The Troy Trojans closed out the 2024-2025 season with a heartbreaking 88-84 loss to the Buffalo Bulls in the WNIT Championship on April 5.

It was Troy’s first postseason championship appearance and a frustrating culmination of the most successful postseason in Troy Women’s Basketball history. The loss comes despite Troy leading for more than 31 minutes of the contest. Despite the loss, Troy broke the scoring record for the WNIT. Troy scored a total of 453 points in just five games, breaking the previous WNIT record of 452 points scored in six games in 2007 by Wyoming.

The big difference came in Buffalo winning the fourth quarter, outscoring Troy 27-20 in the final frame and even out-rebounding the country’s top rebounding team 11-10 in the fourth.

Troy trailed 6-0 early in the first quarter and after taking its first lead with under five minutes left in the opening frame, the Trojans began to dominant. Troy led 18-15 going into the second quarter but the Trojans led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter.
Troy shot 62.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point land in the first half. Troy also out-rebounded Buffalo 22-13 and led 44-34 at halftime.

Buffalo managed to cut Troy’s lead to 48-44 with 6:60 left after going on a 10-4 run to open the third quarter. Troy answered with a 9-3 run to go up 57-47 with 4:20 left in the third. Buffalo then went on a 14-5 run and cut Troy’s lead to just 62-61 with a little more than one minute left. Troy took a 64-61 lead going into the fourth.

Buffalo knocked down a three-pointer to tie the score with 9:22 left in the game but Troy answered with a layup and a foul from Brianna Jackson to put the Trojans back up 66-64 with nine minutes left. Buffalo once again tied the score 80-80 with four minutes left. Troy briefly retook the lead 81-80 after a free throw only for Buffalo to knock down another three-pointer to go up 83-81. It was the Bulls’ first lead since early in the first quarter. Buffalo would never trail again.

Troy’s Emani Jenkins was fouled on a three-pointer and she knocked down all three free throws to cut the Buffalo lead to 86-84 with 18 seconds left. Buffalo knocked down 1-of-2 free throws but Troy still had the opportunity to tie with a three only for the Trojans to turn the ball over to seal the loss.

Troy shot 50 percent from the field in the game and 26.7 from three-point land, while Buffalo shot 47.9 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. Troy won the rebound battle 40-36 but turned the ball over 16 times. Buffalo also outscored Troy 50-46 in the paint.

Zay Dyer led Troy with 15 points and 17 rebounds, while Khila Morris scored 11 points and Jenkins tallied 11 points and five rebounds. Fortuna Ngnawo totaled 10 points and two rebounds, while Shaulana Wagner earned 10 points, three rebounds and seven assists. Jackson earned 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

Chellia Watson led Buffalo with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists.