Troy University’s women’s basketball team secured an 88-77 victory over Coastal Carolina on Friday afternoon at the HTC Center in Conway, South Carolina. The game was tied at 63 with just under nine minutes left before Troy outscored their opponents 25-14 to close out the win.
The Trojans improved their record to 18-4 overall and 9-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. Thirteen of those wins have been by double digits. This marks Troy’s fourth consecutive win over Coastal Carolina and fifth straight on the road against them.
Ashley Baez matched her career-high with 20 points, shooting efficiently from both the field and free throw line. She also led her team with four steals and four assists. Three Troy players recorded double-digit rebounds: Rachel Leggett had a team-best 13, while Fortuna Ngnawo and Zay Dyer each grabbed 10 boards and posted double-doubles—Ngnawo scored 15 points, Dyer added 13. Emani Jenkins contributed 15 points, while Saniya Jackson came off the bench to score 10.
Troy converted on 16-of-18 free throws for a season-high accuracy rate of nearly 89 percent.
Coastal Carolina’s Tessa Grady and Kinsea Grimes combined for nearly half their team’s points but did not get enough support from the rest of the roster, who collectively shot below 30 percent from the field.
After trailing early, Troy rallied to take a lead into halftime. The Chanticleers fought back to tie it multiple times in the second half before Troy pulled away late thanks to key plays by Baez, Leggett, Guion, Ngnawo, and Dyer.
Head coach Chanda Rigby commented after the game: “The game was a lot closer than the box score showed. Whether it was our slow start, them coming back or us trading baskets basically the entire second half, it was a tough battle. I’m just thankful for the dog in our players. One of the biggest shoutouts I got is for Ashley, who guarded one of the best guards in our conference. She hit big shots, changed her game to open her shots up in the second half, played solid defense and helped keep everyone involved. It was a growth moment. And our bench came out and played great in a tight environment, and that’s critical, especially when we get to March. Another shoutout to our staff. This game, with all the changes, did a great job adapting and getting our team ready on such short notice. They definitely deserve this weekend off.”
With this result:
– Saniya Jackson achieved her first double-digit scoring performance since December.
– Both Fortuna Ngnawo (12th) and Zay Dyer (14th) recorded double-doubles this season.
– Rachel Leggett led rebounding for Troy for the first time this year.
– Emani Jenkins made four three-pointers; she now ranks tied for third-most threes in a single season at Troy with 67.
– Head coach Chanda Rigby is two wins away from becoming Troy’s all-time winningest women’s basketball coach.
– Zay Dyer reached her milestone of forty career Division I double-doubles.
– Troy has won four straight games against Coastal Carolina and leads their all-time series 14-4.
Troy will return home briefly to host Appalachian State at Trojan Arena on Wednesday, February 4 at 6 p.m.
