Women’s Basketball Opens First-Ever WBIT Run at No. 2 Kansas

Thursday, March 19

Lawrence, Kan.

6:30 p.m.

Troy University

Kansas

Women’s Basketball Opens First-Ever WBIT Run at No. 2 Kansas

3/18/2026 10:00:00 AM | Basketball (W)

Watch Live Listen Live Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – After accepting its first-ever WBIT bid, the Troy women's basketball team opens postseason play in the Allen Fieldhouse on Thursday, March 19, at 6:30 p.m. against No. 2 Kansas.

The Trojans (25-7, 15-3 SBC) are fresh off runner-up finishes in the Sun Belt Tournament and regular season to make their third-straight postseason appearance. To start 1-0 in WBIT history, the Trojans will have to defeat the Jayhawks (19-13, 8-10 Big 12) in their first-ever meeting.

Game Information
Location: Lawrence, Kan. – Allen Fieldhouse
Matchup: Troy (25-7, 15-3 SBC) vs. No. 2 Kansas (19-13, 8-10 Big 12)
When: Thursday, March 19 – 6:30 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Stats: troytrojans.com/livestats

First-Ever WBIT Bid
Troy routed No. 3 Arkansas State 83-73 in the semifinal round before falling short in the title game against No. 4 James Madison, 69-52. The Trojans are one of two SBC schools in the WBIT (Georgia Southern) and one of six league teams in postseason play. Troy is 4-1 in its last five and 7-3 in the last 10 games for postseason play. In back-to-back years, the Trojans advanced deep into the WNIT with a Fab 4 appearance in 2023-24 and a runner-up finish in 2024-25. With one win in the WBIT, Troy will set program history with its 26^th victory.

Troy's trio leads it into postseason play via Zay Dyer, Fortuna Ngnawo and Emani Jenkins. Dyer earned Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, All-Sun Belt First Team and All-Sun Belt Defensive Team after 23 double-doubles to sit second in the country. She also ranked second in rebounds (415), breaking her own single-season record. Ngnawo earned All-Sun Belt Second Team after leading Troy with 15.3 points per game, which ranked fifth in the league – she also sits second in the SBC for double-doubles with 19. After breaking the single-season 3-point record, Jenkins earned All-Sun Belt Third Team on a league-best 94 3-pointers.

The meeting on Thursday marks head coach Chanda Rigby's ninth postseason appearance in her Troy tenure. It's also the first-ever WBIT appearance and first-ever meeting with Kansas. The Trojans are 0-5 against the Big 12 in program history with a loss to Kansas State on Nov. 18, 2025, but have knocked off power-four programs in back-to-back seasons in the SEC (Missouri, Arkansas).

Scouting No. 2 Kansas
Kansas finished as the No. 11 team in the Big 12, advancing to the second round of the tournament after a 56-35 win over No. 14 UCF before falling to No. 6 Colorado, 55-48. Kansas is ranked 50^th in the NCAA Net Rankings after wins over No. 20 Texas Tech and a sweep over Kansas State. The Jayhawks are 11-3 in nonconference play and succeed at the line, ranking second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (76.2) and free throws made per game (15.0). Their 47.8 percent from the field also sits 11^th in the nation.

