Troy University Athletics
Wednesday, April 2
Normal, Ill.
6:30 p.m.
Troy University
at
Illinois State
Troy Continues WNIT Run Against Illinois State in Fab 4
4/1/2025 4:52:00 PM | Basketball (W)
NORMAL, Ill. – In its second straight WNIT Fab 4 appearance, Troy women's basketball ventures to the CEFCU Arena for a contest with Illinois State on Wednesday, April 2 – tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
After 90 minutes of play with two straight overtime games in their WNIT run, the Trojans (23-13) prepare for a shot at the WNIT championship game with their first-ever meeting with the Redbirds (24-12).
Game Information
Location: Normal, Ill. – CEFCU Arena
The Matchup: Troy (23-13, 13-5 SBC) vs. Illinois State (24-12, 14-6 The Valley)
When: Wednesday, April 2 – 6:30 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Feeling Fabulous
For the second straight game in the WNIT, the Trojans survived and advanced in overtime to find themselves in a second straight WNIT Fab 4. In the Great 8 round, Troy got a second matchup with North Dakota State, outscoring the opposition 16-7 in extra time to secure the victory. Briana Peguero led the assault all game long with a career-high 22 points on 10 made free throws – her second game with double-digit free throws made.
Five Trojans ended the contest against North Dakota State with double digits in the scoring column via Peguero (22), Shaulana Wagner (18), Zay Dyer (14), Brianna Jackson (14) and Fortuna Ngnawo (12). With Jackson's 14 points, she's finished in double-figures for the fourth straight game and 15th time in the last 18 appearances. Meanwhile, Dyer extended her streak of double-digit performances to 11, dating back to ULM on Feb. 12.
In the three-game WNIT run, five Trojans have finished with 10-plus points in each game, averaging 90 points on 47.2 percent shooting. Dyer has been unstoppable all WNIT long with 18.3 points and 10.7 rebounds on 50 percent shooting, while Wagner's stuffed the stat sheet with 15.3 points, 7.3 assists and four rebounds – Peguero (14.7), Jackson (13) and Ngnawo (11.7) also average double-digit points.
The post play has contributed greatly as Dyer leads the charge, averaging a double-double. However, the battle for the second-most rebounds on the roster during the WNIT run is tied at 9.7 between Ngnawo and Jackson, who combined for 27 rebounds in the victory over North Dakota State. As a unit, the Trojans have dominated the battle at the boards with a plus-15.7 rebound margin.
First Meeting
For the first-time in program history the Trojans and Redbirds will matchup with a shot at the WNIT title game on the line. Illinois State fell in the second round of the Valley Conference Tournament to No. 4-seeded Drake, 75-69, after dominating league play with a 15-5 record for a No. 5 seed.
The first three meetings in the WNIT for the Redbirds saw victories over Western Illinois, 90-80, Abilene Christian, 78-68, and Louisiana Tech, 78-70 to receive their fourth-ever Fab 4 appearance and first since 2011 – they are 0-4 in the semifinal round. In the postseason run, Shannon Dowell (22) and Elyce Knudsen (20) average 20-plus points on 46.2 and 50 percent efficiency on the floor, respectively.
Fab 4 Numbers
• Single-Season Records to Watch: Emani Jenkins – total triples (seventh in D-I, ninth – 60) | Briana Peguero – free throw percentage (third in D-I and overall – 87.6) | Zay Dyer – total rebounds (third overall, first in D-I – 372), average rebounds (sixth in D-I – 10.3), field goals made (fifth in D-I, six from 10th overall – 210), points (10th in D-I) | Shaulana Wagner – total assists (third in D-I, fourth overall – 185), average assists (third in D-I, fifth overall – 6.6) | Brianna Jackson – total blocks (fourth overall and D-I – 65)
• Career Records to Watch: Leilani Guion – 3-point percentage (eighth in D-I, ninth overall - .358) | Zay Dyer – average rebounds (seventh in D-I– 8.2) | Shaulana Wagner – average assists (first in D-I, second overall – 5.7), total assists (tied for eighth in D-I – 335) | Brianna Jackson – total blocks (tied for eighth in D-I, tied for ninth overall)
• During the WNIT run, the Trojans have erupted on the offensive end with 90 points per game on 47.2 percent shooting. They've also dominated the battle of the boards with 51 per game with a plus-15.7 rebound margin.
