Troy University Athletics
Troy University
UAB
Troy Readies for Nationally Televised Showdown at UAB
12/13/2025 10:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. - Troy men's basketball returns to the court following a week-long break on Sunday, heading north to Birmingham for a nationally televised matchup with UAB. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m., with the game airing live on ESPN2.
Troy is coming off a 101-47 win over LaGrange on Dec. 6. The Trojans scored 60 first half points in the win, the most points scored in the opening 20 minutes by a Troy team since Nov. 23, 2022, when it scored 66 against Southern-New Orleans.
Redshirt freshman Evan Griffin led the Trojans in scoring with 14 points, while adding seven rebounds. True freshmen Emmanuel Clarton and Javen Colbert both impressed in their first career starts – scoring 11 and nine points, respectively.
Sunday marks Troy's final game before Sun Belt play begins on Dec. 20 at home against Marshall. The Trojans will play one additional non-conference game on Feb. 7 as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge, with the opponent still to be announced
Troy holds a 1-12 record all-time against UAB.
Game Information
Location: Birmingham, Ala. - Bartow Arena (8,500)
The Matchup: Troy vs. UAB
When: Sunday, December 14 – 2 p.m. CT
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: Troy Sports Media Network
Triple Digits
Troy has reached the 100 point mark in five of its 11 games this season, with the Trojans 4-1 in those games. The only loss came at USC on Nov. 20, a 106-107 loss in triple overtime. Troy's five games of 100-plus points lead the country, with seven teams achieving the feat on four occasions. The five games is fifth in Troy's Division I history, with the Trojans reaching the century mark 12 times during the 1993-94 season.
A Winning Saturday
Troy won its second home game of the season on Dec. 6, taking down LaGrange 101-47. LaGrange's 47 points were the fewest scored by a Troy opponent since the Trojans held Reindhart to 46 points on Nov. 14, 2023.
All 11 players who entered the game for Troy scored at least three points, while Kam Mitchell notched his first bucket of the season - a 3-pointer in the first half. Evan Griffin scored 14 points while adding seven rebounds in the redshirt freshman's second-career game.
Scouting UAB
UAB enters Sunday's contest with a 7-3 record, following a win over Drake on Dec. 5. The Blazers have rebounded the ball exceptionally well this season, ranking eighth in the country with 44.3 rebounds per game. Chance Westry leads UAB in scoring at 15.9 points per contest, while Jacob Meyer has averaged 14.7 points. Evan Chatman leads the rebound-heavy squad in boards, pulling in 9.6 per game.
Up Next
The Trojans will begin Sun Belt play, hosting Marshall on Saturday, Dec. 20, with tip-off at 1 p.m. inside Trojan Arena.
Notables
- Scott Cross is in his seventh season at the helm of the Trojans, amassing a 109-92 record during his time at Troy. Over the last four seasons, Troy has won 20-plus games each year including 10-plus Sun Belt contests.
- Troy heads two hours north to Birmingham on Sunday afternoon for a date with the UAB Blazers. The two in-state foes will meet for the first time since the 2020-21 season. The Trojans are looking for their second all-time win against the Blazers, who have taken 12 of the 13 meetings.
- Three Troy players made their first career start on Dec. 6 against LaGrange: senior Jerrell Bellamy and freshmen Emmanuel Clarton and Javen Colbert.
- Thomas Dowd's six double-doubles are tied for fifth-most in the country. He set career highs in both points (25) and rebounds (19) in a win over San Diego State on Nov. 18, with the 19 rebounds currently tied for the seventh-most in a game this season.
- After wrapping up a six-game road trip on Nov. 26, Troy has entered a lengthy in-state stretch that keeps the team within Alabama until its Jan. 7 matchup at Arkansas State. The run includes five home games at Trojan Arena.
- Troy has been excellent at creating havoc on the court this season, ranking 21st nationally and first in the Sun Belt with 10.2 steals per game. The Trojans are forcing 16.4 turnovers a contest, good for 23rd in the nation.
- A multitude of Trojans have led the way so far this season, with Victor Valdes pacing the scoring output at 16.8 points per game. Thomas Dowd has added 15.7 points and a Sun Belt leading 10.8 rebounds per contest. Cooper Campbell has averaged 14.8 points and 4.6 assists.
