Troy University Athletics
Monday, March 9
Pensacola, Fla.
1 p.m.
Troy University
25-7,15-3Sun Belt
52
vs
69
James Madison
26-8,14-4Sun Belt
1
2
3
4
F
James Madison
20
14
24
11
69
Troy
12
18
14
8
52
No. 2 Troy Falls Short in Sun Belt Championship to No. 4 James Madison
3/9/2026 5:21:00 PM | Basketball (W)
PENSACOLA, Fla. – A historic season comes to an end in the Sun Belt championship game as No. 2 Troy fell to No. 4 James Madison 69-52 on Monday afternoon in the Pensacola Bay Center.
The Trojans (25-7, 15-3 SBC) fall in the championship game for the second time in program history, while the Dukes (26-8, 14-4 SBC) win their second tournament title in the last four seasons.
Fortuna Ngnawo led Troy with an 18-point, 12-rebound performance for her 19th double-double in the last 24 games. SBC Defensive Player of the Year Zay Dyer shone with 11 rebounds and a team-high four blocks. The duo also earned SBC All-Tournament Team nods. The Trojans excelled in the second quarter, shooting 47.4 percent from the field while holding the Dukes to 29.4 percent.
For the first time against an SBC team in 2025-26, a team outrebounded the Trojans 43-42 in the Dukes. SBC Tournament Most Valuable Player Peyton McDaniel had a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double, making five 3-pointers. She also had a team-high four steals. Ashanti Barnes also grabbed a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds. JMU caused 16 turnovers for Troy and scored 24 points off them to Troy's six.
Runner-Up
James Madison stormed out of the gates with 13 straight in the first three minutes of the game before Troy got on the board via Rachel Leggett's jumper with 4:45 left in the first, 13-2. The Dukes managed to open a 14-point lead with 3:44 on the clock before Troy scored a 6-0 run with points from Leggett (2), Saniya Jackson (2) and Ngnawo (2) to make the margin single-digits, 18-10.
The Trojans continued to chip away at the deficit, making it a five-point game, 23-18, after Jackson swiped the ball from McDaniel and went coast-to-coast with 6:48 left in the first half.
After a layup for JMU, Dyer and Ngnawo went back-to-back to make it a one-possession game, 27-22, with 5:17 to go. Troy responded to a JMU bucket again with back-to-back from Shakirah Edwards and Ngnawo for a one-point game, 27-26 – 3:30 remaining in the second quarter.
Troy managed to enter the break down four, 34-30, after outscoring JMU 18-14 in the second quarter. The Trojans shot 47.4 percent from the field and held JMU to 29.4 percent and 14.3 percent from deep.
Like the first quarter, the Dukes fired out of halftime, ballooning their advantage to 14 at the midpoint of the third quarter with a 14-4 run. Troy cut the deficit to 10, 48-38, one minute later with back-to-back jumpers by Ngnawo, but that was the lowest the margin ever got.
James Madison held its double-digit advantage for the remainder of the ballgame, earning its second SBC title in the last four seasons.
Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"This game was lost in the first few minutes of the first and third quarters. We had three straight turnovers to start the second half, which was pivotal with us being the most amped up and having all the momentum. That run James Madison made at the beginning of the game was incredible, but after we weathered that, we chipped back and made it a game. We lost to a very good James Madison team today. They worked very hard to get that title. My team also worked very hard to get to this point, and they gave it their all up until the buzzer. I'm so proud of this team for so many reasons. The growth they've shown all season was something special to be a part of. I am proud to be the head coach of this team. We're heartbroken right now, but without a shred of doubt, we deserve a bid into a postseason tournament. Look at the records this team has set. We are a 25-win program with some of the best players and coaches in the nation. We deserve a shot to keep this going."
Championship Stats
• Zay Dyer and Fortuna Ngnawo earned SBC All-Tournament team nods. It was the second season Dyer earned the nod.
• Despite Dyer's 15-game double-double streak coming to an end, she finished with 11 rebounds for her 16th straight double-digit rebound performance.
• Fortuna Ngnawo's 18-point, 12-rebound performance marked her 19th double-double in the last 24 games. She also ended the season with 19 straight double-digit scoring performances.
• The Trojans end the season with 25 wins, tying the program record set in 2019-20.
• Troy finished play against SBC teams 19-1 in the rebound battle, falling short by one against JMU in the title game (43-42).
