The Bobcats (14-13,9-6 Sun Belt) had a rough go of things on Saturday afternoon as they lost to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (15-9,8-4 Sun Belt) 70-53. Texas State was unable to hold the lead at any point in the contest.
The Trojans scored the game’s first six points, with four of those coming from sophomore forward Sali Kourouma. A mid-range jumper from senior forward Da’Nasia Hood would get Texas State on the board at 6-2.
From there Little Rock used a 27-16 run to take a 15-point lead at 33-18, its largest of the first half. The Trojans were able to get multiple good looks inside and managed to keep Hood out of the game. After scoring 30 points in her last matchup against Little Rock, Hood was held to just four Saturday afternoon.
However, Texas State showed it’s resolve by going on a 13-4 run of its own, fueled by six made free throws and a nice three from senior guard Kennedy Taylor. That run closed the half-time gap to just six at 37-31.
Another triple from Taylor to open the second half would bring the lead to just three at 37-34, but that’s as close as the Bobcats could get. The ‘Cats continued to settle for tough shots and couldn’t keep the Trojans out of the paint or off the elbows. Little Rock went on another 17-8 run to close out the third quarter and take a 54-42 advantage that it wouldn’t give up.
After the loss, Texas State now sits as the sixth seed in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. The Bobcats are slated to play the 11th seeded South Alabama Jaguars at 5 p.m. on March 2 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Florida. The game will air on ESPN+