The Troy Women’s basketball team pulled away in the second half to capture a 100-88 win over Florida A& M Monday night at Trojan Arena.

The win gave Troy its first 2-0 start since opening the 2005-06 season 3-0.

The Trojans went on a 20-8 run to close the game, and secure the win over the Lady Rattlers.

“To me this was another one of those pivotal moments in our program,” said Troy head coach Chanda Rigby. “It was a very hard-fought game, and there were many times where it looked like the other team had it. But, nobody gave up. Everybody kept fighting, and we were able to get the win.”

The free-shooting Trojans went 12-for-29 from beyond the arc, and with Brooke Bowie knocking down four three pointers.

Bowie said Rigby encourages her to shoot when she gets the ball in her hand.

“As a shooter, you have to think that every time you put it up, it’s going to go in,” Bowie said. “If you don’t think that, you won’t shoot with confidence, and the shots won’t fall.”

Rigby agreed with Bowie, and said the Trojans don’t like to wait around to put the ball up.

“We don’t want to wait around for the next good shot, we want the first shot,” Rigby said. “It is nice to have someone like Brooke. When it hits her hand, she has the green light.”

FAMU guard Jasmine Grice finished with 33 points, on 12-of-27 shooting. However, Troy only allowed Grice to put up 11 points in the second half.

Leading up the game, Rigby gave Ashley Beverly-Kelley and Aissata Maiga the duty of guarding Grice, the pre-season Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Beverly-Kelley liked the challenge of guarding Grice.

“Aissata and both did a good job on her,” said Beverly-Kelley. “Coach Rigby and the rest of the coaching staff expects us to stop the fastest players, because we are the fastest on our team.”

Troy shot 92 percent from the free-throw line in the second half; something Rigby feels was key down the stretch.

“We didn’t do so well the last game on free throws,” Rigby said. “We shot a lot this week, and really gained some confidence. This is what we are capable of.”

Troy hosts Tennessee State Friday at Trojan Arena. The game is set for a noon tip.