The Troy women’s basketball team overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat Marshall, 85-82, on Wednesday night at the Cam Henderson Center. The win marked head coach Chanda Rigby’s 500th collegiate victory.
Troy (17-4, 8-2 Sun Belt Conference) maintained its unbeaten record against Marshall (17-6, 8-3 SBC), improving to 4-0 in the all-time series and moving into sole possession of third place in the conference standings.
Ashley Baez led Troy’s second-half surge, scoring all 18 of her points after halftime and hitting four three-pointers, including the decisive shot with less than a minute remaining. Zay Dyer recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Fortuna Ngnawo added another double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Rachel Leggett contributed all ten of her points in the second half and registered three steals.
Marshall’s Timaya Lewis-Eutsey finished with a game-high 33 points along with ten assists, seven rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Meredith Maier scored twelve points and Ni’Kiah Chesterfield had fourteen for Marshall. After shooting over fifty-five percent in the first half, Marshall’s field goal percentage dropped to just under thirty-six percent in the second half as they committed eight turnovers during that span.
The Trojans trailed by twenty-one late in the second quarter but narrowed the gap quickly after halftime. A strong third quarter saw Troy shoot over seventy-two percent from the field and force six turnovers. The teams exchanged leads several times in the final minutes before Baez hit a go-ahead three-pointer with fifty-seven seconds left.
Head coach Chanda Rigby said: “What a night we just had in the freezing cold. We were down 21, and yet, we were calm, cool, and collected in the locker room. I felt like we still had a purpose, and in the third quarter, we flipped the script. We shot 72 percent in the third and kept forcing turnovers. When Ashley took shots tonight, it felt like she was just willing them in to get us back. I’m thankful for Stephanie Murphy because she’s been quiet the whole trip, but she told me she was just praying for the team, and those prayers were answered. I’m just so grateful to get 500 wins. It’s surreal. There are so many great players, coaches and staff that I could be here for hours. Tonight was different. It was one of my favorite moments and my favorite wins, because we showed the Trojan way. No matter what the odds are, you can come back, and that’s what we did.”
With this result:
– Leilani Guion returned to form from beyond the arc; she now ranks eleventh all-time at Troy for career three-point percentage.
– Shakirah Edwards recorded her twelfth game this season with at least one blocked shot.
– Dyer and Ngnawo continue to lead both their team and conference in double-doubles.
– This marks Troy’s second comeback from a twenty-one point deficit this season.
– Coach Rigby is now only three wins away from becoming Troy’s winningest women’s basketball head coach.
Troy will continue its road trip on Saturday against Coastal Carolina.
