Published: December 04, 2008 10:54 am      

Texas State women too much for Paul Quinn in 96-60 win

It wasn’t pretty, but the Texas State women’s basketball team got what it needed — a win.

The Bobcats entered Wednesday night on a two-game losing streak. If anything was to be learned from the game against Paul Quinn College, it was that Texas State has no problems with making baskets.

All but one Bobcat who took a shot, scored, culminating in an easy 96-60 win over the Tigers. It was their first home game of the season.

“We might have had some nerves early, because our kids were excited to finally come back home,” Texas State head coach Suzanne Fox said. “They were ready to show the fans what they were about.”

Paul Quinn didn’t stand a chance against the Bobcats. Texas State wanted to make a statement, since Texas A&M looms on the schedule.

The Bobcats didn’t wait long to establish itself as the better team. Texas State opened up an 11-point lead within five minutes and were shooting better than 60 percent from the floor.

“We came out with a lot of confidence today,” Bobcat forward Gabby Mattox said. “Coach Fox emphasized that you only have one chance to make a first impression. So, we came out with that mentality and it showed tonight.”

By halftime, Texas State built a 32-point advantage and held the Tigers to 25-percent shooting from the field. The Bobcats had 12 players record points, with Aimee Hilburn and Megan Homan each tallying eight.

Texas State’s lead was so comfortable that Fox could empty the bench and use players without much Division I playing experience. All of the Bobcat freshmen saw playing time in the second half, as well as their transfers.

Paul Quinn cut into the Texas State lead after halftime, narrowing it to 26 with 13 minutes remaining. The Tigers improved their abysmal shooting percentage in the first half to 45 percent in the second.

“When you look on our roster at how many people that have played Division I minutes, it’s small,” Fox said. “We tried to get a lot of our younger players some time, as well as our other older players. We’re going to have some boo-boos along the way and we need to learn from them.”

Once Fox put a few starters back into the game, the Bobcats were able to re-extend the lead. Texas State opened its advantage to 34 with seven minutes remaining, allowing the younger players to get more time.

Mattox, a first-year transfer from the University of Texas, led the Bobcats with 16 points. She went 6-for-6 from the field, pulled down three rebounds and added three assists. Mattox was one of three Texas State players in double figures, along with Ashley Cole (14) and Brittany Wilson (12).

“Well, these games are really important because it gives us a chance to see what we have been doing wrong and things that we’ve been doing right,” Mattox said. “It’s really important to know that before we meet Texas A&M.”

The Bobcats travel to Aggie-land next Saturday afternoon.