Troy University Athletics
Troy University
App State
Troy Wraps Up Homestand with App State
1/30/2026 3:33:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Troy men's basketball concludes its two-game homestand Saturday by hosting App State at Trojan Arena. Tipoff is set for 3:33 p.m., with the game streaming on ESPN+ and available on the Troy Sports Media Network.
Troy (15-7, 8-2) welcomes App State after winning each of the last two meetings against the Mountaineers, including a 69-61 road victory on Jan. 2 last season.
The Trojans are coming off just their second Sun Belt loss of the season, falling to James Madison, 73-64, on Thursday night. Troy struggled offensively, recording its third-worst shooting performance of the season at 36.1% (22-for-61) from the field.
Thomas Dowd finished Thursday's game with 12 points and 10 rebounds, marking his fifth-straight double-double. Dowd's 13 double-doubles this season is tied for fourth in the country.
In addition to his double-double, Dowd set multiple career bests against James Madison. The Dothan native finished with six assists and five steals - both career highs - while also adding three blocks.
Dowd's performance marked the first Division I game this season featuring a stat line of at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocks, and just the third such performance across the past five Division I seasons.
App State (14-9, 7-4) is coming to Troy following a 70-63 win at Southern Miss on Thursday. Kasen Jennings led the Mountaineers with 18 points and seven rebounds in the winning effort.
Troy holds a 11-12 all-time record against App State.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. (5,200)
The Matchup: Troy vs. App State
When: Saturday, January 31 – 3:33 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Media Network
Free Points
Victor Valdes is second in the Sun Belt in free thows made (108) and second in free throws attempted (142). Troy's Division I record for free throws made in a season is 142, set by Myles Rigsby last year.
Scoring Surge
Troy ranks first in the Sun Belt and 29th in the country in scoring offense. The Trojans are averaging 85.5 points per game and have crossed the 90-point threshold nine times this season.
Attacking the Glass
Thomas Dowd is near the top of several statistics nationally. The Dothan native ranks seventh in total rebounds (230) and 11th in rebounds per game (10.5). Additionally, Dowd is one of eight players to be averaging at least 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Scouting App State
James Madison comes to Troy following a dominant home win over Texas State on Saturday, 82-57. Justin McBride leads the Dukes in scoring this season, averaging 17.3 points while pulling in 5.7 rebounds per game. James Madison ranks second in the Sun Belt and 61st in the nation in 3-pointers per game at 9.6. The Dukes are also second in percentage from 3-point territory at 35.8%.
Up Next
Troy heads east to Atlanta next week for a game against Georgia State on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT. The game will stream live on ESPN+ and can can be heard on the Troy Sports Media Network.
Notables
- Scott Cross is in his seventh season at the helm of the Trojans, amassing a 118-94 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.
- Troy has been excellent in Sun Belt play in bouncing back after losses. The Trojans have not lost two conference games in a row since Jan. 9 and 11th of last season when they fell to Texas State and Arkansas State.
- Cooper Campbell boasts the best assist/turnover ratio in the Sun Belt at 2.69, which ranks 65th nationally. Campbell is also currently second in the league in assists per game with 4.8.
- Victor Valdes and Thomas Dowd have paced the scoring output at 16.4 and 15.5 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 13.0 points.
