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Both the Troy Trojans women’s and men’s teams will return to the basketball court next week in Sun Belt Conference play.

The women’s team is coming off a third place finish in the Cherokee Tournament in North Carolina, losing to Toledo on Dec. 18 before rebounding to knock off the SEC’s Arkansas on Dec. 19. The Trojans hold a 6-6 record coming into Sun Belt Conference this weekend.

Troy started off the 2024 portion of its schedule with a brutal eight straight road games that saw the Trojans go 3-5 during that stretch with losses to Buffalo, Montana State, No. 24 Alabama, No. 7 LSU and Mississippi Valley State. The Trojans also defeated Chattanooga and won the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska, with wins over Alaska-Anchorage and North Dakota State. Since that time, Troy has gone 3-1 with wins over Oakwood, Memphis and Arkansas.

Troy has also benefited from the play of Shaulana Wagner recently, who won Sun Belt Player of the Week last week and also became the first Trojan player in school Division I history to earn a triple-double in a game. Over the past three games, she’s averaged 17 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals per game.
Right now, Zay Dyer is averaging 13 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, one steal and one block per game on the season, while Ashley Baez is averaging 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Wagner is averaging 10.6 points, six rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game on the year, while Fortuna Ngawo is averaging 10.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Dyer is ranked seventh in the SBC in scoring and first in rebounding, while Fortuna is second in rebounding, Wagner leads the conference in assists and Brianna Jackson is fourth in blocked shots. As a team, Troy ranks second in the conference in scoring and 13th in scoring defense, while Troy’s opponent field goal percentage ranks third. Troy also leads the Sun Belt in rebounding and is second in blocked shots.

The women’s team will open up Sun Belt play on Sunday, Dec. 29, on the road at James Madison. This will be both Troy and JMU’s first conference game but James Madison holds an overall 8-4 record with wins over Kent State, Eastern Carolina, Loyola Maryland, Gardner-Webb, Saint Peter’s, Florida, VCU and Villanova. A total of three of JMU’s four losses have come against ranked opponents with losses to No. 21 North Carolina State, No. 4 Texas, No. 6 Notre Dame and Northern Arizona in overtime.

Troy is 1-1 all-time against James Madison, last meeting Jan. 13 this year in a 87-74 Trojan victory. Troy and James Madison will tipoff at 1 p.m. in a game that will stream live on ESPN+ on Dec. 29.

The Troy men return to the court in the New Year, against Appalachian State on Jan. 2, 2025, in the Trojans’ second game on the conference schedule. Troy is coming off a 77-57 win over Georgia State on Dec. 21 in the first game in conference play. The Trojans’ come into the App State game with an 8-4 record, holding wins over Toledo, New Orleans, West Georgia, UTSA, Eastern Kentucky, Middle Georgia State, LaGrange College and Georgia State with losses to No. 18 Arkansas, Oregon, Merrimack and No. 15 Houston.

Sophomore Myles Rigsby is leading Troy with 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while Tayton Conerway is averaging 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.8 steals per game. Rigsby currently ranks 19th in the conference in scoring and his .818 percent free throw shooting ranks third. Conerway is also seventh in the Sun Belt in assists and first in steals.

The Trojans rank fourth in scoring in the SBC and third in opponent scoring, while ranking second in team field goal percentage, sixth in opponent field goal percent, second in free throw percentage, fourth in blocked shots, fourth in assists, first in steals and fourth in rebounding. Troy’s biggest issue this season has been turnovers as the Trojans lead the Sun Belt in turnovers, while also ranking second in forced turnovers. Troy’s assist-to-turnover ratio also ranks 11th in the conference.

App State, meanwhile, comes into the game with a 6-6 record with wins over St. Andrews, UNC-Asheville, Queens, William & Mary, Sam Houston, Colgate and Mid-Atlantic Christian. The Mountaineers are currently on a three-game losing streak with losses to High Point, Louisiana and North Texas during that stretch.

App State’s CJ Huntley ranks fourth in the SBC in scoring, while Myles Tate ranks first in assists and second in steals.

Troy will travel to Appalachian State on Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in a game that will stream on ESPN+.