TROY, Ala. (Interstat) — The Troy men’s basketball team secured a 70-63 victory over Marshall in a Sun Belt Conference game Saturday at Trojan Arena. The Trojans led 36-32 at halftime and maintained their advantage throughout the second half. Troy’s efficiency at the free-throw line proved decisive, making 19 of 23 attempts compared to Marshall’s 9 of 14. Noah Otshudi led all scorers with 22 points for the Thundering Herd. Troy was paced by Victor Valdes and Theo Seng, who each scored 18 points. Valdes added six assists. Troy improved to 8-5 overall, while Marshall fell to 7-5. An announced crowd of 2,181 attended the conference opener for both teams.

TROY, Ala. (Interstat) — In a Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball game defined by offensive struggles and defensive persistence, the Troy Trojans grinded out a 70-63 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday afternoon at Trojan Arena. A crowd of 2,181 watched as Troy improved to 8-5 overall, while Marshall fell to 7-5. The game failed to reach the offensive fireworks many anticipated, with the combined score of 133 points falling well short of the pregame over/under line of 151. Troy entered as a 4.5-point favorite, a margin they ultimately covered. The contest was a stark contrast in efficiency. While both teams had an identical 70 possessions, Troy’s offensive execution proved superior. The Trojans posted an offensive rating of 100.1, scoring a point per possession, while Marshall managed only a 90.5 rating. The disparity was most evident at the free-throw line, where Troy converted 19 of 23 attempts compared to Marshall’s 9-of-14 performance. That 10-point advantage at the charity stripe provided the decisive margin in a game where field goals were hard to come by. Marshall’s offense never found a consistent rhythm, shooting just 35.4% from the floor and a frigid 24.2% from three-point range. Despite grabbing 16 offensive rebounds, the Thundering Herd could not capitalize sufficiently on second chances, hampered by a season-low four assists against 14 turnovers. Troy, while also shooting a modest 35% from the field, was more opportunistic. The Trojans dished out eight assists, committed only 11 turnovers, and recorded eight steals. Their 9-of-28 shooting from beyond the arc provided just enough spacing to supplement their work at the foul line. The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final 90 seconds, turning a narrow Troy lead into a secure victory. Leading 66-63, Troy’s Victor Valdes was fouled and sank two critical free throws with 35 seconds remaining to extend the lead to five. On the ensuing possession, Marshall’s Wilson Dubinsky missed a three-pointer that would have cut the deficit to two. Troy secured the defensive rebound, and Valdes was fouled again, sinking two more free throws to ice the game at 70-63 with 26 seconds left. This closing stretch highlighted Troy’s composure and their game-long advantage in converting free opportunities, ultimately sealing Marshall’s fate. Marshall guard Noah Otshudi led all scorers with 22 points, adding four assists in 36 minutes. His backcourt mate, Jalen Speer, contributed 13 points and four assists. For Troy, the offensive load was shared by Victor Valdes and Theo Seng, who each scored 18 points. Valdes, a 6-foot-7 guard from Monterrey, Mexico, filled the stat sheet with six assists, a block, and a steal over 31 minutes, orchestrating the Trojan attack. Seng, a 6-foot-9 forward from Davis, California, hit three three-pointers and grabbed several key defensive rebounds in his 32-minute outing. Thomas Dowd added 13 points and Cooper Campbell chipped in nine points and four assists for the Trojans. Defensively, Marshall’s interior presence was notable, as 7-foot-4 center Matt Van Komen and 6-foot-10 forward Erich Harding each blocked two shots. Van Komen also pulled down nine rebounds in just 15 minutes. However, Troy’s defense was more disruptive overall, generating those eight steals which led to 10 points off turnovers. The first half set the tone for the defensive battle, with Troy taking a 36-32 lead into the break. Marshall kept pace early, but a 7-0 run by Troy late in the half, capped by a Valdes layup off a Cooper Campbell assist with 1:22 remaining, gave the home team a cushion they would not relinquish. The Thundering Herd fought back in the second half, closing to within a single possession on several occasions, but could never string together enough scores to overtake the Trojans. The win gives Troy momentum as it heads into the heart of its Sun Belt schedule. Marshall will look to regroup after a loss where offensive execution, particularly from the free-throw line and in the half-court set, proved costly.

Preview: Marshall at Troy in Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball TROY, Ala. (Interstat) — Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball play opens Saturday with a matchup of teams sporting nearly identical records as the Marshall Thundering Herd visit the Troy Trojans at Trojan Arena. Both teams enter the 2025-26 league opener with momentum from narrow victories last week. Marshall (7-4) edged Wright State 76-74 on Dec. 13, while Troy (7-5) secured an 86-85 road win at UAB on Dec. 14. The Thundering Herd have been led recently by forward Wyatt Fricks, who scored 19 points and blocked three shots in the win over Wright State. Over his last six games, Fricks is averaging 13.7 points and has recorded multiple blocks in three contests. He is complemented by guards Noah Otshudi and Jalen Speer, who combined for 32 points and 11 assists against the Raiders. Troy counters with high-scoring guard Victor Valdes, who is coming off a 26-point, five-assist performance at UAB. Valdes has been a dynamic offensive force, averaging 29 points per game over his last two outings, including a 29-point effort in a double-overtime loss to West Georgia on Dec. 1. His backcourt partnership with Cooper Campbell, who dished nine assists against UAB, will be crucial. Marshall’s season has featured a potent offense, scoring 77 or more points in seven games, but the Herd have struggled defensively in their losses, allowing an average of 88 points in defeats to Ohio, Lipscomb and Virginia. Troy has shown a flair for dramatic games, with four of its contests going to overtime already this season, including a triple-overtime thriller at Southern California and a double-overtime win at San Diego State. The Trojans’ offense has been explosive, topping 100 points three times. Historically, the home team has dominated this series. Troy holds a 9-2 advantage in games played in Troy, Alabama, including a current four-game home winning streak against the Thundering Herd. Saturday’s contest will set the early tone for both teams in conference play. Following this game, Marshall hosts Georgia State on Dec. 31, while Troy will host Texas State the same day.