Bobcat comeback falls short in loss to Troy

Texas State was unable to pull off a near 16 point comeback as the Bobcats fell to the Troy Trojans 9285.

It was a rough night for Head Coach Zenarae Antoine’s squad who were doomed by 21 turnovers, which Troy converted into 27 points.

“There are similarities between this game and our game against Monroe,” Antoine said. [Mainly] us taking care of the ball and not having a good start. Once again we didn’t have a good start. I thought we did a good job of making the adjustments we needed to come out of the halftime, which was similar to Monroe. It’s something we need to fix.”

Despite the Bobcats jumping out to a 9-0 lead, it was not enough to hold back Troy who responded with a 13-0 run to take the lead at 13-9.

It was the last time Texas State held the lead during the game.

Both the Bobcats and the Trojans traded back and forth figurative punches before senior guard Ja’Niah Henson hit a three pointer cutting the lead down to 22-19.

Troy responded by going on a 11-2 run and entering the second period with a 33-21 lead.

Heading into the second period, both Henson and junior forward Jaylin Foster knew the team needed a big response.

“Just not being soft and handling the ball,” Foster said. “As hard as [Troy} was hitting us, we needed to hit them back.”

One of the key adjustments the Bobcats needed to make for Henson was not turning the ball over, which Texas State had eight in the period.

“We needed to make sure that we were protecting the ball and executing on offense,” Henson said. “On offense we needed to not turn the ball over.” Texas State got the response they needed to make as the Bobcats outscored Troy 26-18 in the second period to head into halftime, only trailing 5147 capped with a buzzer beating three point shot by Henson.

Antoine was delighted with the performance of her two starters with Henson finishing the game with 27 points and Foster with 19 points.

“I’m proud of these two young women next me,” Antoine said. “They stepped up to the table for our team. Ja’Niah does what she does well in hitting big time shots, looking for teammates and being a facilitator. Jaylin also scored for us, but she did a better job of taking care of the basketball for us so that is growth.”

The Bobcats were unable to make a dent into the deficit during the third period as the Trojans entered the final period up 74-64 in the high scoring affair.

Troy then jumped out to their largest lead against the Bobcats going up 8367.

However, Texas State refused to give in as the Bobcats went on a 13-1 run to cut the lead down to 84-80.

Three made free shots extended Troy’s lead to 87-80, but a short 5-0 run by Texas State capped off by Henson’s fifth three pointer of the night made the game a one possession contest at 87-85.

But Texas State was unable to take their first lead since the first period as Troy ended the game on a 5-0 run despite not making a field goal in the last six minutes of the game.

The Bobcats' focus as they prepare for Arkansas State is limiting the turnovers caused by passing.

“Right now it’s recognizing where the next pass is going to go,” Antoine said. “Then the timing on where we need to cut and get open. Those are the things that are happening. When we substitute or we have players moving to different spots, it’s been difficult for us to make those adjustments. It’s something we are going to work on.”

The game marked the end of a four game road trip for the Bobcats which saw Texas State make trips to App State, Georgia State, Arkansas State and Louisiana Monroe.

Back in the friendly confines of Strahan Arena, Texas State is getting a much needed break.

“There is nothing like being home,” Henson said. “You get a break. When you are on the road, it’s a quick turnaround for everything. You get off the plane then you get on a bus and go straight to practice. [At home] it gives our bodies more time to rest and rejuvenate for the next game.”

For Foster, having the support of the home fans adds to the team’s positive energy levels.

“There is nothing like having the fans and the bench at your back,” Foster said. “Just having the momentum knowing we have the support that is pushing us a little more makes the game fun.”

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc