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The Troy Trojans (2-0) men’s basketball team won their second straight game to open the 2024-2025 season on Saturday with a 78-61 win over the New Orleans Privateers (0-2) on the road.

Troy junior Jackson Fields had a career night for the Trojans with his first ever double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Troy shot 42.9 percent from the field, while holding New Orleans to 36.9 percent shooting. New Orleans shot 20 percent from the three-point line, while Troy shot 30.4 percent. The Trojans won the rebound battle 49-36 but turned the ball over 21 times compared to New Orleans’ 16 turnovers. Both schools scored 19 points off turnovers and Troy outscored the Privateers 40-38 in the paint.

“We started great in the first half, about as good as a half as you could expect,” Troy Coach Scott Cross said. “We took care of the basketball, did a great job on the boards, we were efficient, we were holding them under 40 percent.
“We checked every box. We came out in the second half, a few things don’t go our way, we lost our cool, and things started not going our way. They cut it to nine… Luckily, the guys flipped it. I just told them in the locker room, ‘a lot of the times when that happens, you’re not able to flip it.’ When the momentum goes – especially on the road – it’s very hard to do. So, I was proud of them for that.”

Thomas Dowd added 14 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Trojans, while Tayton Conerway scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished six assists and blocked a shot. Myles Rigsby scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots.

New Orleans was led by James White with 23 points and eight rebounds. Jah SHort added 14 points.

Troy is back on the road on Wednesday against No. 16 Arkansas for the second of four straight road games.