Troy Advances to Sun Belt Championship with 79-60 Win over James Madison

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Troy men’s basketball team secured a spot in the Sun Belt Conference championship game after defeating the second-seeded James Madison Dukes 79-60 on Sunday night at the Pensacola Bay Center. This victory marks the Trojans’ first appearance in the title match since 2017. They will face No. 4 Arkansas State for the championship on Monday at 6 p.m.

Troy (22-10) unleashed a powerful offensive performance, starting the game with a swift 11-0 run. The Trojans maintained a commanding 19-9 lead by the under-12 media timeout. Although James Madison (20-12) trimmed the deficit to 24-20 with 6:40 left in the first half, Troy responded with a decisive 16-3 run to enter halftime with a 40-23 advantage.

Tayton Conerway and Jackson Fields each scored 11 points in the first half, combining for an efficient 8-for-10 from the field and 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. Troy’s strong defense and offense carried into the second half as they extended their lead to 52-33 with 14:07 remaining.

Despite a valiant effort from James Madison, who cut the lead down to seven points with 6:55 left in the game, Troy surged ahead again with an 11-1 run that put the game beyond reach. Conerway finished the game with a team-high 22 points, followed closely by Fields, who scored a career-high 21, sinking five three-pointers. Thomas Dowd contributed with 18 points and 11 rebounds, marking his third double-double of the season.

The Trojans’ defense was notably effective, holding the Dukes to just 32.3 percent shooting from the floor and 25.9 percent from three-point territory. In contrast, Troy shot an impressive 47.2 percent overall and made 10 of their 28 three-point attempts.

“First and foremost, I give all glory to the Lord above. I’m thankful for how tough and battle-ready these guys were. It was a really gritty game, and we won that because our guys were phenomenal and locked in defensively,” said head coach Scott Cross. “Freeman for them was unstoppable, and my heart hurt for him seeing him after the game. This might have been the best defensive game for us.”

Troy is poised to claim its first Sun Belt title since winning the tournament in 2017. The Trojans and Arkansas State have split their two previous meetings this season, with each team winning on their home court. “It’s a great matchup,” Cross noted. “Both games have been very, very close. They’re a super talented basketball team, and we’re going to have to play extremely tough, similar to how we played tonight.”

The championship game will be broadcast on ESPN2, with additional coverage available on the Troy Sports Media Network. In addition to the stakes of a championship title, the winner will secure an automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Troy has not only reached the championship game, but it has also made history this postseason, having defeated all 13 teams in the Sun Belt Conference this season. With Sunday’s win, the program aims for its third NCAA Tournament appearance in history, having previously played against Xavier in 2003 and Duke in 2017.

The championship game is eagerly anticipated by fans and players alike, as Troy looks to capture the title and a coveted spot in the NCAA tournament.