SAN MARCOS, Texas – Little Rock showed plenty of grit on the road Friday night, pushing Texas State for 40 minutes before coming up just short in a 65–56 battle at Strahan Arena.
"We defended much better tonight, but we missed too many easy shots and made too many mistakes," Little Rock head coach
Darrell Walker said. "Games like that come down to execution, and we've got to finish them. Texas State made a run, and we couldn't quite get it back."
The Trojans (2–4) clawed their way to a 28-26 halftime margin and traded punches with the Bobcats throughout a tight second half, taking leads on multiple occasions and staying within one possession deep into the final minutes. Little Rock's defensive pressure kept the game inside a narrow window all night, forcing 17 Texas State turnovers and turning them into 14 Trojan points.
Offensively,
Cameron Wallace led the way with 14 points and added five rebounds.
Tuongthach Gatkek totaled 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal.
Braxton Bayless totaled 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists in a high-energy 36-minute performance.
Johnathan Lawson added 10 points of his own.
Little Rock's frontcourt battled all night, helping the Trojans outscore Texas State 40-30 in the paint while also blocking five shots as a team and collecting 11 steals. The Trojans also finished with 12 offensive rebounds, generating extra opportunities to keep momentum within reach.
Texas State (5–2) closed strong in the final two minutes, hitting key shots late to hold off the Trojans after Little Rock had tied or led on six different occasions. The Bobcats were paced by a pair of 13-point performances from Franck Emmou and Mark Drone.
Despite the loss, Little Rock once again showed resilience, composure, and continued growth on the defensive end, setting the stage for renewed momentum as the nonconference slate continues with a game next Saturday at Southern Illinois.
"We'll get home, regroup, and get right back to work for Southern Illinois," Walker said. "We've got a few things to clean up, and we'll take care of that next week."