• With the Trojans' victory over North Dakota State, they've advanced to the WNIT Fab 4 for the second straight season.
• Wednesday night's matchup marks the first meeting between the Trojans and Redbirds.
• With Jackson's 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting at North Dakota State, she's scored in double-figures in fourth straight games and in 15 of her last 18 games.
• Peguero continued her assault at the charity stripe against NDS, hitting 10 free throws in 11 attempts to improve her percentage to 87.6, which ranks third in Troy single-season history.
• Jackson rejected two shots in the Great 8 to tie Mandee Armstrong for the fourth-most blocks in a single-season (62).
• For the second straight game, the Trojans survive in overtime to improve their record to 27-16 under Rigby in overtime games.
• Despite the 15 lead changes and seven tied scores, the Trojans led for 26:20 of the 45 minutes over North Dakota State.
• Troy dominated the rebound battle 56-37, resulting in a 17-8 win in second-chance points over the Bisons.
• Peguero's 22 points on 10 made free throws resulted in a new career-high against North Dakota State – her previous was 19 against Marist on Nov. 23, 2023.
• Five Trojans average double-figures in the WNIT run via Dyer (18.3), Wagner (15.3), Peguero (14.7), Jackson (13) and Ngnawo (11.7).
• Dyer has averaged 18.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in the WNIT run, shooting 50 percent from the field.
• In last season's WNIT run, Guion averaged six points with four makes from deep while Wagner averaged 3.8 points, six assists and 4.5 rebounds.
• The Trojans saw their first postseason victory in round two of the 2024 WNIT on a 92-62 victory over FIU.
• Troy is 6-3 all-time in the WNIT with three wins last season. In Trojan Arena, Troy sits at 4-3 while being 2-0 on the road.
• Dyer earned All-Sun Belt First Team with a league-leading 10.5 rebounds and 14 double-doubles – she became the ninth player in head coach Chanda Rigby's tenure to earn first team. The junior forward also ranked in the top 10 for the SBC in blocks (0.94), field goal percentage (44.5) and total points (417).
• With the victory over Texas State, head coach Chanda Rigby scored her 250th career victory at Troy – the second coach in program history with 250-plus wins.
• Dyer leads the SBC in double-doubles with 17 – she also ranks 14th in the nation. No. 5 also holds the top spot in rebounds at 10.3 and ranks 17th nationally.
• Wagner has led the Trojans in either scoring or assists in all 28 games played.
• Jackson rejected eight shots over North Texas to tie for the second most blocks in a single game.
• Head coach Chanda Rigby (158-72) secured her 150th career Sun Belt Conference victory over Georgia State. The feat has only been done twice before in league history via Brian Boyer (Arkansas State – 193) and Joe Foley (Little Rock – 231).
• Jenkins has hit multiple 3-pointers in 16 of her last 24 games (47 total), including seven games with three-plus triples.
• Ashley Baez has finished with double-digits in 21-of-36 games and swiped multiple steals in 17-of-36.
• In 22 of her last 28 games, Wagner's finished with 5-plus assists. She's collected 5-plus assists 37 times in her Troy career.
• Dyer scored 10-plus points in 28 of her 35 starts.
• Guion has made at least one triple in 20 of her last 29 games (29 total).
• Jackson has rejected a shot in 22 of the last 28 games (55 total) to rank second in the SBC with 1.81 blocks per game – Jackson ranks second in the league in total blocks at 65.
• In eight of her nine games where Jackson had double-digit rebounds, she claimed a double-double.
• With the victory over Old Dominion, Rigby has now defeated every current Sun Belt opponent.
• Through 36 games, Troy remains the premiere team in the country for rebounding, leading the pack with 49.6 per game.
• Troy leads the league in blocks (4.8) rebound margin (plus-11.8), defensive rebounds (33.3), total rebounds (49.6) and scoring offense (79.5) – it ranks 13th in the country for scoring.
• Morris erupted in 27 minutes off the bench with 16 points on 5-of-5 from the field against ULM to become the first player since La'Tia Fils-Aime' (7-of-7 – Thomas) on Nov. 21, 2016, to shoot 100 percent (min. five shots).
• Dyer earned Sun Belt Player of the Week (Jan. 7), averaging 18 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in wins against Coastal Carolina and Marshall - she followed it with back-to-back awards (Jan. 14) on 20 points, 16.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over App State and Georgia State.
