The Troy women’s basketball team trailed for almost all of the second half, but in the end, 28 seconds proved all the Trojans needed to defeat Tennessee State 75-71 Saturday at the Gentry Center.

Despite carrying a one-point lead out of halftime, Troy (5-4) spent most of the second half chasing the lead, as they trailed Tennessee State for 19 of the final 20 minutes.

With 28 seconds to play in the game, Troy made their final run at the lead.

Ronita Garrett found Kourtney Coleman all alone in the paint for a layup that gave the Trojans a 71-70 lead.

Coleman then made a play immediately on the defensive end, drawing a charge on Tennessee State’s Brianna Lawrence.

With the lead theirs for the taking, Troy sealed the game by making 4-of-6 free throws to close out the game.

“We are very proud to be going into Sun Belt play with a winning record,” Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said.  “However, we feel like we’ll need to play much better to win in the Sun Belt.  Though we’re thankful for the win, it gave us a lot to go home and work on.”

Tennessee State (3-7) lost the game but won the rebounding battle Saturday, outrebounding Troy 57-48. The Lady Tigers snatched 16 offensive rebounds in the first half, but went into the locker room down 31-30.

The deficit didn’t hold for long, though, as Tennessee State raced out a second-half lead behind an early 10-4 run.

But down nine, Troy went on a 9-0 run of their own to tie the game at 58. Troy never lead until Coleman’s final basket.

Troy’s defense continues to improve as the Trojans forced 29 Tennessee State turnovers. The Trojans also recorded 14 steals.

Jayda Johnson led Tennessee State off the bench with 15 points. Chelsea Hudson, the Lady Tigers’ top player, was ineffective as she was in foul trouble for most of the night.

Garrett finished the game with a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds. This is the third-straight game she has recorded a double-double.

Ashley Beverly-Kelley and Rachel Reid also scored in double-digits, finishing with 14 points and 10 points, respectively.