Troy men’s basketball earned its second victory of the year on the road against the New Orleans Privateers 78-61 on Saturday.
The Trojans got out to an early lead, but New Orleans was able to keep it within range for the first eight minutes. Troy would find some separation thanks to an 18-4 run. Going to the half, Troy led 43-20.
New Orleans briefly showed signs of life again in the second half. The Privateers rallied to cut the Trojans’ lead back down to just nine with eight minutes remaining. Once again, the Trojans found a rhythm late in the half to pull away and take the 78-61 victory.
“We checked every box,” head coach Scott Cross said to Troy Athletics “We came out in the second half, a few things didn’t go our way, we lost our cool, and things started not going our way.
“Luckily, the guys flipped it. I just told them in the locker room, ‘a lot of the times when that happens, you’re not able to flip it.’ When the momentum goes – especially on the road – it’s very hard to do. So, I was proud of them for that.”
Jackson Fields had an impressive day for Troy. Fields earned a double-double, the first of his career, with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Thomas Dowd was not far behind Fields with his 14 points and six rebounds.
Troy managed to put together a shooting clinic. The Trojans were shooting at 42.9% from the floor, as well as 30.4% from 3-point range on 23 attempts. The team also shot 73.9% from the free throw line -- a significant improvement compared to 53.8% from the charity stripe in the season opener against Toledo.
The Trojans defense once again stood out, getting 16 turnovers off 11 forced turnovers. New Orleans’ 61 points is a season low for the team. The Privateers had 65 in their season opener against Kansas State and 102 in the exhibition against Sun Belt foe Southern Miss.
Troy’s win comes at a familiar site for the Trojans. Troy’s 2017 Sun Belt Tournament championship also came at UNO Lakefront Arena.
The win moves Troy to 2-0 in the early part of the 2024-25 season. The road trip continues with two major matchups against Power Four teams.
Troy takes on No. 16 Arkansas on Wednesday in Fayetteville, followed by a trip to Eugene, Oregon., to face the Oregon Ducks on Saturday.
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