Sophomore guard Jordan Mason scored a career-high 21 points as Texas State men’s basketball (3-4) ended its two-game losing streak Saturday afternoon with a 73-66 win against the University of Texas Arlington (3-3) at College Park Center in Arlington.
Saturday’s matchup was the 80th all-time meeting between the two programs, dating back to 1984. The Bobcats and Mavericks have played each other every season since 1988. The Mavericks entered the contest with a 41-38 series lead.
Saturday was Mason’s season debut after missing the first six games due to an injury. Despite not starting, Mason had a significant impact off the bench, finishing with 21 points while shooting 8-10 from the free-throw line and adding three assists.
Junior forward, Brandon Love was also in double figures with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Love also blocked four shots continuing his streak of multiple blocks per game.
Freshman guard Kaden Gumbs continued his impressive start to the season, scoring 11 points and dishing out a career-high eight assists.
The Mavericks started the game on a 9-0 run led by senior forward Shemar Wilson. Wilson finished as the leading scorer for the Mavericks with 21 points along with 13 rebounds.
Texas State responded to the run with one of its own. A four-point play from senior guard Dylan Dawson sparked a 20-1 Bobcat run allowing them to take a 32-27 halftime lead. The Mavericks never regained the lead as Texas State led by as many as 14 points in the second half.
The Bobcat defense gave the Mavericks trouble throughout the game. Texas State forced 15 UT Arlington turnovers while only giving up eight.
The Mavericks cut the deficit to four points in the final five minutes of the second half but were forced to foul, allowing Texas State to put the game away at the free-throw line.
Next Texas State will face its most formidable opponent of the season so far when it goes on the road to play against No. 15 ranked University of Texas Longhorns (4-1).
Tip-off between Texas State and Texas is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30, at the Moody Center in Austin. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+ and the Varsity Network.
