In a thrilling face-off in Pensacola, Fla., the Troy Trojans emerged victorious against Arkansas State with a 94-81 win, clinching their spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Sparked by an exceptional performance from Tayton Conerway, the Sun Belt Conference player of the year, who scored 16 of his 21 total points during a pivotal second half, the Trojans secured the third NCAA Tournament appearance in their history.
Troy, holding a record of 23-10, captured the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title, marking a significant achievement for the program. Arkansas State, with a near-identical 24-10 record, reached the championship stage for the second consecutive year, striving for an NCAA return since their last in 1999.
During the game, Troy found themselves trailing 66-58 with just ten minutes remaining. However, they mounted a remarkable comeback with a 24-4 run, initiated by Conerway’s contribution of 12 points. This effort pushed the Trojans to an 82-70 lead with just over two minutes left, marking the first double-digit lead for either team in the match.
As the game concluded, Troy demonstrated impressive shooting accuracy, hitting 65% of their shots in the second half. Myles Rigsby added 16 points to Troy’s tally, complemented by 11 points from Thomas Dowd. Dowd concluded with 14 points along with nine rebounds, while Jackson Fields chipped in with 10 points, helping Troy secure their sixth consecutive win.
For Arkansas State, Dyondre Dominguez led with 19 points, supported by Derrian Ford’s 17. Terrance Ford Jr. contributed 11 points and seven assists, with both Kobe Julien and Joseph Pinion adding 10 points each.
Throughout the tournament, Conerway was a standout, finishing with 61 total points. He had previously scored 18 points in the quarterfinals against Old Dominion and 22 points in the semifinals against the No. 2 seed, James Madison. In the decisive game against Arkansas State, he made 8 of his 17 shots from the field.
