TROY — After a 57-50 win over Sidney Friday night at the Trojan Activity Center moved the Troy boys basketball team to 6-0 overall and in the MVL, the Trojans are off to their best start since 2003.

And the biggest game yet is next.

The Trojans will visit 1-0 Tippecanoe — who got a late start due to the football playoffs — on Tuesday night at Tippecanoe High School.

“It should be a great game with a great environment,” Troy coach Mark Hess said. “I am looking forward to see how the kids respond to the challenge.”

For the better of three quarters against the Jackets, who dropped to 4-2 overall and in the MVL, it was a roller coaster game.

Troy opened big leads and Sidney would counter.

Troy had a 17-8 lead at one point in the second quarter, only to see Sidney rally for a 19-18 lead.

Then, the Trojans finished the half on an 8-1 run to go up 26-19.

“We started taking some quick shots,” Hess said about when Troy lost the lead. “We weren’t making them work on defense. At the end of the half, we were able to make a little bit of run. We took some better shots and made them work more on defense. And that was the message at halftime.”

Sidney was still within 37-31 late in the third quarter, when Isaac Phillips and Kellen Miller hit back-to-back 3-pointers and suddenly the lead was 44-31.

Noah Davis added a late basket in the quarter to make it 46-32 going to the final eight minutes.

“Those were huge shots,” Hess said about the two 3-pointers. “Those are the kind of shots you need to make and they stepped up and hit them.”

The fourth quarter was a struggle for Troy from the floor.

The Trojans didn’t score until Phillips hit a free throw with 3:45 remaining in the game to put Troy up 47-37. Troy didn’t make a field goal in the final quarter.

“We were spreading the floor on them,” Hess said. “We just missed some shots.”

A pivotal point came at the 2:22 mark when Sidney was called for a foul and a technical.

Hollis Terrill hit both ends of the one-and-one and Nick Prince hit the two free throws for the technical to make it 51-37.

While Sidney bombed in three 3-pointers in the final minute, Kellen Miller hit four straight free throws to seal the win.

“This was a good win for us,” Hess said. “We hit our free throws. We took care of the ball. The game got a little closer than we wanted at the end when Sidney hit some shots, but that is okay.”

It was another balanced attack for the Trojans.

Phillips led the way with 13 points and Miller had 11 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots.

Terrill had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists and Davis had eight points and three assists.

Konyae Foster had seven points, six rebounds and three assists and Prince had seven points and three assists.

A’Zon Steele led Sidney with 11 points.

Sam Reynolds had nine points, six rebounds and five assists and Jy Foster-Wheeler had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Myles Vordemark had nine points and eight rebounds, Julius Spradling had six points, six rebounds and four assists and Mitchell Davis had six points.

Troy was 19 of 51 from the floor for 37 percent, including three of 19 from long range for 16 percent. The Trojans made 16 of 22 free throws for 73 percent.

Sidney was 19 of 54 from the floor for 35 percent, including four of 16 on 3-pointers for 25 percent. The Yellow Jackets converted eight of 11 free throws for 73 percent.

Sidney won the battle of the boards 35-31 and had 10 turnovers to Troy’s seven.

“I am just happy for our kids,” Hess said. “It is a testament to them. They have put the hard work in and it is great to see it paying off.”

With Troy’s best start since 2003.

Sports Editor Rob Kiser can be reached at [email protected]