Texas State ready for rematch against reigning champ Troy

Texas State’s conference-opening games over the weekend marked a noticeable change for the team.

Senior forward Da’Nasia Hood, a Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team selection, didn’t play up to her standards for most of the month of December. She averaged just 9.7 points per game across the six contests she played in. She missed the Bobcats’ game against UTEP on Dec. 13 due to a coach’s decision, was relegated out of the starting lineup over the next few matchups and was ruled out again for the team’s game against San Diego on Dec. 21 after being placed in the concussion protocol.

She wasn’t cleared to play again until last weekend when the maroon and gold took on Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana — Texas State luckily didn’t have any games scheduled in between due to the holiday break.

But Hood finally looked like her old self. She scored 19 points off the bench against ULM on Thursday in a 58-50 win, was inserted back into the starting five and dropped her first 20-point game since the season opener on Saturday in a 78-72 loss to the Ragin’ Cajuns.

It was a welcome sight for head coach Zenarae Antoine.

“I will tell you, initially, a lot of what Da'Nasia is going through was a lot of pressure that she's placed on herself to be successful and her long-term goals, including our team winning … So a lot of it is her own pressure at the beginning. But at the end of the day, it was her health, it was health-related,” Antoine said. “And so, I mean, I'd be lying if I'd say it wasn't really good to see her back into form, to be excited about being out there, you know, if she made a mistake, stepping right back in and doing the best she can to help the team. I think it felt good and the team fed off that.”

Part of what helped “Hoody” break out of her slump was the chance to play on the perimeter. The Bobcats were without senior guards Ja’Kayla Bowie, Tiana Eaton and Jo’Nah Johnson, and Antoine chose to move Hood out to the wing to soak up some of those minutes.

“It's always exciting for a forward to, you know, step back and play the guard spot,” Antoine said. “But also she had the skill set. That she'd been training for this the last two years, the opportunity for her to step out some at the guard spot really just added to her being excited about being out there and knowing what we needed.”

Antoine said the three guards will hopefully return this week, coming at a critical time. Texas State will need Hood and the rest of its roster at full strength when it takes on the reigning Sun Belt champion this week in Troy.

The last time the two teams squared of was in the conference quarterfinals on March 6, 2021. The No. 4 West-seeded Bobcats pushed the No. 1 overall seed to the brink, tying the game and forcing overtime at 82-82 before eventually falling, 103-90.

The Trojans had to replace nearly half their team in the offseason, including Sun Belt Player of the Year Alexus Dye, who transferred to Tennessee. But Antoine noted that Troy head coach Chanda Rigby doesn’t “rebuild” — she reloads. Rigby’s class of seven newcomers was headlined by former Southland Conference Player of the Year and Sam Houston State transfer Amber Leggett, who currently leads the Trojans averaging 14.6 points per game.

Rigby returned a lot of talent, too, including a trio of All-Sun Belt selections in senior guards Tiyah Johnson and Jasmine Robinson and junior forward Felmas Koranga. It’s a big reason why Troy has been able to sustain the same run-and-gun style of play that made it the top team in the league last season. 

The Trojans don't seek out “great” shots — they take the first “good” shot they can find and crash the glass for the offensive rebound. For the second year in a row, they rank No. 1 in the NCAA with 18.4 offensive boards per game. It’s a scheme that’s unique to Troy, which also makes it extremely difficult to prepare for.

“We tell our kids (in practice) to do something that I normally would never tell them to do and that's to take a shot within the first seven seconds. We practice scenarios, I guess that's the best way to put it,” Antoine said. “I was talking to a new member on my staff and I said, ‘You'll never see another team like (Troy).’”

The Bobcats (6-8, 1-1 Sun Belt) and Trojans (10-5, 1-0) face off inside Strahan Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. It’ll be the only game Texas State plays this week after its contest against South Alabama scheduled for Saturday was canceled.

But it’ll be a game the maroon and gold have been looking forward to since the end of last season.

“I really felt confident that that was a game that we had an opportunity to win and fell short,” Antoine said. “And so that hunger is still there with the team.”