Troy University Athletics
Troy University
17-8,9-3Sun Belt
Akron
19-5,10-1MAC
Campbell Erupts for 25; Trojans Take Down Akron, 79-69
2/7/2026 9:37:00 PM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Cooper Campbell scored 25 points and added five assists without committing a turnover as Troy men's basketball earned a signature win over Akron in a lively Trojan Arena on Saturday evening.
It was a return to form for Campbell, who had been shooting just 28.3% over his previous five games. The sophomore went 10-for-15 from the field and 5-for-7 from 3-point range Saturday, including two defining long-range baskets that helped clinch the Trojans' victory over a top MAC opponent.
The win gave Troy (17-8) a 2-0 record in this year's edition of the MAC-SBC Challenge after earning a victory at Kent State in the season's first game.
The Trojans took down Akron by relying on the deep ball, shooting 51.9% (14-for-27) from beyond the arc. Troy also shot 88.2% (15-for-17) from the free throw line.
Akron scored the game's first nine points as Troy failed to connect on its first seven shots.
Thomas Dowd got Troy on the board by knocking down a 3-pointer.
Akron later took a double-digit lead at 18-8 with 12:36 remaining in the half following a Bowen Hardman triple.
Four straight points from Theo Seng cut the Akron lead to 18-15.
Troy's defense tightened up during the same stretch, as the Zips went without a field goal for 7:36 of game time. Late in the run, the Trojans grabbed the lead when Jerrell Bellamy scored two of his seven points to make it 24-22.
The two teams traded baskets the rest of the half, with Troy scoring four of the final six points to take a 35-29 advantage into the locker room.
The second half opened similarly to the first, as Akron scored the first four points. Cooper Campbell answered with a 3-pointer to get Troy going. The basket marked the first of five made threes in the second half for Campbell, who shot 5-for-7 from distance and 7-for-10 overall in the period.
Troy continued to heat up on its home-bench basket as Cobi Campbell and Victor Valdes connected on back-to-back 3-pointers, extending the Trojan lead to nine with 15:48 remaining.
Troy maintained control throughout the second half, though an Amani Lyles 3-pointer trimmed the lead to six just past the midway point.
That would be as close as the Zips would get, as Cooper Campbell drilled another 3-pointer a few possessions later to push the lead back to nine.
Troy closed the game playing some of its best basketball, moving the ball effectively and generating open looks. The Trojans also attacked the glass, highlighted by a key Kerrington Kiel offensive rebound that led to a Thomas Dowd 3-pointer and extended the lead to double digits.
Dowd went 5-for-5 from the free throw line over the final six minutes, and with two more heat-check threes from Campbell, Troy sealed the 79-69 victory.
Akron (19-5) was led by MAC leading scorer Tavari Johnson, who finished with 26 points. Troy made Johnson work for his production, as he shot 11-for-21 overall and just 1-for-6 from 2-point range.
Quotable – Head Coach Scott Cross
"This is up there with San Diego State for our best win of the year. [Akron] is easily as good as San Diego State, both top 50 programs. Our guys were really locked in mentally, and we played great offensively. Cooper Campbell got going; it was a great game for him to really get back in the offensive flow. It's nice to get a win back in Trojan Arena after we let the last two slip."
Notables
- Cooper Campbell's 25 points marked the third time this season that he has crossed the 20-point threshold.
- Campbell's stat line was the 42nd time in college basketball this season that a player recorded at least 25 points and five assists without committing a turnover. It was just the second such performance by a Sun Belt player this year.
- Akron entered Saturday's game ranked 52nd on KenPom, Troy's second-highest ranked win this season. The Trojans defeated San Diego State on Nov. 18, who went into the contest ranked 29th.
- The Trojans' 14 3-pointers were tied for its third most in a game this season. The current high is 17 made triples at Louisiana on Jan. 10.
- Troy's 88.2% mark from the free throw line was its third-highest percentage this season, and second highest when attempting 10 or more free throws.
- Victor Valdes tied a career high with four steals.
- With 10 wins over MAC schools on Saturday, the Sun Belt won the third edition of the MAC-SBC Challenge, 14-12.
- Troy is now 1-0 all-time against Akron.
Up Next
Troy resumes Sun Belt action on Wednesday, heading west to take on Texas State at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+, with audio available on the Troy Sports Media Network.