The Trojans (25-7, 15-3 SBC) fall in the championship game for the second time in program history, while the Dukes (26-8, 14-4 SBC) win their second tournament title in the last four seasons.
Fortuna Ngnawo led Troy with an 18-point, 12-rebound performance for her 19th double-double in the last 24 games. SBC Defensive Player of the Year Zay Dyer shone with 11 rebounds and a team-high four blocks. The duo also earned SBC All-Tournament Team nods. The Trojans excelled in the second quarter, shooting 47.4 percent from the field while holding the Dukes to 29.4 percent.
For the first time against an SBC team in 2025-26, a team outrebounded the Trojans 43-42 in the Dukes. SBC Tournament Most Valuable Player Peyton McDaniel had a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double, making five 3-pointers. She also had a team-high four steals. Ashanti Barnes also grabbed a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds. JMU caused 16 turnovers for Troy and scored 24 points off them to Troy's six.
Runner-Up
James Madison stormed out of the gates with 13 straight in the first three minutes of the game before Troy got on the board via Rachel Leggett's jumper with 4:45 left in the first, 13-2. The Dukes managed to open a 14-point lead with 3:44 on the clock before Troy scored a 6-0 run with points from Leggett (2), Saniya Jackson (2) and Ngnawo (2) to make the margin single-digits, 18-10.
The Trojans continued to chip away at the deficit, making it a five-point game, 23-18, after Jackson swiped the ball from McDaniel and went coast-to-coast with 6:48 left in the first half.
After a layup for JMU, Dyer and Ngnawo went back-to-back to make it a one-possession game, 27-22, with 5:17 to go. Troy responded to a JMU bucket again with back-to-back from Shakirah Edwards and Ngnawo for a one-point game, 27-26 – 3:30 remaining in the second quarter.
Troy managed to enter the break down four, 34-30, after outscoring JMU 18-14 in the second quarter. The Trojans shot 47.4 percent from the field and held JMU to 29.4 percent and 14.3 percent from deep.
Like the first quarter, the Dukes fired out of halftime, ballooning their advantage to 14 at the midpoint of the third quarter with a 14-4 run. Troy cut the deficit to 10, 48-38, one minute later with back-to-back jumpers by Ngnawo, but that was the lowest the margin ever got.
James Madison held its double-digit advantage for the remainder of the ballgame, earning its second SBC title in the last four seasons.
Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"This game was lost in the first few minutes of the first and third quarters. We had three straight turnovers to start the second half, which was pivotal with us being the most amped up and having all the momentum. That run James Madison made at the beginning of the game was incredible, but after we weathered that, we chipped back and made it a game. We lost to a very good James Madison team today. They worked very hard to get that title. My team also worked very hard to get to this point, and they gave it their all up until the buzzer. I'm so proud of this team for so many reasons. The growth they've shown all season was something special to be a part of. I am proud to be the head coach of this team. We're heartbroken right now, but without a shred of doubt, we deserve a bid into a postseason tournament. Look at the records this team has set. We are a 25-win program with some of the best players and coaches in the nation. We deserve a shot to keep this going."
Championship Stats
• Zay Dyer and Fortuna Ngnawo earned SBC All-Tournament team nods. It was the second season Dyer earned the nod.
• Despite Dyer's 15-game double-double streak coming to an end, she finished with 11 rebounds for her 16th straight double-digit rebound performance.
• Fortuna Ngnawo's 18-point, 12-rebound performance marked her 19th double-double in the last 24 games. She also ended the season with 19 straight double-digit scoring performances.
• The Trojans end the season with 25 wins, tying the program record set in 2019-20.
• Troy finished play against SBC teams 19-1 in the rebound battle, falling short by one against JMU in the title game (43-42).
Team Stats
JMU
TROY
FG%
.403
.303
3FG%
.273
.083
FT%
.650
1.000
RB
43
42
TO
10
16
STL
10
3
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
1
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
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/ Basketball (W)No. 2 Troy vs. No. 4 James Madison - SBC Championship (Full Highlights)
Monday, March 09
SBC Championship Postgame Press Conference (Chanda Rigby, Zay Dyer, Leilani Guion) - No. 4 James Madison
Monday, March 09
SBC Semifinal Postgame Press Conference (Chanda Rigby, Zay Dyer, Fortuna Ngnawo) - Arkansas State
Sunday, March 08
No. 2 Troy vs. No. 3 Arkansas State - SBC Semifinals (Full Highlights)
Sunday, March 08