HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — A surging Troy team looks to solidify its Sun Belt Conference standing when it visits a struggling Southern Mississippi squad on Saturday at Reed Green Coliseum. The Trojans (17-9) have won seven of their last 10 games and are riding momentum from a strong January. Their most recent outing, however, was a 74-62 road loss at Texas State on Wednesday. Southern Mississippi (13-14) has lost four of its last five, including a 84-78 home defeat to South Alabama on Thursday. Troy will lean on guard Victor Valdes, who scored 22 points in the loss to Texas State. Over his last eight games, Valdes is averaging 15.4 points and 5.4 assists per contest, including a 17-point, 14-assist performance in a win over Arkansas State last month. His playmaking will be central to Troy’s offensive flow. The Golden Eagles counter with dynamic guard Tylik Weeks, who is coming off a 25-point, 7-assist effort against South Alabama. Weeks has been a consistent scorer, surpassing the 20-point mark in five of his last nine games. His matchup with Valdes will be a key focal point. The teams met just last month in Troy, Ala., with the Trojans delivering a dominant 91-65 victory. Troy shot 54% from the field in that Jan. 14 win, while holding Southern Mississippi to 38% shooting. For Troy, a win would bolster its position in the conference race as the regular season enters its final weeks. For Southern Mississippi, the game represents a critical opportunity to halt its slide and build momentum at home before a challenging stretch of conference play. Tip-off is set for Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Troy visits Louisiana-Monroe next on Feb. 18, while Southern Mississippi hosts Old Dominion on Feb. 21.