Leavitt leads State to third consecutive win

It’s been a rough few weeks behind the arc for Toshua Leavitt.

The senior guard led the nation draining 4.4 3-pointers per game last season at a .427 percent clip. Her numbers have dipped a bit this year. She’s only making 3.3 treys per game and making them .369 percent of the time. Over the past seven games, she was shooting just .207 percent on triples.

But on Thursday, Leavitt got back on track. She sank four of her 10 tries from deep, the first time she’d made above 30 percent since Jan. 19 against Arkansas State. The sharp shooting helped Texas State earn a 62-51 road victory over Louisiana-Monroe.

The Warhawks jumped out to a 6-0 lead to begin the game after junior guard Amber Thompson made her first two 3s. But the Bobcats fought back, and a fastbreak jumper from junior guard Bailey Holle gave the visitors their first lead of the game with 42 seconds left in the first quarter. 

ULM tied the game up at 16-16 in the next period, but a layup from Jazza Johns pushed Texas State back in front. The maroon and gold held the lead the rest of the way.

Leavitt scored eight points in the third quarter, including two 3-pointers, to help the team extend its lead to double digits. The hosts outscored the visitors in the fourth, but never came closer than down six points as Texas State took the 62-51 victory.

Leavitt’s 16 points led the team, as did her seven assists. She was followed by Holle and Johns — who returned to the starting lineup after being removed since the first game of the season — with 14 points apiece.

“I am really proud of the effort from this team tonight,” head coach Zenarae Antoine said. “We had to overcome another slow start. I thought Jazza really worked hard and I was proud of her effort. Bailey was a calming presence for us tonight when we needed it. This was another great team win.”

Texas State (12-14, 7-7 Sun Belt) took on Louisiana (7-17, 5-8) in the final road game of the year on Saturday. The game ended after press time.