Troy University’s men’s basketball team secured a 91-65 win over Southern Miss on Wednesday at Trojan Arena. Cobi Campbell led the Trojans with a career-high 30 points, making 11 of his 16 shots and hitting six three-pointers out of nine attempts.
The victory marked the eighth time this season that Troy has scored at least 90 points. The team now holds a record of 12-6 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Victor Valdes contributed significantly with 19 points and three assists, reaching double figures for the eighth time this season.
Defensively, Troy finished the game with 14 steals. Southern Miss, which dropped to an 11-8 record (5-2 in conference), had four players score in double digits. Djahi Binet led the Golden Eagles with a double-double—10 points and 11 rebounds.
Both teams started slowly on offense, tied at ten midway through the first half after nearly three minutes without a field goal from either side. A series of three-point shots by Austin Cross and Victor Valdes sparked a run for Troy, helping them build a substantial lead before halftime.
At halftime, Troy led by sixteen points. Although Southern Miss managed to reduce the deficit early in the second half, Campbell’s scoring surge helped Troy regain control. The Trojans eventually extended their lead to as much as twenty-eight points before closing out the game.
Afterwards, Head Coach Scott Cross said: “Tonight was a great all-around win for our guys; we did a great job on the boards. Offensively we struggled in the beginning of the game and then Cobi [Campbell] started going. He was cooking tonight and kind of transcended the rest of the team. But it comes down to us being tough and physical, and I thought our guys had the right mindset from the get-go.”
Other notable performances included Thomas Dowd’s ninth double-double of the season with eleven points and ten rebounds—a statistic that leads all Sun Belt players this year—and Jerrell Bellamy tying his career high with two steals. Freshman Hikaru Awata scored his first college point during late-game free throws.
Troy’s next matchup is against Arkansas State at home; tip-off is scheduled for Saturday afternoon on ESPN+.