• No. 5 became the first Trojan to go back-to-back with SBC POTW awards since Kayla Robinson (Feb. 5, Feb. 12) in 2017-18.
• 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.
• The 2024-25 roster contains zero underclassmen, with six as seniors and six as juniors.
After 90 minutes of play with two straight overtime games in their WNIT run, the Trojans (23-13) prepare for a shot at the WNIT championship game with their first-ever meeting with the Redbirds (24-12).
Game Information
Location: Normal, Ill. – CEFCU Arena
The Matchup: Troy (23-13, 13-5 SBC) vs. Illinois State (24-12, 14-6 The Valley)
When: Wednesday, April 2 – 6:30 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Feeling Fabulous
For the second straight game in the WNIT, the Trojans survived and advanced in overtime to find themselves in a second straight WNIT Fab 4. In the Great 8 round, Troy got a second matchup with North Dakota State, outscoring the opposition 16-7 in extra time to secure the victory. Briana Peguero led the assault all game long with a career-high 22 points on 10 made free throws – her second game with double-digit free throws made.
Five Trojans ended the contest against North Dakota State with double digits in the scoring column via Peguero (22), Shaulana Wagner (18), Zay Dyer (14), Brianna Jackson (14) and Fortuna Ngnawo (12). With Jackson's 14 points, she's finished in double-figures for the fourth straight game and 15th time in the last 18 appearances. Meanwhile, Dyer extended her streak of double-digit performances to 11, dating back to ULM on Feb. 12.
In the three-game WNIT run, five Trojans have finished with 10-plus points in each game, averaging 90 points on 47.2 percent shooting. Dyer has been unstoppable all WNIT long with 18.3 points and 10.7 rebounds on 50 percent shooting, while Wagner's stuffed the stat sheet with 15.3 points, 7.3 assists and four rebounds – Peguero (14.7), Jackson (13) and Ngnawo (11.7) also average double-digit points.
The post play has contributed greatly as Dyer leads the charge, averaging a double-double. However, the battle for the second-most rebounds on the roster during the WNIT run is tied at 9.7 between Ngnawo and Jackson, who combined for 27 rebounds in the victory over North Dakota State. As a unit, the Trojans have dominated the battle at the boards with a plus-15.7 rebound margin.
First Meeting
For the first-time in program history the Trojans and Redbirds will matchup with a shot at the WNIT title game on the line. Illinois State fell in the second round of the Valley Conference Tournament to No. 4-seeded Drake, 75-69, after dominating league play with a 15-5 record for a No. 5 seed.
The first three meetings in the WNIT for the Redbirds saw victories over Western Illinois, 90-80, Abilene Christian, 78-68, and Louisiana Tech, 78-70 to receive their fourth-ever Fab 4 appearance and first since 2011 – they are 0-4 in the semifinal round. In the postseason run, Shannon Dowell (22) and Elyce Knudsen (20) average 20-plus points on 46.2 and 50 percent efficiency on the floor, respectively.
Fab 4 Numbers
• Single-Season Records to Watch: Emani Jenkins – total triples (seventh in D-I, ninth – 60) | Briana Peguero – free throw percentage (third in D-I and overall – 87.6) | Zay Dyer – total rebounds (third overall, first in D-I – 372), average rebounds (sixth in D-I – 10.3), field goals made (fifth in D-I, six from 10th overall – 210), points (10th in D-I) | Shaulana Wagner – total assists (third in D-I, fourth overall – 185), average assists (third in D-I, fifth overall – 6.6) | Brianna Jackson – total blocks (fourth overall and D-I – 65)
• Career Records to Watch: Leilani Guion – 3-point percentage (eighth in D-I, ninth overall - .358) | Zay Dyer – average rebounds (seventh in D-I– 8.2) | Shaulana Wagner – average assists (first in D-I, second overall – 5.7), total assists (tied for eighth in D-I – 335) | Brianna Jackson – total blocks (tied for eighth in D-I, tied for ninth overall)
• During the WNIT run, the Trojans have erupted on the offensive end with 90 points per game on 47.2 percent shooting. They've also dominated the battle of the boards with 51 per game with a plus-15.7 rebound margin.
• With the Trojans' victory over North Dakota State, they've advanced to the WNIT Fab 4 for the second straight season.
• Wednesday night's matchup marks the first meeting between the Trojans and Redbirds.
• With Jackson's 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting at North Dakota State, she's scored in double-figures in fourth straight games and in 15 of her last 18 games.
