by By Matt Mays, Troy Athletics
TROY, Alabama – The Troy women’s basketball team got a stellar performance from Caitlyn Ramirez (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) and used it to beat a quality Samford team, 76-67, on Wednesday night at Trojan Arena.
Troy (3-3), who has struggled from the field early this season, shot 53 percent (16-of-30) in the first half and built a 12-point halftime lead. Samford (4-3), coming off of a win over defending Big 10 champion Penn State, cut into that lead in the second half, but Troy was able to hold on.
Ramirez came off the bench and scored 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from floor, but really made her mark defensively on Samford’s Taylor Reece. The 6-foot-3 Reece entered averaging 15.7 points per game to lead the Bulldogs. Ramirez was big in holding Reece to 4-of-10 shooting, no 3-pointers, and three turnovers.
Ashley Beverly-Kelley also came off the bench and scored 17 points for the Trojans, including two of the Trojans’ season-high 10 3-pointers. Ramirez and Kourtney Coleman each went 3-of-5 from long range as the Trojans also neutralized the Bulldogs’ 3-point threat. Coleman finished with a season-high 16 points to round out the trio of Trojans in double figures.
“We beat a great team today,” Troy head coach Chanda Rigby. “(Troy assistant) Coach (Courtney) Simmons had a great scouting report, the girls really bought into it and for the first time this season they came together as one to execute a gameplan. I was very proud of that.”
Samford entered making twice as many 3-pointers per game as Troy, but hit just six while Troy made 10 in the contest. Hannah Nichols made four of those six and scored a season-high 14 points. Reece scored 12 and Krista Stricklin scored a team-high 15 points.
Four of Samford’s treys came in the second half as the Bulldogs chipped away at the Troy lead. Samford started the half with a 9-0 run to get within three, but Troy answered with nine straight itself to regain the 12-point advantage with 14:43 to go.
The Bulldogs still didn’t go away, eventually cutting the lead down to two points, 59-57, with 5:27 to go. However, 3-pointers from Ronita Garrett and Ramirez sealed the game and put Troy up 68-58 with 2:59 to go.
Kristen Emerson, who posted a game-high 11 rebounds, erased any hope for Samford with a pair of blocks on the Bulldogs’ final possession and two free throws with three seconds on the clock.
Troy forced the usually sure-handed Bulldogs into 22 turnovers while committing just 14 themselves. Troy scored 19 points off of those miscues, while Samford scored just nine from the Trojan mistakes.
The Trojans now have 10 days before their next game, which comes on Saturday, December 13, when Alabama State visits Trojan Arena in the final of three straight at home for the Trojans.
