No. 2 Troy Opens Sun Belt Tournament in Semifinals Against No. 3 Arkansas State

Sunday, March 8

Pensacola, Fla.

2 p.m.

Troy University

Arkansas State

No. 2 Troy Opens Sun Belt Tournament in Semifinals Against No. 3 Arkansas State

3/7/2026 4:00:00 PM | Basketball (W)

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The No. 2 Troy women's basketball team prepares for the semifinal round in the Sun Belt Tournament against No. 3 Arkansas State on Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m., with a shot at the championship in the Pensacola Bay Center.

After a 30-game regular season, the Trojans (24-6, 15-3 SBC) aim for their fifth SBC Tournament championship and the first since 2021. They came up one game short of the regular-season title but went 4-1 against the top-6-seeded SBC teams and are 2-0 on neutral courts. The Trojans face Arkansas State for the third time in 2025-26, looking to sweep the opposition – Troy sits 2-0.

Game Information
Location: Pensacola, Fla. – Pensacola Bay Center
Matchup: No. 2 Troy (24-6, 15-3 SBC) vs. No. 3 Arkansas State (24-8, 14-4 SBC)
When: Sunday, March 8 – 2 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Radio Network
Stats: troytrojans.com/livestats

No. 2 Seed
Troy won nine of its last 10 league games with key victories at Marshall and at Arkansas State to enter the 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 the Trojans enter the tournament as a top-4 seed. After 30 regular-season games, Troy already has 24 wins for the second straight season and tied for the second-most in Rigby's 14 seasons at Troy – it's one shy of the all-time record in program history of 25, set in 2019-20 before COVID ended the season early.

Zay Dyer became the first Trojan to take home three SBC accolades, winning Defensive Player of the Year (first DPOY since 2018-19 and first individual award since 2020-21), All-Sun Belt First Team (second straight season) and All-Sun Belt Defensive Team in its inaugural season. She led the nation with 22 double-doubles, including 14 straight to end the year. Dyer also led the conference with 394 total rebounds (second in the nation), 13.1 rebounds per game (third in the nation), 8.3 defensive rebounds per game (12^th in the nation) and 4.9 offensive rebounds per game (second in the nation). Fortuna Ngnawo and Emani Jenkins also earned All-Sun Belt recognition on the second and third team, respectively. Ngnawo led Troy with 15.1 points and 18 double-doubles (second in the SBC), while Jenkins led the league with 93 3-pointers, 3.1 per game and 41.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

As the No. 2 seed, Troy led the conference in assists (16.1), rebound margin (plus-13.3), defensive rebounds (32.2), offensive rebounds (18.5), scoring margin (plus-13.1), scoring (82.6) and win percentage (80 percent). They also lead the country in total rebounds per game at 50.7 for the eighth straight season. In 18 league games, Troy was never outrebounded as the team averaged a plus-15.4 rebound margin in SBC play. They are also 11-0 when holding opponents below 40 percent shooting, sitting second in opposing field goal percentage in league play at 37.4.

Scouting Arkansas State
Arkansas State defeated ULM to advance to the semifinals and face Troy for the second straight season. The Red Wolves ended the Trojans' run 81-66 last season in the SBC Tournament. This season, the Red Wolves are 0-2 against the Trojans after sweeping them, 3-0, in 2024-25. Arkansas State leads the conference in bench points (30.8), steals (15.1), 3-point attempts (34.9), 3-point percentage allowed (27.7), 3-pointers (10.2), turnover margin (plus-9.7) and turnovers forced (27.2). The Red Wolves also lead the nation in turnovers forced and 3-point attempts.

Notables
• Troy is 2-0 against Arkansas State in 2025-26 and is 2-3 against the opposition in the SBC Tournament, splitting the semifinal matchups.
• The Trojans enter 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.
• Troy aims for its fifth-ever conference championship, fourth in the SBC and first in the tournament since 2021.
• Troy finished the regular season with 24 wins, one shy of tying the all-time record at Troy. It's also the fourth time Chanda Rigby's earned 24-plus wins and the second straight.
• The Trojans are 2-0 on neutral courts, sweeping the in-season tournament against Florida Gulf Coast and Texas Southern in the Resorts World Las Vegas Classic.
• 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'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).
• Career Records to Watch: Zay Dyer – points (1,165 - ninth in D-I), total rebounds (994 – 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 (482 – fifth in D-I), field goals attempted (1,100 - ninth in D-I) / Emani Jenkins – 3-pointers (160 – tied fifth all-time, D-I), 3-point percentage (.393 – second all-time, first in D-I), 3-pointers attempted (407 - ninth all-time, D-I) / Fortuna Ngnawo – rebounds per game (9.1 - tied eighth all-time, fifth in D-I)
• Single-Season Records to Watch: Emani Jenkins – 3-pointers (93 – first all-time, D-I), 3-point percentage (.419 – third all-time, D-I), 3-point attempts (222 - first all-time, D-I) / Zay Dyer – rebounds (394 – second 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)
• 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 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.
• Ashley Baez ranks eighth in the SBC in assists with 3.5 and seventh in free throw percentage at 77.4.
• In league play, Zay Dyer ranks 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).
• The Trojans lead the SBC in assists (16.1), rebound margin (plus-13.3), defensive rebounds (32.2), offensive rebounds (18.5), scoring margin (plus-13.1), scoring (82.6) and win percentage (80 percent) after the regular season.
• Zay Dyer leads the nation and league with 22 double-doubles, followed closely behind by Fortuna Ngnawo at 18. 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 one game with multiple in 21, 3-plus in 18 and 5-plus in five.
• Zay Dyer has 14 straight double-doubles, becoming the first Trojan since Ja'Mia Hollings to have 5 or more consecutive double-doubles.
• 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 50.7. The Trojans have led the nation in rebounds over the last seven seasons.
• Rachel Leggett has had four double-doubles in her last 11 games, double-digit rebounds in five of her last 11, and double-digit points in 17 of her last 22 games.
• Zay Dyer sits ninth among active women's basketball players with 1,174 career rebounds (third in D-I), 19th (seventh in D-I) for double-doubles at 48 and 17th in D-I with 8.70 rebounds per game.
• Of the Trojans' 24 victories, 17 have come by double-digits, with nine coming by 20 or more points.
• For the 18^th time in the last 22 games, Fortuna Ngnawo ended with a double-double. She also scored double figures in 31 of her last 32 games.
• Zay Dyer leads the SBC in double-doubles (22 - leads the nation), rebounds (394), defensive rebounds per game (8.3), offensive rebounds per game (4.9) and rebounds per game (13.1) She also ranks third in rebounds per game nationally.
• Zay Dyer has scored in double-figures in 38 of her last 43 games with double-digit rebounds in 30 of her last 36 games.
• With her 93 3-pointers, 3.1 threes per game and 41.9 percent shooting from deep, Emani Jenkins leads the SBC.
• Zay Dyer moved to 16^th on Troy's all-time scoring and ninth in the D-I leaderboard with her 1,165 points at Troy.
• Fortuna Ngnawo leads Troy and sits fifth in the conference with 15.1 points per game on the seventh-highest field goal percentage at 43.9.
• Troy has yet to be outrebounded by a league opponent, averaging a plus-15.8 rebound margin through 18 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.
• The Trojans rank 10^th in the Mid-Major polls and 77^th in the NCAA Net Rankings, sitting second in the Sun Belt Conference in the NET ranking.