• Peguero continued her assault at the charity stripe against NDS, hitting 10 free throws in 11 attempts to improve her percentage to 87.6, which ranks third in Troy single-season history.
• Jackson rejected two shots in the Great 8 to tie Mandee Armstrong for the fourth-most blocks in a single-season (62).
• For the second straight game, the Trojans survive in overtime to improve their record to 27-16 under Rigby in overtime games.
• Despite the 15 lead changes and seven tied scores, the Trojans led for 26:20 of the 45 minutes over North Dakota State.
• Troy dominated the rebound battle 56-37, resulting in a 17-8 win in second-chance points over the Bisons.
• Peguero's 22 points on 10 made free throws resulted in a new career-high against North Dakota State – her previous was 19 against Marist on Nov. 23, 2023.
• Five Trojans average double-figures in the WNIT run via Dyer (18.3), Wagner (15.3), Peguero (14.7), Jackson (13) and Ngnawo (11.7).
• Dyer has averaged 18.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in the WNIT run, shooting 50 percent from the field.
• In last season's WNIT run, Guion averaged six points with four makes from deep while Wagner averaged 3.8 points, six assists and 4.5 rebounds.
• The Trojans saw their first postseason victory in round two of the 2024 WNIT on a 92-62 victory over FIU.
• Troy is 6-3 all-time in the WNIT with three wins last season. In Trojan Arena, Troy sits at 4-3 while being 2-0 on the road.
• Dyer earned All-Sun Belt First Team with a league-leading 10.5 rebounds and 14 double-doubles – she became the ninth player in head coach Chanda Rigby's tenure to earn first team. The junior forward also ranked in the top 10 for the SBC in blocks (0.94), field goal percentage (44.5) and total points (417).
• With the victory over Texas State, head coach Chanda Rigby scored her 250th career victory at Troy – the second coach in program history with 250-plus wins.
• Dyer leads the SBC in double-doubles with 17 – she also ranks 14th in the nation. No. 5 also holds the top spot in rebounds at 10.3 and ranks 17th nationally.
• Wagner has led the Trojans in either scoring or assists in all 28 games played.
• Jackson rejected eight shots over North Texas to tie for the second most blocks in a single game.
• Head coach Chanda Rigby (158-72) secured her 150th career Sun Belt Conference victory over Georgia State. The feat has only been done twice before in league history via Brian Boyer (Arkansas State – 193) and Joe Foley (Little Rock – 231).
• Jenkins has hit multiple 3-pointers in 16 of her last 24 games (47 total), including seven games with three-plus triples.
• Ashley Baez has finished with double-digits in 21-of-36 games and swiped multiple steals in 17-of-36.
• In 22 of her last 28 games, Wagner's finished with 5-plus assists. She's collected 5-plus assists 37 times in her Troy career.
• Dyer scored 10-plus points in 28 of her 35 starts.
• Guion has made at least one triple in 20 of her last 29 games (29 total).
• Jackson has rejected a shot in 22 of the last 28 games (55 total) to rank second in the SBC with 1.81 blocks per game – Jackson ranks second in the league in total blocks at 65.
• In eight of her nine games where Jackson had double-digit rebounds, she claimed a double-double.
• With the victory over Old Dominion, Rigby has now defeated every current Sun Belt opponent.
• Through 36 games, Troy remains the premiere team in the country for rebounding, leading the pack with 49.6 per game.
• Troy leads the league in blocks (4.8) rebound margin (plus-11.8), defensive rebounds (33.3), total rebounds (49.6) and scoring offense (79.5) – it ranks 13th in the country for scoring.
• Morris erupted in 27 minutes off the bench with 16 points on 5-of-5 from the field against ULM to become the first player since La'Tia Fils-Aime' (7-of-7 – Thomas) on Nov. 21, 2016, to shoot 100 percent (min. five shots).
• Dyer earned Sun Belt Player of the Week (Jan. 7), averaging 18 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in wins against Coastal Carolina and Marshall - she followed it with back-to-back awards (Jan. 14) on 20 points, 16.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over App State and Georgia State.
• No. 5 became the first Trojan to go back-to-back with SBC POTW awards since Kayla Robinson (Feb. 5, Feb. 12) in 2017-18.
• 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.
• The 2024-25 roster contains zero underclassmen, with six as seniors and six as juniors.
Players Mentioned
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