Troy survives late push, snaps skid with 77-76 win over ULM

Troy snaps two game skid with 77-76 win over ULM. They didn’t dominate Wednesday night, Trojan’s just found a way to win.

After dropping two straight games and searching for momentum late in conference play, the Trojans escaped Monroe with a 77-76 win over ULM inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The result snapped a two-game skid and kept Troy in the mix in a tight Sun Belt race.

The game played out exactly how head coach Scott Cross described it.

“It was definitely a rock fight,” Cross said. “We had to find a way.”

ULM carried a 37-35 halftime lead after forcing Troy into tough shots and controlling stretches of pace. But the Trojans responded in the second half by crashing the glass and creating second chances that proved important in a one-point game. Troy finished with a 41-34 rebounding edge.

Cross said foul trouble added to the challenge.

“JB picked up fouls early. Victor picked up fouls,” Cross said. “It was a battle.”

Troy’s offense leaned on balance rather than one dominant scorer.

Four Trojans reached double figures, led by Kerrington Kiel’s 15 points off the bench. Cooper Campbell and Victor Valdes each added 14, while Thomas Dowd filled the stat sheet with 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Still, the game came down to the final seconds.

With under a minute remaining, ULM tied the game at 75 on a late three. After a missed Troy possession and a split trip to the free throw line by the Warhawks, the Trojans found themselves trailing by one with the clock winding down.

That is when Kiel stepped up.

With 10 seconds left, Kiel pump-faked, drove the lane and finished through contact for a layup that became the game-winner.

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Cross credited Kiel’s energy as the difference.

“The way Carrington brought energy, he was the difference in the game,” Cross said. “He changed it and brought so much positive energy with how hard he played.”

ULM had one final opportunity, but Troy’s defense held to seal the win.

The result showed a team finding composure in a tight moment. Troy did not overwhelm ULM statistically, but it controlled the glass and executed when it mattered most.

Entering the game, Troy had dropped consecutive road contests and risked losing ground in conference positioning. Instead, the Trojans avoided a three-game skid and improved to 10-5 in Sun Belt play.

Cross said the win helped reset the team mentally.

“We had to get the monkey off our back,” Cross said. “There were so many things not going our way, but our guys figured it out and got it done.”

The performance reinforced Troy’s identity late in the season.

Kiel’s spark off the bench shifted momentum, Dowd’s presence inside helped Troy control rebounds and Campbell’s scoring provided stability during stretches when the offense struggled to find rhythm.

Ultimately, the win was not about style points.

Against a ULM team playing loose on its home floor, Troy had to earn every possession. The Warhawks pushed until the final seconds, and the Trojans responded with just enough execution to escape.

As the Sun Belt race tightens, games like this carry extra weight.

Wednesday night was not comfortable for Troy, but it was necessary. And in a season where momentum can shift quickly, one play made the difference.

That play belonged to Kerrington Kiel.