Texas State women’s basketball (6-9 overall, 1-2 Sun Belt) lost its second conference game in a row to the Troy Trojans (11-5 overall, 2-0 Sun Belt) 96-73 Thursday evening.
The Bobcats have now lost seven of their eight last games. During this stretch, multiple players were out due to COVID-19 protocols and injuries.
Senior guard Janiah Sandifer opened the game with a layup that was quickly answered by a made jumper from junior forward Lauryn Thompson to tie the game up early. Both teams traded buckets to keep the score fairly close throughout the first quarter. The Bobcats scored 10 of their 17 first-quarter points in the paint, the most of any quarter.
The Trojans started the second quarter on a 6-2 run that was followed by an 11-2 run from the Bobcats. This gave Texas State a 30-29 lead with just under five minutes in the half. A mid-range jumper made by junior forward Felmas Koranga sparked an 8-0 run for Troy that led to a timeout.
Both teams had empty possessions coming out of the timeout until senior guard Ja’Kayla Bowie made a three-pointer at the 1:26 mark. Senior forward Da’Nasia Hood closed the half with a mid-range pull-up jumper, making the score 40-35 Troy going into halftime.
Things didn’t get easier for the Bobcats after halftime. The ‘Cats were outscored 33-18 in the third quarter and 56-38 for the entire half. The Trojans were on fire during the third quarter, shooting 13-18 (72.2%) from the field, 4-5 (80%) from three-point range and 3-4 (75%) from the free-throw line.
Five Trojans scored double-figure points. Senior guard Tiyah Johnson (25 PTS, 11-18 FGS, 3-9 3PTS, 9 REB, 5 STL, 3 AST) led all scorers. Junior forward Amber Leggett (16 PTS, 5-15 FGS, 1-2 3PTS, 5-6 FT, 10 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL) followed while Koranga scored 15 points. Senior guard Jasmine Robinson and senior forward Jhileiya Dunlap also added 10 points apiece.
Hood (21 PTS, 10-16 FGS, 1-3 3PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK, 2 STL) finished as the Bobcats’ leading scorer. Bowie and Thompson added 11 points apiece and senior guard Kennedy Taylor scored 10 points.
Texas State moves on to face Georgia Southern at 5 p.m. on Jan. 13 at Hanner Fieldhouse in Georgia. The game will air on ESPN+.