Bobcats edge out Trojans in triple overtime, 69-65

Texas State and Little Rock tend to bring out the best in each other.

Since facing off in the 2018 Sun Belt championship game, which the Trojans won 54-53, the Bobcats have played against Little Rock eight times, each team taking four wins.

Four of the games were decided by seven points or less, but Thursday’s matchup between the two sides proved to be the biggest nail-biter. Texas State outlasted the Trojans through three overtimes to come away with a 69-65 win on the road.

“I thought the most impressive thing from today's game was how our team continued to battle,” head coach Zenarae Antoine said in a statement. “It's been a tough road. We have four teammates who can't travel with us, so we only have four guards. We have several young women who are playing through a lot going on with their bodies. We had multiple big-time plays that really helped us. Sierra Dickson, just a young sophomore, stepping into a starting role for us and I thought her play today was huge for us. I thought we had countless student-athletes step in and contribute in different ways, whether it be a big rebound or finishing a play.”

Four guards were ruled out prior to the game — graduate senior Jo’Nah Johnson was placed in the concussion protocol and senior Tianna Eaton, sophomore Presley Bennett and freshman Sierra Brooks were all put in the health and safety protocol for non-Covid-related reasons. It didn’t appear to affect the team too much in the first half, though.

Senior forward Da’Nasia Hood exploded out of the gates for 21 points and six rebounds through the first two quarters, leading the Bobcats to a 31-18 advantage. The maroon and gold kept pushing, beginning the third quarter on an 8-2 run to extend the lead to 19 points.

But Texas State’s offense went ice cold during the last 16:34 of regulation. Little Rock (8-7, 3-2 Sun Belt) outscored the visitors 17-5 in the final quarter to tie the game up at 50-50 at the end of the fourth quarter.

The Trojans took a 57-55 lead with 20 seconds remaining in the first overtime. The Bobcats called timeout and put the ball in the hands of senior point guard Kennedy Taylor. Taylor got into the paint and missed a layup that was rebounded by Little Rock. But with four seconds left on the clock, sophomore guard Sierra Dickson ripped the ball away and laid it in just before the buzzer sounded to send it to a second overtime.

Both teams scored just four points each in the second overtime, keeping the game going. Texas State jumped in front at 67-65 on a jump shot from Taylor with 1:39 to play. Dickson and redshirt junior forward Lauryn Thompson each added a free throw to finally put the game away, 69-65.

Hood finished the game with a double-double, posting 30 points and 11 rebounds. It’s the eighth game in a row she’s scored 19 or more points in a game. She was followed by Dickson, who had 12 points and five rebounds and senior guard Ja’Kayla Bowie, who had 10 points and five rebounds. Taylor was a point shy of a double-double with nine points and 10 assists, but became just the seventh player in NCAA Division I women's basketball history to play 55 or more minutes, never coming out Thursday’s game.

Texas State (9-11, 4-4) will look to ride the momentum on Saturday when it takes on Arkansas State (10-10, 3-4) at 1 p.m.