Texas State men’s basketball (18-6 overall, 9-3 Sun Belt) protected not only home court but its number one spot in the conference, with a dominating 84-67 win over the Arkansas State Red Wolves (15-9 overall, 6-6 Sun Belt) Thursday night. The win marks Texas State’s sixth consecutive conference win.
The Bobcats started out blazing hot on both ends of the court and didn’t allow the Red Wolves to lead at any point in the game. Senior guard Caleb Asberry sank his first of two 3-pointers with around 18 minutes left in the first half, increasing the score to 5-2, and erasing the game’s only tie score. 
A key component in Texas State’s dominating win was its high shooting efficiency, specifically from the free-throw line. The Bobcats shot a perfect 100 percent from the free-throw line in the first half and ended the game at 93.5 percent. The Bobcats were also hitting shots from behind the arc at a more than respectable rate, shooting 57 percent while also holding the Red Wolves to zero made 3-pointers in the first half.
Texas State senior guard Mason Harrell and senior forward Isiah Small led all scorers with 21 and 19. Small also set the tone defensively by grabbing a team-high six rebounds and five steals. As a team, the Bobcats held the Red Wolves’ leading scorer, senior forward Norchad Omier, to below his season average of 17 points and forced him to shoot a subpar 36 percent from the field. 
Texas State collectively forced 21 total turnovers, with 13 coming in the first half. The dominance the Bobcats embodied in the first period proved to be insurmountable.
Next up, the Bobcats will host the Arkansas Little Rock Trojans at 4 p.m. at Strahan Arena in San Marcos, Texas. The game will air on ESPN+. Texas State will then hit the road to finish its season with its last two away games.