 win. It's also the third matchup with the Eagles (1-3) as the Trojans look for their first win in the series, down 0-2.

Game Information
Location: Las Vegas, Nev. – Resorts World Arena
Matchup: Troy (5-1) vs. Texas Southern (3-1) / Florida Gulf Coast (1-3)
When: Thursday, November 27 – 9:30 p.m. / Saturday, November 29 – 9:30 p.m.
Watch: Flo Sports
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Stats: troytrojans.com/livestats

Stellar Start Continues
Troy is off to its best start since 2019-20 at 5-1 after surviving a late fourth-quarter comeback from Montana State in Trojan Arena on Monday night. Despite giving up 31 turnovers, the Trojans' shot selection pushed them to victory. Troy shot 70 percent from the floor in quarters two and four to combine for a 59.5 shooting percentage. They also shot 61.5 percent from deep for their first time over 50 percent since Texas State (14-of-28) on Jan. 23, 2025.

Ngnawo continues to stand alone in double-figures in each game for 2025-26, continuing her scoring display from last year. She's scored 10-plus points in 11 of her last 13 games. Zay Dyer is on a similar path with double figures in the scoring column in 18 of her last 19 games. Both players had double-doubles against Montana State, with Dyer having 11 points and 15 rebounds, while Ngnawo had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

In-season tournaments have benefited the Trojans in recent memory, with a 41^st Great Alaska Shootout Championship to their name from 2024-25. Additionally, at the Cherokee Tournament, Troy took down Arkansas for the team's fourth-ever win over an SEC program – the Trojans most recently added Missouri to the list this season. In those tournaments, Dyer averaged 13.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, earning All-Tournament Team at the Great Alaska Shootout. Ashley Baez (10.5) and Ngnawo (13.5) also averaged double-digits for scoring.

Scouting Texas Southern
Texas Southern is off to a 3-1 start with its lone loss coming to then-No. 4 Texas, 111-45. Outside of that loss, the Tigers have beaten their opponents by double figures. Texas Southern leads the Southwestern Athletic Conference in field goal percentage (43.4) and rebounds (49) for 77.8 points per game. Taliyah Logwood tops the Tigers in points (11.5), rebounds (9) and steals (2.5), while shooting 44.1 percent from the field.

Scouting Florida Gulf Coast
The Eagles look to turn their 1-3 start around with their first-year head coach, Raina Harmon. Their lone bright spot statistically is 3-point defense, allowing just 20.7 percent from behind the arc to rank 11^th in the country. Sinai Douglas and Karina Gordon both average double-digits in the scoring column with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Notables
• The Resorts World Las Vegas Classic marks the lone in-season tournament for Troy. In 2024-25, the Trojans went 3-1, winning the Great Alaska Shootout and earning bronze at the Cherokee Tournament.
• Troy is 1-0 in the series with Texas Southern and 0-2 against Florida Gulf Coast. It's the first meeting with the Tigers since 2006 and the first against the Eagles since 2010.
• Troy has the chance to start the season 7-1, for the first time since 1991-92, when the program began 10-1.
• Fortuna Ngnawo claimed her first double-double of 2025-26 with 19 points and 10 rebounds against Montana State – she has seven in her Trojan career.
• Through six games, Troy has yet to have a game decided by single digits, with the smallest margin of victory being 14 against Montana State.
• With the win over Montana State, Troy avenged its third loss from 2024-25 (Toledo, Mississippi Valley State) to take a 2-1 series lead over the Bobcats.
• Through six games, Troy is 6-0 in the rebound battle, averaging a plus-10.2 with 46.5 rebounds per game.
• For the first time since North Dakota State (March 31, 2025), two Trojans recorded double-doubles: Dyer (11 points, 15 rebounds) and Ngnawo (19 points, 10 rebounds).
• Emani Jenkins hit 3-plus triples in her third straight game, having three in the first half – she's made 13 over the last three games.
• Lana Koricanac made her first career triple in the second quarter to mark a season-high in points (3).
• Zay Dyer joined the 1,000-point club against Missouri with 7:01 left in the second quarter on a jumper.
• The 5-1 start for the Trojans marks the best start since 2018-19, when they started 6-1 and finished 22-9 to visit their first-ever WNIT.
• Zay Dyer leads the Sun Belt in defensive rebounds (8.2) and total rebounds (12.5), ranking 15^th and 4th nationally, respectively.
• The Trojans remained at the No. 10 spot in the Mid-Major polls.
• For the sixth straight game, Troy forced 15-plus turnovers, with Montana State committing 18.
• Troy's 3-point game shone in the first half against Missouri as it hit 10 triples from Emani Jenkins (5), Leilani Guion (4) and Zay Dyer (1). They ended with 13 total for the 54^th time with double-digit triples in Rigby's tenure – Troy is 48-6 when hitting 10-plus triples.
• Troy scored 60-plus points in a half for the first time since the first half against Oakwood on Dec. 4, 2024, finishing with 61 against Missouri before halftime.
• Zay Dyer has scored in double-figures in 17 of her last 18 games.
• With the program's first win over Missouri, the program also earned its fifth-ever win over an SEC program. It's the fourth time in Rigby's tenure.
• Two Trojans hit five or more 3-pointers against Missouri as Jenkins tied her career high (6), matching 20 other players for the second-most in Troy Division I history, and Guion added five for a career high.
• Leilani Guion scored a career-high 22 points with a career-high in triples at five.
• Troy ended the game with 100 points, marking the 39^th time in Rigby's tenure that the Trojans scored triple-figures – Rigby is 36-3 when scoring 100-plus points.
• Ashley Baez recorded her first career double-double on 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against Missouri.
• Zay Dyer passed Ja'Mia Hollings (2021-24) for the fourth-most D-I career rebounds at 675 – she is 17 away from passing Caitlyn Ramirez (2014-17) for third in D-I and 10^th all-time.
• Zay Dyer claimed her SBC leading third double-double against Montana State with 11 points and 15 rebounds – she also had two blocks.
• For the sixth straight game to open 2025-26, Fortuna Ngnawo ended the game in double-figures with 19 points against Missouri.
• Fortuna Ngnawo became the first 2025-26 Sun Belt Player of the Week on Nov. 11, averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, four blocks and 1.5 steals in the first two games.
• With Dyer earning Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team honors, Troy has had a first-team preseason selection in four of the last five seasons.
• Troy's 13-player roster features five returners and eight newcomers: Detavia Salter, Saniya Jackson, Shakirah Edwards, Kamesha Moore, Jasmine Timmons, Lana Koricanac, Rachel Leggett and Marianah Achol.
• For the first time since the 2021-22 season, the Trojans' coaching staff remains unchanged with head coach Chanda Rigby, associate head coach Jennifer Graf, and assistant coaches Stephanie Murphy and Grace Daniels returning.
• The five returners accounted for 55.7% of the team's points, 50.3% of rebounds, 53.9% of steals, 40.5% of blocks and 35.1% of assists in 2024-25.
• Troy reached the WNIT Championship game last season, falling to Buffalo after a historic run.
• The Trojans led the nation in rebounds per game (49.05) for the seventh consecutive year and led the Sun Belt in scoring (80.1), blocks (4.7) and assists (15.4).