Troy University Athletics
Troy University
8-5,1-0Sun Belt
Marshall
7-5,0-1Sun Belt
Seng, Valdes Lift Troy Past Marshall in Sun Belt Opener
12/20/2025 5:07:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Troy men's basketball opened its Sun Belt schedule with a 70–63 victory over Marshall on Saturday afternoon.
Troy (8-5) was led by 18 points apiece from Theo Seng and Victor Valdes. Seng scored 13 of his points in the second half, while Valdes added six assists.
Troy won the opening tip for the eighth time this season. Thomas Dowd started the scoring early for the Trojans, scoring the first six Troy points courtesy of two 3-point baskets. Dowd finished the first half with a team-high nine points, all from beyond the arc.
The Trojans led 10-4 at the first media timeout and held as large as an 11-point lead at the 14:08 mark.
Marshall (7-5) fought back, eventually taking the lead 22-21. The Thundering Herd would not lead by more than three in the opening 20 minutes however, as Troy scored five-straight nearing halftime, and ultimately led 36-32 at the break.
Troy opened the second half on a 14–4 run, fueled by 11 points from Theo Seng. Seng caught fire from 3-point range, knocking down triples on three straight possessions and scoring 11 consecutive points.
The Trojans maintained their double-digit lead until the 13:11 mark, as Marshall's Noah Otshudi converted a 3-point basket to cut the lead to nine. Otshudi finished with a game-high 22 points.
The Thundering Herd continued to fight back, and eventually trailed by just two points, 62-60, with under three minutes to play.
Dowd and Valdes responded with baskets, and two free throws from Cooper Campbell put the finishing touches on a 70-63 Troy win.
Quotable – Head Coach Scott Cross
"We knew we were going to have our hands full. It was an ugly game, and we did muck it up, but our guys did what they had to do to come away with the win. Everyone contributed, not just in the game but in practice leading up to today; our preparation was great. It's a huge win. We needed this, and it's great to go into the Christmas holidays with a win."
Notables
- Troy is now 6-1 in Sun Belt openers under Scott Cross.
- Troy has won seven straight games against Sun Belt opponents dating back to last season.
- Victor Valdes has scored 15-plus points in seven games this season, including six of the last eight contests.
- The Trojans played from ahead the majority of the game, leading for 35:24 of game time.
- Troy is now 5-1 in games where it is outrebounded by the opponent.
- Troy's 11 assists were tied for its second fewest this season. The Trojans assisted on 10 baskets in its win over Furman on Nov. 7.
- Troy is now 4-3 all-time against Marshall.
Up Next
Troy will be back in action at home on Dec. 31 for a New Year's Eve showdown with Texas State. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
