Troy University Athletics
Troy University
2-0,0-0Sun Belt
Furman
0-2,0-0SoCon
Campbell Drops 21 to Lead Troy Past Furman, 64-61
11/7/2025 11:25:00 PM | Basketball (M)
Greenville, S.C. – Cooper Campbell led the way with 21 points on 61 percent shooting as Troy spoiled Furman's home opener, 64-61, Friday night inside Timmons Arena.
Troy (2-0) found itself in another tight finish to open the season, tied at 55 with under four minutes to play. The Trojans rattled off seven straight points, including a clutch three from Victor Valdes, to seal the victory.
The Trojans came out firing on all cylinders defensively, holding Furman scoreless for the first five minutes of the game and jumping out to a 15-3 lead at the 13:35 mark of the first half.
The run was capped off with one of Cooper Campbell's five three-pointers on the night.
Furman (0-2) responded with a 9-3 stretch to cut into the deficit, but every Paladin push was met with an answer from Troy, which took a 36-23 lead into the halftime break.
The second half opened with a statement dunk from Thomas Dowd that sent the Trojan bench into a frenzy. Dowd finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and three blocks.
Furman, which outscored Troy by 10 in the second half, began to apply pressure midway through the frame. An Eddrin Bronson three cut the lead to four with 11:25 to play amid a five-minute Trojan scoring drought.
An Austin Cross triple broke the cold spell, but the Paladins again closed the gap to two at the final media timeout.
With just over a minute left, Campbell jumped a Furman outlet pass for a steal and finished a layup in transition. Valdes then buried the dagger three-pointer moments later, helping Troy improve to 2-0 for the second straight season.
Quotable – Head Coach Scott Cross
"First of all, thank the good Lord for this victory. What a hard-fought game it was. I think this might be the most poised basketball team I've ever coached in my career. They don't get rattled, they're confident, they're connected. Furman is a great basketball team. They're an NCAA Tournament caliber team and we came in here and found a way to grit the game out."
Forward Thomas Dowd on the win:
"This is the most mentally tough team we've had in my three years I've been here. We've had two really close games in harsh environments on the road. We were able to stay poised, run through our actions, hit big shots and come out with a win."
Notables
- The Trojans have played from the lead for the majority of their first two games this season. After trailing for just four minutes on Monday night at Kent State, the Trojans held the lead for the entirety of the game tonight.
- Cooper Campbell's 21 points were a career high.
- Campell capped off a dominate first week of the season, finishing the two games with 20.0 ppg, 5.5 apg, and 5.5 rbg. The sophomore guard has shot 57.1% from three-point range and 60.9% from the field. The two Troy wins this season have come against top teams within their respective conferences. Furman was picked second in the Southern Conference preseason poll, while Kent State was tabbed to finish third.
- Thomas Dowd was a presence on the defensive end of the floor, setting a career-high with three blocks.
- Kerrington Kiel also stuffed the stat sheet on defense; his three steals were the high mark for his career.
- Austin Cross doubled up his three points at Kent State, finishing with six, good for a career best.
- Tonight marked the first-ever meeting between the two teams, with Troy now leading the all-time series, 1-0.
Up Next
Troy hosts NCCAA Pensacola Christian on Tuesday, Nov. 11, in its home opener inside Trojan Arena. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. for the Military Appreciation Game, and the first 300 students in attendance will receive a military-themed Troy basketball t-shirt.