Notables
• Troy will make its first-ever WBIT bid and third straight postseason appearance after back-to-back in the WNIT.
• Troy is 4-1 in its last five and 7-3 in its last 10 in postseason games, making it to the Fab 4 and finishing runner-up in the WNIT in 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.
• Troy meets Kansas for the first time in program history. The Trojans are 0-5 against Big 12 after losing to Kansas State earlier this season.
• The WBIT bid marks head coach Chanda Rigby's ninth postseason appearance at Troy and her fourth different postseason tournament (NCAA Tournament, WNIT, WBIT, WBI).
• Troy has taken down a power-four program in back-to-back seasons via the SEC (Missouri, Arkansas).
• With the win, Troy tied program history with its 25^th win of the season (2019-20).
• Zay Dyer and Fortuna Ngnawo earned SBC All-Tournament team nods. It was the second season Dyer earned the nod.
• Career Records to Watch: Zay Dyer – points (1,195 - eighth in D-I), total rebounds (1015 – third all-time, first in D-I), rebounds per game (9.8 – tied fifth all-time, third in D-I), blocks (94 – eighth all-time, sixth in D-I), field goals made (493 – fifth in D-I), field goals attempted (1,129 - ninth in D-I) / Emani Jenkins – 3-pointers (161 – fifth all-time, D-I), 3-point percentage (.391 – second all-time, first in D-I), 3-pointers attempted (412 - ninth all-time, D-I) / Fortuna Ngnawo – rebounds per game (9.2 - eighth all-time, fifth in D-I), free throw percentage (77.7 - 10th in D-I)
• Single-Season Records to Watch: Emani Jenkins – 3-pointers (94 – first all-time, D-I), 3-point percentage (.414 – third all-time, D-I), 3-point attempts (227 - first all-time, D-I) / Zay Dyer – rebounds (415 – first all-time, D-I), rebounds per game (13.0 – second all-time, first in D-I), blocks (48 - eighth all-time, in D-I), field goals attempted (437 - 10th in D-I) / Fortuna Ngnawo – rebounds per game (10.7 – tied fifth in D-I), free throws made (103 - tied ninth in D-I), rebounds (332 - seventh in D-I)
• Zay Dyer sits ninth among active women's basketball players with 1,195 career rebounds (third in D-I), 18th (sixth in D-I) for double-doubles at 49 and 17th in D-I with 8.72 rebounds per game.
• Troy advanced to its fifth-ever conference SBC championship game with the win and fourth SBC title game. They finished runner-up for the second time in program history.
• For the 19^th time in the last 24 games, Fortuna Ngnawo has ended with a double-double. She also scored double figures in 33 of her last 34 games.
• With her sixth rebound of the game against Arkansas State, Zay Dyer became the fourth player (first in D-I history) to join the 1,000-point and 1,000-rebound club in Troy history.
• The Trojans entered the SBC Tournament as the No. 2 seed for the second time in head coach Chanda Rigby's tenure. It's also the 12^th straight season as a top-4 seed and the fifth time as a top-2 seed.
• Zay Dyer's All-SBC First Team selection is her second straight.
• Troy tied Georgia Southern for the most players on the All-SBC teams with three: Zay Dyer (first), Fortuna Ngnawo (second), Emani Jenkins (third).
• Zay Dyer earned Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, All-Sun Belt First Team and All-Sun Belt Defensive Team, becoming the first player in program history to collect three accolades. She was also the first defensive player of the year since Sky'Lynn Holmes (2018-19) and first individual accolade for Troy since 2020-21.
• Zay Dyer set the Troy Division-I single-game rebound record with her 25^th 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.
• Head coach Chanda Rigby has had 10 20-plus win seasons at Troy, including the last three straight.
• Zay Dyer had 15 straight double-doubles before the SBC title game, becoming the first Trojan since Ja'Mia Hollings to have 5 or more consecutive double-doubles.
• 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.
• Ashley Baez ranks eighth in the SBC in assists with 3.5 and ninth in free throw percentage at 77.2.
• In league play, Zay Dyer ranked first in rebounds (13.9), double-doubles (15), fifth in scoring with 16.3 points on the ninth-best shooting percentage (40.6) and second-most blocks (1.8).
• Zay Dyer sits second in the nation and first in the league with 23 double-doubles, followed closely behind by Fortuna Ngnawo at 19 (12^th nationally). Troy is the only team in the country with two players averaging a double-double.
• Emani Jenkins made Troy single-season history with her 74^th 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. This season, Jenkins has converted a three in all but two games with multiple in 21, 3-plus in 18 and 5-plus in five.
• 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 500^th career win over Marshall.
• Troy enters its matchup as the best Division-I team in rebounds at 50.3. The Trojans have led the nation in rebounds over the last eight seasons. They finished 19-1 in the rebound battle against SBC opponents.
• The Trojans lead the SBC in assists (15.9), rebound margin (plus-12.8), defensive rebounds (31.8), offensive rebounds (18.5), scoring (81.7) and win percentage (78.1 percent) after the SBC tournament.
• Of the Trojans' 25 victories, 18 have come by double-digits, with nine coming by 20 or more points.
• Zay Dyer leads the SBC in double-doubles (23), rebounds (415), defensive rebounds per game (8.2), offensive rebounds per game (4.8) and rebounds per game (13.0) She also ranks second in double-doubles and third in rebounds, rebounds per game and offensive rebounds nationally.
• Zay Dyer has scored in double-figures in 39 of her last 45 games with double-digit rebounds in 32 of her last 38 games.
• With her 94 3-pointers, 2.9 threes per game and 41.4 percent shooting from deep, Emani Jenkins leads the SBC.
• Fortuna Ngnawo leads Troy and sits fifth in the conference with 15.3 points per game on the seventh-highest field goal percentage at 43.9.
• The Trojans rank 13^th in the Mid-Major polls and 77^th in the NCAA Net Rankings.
• 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.