The Trojans started the 2024-25 campaign in similar fashion to their record breaking 2023-24 season as they drop their first game of the season, a close 80-78 loss to Buffalo.
Troy saw two newcomers lead the way in scoring, as five total Trojans finished in double figures. The night also saw Fortuna Ngnawo get her first career Division I double-double after an 11-point, 11 rebound performance.
Transfer guards Briana Peguero and Ashley Baez topped the score sheet with 15 points and 14 points, respectively, with Peguero having a career night from three. She went 5-for-7 from distance, with all her points coming from beyond the arc.
“This is the first official game playing together with nine new players,” said head coach Chanda Rigby in an interview with Troy Athletics. “Overall, I was really pleased with a lot of what we were doing.”
Behind the two newcomers came returnees Shaulana Wagner and Zay Dyer who poured in 13 points and 11 points respectively, with Dyer coming two rebounds short of a double-double before fouling out.
Fouls were the story of the game as the Trojans committed 33 fouls, nine more than the opposition. The fouls resulted in both Dyer and Ngnawo fouling out.
Troy started the game strong, going three-for-three from three-point land to take a 9-0 lead almost immediately. Buffalo answered back though, and the Trojans trailed 19-24 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the Trojans mostly playing catchup as they could only get within one point of the Bulls before a Baez free throw tied it at 46 with 17 seconds left. Baez then followed that up with a layup at the buzzer to give the Trojans a 48-46 lead going into half.
After half, the Bulls came out swinging as they went on a 10-3 run before the Trojans got it back within two. Troy played much of the third quarter on the backfoot as Buffalo held a 69-65 lead going into the final quarter.
It was much of the same story for the final quarter as the Bulls pushed their lead to as big as seven two separate times in the quarter. The Trojans tried to spur a run in the final two minutes, getting as close as two points but couldn’t get the last shot to fall as the Bulls won 80-78.
The Trojans continue their long road stretch as they immediately hit the road to Montana for a weekday matchup with Montana State on Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.
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