The Texas State men’s basketball team (12-16, 5-10 Sun Belt) had another heart-wrenching defeat Thursday night as it lost to Appalachian State (14-14, 8-7 Sun Belt) by a score of 82-75.
Despite Appalachian State holding a double-digit lead twice in the game, the Bobcats were able to tighten things up late with a clutch and-1 driving layup from senior guard Mason Harrell that put the score at 75-72 with 48 seconds to play.
A botched inbound from the Mountaineers, forced by freshman guard Jordan Mason, gave Texas State the ball back with a chance to tie the game.
After the ensuing inbound Harrell found junior forward Nate Martin for a point-blank layup. Martin missed.
The Mountaineers secured the rebound, forcing Texas State to foul, essentially ending the game.
The loss follows a crushing defeat against Old Dominion just five days earlier. It’s been a rough stretch for the Bobcats, but coach Terrence Johnson is still proud of his team for never giving up.
“A tough, hard-fought game,” Johnson said post-match. “I felt like we competed and gave ourselves a chance to win the game. We have to find a way to be more solid down the stretch of games. That ultimately determines the outcome more often than not.”
Harrell finished the night leading the team in points and assists with 17 and five respectively.
Graduate forward Nighael Ceaser finished second in scoring with 12 points and added five rebounds, unfortunately, he fouled out of the game with 8:07 to play.
Senior forward Donovan Gregory finished as the game’s top scorer with 21. Three other Mountaineers finished in double-digits, including graduate guard Tyree Boykin who got 10 of his 12 total points via the charity stripe.
The win also marks the 100th overall for Appalachian State coach Dustin Kerns.
Each team began the game matching each other blow for blow, seemingly every score was rebuked with yet another by the opposition.
The two teams traded up to a score of 17-16 where Appalachian State then appeared to take a vice grip on the game by going on a 10-0 run to take a 27-16 lead.
However, the Bobcats were able to hang in there and soon clawed back. Senior guard Mason Harrell found junior guard Brandon Davis for an open triple that ended a nearly six-minute scoring drought.
Increased defensive intensity helped Texas State score another few baskets in transition, including a fast-break three from freshman guard Jordan Mason and another triple from Davis that tied the game at 31-31.
A foul from Mason put junior guard Xavion Brown at the free throw line where he connected on both freebies to take a 33-31 lead into halftime.
Appalachian State opened the second half on a 12-4 run, giving them another commanding double-digit lead at 45-35.
However, with some contributions from the bench, the Bobcats were able to fight their way back. A loose ball found its way right under the basket to senior forward Tyrell Morgan, who converted a layup that would close the gap to just 53-50.
Ultimately, Texas State was unable to complete the comeback effort. The Bobcats will turn to their final road game of the season against Coastal Carolina.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the HTC Center in Conway, South Carolina.