The Bobcats (2-1) took down The University of Rhode Island Rams (0-2) on Saturday evening 70-66.
Senior point guard Mason Harrell finished with 26 points, 5 rebounds and an assist and became the 17th-highest scorer in program history in the win.
A sloppy first half from both teams resulted in 15 of URI’s 22 turnovers and a 35-26 Texas State lead.
However, the Rams tied it more than halfway through the second half.
On a Bobcat possession with the game tied at 57, Harrell drove toward the baseline and had himself trapped between the basket. Harrell then threw up a shot that hit the side of the backboard.
Following his own miss Harrell secured the board and followed it up with a layup at the shot clock buzzer, taking the lead back 59-57.
Texas State cruised for much of the game until 3:28 left in the second half. The Rams clawed back from down by as much as 11 and took its only lead of the game, 61-59, after a layup by senior guard Malik Martin.
Texas State junior forward Nate Martin would lay the ball in after posting up to tie it, then came up with a steal and made a three-quarter court outlet pass to Harrell to reclaim the lead that URI held for just 25 seconds.
With the game still in the balance, Texas State up 65-64, Harrell crossed the ball over twice in front of URI’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Ishmael Leggett, creating enough separation for him to fade away and make a jumper.
In the first half, the Bobcats junior transfer guard Brandon Davis paced everyone, scoring all his 15 points in the first frame and adding a game-high four steals, three rebounds and two assists. Senior forward Tyrel Morgan led Texas State in rebounds with eight and contributed 12 points and a steal.
Leggett kept the Rams in the game until the end, finishing with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. In redshirt freshman forward Abdou Samb’s first appearance in the starting lineup for URI, he finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds.
The next game for men’s basketball will continue a six-game stretch away from San Marcos against the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners at 7 p.m. on Nov. 17 at UTSA Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas. The game will be streamed on CUSA.TV.