by TROY, Alabama – In a game between Sun Belt Conference unbeatens, the Troy women’s basketball team pummeled UT Arlington, 85-68, at Trojan Arena on Saturday for its sixth consecutive win; it is also the first time in program history that the team has started conference play 5-0.
Troy (12-4, 5-0 Sun Belt) corralled Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year Rebekah VanDijk the entire game holding the junior to just one field goal and eight free throws, well below her season average of 17.5 points per game. Caitlyn Ramirez (Seminole Nation) was hot from the outset knocking down three of the Trojans’ first five shots. Troy went on a pair of impactful runs in the first quarter including a 14-3 spurt to end the frame.
UT Arlington (11-4, 4-1) managed to shoot just 31.5 percent, while Troy converted 50.8 percent (32-63) of its shots. The Mavericks missed on 23 of 30 (23.3%) 3-point attempts in the game.
Ramirez and Amanda Mendoza each finished with a game-high 17 points. Ramirez had nine rebounds and three steals while Mendoza, who was also 4-for-5 from 3-point range collected a career-high six boards. Claresa Banks chipped in with 13 points and Jayla Chills added six assists with eight points.
QUOTABLE
“We are very excited and pleased to get this win,” Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said. “The way we got the win was incredible. We had some players that wanted this game so badly that I was afraid we’d come out with too much emotion, but that didn’t happen.”
UP NEXT
Troy travels to face Little Rock on Jan. 19 and Arkansas State on Jan. 21.
