TROY- Through the opening weeks of the season, the Trojans have shown they are going to be in every game they play in. Heading into Friday night’s matchup against the Stebbins Indians, Troy sits at 2-2 with wins over Xenia and Butler, and hard-fought losses to Butler and Greenville. Each of the Trojans’ first four contests has come down to the final couple of minutes, highlighting a team that leaves everything on the floor and never backs down, no matter the opponent. “We have identified that we need to improve on the things that we can control,” said coach Hess. “We have emphasized valuing the basketball and rebounding the ball better. We feel like that if we do these things at a better rate, that we can start playing really solid basketball.”

Friday, the Trojans will face off against the Stebbins Indians. Stebbins has really been competing throughout the first couple of weeks of the season. Stebbins will be going into the game Friday with a 4-1 record, taking down Fairborn, Piqua, Sidney, and Greenville while losing to Tecumseh. One standout player for the Indians is Adrien Carter. Carter currently has 51 points, shooting 50% from the field and 22.2% from three-point range. Although the Indians have looked good so far, this won’t be the first test that the Trojans have come across this season. “We feel very confident coming into this week after the hard-fought road win against Xenia. We will need to stick to the game plan, and all play together as a team to pick up another win, which I think we are very capable of doing this week.”

Over the break, the Trojans will face a series of challenges. Troy will take on two opponents at home, Miamisburg and West Carrollton, as well as two road games, Bellbrook and Fairborn. Although the change of schedule will be a weird adjustment, the Trojans seem well-prepared for any challenge they face. “Playing and practicing over Christmas Break is always a challenge because it is a different routine with lots of ‘distractions’," Coach Hess explained. “We stay consistent with a practice schedule over break to keep the routine. We honestly practice about every day over break except holidays, so it is a big commitment for our players.”