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Bobcats pick up first victory in home opener against Nicholls State

Texas State Women's Basketball
Saturday, November 17, 2018

Texas State had to shatter the lid.

After a 3-pointer from senior guard Toshua Leavitt gave the Bobcats a slight 8-7 lead, Texas State went cold. The team missed nine straight field goals over a six-minute span, with its only source of scoring coming on 3-4 shooting by sophomore forward Jayla Johnson at the free throw line. By the time junior guard Brooke Holle dropped in a triple from the right corner with 39 seconds left in the quarter, the Bobcats had fallen behind 18-14.

But as the game wore on, the rim’s circumference grew larger, and Texas State was able to come from behind to defeat Nicholls State, 72-67, on Friday in the first consolation round of the Preseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament inside Strahan Arena.

“The adjustment that we did make that helped us was being more patient offensively,” head coach Zenarae Antoine said. “(Once we were) more patient offensively, then it didn’t allow for some of those easy transition looks that they got, as well as, it allowed us to get matched up with the defensive matchups that we felt we needed in order to get stops.”

Leavitt and Holle both struggled in the first half, combining for 13 points on 4-17 shooting, but found their strokes in the second half. The former canned a trey to start the fourth quarter, giving the Bobcats a 32-31 lead, their first since the first quarter. Leavitt went on to hit another trio of threes during the second half.

“My teammates just (were) finding me in transition if (the Colonels) weren’t matched up with me” Leavitt said. “Or in the zone, if they weren’t out on me, I just shot it. (It was) my teammates finding me in transition, mostly.”

Johnson’s energy off the bench helped keep Texas State in the game. After Nicholls State took the lead back to begin the fourth quarter, Antoine subbed Johnson in on an inbounds play. 

Freshman forward Ja’Kayla Bowie bounced a pass to Johnson posting up on the right block. Freshman guard Kennedy Taylor made a backdoor cut from the wing and Johnson handed the ball off to her for an easy layup to take back the lead.

“(I'm) playing for (my teammates),” Johnson said. “I’m doing this for them. Not for myself, not for nobody else, but for them. I work hard for them. So, me doing what I need to do for them and for us to win is all that I think about.”

“(We ask Johnson to) bring energy, bring excitement,” Antoine said. “That's who she naturally is. She exudes energy and happiness.”

The Bobcats led for the final 6:27 of the game and took the victory, 72-67. Leavitt led the team with 20 points and six 3-pointers  —  her 11th career game with that many makes from deep. She was followed by Holle with 17 points and 8 rebounds and Johnson with 12 points and four rebounds.

Texas State played Montana State on Saturday at home in the final round of the consolation pod. The match ended after press time.

“I’m just excited for the challenge,” Antoine said. “It’s really going to be able to kind of test us and see where we’re are again. Being able to put together two scouting reports, back-to-back, shows some level of maturity of your team if you’re able to do so. So, I’m excited.”

San Marcos Record

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