LAS VEGAS – Troy's Japonica James struggled to get the ball to go into the hoop for most of the Las Vegas trip, but the senior showed moxie and was the spark that the Trojans needed late in a battle against Kent State.
James' late game heroics were enough as Troy closed out the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic with a 71-64 victory over Kent State Friday and improved to 9-2 on the year.
Troy trailed for over 33 minutes, before the senior leadership of James was put on full display. One possession after picking up a charging call that negated a basket, she broke in front of Kent State's guard to tip the pass away before sprinting to grab the ball and head down court for the layup, all while absorbing the contact to power it in and draw the foul.