Mandalyn Lewallen
Texas State guard junior Joshua O'Garro (23) dunks the ball during the game against LeTourneau, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, at Strahan Arena.
Junior forward Brandon Love scored a career-high 21 points as Texas State men’s basketball (6-5) defeated LeTourneau University (6-5) 110-68 Monday night at Strahan Arena for its third consecutive win.
Love went 10-13 from the field and blocked three shots to bring his season total to 32, which is fourth most in the nation.
“Great win. Winning is hard, so every time we’re able to get one more, you have to be happy with the outcome,” Texas State Head Coach Terrence Johnson said. “I thought we did a lot of good things tonight. We still have a ways to go. It’s a process, and I’m glad we took a step in the right direction today.”
Texas State started a little rocky offensively, with the Yellowjackets taking a 13-11 lead in the opening five minutes. The Bobcats caught fire for the rest of the first half, going on an 18-2 run to flip the game upside down. Sophomore guard Jordan Mason drained a buzzer-beating three-pointer to go into halftime with a 53-30 lead.
Mason has continued his impressive start to the season since returning from an injury, finishing Monday night with 18 points and career-highs in both assists and rebounds, recording eight and seven, respectively.
“We were poised [early on]. We weren’t paying attention to the score. We were focusing on what we could do better as a team defensively and just making sure we execute offensively,” Mason said.
Texas State’s red-hot shooting carried over into the second half as the team made its first eight shots to put the game out of reach for the Yellowjackets.
Junior guard Dontae Horne scored 15 points off the bench for Texas State. Sophomore guard Coleton Benson saw his first action of the season after being granted eligibility by the NCAA last week. The Army West Point transfer scored nine points off the bench in his first game as a Bobcat.
Texas State dominated in the paint, scoring 68 points inside compared to LeTourneau’s 30. The Bobcats also won the battle on the boards by outrebounding the Yellowjackets 42-27. Texas State had 26 assists as a team compared to LeTourneau’s nine.
“I thought we were able to move the ball pretty well,” Johnson said. “It’s our second game with 20 plus assists, so whenever that happens, that means that guys are playing unselfishly and also means guys are making shots.”
Next, Texas State will go on the road to face one of its most formidable opponents of the season in No. 3 Houston (11-0). The Bobcats will look to ride the momentum from its three-game winning streak into the contest.
“It’s important for us to go into Houston with confidence,” Johnson said. “When you’re playing a top three team in the country, you can’t go in not believing. [But] it’s going to take more than belief.”
Tip-off between Texas State and Houston is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Fertitta Center in Houston. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.