‘Cats claw their way past Troy, set for Sun Belt tournament as No. 1 seed

Texas State took down Troy behind a season-high, 26-point effort from senior guard Caleb Asberry on Friday. 

The Bobcats (21-6, 12-3 Sun Belt) ended the regular season with a 66-61 win over the Trojans (19-10, 10-6), marking their ninth straight victory — the longest single-season winning streak in 28 years. The Bobcats have recorded four consecutive seasons of 12 or more conference wins and have tallied the best Sun Belt record since the beginning of the 2018-19 campaign. 

Alongside Asberry’s 26-point game, senior guard Mason Harrell scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half  and senior guard Shelby Adams added 13 points to push the Bobcats past the Trojans.

Texas State secured an 11-point lead in the second half, where it shot 55% from the field and the 3-point line. The Bobcats went 10-of-12 from the free throw line in the second half. 

But the Trojans fought back late in the second half by inching their way to a three-point deficit. Troy freshman guard nailed a three-pointer with five seconds remaining to get the Trojans to within 64-61. But Asberry converted two free throws in the final seconds to secure the 66-61 victory. 

Asberry went 8-of-9 from the field to finish Friday’s contest and sank 6-of-6 from beyond the arc. He brought down four rebounds and tallied two assists.  

Harrell secured his seventh consecutive double-digit game by hitting 5-of-9 from the field and going 3-4 from the three-point line. He also recorded five assists. 

Adams was the only other Bobcat to finish with double-digit points, tallying 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

The Bobcat trio combined for 55 of the 66 Texas State points.

Texas State outshot its opponent, going 51% from the field compared to Troy’s 40%. The Bobcats shot a fiery 60% from beyond the arc, while Troy only shot 27% from three.

Bobcats enter Sun Belt tournament as No. 1 seed 

Texas State will have a week to prepare for the Sun Belt Conference tournament in Pensacola, Fla. 

The Bobcats enter the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed for the second-consecutive year. 

Texas State will take on the winner of No. 8 Louisiana vs. No. 9 UT-Arlington, who play on Thursday. The Bobcats’ tournament-opening game will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 5. 

On Texas State’s side of the bracket, No. 5 South Alabama takes on No. 12 Little Rock on Thursday with the winner taking on No. 4 Troy on Saturday. 

The winner of Texas State and Troy’s tournament games will move onto the tournament semifinals on Sunday, March 6 for a spot in the championship game. 

On the opposite side of the bracket, No. 6 Arkansas State begins tournament play against No. 11 Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday with the winner taking on No. 3 Georgia State on Saturday. No. 7 Coastal Carolina takes on No. 10 Georgia Southern for a date with No. 2 Appalachian State on Saturday. The winner of Georgia State and App State’s contests will meet in the semifinals on Sunday for a spot in the championship contest.

All games in the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship will take place at Pensacola Bay Center. Every game can be seen on ESPN+ with the championship game being broadcast on ESPN2. 

For more information, click to visit the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship page.