Texas State men’s basketball extended its winning streak to four games following the 97-49 win in Strahan Arena over the Arlington Baptist Patriots. Before the victory, the Bobcats’ last home game was on Nov. 8.
“It feels really good to be back home in Strahan [Arena],” Texas State Head Coach Terrence Johnson said. “We have been on the road seemingly for about three weeks, but I don’t think that is anything new to anyone who knows our program.”
The Maroon and Gold have a record of 6-3 and are undefeated at home, going 3-0.
Redshirt senior forward Tylan Pope recorded a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Pope shot 50% from the field on 10 shot attempts.
Junior forward Austin Green scored a season-high 15 points off the bench for Texas State. He made five out of six shots along with five free throws.
Pope spoke about how the extended road trip benefited Texas State.
“We love playing at home, but I really take that challenge being on the road. It really helps us figure out who we are as a team,” Pope said. “Being down at Myrtle Beach really helped us figure out who we are as a team.”
Junior guard Coleton Benson spoke about making his season-debut after returning from injury.
“It was good to get my feet wet again. I missed the competitive nature of the game we play, just being out there, there is no better feeling,” Benson said. “Especially going through some adversity and injuries, just fighting through and it was a long five to six weeks.”
The Bobcats controlled the game throughout. After a slow start in the first five minutes, Texas State went on a 10-0 run during the next minute and a half, extending their lead to 17-5.
Texas State outscored Arlington Baptist 33-24 throughout the last 12 minutes of the first half and went into the break with a 50-29 lead.
In the first 10 minutes of the second half, Arlington Baptist was outscored by Texas State 26-4. With 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Patriots found themselves trailing 76-33.
The Bobcats maintained their large lead to finish the ball game and defeated the Patriots with a final score of 97-49.
The Texas State Bobcats will host the 7-2 Rice University Owls on Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. in Strahan Arena. The Owls have won four of their last five games and were most recently crowned champions of the Baha Mar Hoops tournament hosted in the Bahamas. The game between the Bobcats and the Owls will be available to stream on ESPN+.
