Troy University Athletics
Troy University
South Alabama
Women’s Basketball Visits South Alabama with Regular-Season Title at Stake
2/26/2026 2:00:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – With a chance to secure a share of its first Sun Belt Conference regular season championship since 2022, the Troy women's basketball team faces in-state rival South Alabama in the Mitchell Center in the regular season finale on Friday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m.
The Trojans (24-5, 15-2 SBC) clinched a bid into the semifinals with their win over Arkansas State on Tuesday, needing a win to secure a share of the regular season title. They can win it outright if Georgia Southern loses to Marshall. For the Jaguars (11-17, 4-13 SBC), two straight wins put them in a tie for the 11th seed with App State and Georgia State.
Game Information
Location: Mobile, Ala. – Mitchell Center
Matchup: Troy (24-5, 15-2 SBC) vs. South Alabama (11-17, 4-13 SBC)
When: Friday, Feb. 27 – 5 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Stats: troytrojans.com/livestats
One More
The Trojans head to South Alabama with a shot at their first regular-season title since 2021-22 and fourth overall. They handed Arkansas State its first league-game loss at home since March 2024, 61-54. The win secured Troy a top-2 seed for the SBC Tournament for head coach Chanda Rigby's fifth season. The championship would be her fourth as Troy's coach after winning three straight regular-season titles from 2019-22.
Through 17 league games, the Trojans have the SBC's top-2 rebounders in Zay Dyer and Fortuna Ngnawo, averaging 13.9 and 12.7 boards, respectively. Dyer also sits first in double-doubles (14), fourth in scoring with 16.8 points on the 11th-best shooting percentage (43.9) and second-most blocks (1.9). The senior forward also has 12 straight league-game double-doubles. Ngnawo also ranks tied for 10th with 0.9 blocks per game and 13th in field goal percentage (40.6). From beyond the arc, Emani Jenkins dominates in conference play on 43 percent shooting, 3.1 3-pointers per game and 52 total – all stats lead the league.
One game separates Troy from the regular-season title. The team heads into the regular-season finale against South Alabama, having beaten them at home earlier this season, 84-73. That game saw 17 points from Jenkins in the first half, with five threes and double-doubles by Dyer (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Ngnawo (17 rebounds, 16 points). Troy leads the all-time series against South Alabama 36-25, winning 12 of its last 13 meetings. The lone loss came at the Mitchell Center in the regular season finale in 2022-23.
Scouting South Alabama
South Alabama won two straight for its first double-digit win season since 2020-21 against Texas State and Southern Miss. Despite sitting in a three-way tie for 11th in the standings, South Alabama has rebounded well, averaging 40.7 for a plus-4.1. Where the Jaguars lack is free throw percentage, sitting at 64.7 percent in league play for last place. Amyah Sutton is the lone Jaguar in double-figures for scoring in SBC play at 11.3.
Notables
• Troy enters the final game of the regular season with a shot at the regular season title, currently tied with Georgia Southern for first. If they win, they'll have a share of their fourth SBC regular-season title and first since 2022. If Georgia Southern loses to Marshall on the road, Troy wins outright and clinches the No. 1 seed.
• The Trojans finish the regular season on the road, entering Friday's matchup 9-4, 7-1 SBC in away games.
• The last time Troy faced South Alabama, Emani Jenkins had 17 points in the first half on five threes with double-doubles from Zay Dyer (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Fortuna Ngnawo (17 rebounds, 16 points).
• Troy's won 12 of its last 13 meetings with South Alabama to lead the series 36-25. Its lone loss in the last 13 meetings came in the regular season finale for 2022-23 in the Mitchell Center.
• Troy is guaranteed a top-4 seed for the 12th straight season and a top-2 seed for the fifth time in Chanda Rigby's tenure.
• Head coach Chanda Rigby has had 10 20-plus win seasons at Troy, including the last three straight.
• Zay Dyer was awarded Sun Belt Player of the Week on Feb. 24, averaging 18.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, two assists and 2.5 blocks against South Alabama and Southern Miss. She joined Fortuna Ngnawo as the lone Trojans with the accolade this season.
• Zay Dyer set the Troy Division-I single-game rebound record with her 25th rebound over Louisiana. She also tied the SBC league game record set in 2010. She also tied the sixth-most (21) and ninth-most (20) rebounds in a game.
