NEW ORLEANS - Sun Belt women's basketball teams battle to move up the league standings as the race to Pensacola heats up.
All games this week are available on ESPN+.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Georgia Southern (19-6, 12-2) hosts Marshall (22-6, 12-3) on Thursday in what will be a matchup of two of the top teams in the league. The highly anticipated matchup marks the first of two meetings for the two programs, with the outcome carrying weight heading into the 2025-26 conference tournament. Georgia Southern and Marshall were the 11 and 12 seeds in last year’s Sun Belt Conference tournament, and both look to secure a top five seed in this year’s trip to Pensacola. Georgia Southern is currently led by Kishyah Anderson, a three-time Sun Belt player of the week honoree this season. Anderson is coming off a week of back-to-back double-doubles, helping the Eagles to two consecutive wins. Marshall is led by guard Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, also a three-time Sun Belt player of the week honoree this season. Lewis-Eutsey leads the league in scoring averaging 18.8 points per games and in steals with a 3.6 per game average.
PLAYERS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Multiple Sun Belt players rank within the top 10 of the national rankings at this point in the season. Troy’s Zay Dyer has 18 double-doubles on the season which ties for the most in the country with one other player. The forward is also third in total rebounds (334) and 5th in rebounds per game (12.8). Dyer’s teammate Emani Jenkins is tied for third in three pointers per game (3.19) and second in total three pointers (192). Marshall’s Timaya Lewis-Eutsey ranks third in the country in steals (101) and sixth in steals per game (3.61) and seventh in free throws made (188). Riley Stack of Old Dominion ranks fourth in blocks (68) and sixth in blocks per game (2.52).
IN THE RECORD BOOK
Troy head coach Chanda Rigby earned her 275th win last week to officially become the winningest coach in Troy women’s basketball history. During the win Zay Dyer recorded 25 rebounds, which ties for the most rebounds in a Sun Belt women’s basketball game. The 25 rebounds also marked Dyers fifth game with 15+ rebounds, the most of anyone in the league.
DUKES ON A RUN
James Madison (20-8, 11-4) are on a six-game win streak, the current longest in the league. Sitting at fifth in the league standings the Dukes look to stay hot heading into Pensacola with just three games remaining in their regular season. They will face App State, Old Dominion and Coastal Carolina, all rematches in which the Dukes won the first meeting. All three of the Dukes remaining matchups are on their home floor where they are 12-3.
IN THE NET
Five Sun Belt teams rank in the top 100 of the NET. James Madison has the best NET at 50, followed by Troy (69), Georgia Southern (79), Marshall (89) and Arkansas State (90).
PARTY IN PENSACOLA
The 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championship presented by Air Force Reserve will be held March 3-9, 2026 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla., The championship game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 on Monday, March 9. The 2026 tournament will mark the sixth consecutive season the Sun Belt hosts the event in Pensacola, which will remain at the venue through the 2029-30 campaign. A different program has been crowned champion in each of the first five years in Pensacola: Arkansas State (2025), Marshall (2024), James Madison (2023), UTA (2022) and Troy (2021).
IMPACT PLAYERS – Sun Belt Statistical Leaders
PPG: Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, MAR, 18.8
FG%: Kishyah Anderson, GS, .512
3FG%: Emani Jenkins, TROY, .432
FT%: Saniya Burks, TXST, .878
RPG: Zay Dyer, TROY, 12.8
BPG: Riley Stack, ODU, 2.5
APG: Nakiyah Mays-Price, ULM, 4.8
SPG: Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, MAR, 3.6
WHERE TO WATCH
| Date |
Time |
Matchup |
ESPN+ |
| Weds., Feb. 18 |
10:00 a.m. |
App State at Coastal Carolina |
ESPN+ |
| Weds., Feb. 18 |
6:00 p.m. |
Southern Miss at Louisiana |
ESPN+ |
| Weds., Feb. 18 |
6:00 p.m. |
South Alabama at Troy |
ESPN+ |
| Weds., Feb. 18 |
7:00 p.m. |
Arkansas State ar Texas State |
ESPN+ |
| Thurs., Feb. 19 |
12:00 p.m. |
Old Dominion at Georiga State |
ESPN+ |
| Thurs., Feb. 19 |
12:00 p.m. |
Marshall at Georgia Southern |
ESPN+ |
| Sat., Feb. 21 |
1:00 p.m. |
ULM at Georgia Southern |
ESPN+ |
| Sat., Feb. 21 |
1:00 p.m. |
Marshall at Georiga State |
ESPN+ |
| Sat., Feb. 21 |
2:00 p.m. |
App State at James Madison |
ESPN+ |
| Sat., Feb. 21 |
2:30 p.m. |
Southern Miss at Troy |
ESPN+ |
| Sat., Feb. 21 |
3:00 p.m. |
South Alabama at Texas State |
ESPN+ |
| Sat., Feb. 21 |
1:00 p.m. |
Old Dominion at Coastal Carolina |
ESPN+ |
| Sat., Feb. 21 |
2:00 p.m. |
Arkansas State at Louisiana |
ESPN+ |
All Times CT