In a heartbreaking finish that has become formulaic for women’s basketball this season, Texas State went 0-2 on the weekend in their Alabama road trip. The Bobcats fell to Troy 84-50 Thursday night and went to double overtime with South Alabama on Saturday before the 78-76 loss.
Texas State remains winless in the Sun Belt Conference (0-8) but have had the lead at the half for six of the eight conference games.
Despite being ahead by a whopping 23 points at the 8:21 mark in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats were once again unable to finish as the South Alabama Jaguars took control with a 32-point quarter to take the win in double overtime.
The Jaguars began a full-court press to throw off Texas State’s rhythm, which proved effective as they outscored the Bobcats nearly 3-to-1 in the fourth quarter. South Alabama went 11-of-22 from the field in the fourth and hit 8-of-15 from the line. USA’s Savannah Jones connected on the rare four-point play, but Texas State’s sophomore forward Da’Nasia Hood kept the lead alive by splitting two free throws to keep the lead at 67-64. Jones came up big again for the Jaguars, however, as she knocked down the game-tying three with four seconds left to send the game into overtime.
USA scored the first five points of overtime, but the Bobcats responded to tie it back up. Texas State then had three different chances to win the game on the last possession but came up short. The Bobcats also failed to tie the game in the second overtime but came up short on two shots and the Jaguars took the game 78-76.
Four players reached double digits, with Hood reaching a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Junior Avionne Alexander landed a career-best 16 points, while sophomore Kennedy Taylor performed a near double-double herself with 16 points and nine assists. Senior Brooke Holle finished out the double-digit scorers with 14 points.
In their first matchup against Troy, Texas State once again started out hot with a 17-13 lead after the first quarter but ultimately lost 84-50 to the Trojans on Thursday.
Troy quickly took over, scoring over 20 points in both the second and third quarters. The Trojans outscored Texas State 50-14 in the paint and also dominated on the boards, out-rebounding the Bobcats 65-27.
Despite allowing the most points all season, the Bobcats forced 20 turnovers, their highest in Sun Belt play.
Junior forward Jayla Johnson led Texas State with 10 points, while senior guard Bailey Holle scored eight points on 2-of-3 from the field. Sophomore guard Kennedy Taylor recorded five assists in the game.
Texas State is still seeking their first conference win this season as they head into a home game against the University of Texas at Arlington.
UTA currently has a 12-8 record and is sitting at second in the Sun Belt Conference with a 6-2 record. The Bobcats went 0-2 against the Mavericks last year, including a three-point loss at home. If the Bobcats can keep their cool in the final minutes of play, they have a chance at their first win of conference play this season.
The Bobcats will take on UTA on Saturday at 2 p.m back in Strahan Arena. Before the game, Texas State will recognize the 2019 Volleyball Championship team, who finished first in conference and traveled to the NCAA Tournament this season.
For all things Texas State women’s basketball, be sure to follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.