• Career Records to Watch:Zay Dyer – points (1,153 - 11th in D-I), total rebounds (981 – fourth all-time, first in D-I), rebounds per game (9.7 – sixth all-time, third in D-I), blocks (90 – eighth all-time, sixth in D-I), field goals made (477 – fifth in D-I), field goals attempted (1,086 - 10th in D-I) / Emani Jenkins – 3-pointers (159 – sixth all-time, D-I), 3-point percentage (.399 – second all-time, first in D-I), 3-pointers attempted (398 - 10th all-time, ninth in D-I) / Fortuna Ngnawo – rebounds per game (8.9 - tied ninth all-time, tied fifth in D-I)
• Single-Season Records to Watch:Emani Jenkins – 3-pointers (92 – first all-time, D-I), 3-point percentage (.432 – third all-time, D-I), 3-point attempts (213 - first all-time, D-I) / Zay Dyer – rebounds (381 – fourth all-time, second in D-I), rebounds per game (13.1 – tied first all-time, first in D-I), blocks (44 - tied 10th all-time, tied ninth in D-I) / Fortuna Ngnawo – rebounds per game (10.7 – tied fifth in D-I)
• In league play, Zay Dyer ranks first in rebounds (13.9), double-doubles (14), fourth in scoring with 16.8 points on the 11th-best shooting percentage (40.6) and second-most blocks (1.9).
• Ashley Baez currently ranks ninth in the SBC with 3.4 assists per game.
• The Trojans lead the conference in assists (16.2), rebound margin (+13.7), defensive rebounds (32.5), offensive rebounds (18.4), total rebounds (51.0), scoring margin (+13.8) and scoring (83.1).
• Troy had three players finish with a double-double against Southern Miss (Rachel Leggett, Fortuna Ngnawo, Zay Dyer) for the first time since ULM on Feb. 17, 2024.
• Zay Dyer sits eighth among active women's basketball players with 1,161 career rebounds (third in D-I), 20th (8th in D-I) for double-doubles at 47 and 17th in D-I with 8.66 rebounds per game
• With the win over Louisiana, head coach Chanda Rigby became the winningest coaching Troy women's basketball history with win No. 275, passing Joyce Sorrell. She also claimed her 500th career win over Marshall.
• Troy is a perfect 9-0, 5-0 SBC when losing the opening tip.
• Emani Jenkins made Troy single-season history with her 74th 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. This season, Jenkins has converted a three in all but one game with multiple in 21, 3-plus in 18 and 5-plus in five.
• Fortuna Ngnawo leads Troy and sits fifth in the conference with 15.1 points per game on the seventh-highest field goal percentage at 44.1.
• Zay Dyer has 13 straight double-doubles, becoming the first Trojan since Ja'Mia Hollings to have 5 or more consecutive double-doubles.
• Zay Dyer leads the nation and league with 21 double-doubles, followed closely behind by Fortuna Ngnawo at 17. Troy is the only team in the country with two players averaging a double-double.
• Of the Trojans' 23 victories, 17 have come by double-digits, with nine coming by 20 or more points.
• Zay Dyer leads the SBC in double-doubles (21), rebounds (381), defensive rebounds per game (8.3), offensive rebounds per game (4.9) and rebounds per game (13.1). She also ranks second in total rebounds per game nationally.
• Troy enters its matchup as the best Division-I team in rebounds at 51.0. The Trojans have led the nation in rebounds over the last seven seasons.
• Zay Dyer has scored in double-figures in 37 of her last 42 games with double-digit rebounds in 29 of her last 35 games.
• With her 92 3-pointers, 3.2 threes per game and 43.2 percent shooting from deep, Emani Jenkins leads the SBC.
• For the 17th time in the last 21 games, Fortuna Ngnawo ended with a double-double against Arkansas State. She also scored double figures in 30 of her last 31 games.
• Rachel Leggett has had four double-doubles in her last 10 games, double-digit rebounds in five of her last 10, and double-digit points in 16 of her last 21 games.
• The Trojans rank ninth in the Mid-Major polls and 71st in the NCAA Net Rankings, sitting second in the Sun Belt Conference in the NET ranking.
• Zay Dyer moved to 18th on Troy's all-time scoring and 11th in D-I leaderboard with her 1,153 points at Troy.
• Troy has yet to be outrebounded by a league opponent, averaging a plus-16.2 rebound margin through 17 games.
• Jenkins' 10 threes against Oakwood ties three players for the most in a single game in 2025-26, while breaking the all-time single-game record at Troy.
