Troy hopes to keep winning streak alive

Published 6:59 pm Tuesday, January 4, 2011

For the first time all season, the Troy women’s basketball team has something to build off of.

With its back-to-back victories over Mississippi Valley State on Friday in Atlanta and Florida Atlantic this past Sunday at home, the Trojans are winners of two-straight for the first time all season, and now the team has its sights set on more.

“Confidence is the best word to describe what I am seeing in the team’s play as of late,” head coach Michael Murphy said.

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“For a lot of our players, this is a different year then most. A lot of players here were role players before, and now they are starters and go-to players. When you are taking on these bigger roles, it is going to take time to get comfortable and to build confidence, but as the season has progressed, we are beginning to see the girl’s growth.”

The recent wins snapped a five-game losing streak, and helped Troy improve to a 4-11 overall record, and 1-1 in conference play.

“It’s the little things, not the big things, that are making all the difference right now for us,” the coach said the winning streak.

“We are making critical shots and getting critical rebounds, where as before, we weren’t doing that. We are talking on defense and taking the necessary steps to get better.”

Now, the Trojans will again hit the road in hopes of keeping their winning streak alive against conference foes.

“We are always trying to keep things fresh when we are on the road,” Murphy said.

“We try not to eat at the same restaurants all the time, we try to keep it from being routine and stale.”

Being on the road is something the girls are going to have to get used to in the coming weeks, as the team is on a five-day, two game road trip currently, and will be on another five-day, two game road trip next week.

The team will have one home game between now and the end of the month, when Troy plays host to North Texas on Jan. 15 and then South Alabama on Jan. 26.

The other five games will take the team from Louisiana to Kentucky and back.

“It is what is it,” Murphy said.

“While playing on the road is never something that anyone wants to do, it is something we have to do and the girls are adjusting to it accordingly.”

As far as the current road trip against Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas-Little Rock, Murphy said he expects to see two tough teams.

“Both teams are upperclassmen driven,” he said.

“They are both very athletic, Louisiana-Lafayette in particular. (ULL) is going to come at us, and attack at every opportunity. It’s going to be a batter, but our kids have something to play for and because of that, I will hopefully be seeing inspired basketball.”

The Trojans will take on the Ragin’ Cajuns tonight in Louisiana before heading out to Little Rock for a Saturday game.