by Rylee Bamberger
Junior Forward Ja’Mia Hollings became only the second player in the Troy University Women’s Basketball Team’s Division I history to record 20 points and 20 rebounds on Jan. 26.
Hollings made history, leading the squad to an 81-62 win over in-state rival South Alabama, while recording 23 points and 20 rebounds with nearly 3,000 fans in attendance at Trojan Arena.
She joined the team’s elite 20-20 club with Caitlyn Ramirez, who logged 25 points and 22 rebounds in the Trojans’ 105-72 victory over Arkansas State University in the first round of the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Championship tournament.
After Hollings secured her historic rebound with 4 minutes and 27 seconds left in the game, the crowd and bench erupted in celebration.
“After hearing the bench call my (nick)name ‘Stixxs go, Stixxs go,’ it just pushed me into an extra gear,” said Hollings, who’s carried the moniker since the fourth grade. “I knew to push harder and keep going. It’s something I worked hard for.”
Hollings said she thinks the moment will be “a boost for the rest of the season. We start here and keep going.”
Hollings did, indeed, keep going strong in a Jan. 28 matchup, finishing, with another double-double, 19 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the Trojans (13-8, 8-2 SBC) to a 100-77 win over Georgia Southern University, a seventh-place team in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Trojans finished the game with 31 offensive rebounds, led by Hollings’ 6. The win gave the Trojans sole possession over first place in the SBC.
“We are in the driver’s seat,” said Chanda Rigby, the team’s coach. “One thing about being in the driver’s seat is you can’t get comfortable. You have to watch your back and keep progressing forward.”
The Trojan’s next test will come Feb. 2 at Strahan Arena versus Texas State University (15-6, 7-3 SBC). The Bobcats are tied for second-place in the conference, following a two-game winning streak, led by Graduate senior Da’Nasia Hood, who’s averaging 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
The Trojans will face another away game challenge Feb. 4 versus University of Louisiana at Lafayette (13-9, 7-3 SBC). The Rajin’ Cajuns are on a four-game winning streak. Their last loss was an overtime defeat to Troy on the road.
