Troy University Athletics
Troy University
0-1,0-0Sun Belt
UMass
1-0,0-0MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 38 | 33 | 71 |
| Troy | 28 | 32 | 60 |
11/2/2026 10:04:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – A 17-0 run midway through the game proved too much to overcome, as Troy men's basketball fell to UMass 71-60 in its season opener Monday night.
The Troy (0-1) offense struggled to find its rhythm throughout the evening, shooting just 34.4 percent (22-of-64) from the field. The Trojans scored just six points over a stretch that began with five minutes remaining in the first half and ended at the 14:09 mark of the second half, allowing the Minutemen to build a 20-point lead.
Donovan Oday paced Troy in his Trojan debut, recording a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds while adding six steals.
UMass (1-0) was led by Junjue Wang's 18 points and Jordan Clayton's 16. Abdullah Ahmed added just six points but anchored the Minutemen's presence in the paint with seven blocks.
Mobi Ikegwuruka scored Troy's first points of the season on the opening possession, and the Trojans jumped out to an early five-point lead at 11-6 with 14 minutes remaining in the first half. Troy forced four turnovers and drew six personal fouls before the under-12 media timeout, disrupting the Minutemen's offense in the early stages.
The Trojans extended their advantage to 10 points at the 10:45 mark when a Caden Diggs layup made it 18-8.
UMass responded with one of its two extended scoring runs, putting together 15 consecutive points over four minutes to turn Troy's six-point lead into a nine-point deficit. The Minutemen carried a 38-28 advantage into halftime.
UMass continued its run to open the second half, scoring the first 13 points before a three-pointer from Clayton extended the lead to 53-28. Jacoi Hutchinson ended the stretch with his second three-pointer of the night.
Oday became the first of two Trojans to reach double figures, knocking down Troy's first three-pointer of the second half to cut the deficit to 17 with 14:24 remaining. Hutchinson was the other double-figure scorer, finishing with 10.
UMass cooled off considerably after its strong first half, shooting just 32.4 percent (11-of-34) from the field in the second period after connecting on 54.8 percent (17-of-31) before the break.
However, Troy could get no closer than 10 points, as its shooting struggles proved too much to overcome allowing UMass to earn the 71-60 victory.
Quotable – Head coach Adam Howard
"I want to thank the students for coming out, what a great atmosphere we had for our home opener. Give UMass a ton of credit. They're big, they're tough, and they're disciplined. I thought the first 10 minutes of the game we were able to establish an identity, but Coach Martin's teams don't quit. We have to get back to work, clean some things up, and keep fighting."
Notables
- Troy is now 0-1 all-time against UMass.
- Donovan Oday finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and six steals, becoming the first Troy player since at least 2005 to record a double-double with six steals.
- Oday's double-double was the second of his career, while his 12 rebounds were a career high.
- Eight players made their Troy debut, while Cauã Pacheco and Willie Piggott Jr. appeared in their first collegiate game.
- The loss marked Troy's first season-opening defeat since the 2019-20 season, when the Trojans fell to UAB.
- Troy is now 4-3 in MAC-SBC Challenge games.
Up Next
Troy hits the road for the first time this season, traveling south to face Florida State on Friday evening. Tipoff from Tallahassee is set for 6 p.m. and will stream on ACC Network Extra, with the radio broadcast available on the Troy Sports Media Network.
