Despite a 1-9 start, Troy women’s head coach Michael Murphy sees the improvement his team has made this season, especially over the past three games.

Injuries to the Trojans major contributors have forced Murphy to mix and match lineups and expect production from some who came into this season as role players.

Troy fell to American University after leading in the second have, picked up their first victory of the season against in-state rival Alabama State and lost in overtime to Mercer on Sunday.

“We missed a lot of good shots,” Murphy said of the Mercer game. “I fell good about our team. The commitment is there and the energy level is there.”

Guards DeAngela Sword, also the team’s leading scorer, and Sarah McAppion have been limited of late and point guard Sophie Kleeman sat out against Mercer with an injury.

“We could have very easily folded the tents and felt sorry for ourselves,” said Murphy.

“Instead, we’re improving and competing better. Hopefully, with the injuries we’ll get all of our bodies on the floor and when we do I think we’ll be pretty good.”

The Trojans will play their final non-conference match tonight when they host Kennesaw State.

The Owls come in 4-7 but Murphy feels the team is dangerous from all over the court.

“They have two guards that will shoo the ball from anywhere on the floor,” Murphy said. “We’ve got to be able to defend the three-point shot and can’t get lost in transition.”

Guard Taylor Mills, the Owls leading scorer at 14.6 ppg, has already attempted 110 three-point shots knocking down 31.8 percent of them. KSU’s other major weapon, Ashley Holliday, isn’t far behind with 94 shots taken from behind the arc. Mills and Holliday are also averaging 38.2 and 36.6 minutes on the floor per game respectively.

Troy will look to players like Jamesha Blake and Brooke Bowie to become major contributors.

Blake is coming back from off-season surgery but is averaging 15 minutes per game, mostly off the bench. The 5-10 junior is grabbing just under three rebounds per game in her limited playing time.

Bowie, in her sophomore season, has chipped in as well. After playing in 26 games last season, Bowie provides an aggressive offensive mentality along with feisty defensive play. In her 12.9 minutes per game, Bowie has five steals to go along with her 40 percent shooting from three-point range.

Rosie Hynes has also settled into a pivotal role. Hynes has started three games and can fill in for Kleeman as a facilitator for the Trojan offense.

Tip from Sartain Hall is set for 7 p.m.