TXST MEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas State won their second consecutive conference game, defeating the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 74-67.
The Bobcats improved their overall record to 11-9 and their conference record to 4-4 while avenging their loss to the Golden Eagles in overtime last week, 80-70 .
“We just finished more plays and simplified it a little bit,” Johnson said. “I thought Kaden [Gumbs} saw the floor, even though he had four turnovers and most of them were avoidable, but I thought we got the ball in the hands of the guys where they can score a little bit. We just did a better job with execution.”
The first half was a fierce competitive affair with neither team holding a lead larger than five points. In the final five minutes of the first half, Southern Miss and Texas State traded the lead five times before the Golden Eagles nabbed the lead before halftime with a last-second jumper.
The Bobcats opened the second half on a 8-0 run capped off with back-to-back threepointers from junior Kaden Gumbs and senior Kyndall Davis as the Bobcats took back the lead at 36-28. Despite Southern Miss’s best attempts, the Golden Eagles failed to recapture the lead in the second half as Texas State went on to win 74-67.
Gumbs led the Bobcats in scoring for the second consecutive game with 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists, all team highs.
Freshman forward D.J. Hall was second in scoring with 16 points and six rebounds followed by sophomore Franck Emmou with 13 points.
Gumbs credited the rest of his guard group along with the freshman duo of Hall and Roberts for being able to step up with senior guard and top scorer Mark Drone leaving the game with an injury.
“[Drone’s] our leading scorer, but when he went down, multiple dudes stepped up today,” Gumbs said. “Frank [Emmou] was one of them along with DJ Hall and Robert Fields. So I would say on the guard side, we’re good. Even if one person goes down, we know that we have their back on the other side.”
Johnson complimented Gumbs leadership ability in the Bobcats’ last two victories in Drone’s absence.
“He didn’t tap out at practice,” Johnson said. “He was there and present. He didn’t come in as a prima dononna. He does what Kaden does. I challenged him at halftime to lead in spite of whatever’s going on and he was able to do that in the second half.
“His conversations with me in between free throws have been really good. I’m glad that he’s getting over there and understanding what’s required from him. He’s the head of the snake right now.”
Texas State will look to make it three in a row this week as the Bobcats go back on the road to face off with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.
Coastal Carolina enters the game with a 4-4 conference record and a 119 overall record, coming off an overtime win against Georgia Southern last Saturday 79-75.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Coastal Carolina.
Freshman D.J. Hall looks down the paint during the Bobcats home win against Southern Miss. Hall was second in scoring with 16 points. Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo
