SAN MARCOS, Texas – Little Rock battled Texas State for the opening 20 minutes, taking a one-point lead at the break. But a second half surge by the Bobcats put the game out of reach as the Trojans fall 80-62 at Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos.
The loss snaps the Trojans' winning streak and drops Little Rock to 7-11 on the year and 2-3 in league play. Texas State improves to 15-3 overall and 4-1 in the Sun Belt and trims the Trojans' lead in the all-time series to 8-5.
The matchup was a game of runs, with the most crucial coming early in the second half as Texas State outscored Little Rock 23-5, putting the game away early in the second half, and limiting the Trojans to 62 points, tied for the third-lowest offensive output.
For the game, Little Rock shot just 45.7% from the floor and connected on just 26.3% of its attempts from beyond the arc. That was contrasted by the Bobcats' 53.2% shooting and 50.0% from beyond the arc, connecting on 10 of their 20 attempts.
Three Trojans finished in double figures on the night, led by
Rayjon Tucker's 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting with three rebounds.
Deondre Burns had another productive night off the bench, finishing with 14 points, while
Markquis Nowell contributed 13 points for the Trojans.
But the rest of the team combined for just 17 points spread out among five players as the Bobcats' defense held Little Rock in check. Texas State outscored Little Rock 28-20 in the paint and held a 30-23 edge in rebounds while forcing 17 Trojan turnovers.
Expecting a defensive battle against Texas State, Little Rock got what it anticipated in the early going as both teams' defenses helped set the game's tempo early. After exchanging baskets through the opening 12 minutes, Little Rock's offensive attack helped push the Trojans to a five-point advantage at 21-16 with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half.
That run was matched by Texas State, however, as the Bobcats hit threes in back-to-back possessions, aiding a 12-2 run for the home team that flipped the advantage to a five-point lead for the Bobcats at 28-23 with just over two minutes remaining.
Little Rock wasn't phased however, as the Trojans closed out the first half on an 8-2 run, taking the 31-30 lead into the locker room. That run was capped with Tucker drawing a foul on a three point shot with one second remaining as the redshirt junior hit all three attempts to give Little Rock the halftime advantage.
The lead came despite the Trojans committing 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, but Little Rock was aided by Texas State going just 9-of-17 from the free throw line, contrasted by the Trojans going 5-for-5.
Early in the second half, Little Rock struck first, extending its lead back to three at 33-30. But the momentum quickly swung in favor of the hometown Bobcats, who put together a 23-5 run over the next three minutes to break the game open at 53-38. Bankston was whistled for a flagrant two foul during that stretch, further aiding the Bobcat charge.
Texas State extended is lead to 18 at 62-44 at the midway point and seemed on the verge of blowing out the Trojans, but Little Rock regrouped and put together a 10-0 run over the next two minutes, seven of which came from Burns off the bench.
But the surge at the beginning of the second half proved too great a deficit for the Trojans as Texas State muscled its way back to an extended lead late in the half, leading by as many as 20 en route to the 80-62 victory. The Bobcats shot 64.0 percent in the second 20 minutes, making seven of their 12 three-point attempts to put the game away.
Little Rock will now look to regroup and seek their first Sun Belt road victory Saturday in Arlington. The Trojans face a resurgent UT Arlington team that has won three-straight, coming off a victory over Arkansas State Thursday night. Opening tip against the Mavericks is set for 2 p.m. at the College Park Center.
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