Troy University Athletics
Troy University
15-8,8-3Sun Belt
App State
15-9,8-4Sun Belt
Troy Falls to App State
1/31/2026 7:36:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Troy men's basketball struggled offensively for the second straight game, falling to App State on Saturday, 66-44.
Troy (15-8, 8-3) scored a season-low point total and posted a season-low field goal percentage, shooting 32.7% (18-for-55) from the floor. Theo Seng, the lone Trojan in double figures, finished with 13 points.
App State (15-9, 8-4) received a standout performance from Kasen Jennings, who poured in 33 points while shooting 11-for-18 from the field and 7-for-11 from 3-point range.
The Mountaineers opened the game 3-for-5 from beyond the arc to take an early 9-4 lead, despite entering the contest ranked 13th in the Sun Belt in 3-point shooting at 31.4%.
An ensuing 7-2 Troy run tied the game at 11, marking the first of two first-half ties.
Troy took a 17-14 lead when Jerrell Bellamy finished an alley-oop dunk off an assist from Cooper Campbell. The three-point advantage proved to be Troy's largest lead of the game.
In the minutes that followed, the Trojans struggled to find the basket as App State went on a 14-2 run.
Austin Cross halted the run with a corner three with 2:21 remaining in the half, but the Mountaineers still carried a 10-point advantage. On the final possession of the half, Jennings beat the buzzer with a jumper, giving him 16 first-half points and App State a 36-24 lead at the break.
Troy opened the second half strong, as Theo Seng scored a quick four points and the Trojans seven of the first nine points, including Jerrell Bellamy's second 3-pointer of the season.
App State quickly responded, however, using a 9-0 run to reclaim a double-digit lead at 47-33.
Troy struggled scoring in both halves, including just 20 points in the second half.
The Mountaineers pushed their lead to over 20 with 5:35 remaining as Michael Marcus Jr., connected on one of his two threes in the game.
Troy emptied the bench in the ensuing minutes, and App State went on to hand Troy its second-consecutive loss, 66-44.
Quotable – Head Coach Scott Cross
"I didn't really recognize our basketball team tonight and that's on me as a leader. I need to do a better job preparing our guys. I thought we would have a little more edge after the James Madison game. App State came out extremely hot, and they started hitting those 3-point shots. Credit to them, but no excuse, we need to do better and find a way to win."
Notables
- In addition to a season-low shooting percentage, Troy attempted just four free throws on Saturday afternoon. Jerrell Bellamy and Victor Valdes both went 2-for-2.
- Austin Cross tied a career high with four rebounds.
- Evan Griffin recorded the first steal of his career.
- Troy is now 11-13 all-time against App State.
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 be heard on the Troy Sports Media Network.
