Tayton Conerway finished with 12 points in Troy's first-round loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.
Troy went toe-to-toe with No. 3 Kentucky in Friday night’s NCAA Tournament first-round matchup at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, using tough defense to stay within a point late in the first half.
Then, the Wildcats’ size and talent took over. Kentucky suffocated 14th-seeded Troy defensively, turning stops into transition buckets and burying 3-pointers to fuel decisive scoring runs. The Trojans, making their third-ever tournament appearance, couldn’t keep pace, falling 76-57.
Lamont Butler goes up for a layup against Troy in Kentucky’s victory in the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Jackson Fields walks off the court frustrated during Troy’s loss against Kentucky. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Troy sophomore forward Thomas Dowd prepares to check into the game against Kentucky. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Koby Brea had 13 points in Kentucky’s 19-point win over Troy in the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Troy tries to stop Kentucky forward Andrew Carr, who finished with 13 points. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Brandon Garrison finished with 13 points off the bench for Kentucky against Troy in the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Troy tries to prevent Kentucky from scoring a high-percentage shot in the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.Coach Scott Cross led Troy to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. Photo by Stella Nastulski, Mid-Major Basketball.
Read our full recap on Troy’s loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament here.
Stella Nastulski is a junior attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, studying Journalism, Advertising and Media studies. Nastulski has enjoyed creating content for local teams, including Milwaukee Area Technical College’s men’s basketball team and other University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee athletics teams. She specializes in photography and social media management. Follow Nastulski on X (Twitter) @stellanastulski.
