Bobcats fall in OT, bounce back in Louisiana series

Texas State began Sun Belt play with a pair of road matchups against Louisiana over the weekend. The Bobcats fell in overtime on Friday, 83-77, but bounced back on Saturday to take a 71-59 win and split the series.

The team saw four players reach double digits in Friday’s contest, led by senior forward Isiah Small with a career-high 24 points, followed by senior guard Shelby Adams with 13 and junior guards Caleb Asberry and Mason Harrell with 11 each. The Bobcats and Ragin’ Cajuns were tied at 72-72 at the end of regulation, but the hosts outscored the visitors in overtime, 11-5, to take the 83-77 victory.

“Our guys played hard. It was definitely a Sun Belt Conference game,” interim head coach Terrence Johnson said in a statement. “It was competitive from start to finish with little margin of error. We had opportunities to take control of the game but were unable to do so. To win this game, we needed to defend without fouling and win the rebounding game. Both things we did not do well tonight. Credit to Louisiana for making big shots when their backs were against the wall and controlling the glass at crucial times of the game. Tonight the staff and I will breakdown the film and make adjustments as the players rest and rehab for another tough game tomorrow.”

The first half of Saturday’s game looked to be another close one, with the teams tied at 24-24 at halftime. But Texas State pulled away in the second half, scoring 47 points and taking the 71-49 win over Louisiana (7-2, 1-1 Sun Belt). Small paced the team again with 18 points, followed by Asberry with 12, and Harrell and senior forward Quentin Scott with 10 each.

“All conference wins are big, but road wins in conference seem to carry more weight,” Johnson said. “You cannot win on the road in this league without some grit and toughness. We were not perfect, but we never lacked grit or toughness. This was a total team effort, but the combination of Isiah Small and Quentin Scott made a huge difference in the game. We did a better job finishing plays tonight on the defensive end, and offensively, we moved the ball well and took good shots. That shows growth, trust, and belief in the system and each other. I am extremely proud of this group. They are growing up right in front of our eyes. We will enjoy this win tonight and then rehab and regroup for another tough opponent next week.”

Texas State (7-4, 1-1) will host Arkansas State (3-6, 0-2) in its next series this weekend inside Strahan Arena, with both Friday and Saturday’s games tipping off at 4 p.m.