Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Georgia Southern
Troy Readies for Georgia Southern in Sun Belt Game of the Week
1/23/2026 3:25:00 PM | Basketball (M)
STATESBORO, Ga. – Troy men's basketball wraps up a two-game road swing on Saturday at Georgia Southern, with tip-off set for 2 p.m. CT in the Sun Belt Game of the Week.
Troy moved to 7-1 in Sun Belt play on Wednesday night, defeating Old Dominion, 83-77 in double overtime. Despite it being the Trojans' third-worst field goal shooting performance of the season at 36.9% (24-of-65), Troy was able to gut out the win thanks to stellar performances at the free throw line by Victor Valdes (14-of-18) and Theo Seng (10-of-10).
Both Seng (24 pts, 14 reb) and Thomas Dowd (12 pts, 15 reb) finished Wednesday's game with double-doubles. The 24 points from Seng tied his career high set against Kent State on Nov. 3, while Dowd's 15 boards, were tied for his second-most this season.
Georgia Southern (13-8, 5-3) is coming off a home loss to Arkansas State on Thursday night, 85-68. The Eagles trailed by four at halftime, but shot just 31.4% from the field in the second half resulting in the double-digit defeat.
Troy holds a 13-16 all-time record against Georgia Southern.
Game Information
Location: Statesboro, Ga. - Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center (5,500)
The Matchup: Troy vs. Georgia Southern
When: Saturday, January 24 – 2 p.m. CT.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Media Network
Free Points
Victor Valdes is third in the Sun Belt in free thows made (100) and tied for second in free throws attempted (132). Troy's Division I record for free throws made in a season is 142, set by Myles Rigsby last year.
Big Time Numbers
Thomas Dowd and Theo Seng owned the glass Wednesday, combining for 29 rebounds - more than Troy has recorded as a team in two games this season.
Attacking the Glass
Thomas Dowd is near the top of several statistics nationally. The Dothan native ranks seventh in total rebounds (208) and 12th in rebounds per game (10.4). Additionally, Dowd is one of nine players to be averaging at least 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Scouting Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern comes into Saturday's game following a 85-68 loss to Arkansas State on Thursday. After starting conference play 5-0, the Eagles have lost three of the last four. Spudd Webb leads Georgia Southern with 16.1 points per game. Tyren Moore is second in scoring on the team, averaging 14.0 points. Georgia Southern is first in the Sun Belt and 24th nationally at getting to the line, averaging 26.0 attempts. They also rank first in the conference in 3-point attempts per game with 29.7, which is 23rd in the country.
Up Next
Troy returns home for two games next week, beginning with James Madison on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+ and available to listen to on the Troy Sports Media Network.
Notables
- Scott Cross is in his seventh season at the helm of the Trojans, amassing a 117-93 record during his time at Troy. Over the last four seasons, Troy has won 20-plus games every year, which includes 10-plus Sun Belt wins each season.
- Wednesday's game marked the fifth overtime game Troy has played in this season - and the ninth and tenth extra periods. The five overtime games is tied for first in the country, with Troy playing the most overtime periods of the four schools.
- Troy's scoring margin leads the Sun Belt at +10.5. In conference play, the Trojans have been even more dominant, posting a +12.7 scoring margin. Marshall ranks second in the league at +7.0.
- Troy's 7-1 Sun Belt record is its best start since the team joined the conference in 2005. The Trojans are off to their best conference start since the 2003-04, as members of the A-SUN. Troy also began that conference season 7-1.
- Victor Valdes and Thomas Dowd have paced the scoring output at 16.2 and 15.7 points per game this season, respectively. Dowd has also added a Sun Belt leading 10.4 rebounds per contest, while Theo Seng is Troy's third leading scorer, averaging 13.4 points.
