Meg Boles

Texas State junior guard Dontae Horne (2) attempts a layup, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at Strahan Arena.

Sophomore guard Jordan Mason scored a team-high 13 points as Texas State men’s basketball (13-17, 6-11 Sun Belt Conference) defeated the University of Louisiana Monroe (11-17, 6-11 Sun Belt Conference) 73-55 Tuesday night at Strahan Arena.

Texas State junior Josh O’Garro also played a role in the win by adding 11 points, while sophomore forward Davion Sykes registered a double-figure performance with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

“We got freshmen and sophomores out there playing their tails off,” Texas State Head Coach Terrence Johnson said. “But at the same time, we need some impact, and that’s making the plays during meaningful times. So, it takes a while to understand what that is.”

Texas State shot 93% from the free throw line as a team, going 13-for-13 in the first half and only missing one in the second half, going 14-for-15. The Bobcats shot 53% from the field and 43% from behind the arc.

“It’s that time of year where it’s [the] home stretch, and we need everything we got today out of our guys, which was the focus, the energy, the effort and the connectivity that we feel we’ve been building towards,” Johnson said.

Texas State started the game with a bang with a thunderous slam dunk from junior forward Brandon Love in the opening possession.

Texas State maintained the lead throughout the first half, only giving up 25 points to the Warhawks.

Senior guard Tyreke Locure led ULM in points with 13, but it wasn’t enough to help his team secure a win.

Throughout the second half, Texas State maintained the lead, not letting up on the Warhawks until the final buzzer with a final score of 73-55.

The Bobcats will play their final regular season game of the 2023-24 season this Saturday against Troy University (19-10, 12-4 Sun Belt Conference). The Trojans currency sit third in the Sun Belt rankings and will face Louisiana-Lafayete tonight.

“What I take away from this is our team took a step in the right direction today,” Johnson said. “My question is, how will we be tomorrow? But at the same time, I’m not ready to look at tomorrow, and I’m proud of my team [for] how they responded today, to come off the road and get their minds right on a short turnaround.”

Tip-off between Texas State and Troy is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Friday, March 1, at Strahan Arena. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.