Fried Rice: Bobcats upend Owls in second half of 80-69 road victory

Texas State faced a bit of a problem with senior forward Isiah Small out with an ankle injury.

Small plays an important role in the Bobcats’ defensive scheme. His long arms allow him to easily get a hand in passing lanes and make opponents think twice about moving the ball. They also help him protect the rim, swatting away easy looks at the basket. Through the first six games of the season, Small was tied for the team lead with eight steals and four blocks.

Playing the Owls without Small put a bigger defensive burden on Texas State’s other players. Head coach Terrence Johnson started junior forward Tyrel Morgan in Small’s place in the starting lineup but Morgan, who is listed at 6-foot-5, is three inches shorter than Small.

The Bobcats made it work. After falling behind 38-26 in the first half, the maroon and gold scored 54 points in the second to earn their fourth win in a row, 80-69.

Senior guard Mason Harrell sank a jumpshot to begin the second half. Sophomore forward Nate Martin stole the ball way on Rice’s first possession, leading to a 3-pointer from senior guard Caleb Asberry.

Harrell made his next two shots as Texas State (5-2) forced the owls to miss a pair of treys. Caleb Asberry came up with another pilfer and pitched the ball ahead to fifth-year senior guard Shelby Adams, who made an and-1 layup in transition and added a free throw to make it a 12-0 run, tying the game at 38-38.

The visitors had 19 points off of Rice’s 10 turnovers in the second half. Seven of the turnovers were steals for the Bobcats. The team took its first lead of the half at the 12:40 mark on a jumper from junior guard Drue Drinnon. The Owls (4-4) took their final lead of the game at the 9:06 mark, going up 51-50. Drinnon hit a pair of free throws on the next trip down and Texas State never trailed again.

Harrell found his rhythm down the stretch, picking up 12 points in the final six minutes to put the game away. He finished with a season-high 25 on the night. Asberry added another 20 to go along with a team-leading nine rebounds and four steals. Adams added another 13 points and two steals. Ceaser chipped in 11 points.

Texas State will return to San Marcos to host Denver (3-5) inside Strahan Arena on Sunday at 1 p.m., beginning a four-game homestand.