Troy defeats Georgia State, Head Coach Chanda Rigby earns her 150th Sun Belt win

Saturday, Jan. 11, in the GSU Convocation Center, marked the 150th career Sun Belt Conference victory for head coach Chanda Rigby as she led the Troy women’s basketball program to an 80-72 win over Georgia State, doubling the opposition in the rebound battle, 59-26.

The Trojans (10-7, 4-1 SBC) earned their fourth straight victory in league play as they become the fourth SBC team to hit double-digit wins. Georgia State (7-9, 1-4 SBC) capitalized on 29 turnovers by Troy but fell for its third straight.

Double-double No. 10 was secured for Zay Dyer in her return to Atlanta as she led Troy in scoring (18) and rebounding (17), marking her 12th game in double-figures for scoring and fourth with 15-plus rebounds. The backcourt of Briana Peguero (17) and Ashley Baez (18) lit up the scoreboard, combining for 25 points on seven triples. Peguero also had her second straight game with 5-plus assists at seven, while Baez had seven rebounds (tied career-high) and two steals.

Georgia State had six players end with multiple steals via Crystal Henderson (4), Patience Williams (4), Mahogany Matthews (3), Kaleigh Addie (3), Clara Rosini (2) and Eghosa Obasuyi (2). Williams kept up with Dyer on the scoreboard with 18 points, followed by Mikyla Tolivert (14), Henderson (13) and Addie (13). The Panthers went below their league-low 32.8 rebounds per game, seizing 26 boards, as opposed to Troy’s 59.

Georgia State stormed back in the final four minutes of the third quarter, taking the lead into the break, 35-34, outscoring Troy 16-4. Peguero got Troy back to the lead twice, 42-38, when she hit back-to-back triples – Addie hit a 3-pointer in between Peguero’s conversions.

The score got knotted up at 45 with 5:21 left in the third off a fastbreak driving layup for Williams. Troy finished the quarter on an 11-0 run, 56-45, starting with a turnaround jumper for Dyer at the 6:21 mark. Baez (2), Adriana Jones (2) and Fortuna Ngnawo (2) contributed to the run before Peguero ended it with 0:28 on the clock on her third triple of the quarter.

Troy regained its largest lead of the ballgame, 60-48, 1:39 into the final quarter, when Baez hit her first triple of the quarter. However, the Panthers capitalized on four Troy turnovers to make it a two-point game, 63-61, off an Addie triple with 3:51 on the clock. In clutch fashion, Baez got the assist from Peguero and hit a wide-open 3-pointer, 66-61, 0:05 later for the eventual dagger.

The Panthers couldn’t trim the deficit any lower than two possessions from that point as the Trojans limited their turnover numbers to just one in the final 3:31. Meanwhile, Dyer, Ngnawo and Brianna Jackson all contributed to push the margin to seven, 71-64, at the 7:54 mark. Baez sealed the victory, 80-72, going 5-of-6 at the free throw line in the remaining minutes – Jackson also hit a pair at the line.

The opening 4:23 saw back-and-forth play from both sides with four lead changes and three ties, including a 9-9 score when Henderson matched a 3-pointer from Baez. The 3-point barrage continued 0:12 later when Baez found Dyer at the top of the arc, and she converted with a defender in her face, 12-9.

Dyer’s triple opened a 9-2 run to end the first quarter as Khila Morris ended a 2:45 scoreless drought by both sides with a pair at the charity stripe, 14-9. GSU’s Williams followed it with a driving layup before Peguero found Dyer down low, 16-9. Leilani Guion got the final say of the first when Dyer secured the offensive rebound as she connected with Baez, 18-11, for the jumper.

A free throw from Matthews opened quarter No. 2, 18-12, at the 0:48 mark. Peguero got Troy on the board 0:17 later as she banged in her first triple, 21-12. Cheyenne Holloman missed the turnaround jumper, and Dyer launched the attack, pulling up for the deep 2-point jumper for Troy’s first double-digit advantage, 23-12.

Holloman cut the margin to 10, 23-13, on a trip to the charity stripe before Jones hit a eurostep inside for Troy’s largest lead of the ballgame, 25-13, with 7:36 remaining. The Trojans reclaimed their largest lead of 12, 31-19, at the 5:33 mark when Peguero found Dyer for the jumper.

“We’re happy to get out of Georgia with a win through all the ice and snow. We battled so much regarding injuries and illness, and I can’t speak about how proud I am of this team for having a championship mindset to overcome that. All glory to God for allowing me to do this. One hundred fifty conference wins is a lot of wins and I’m grateful for each and every single one of them. I’m grateful to all the players, staff and administration who have helped me along the way. It’s fun as a coach to see a team that doesn’t need you to beg them to hold its head up. This team has continued to mature and handle the adversity thrown at them. And they find a way to swing it back in our favor.”

The Trojans welcome their in-state rival, South Alabama, for a meeting in Trojan Arena on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m.