Senior forwards Tylan Pope and Tyrel Morgan combined for 42 points in an 83-61 Texas State victory over Georgia Southern in Strahan Arena on Saturday.

Morgan recorded a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double while Pope scored 23 points and grabbed five rebounds. Sophomore guard Kaden Gumbs recorded a near triple-double with 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Texas State men’s basketball head coach Terrence Johnson spoke about the performance of the maroon and gold in their first Sun Belt Conference game this season.

“It was the first game of conference play and it is important to come out with a certain kind of mindset. I thought our guys did that today,” Johnson said. “We had a little bit of a lapse to end the first half, but you have to credit these upperclassmen. They came back out in the second half with a great level of focus and a great level of energy.”

Morgan spoke about the chemistry Texas State has developed through the start of the season and how it benefits the Bobcats.

“I would say the biggest thing is connectivity. Everyone knows their roles, and I feel like we are big on picking each other up and holding each other accountable.”

Through four minutes in the first quarter, the Eagles and Bobcats were tied 8-8. The Bobcats went on a 20-4 scoring run during the next six minutes and held a 28-12 lead with just under ten minutes remaining in the first half.

Georgia Southern responded with a 9-2 scoring run, cutting their deficit to 30-21 with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half. Texas State increased their lead to 14 points with just a minute left in the opening half but Georgia Southern was able to keep the deficit within double-digits, trailing 42-33 at halftime.

Texas State increased their lead through the first five minutes of the second half, going on a 13-5 scoring run. The Bobcats led 55-38 with 15 minutes remaining in the ball game. Texas State maintained this lead for the rest of the game and led by as much as 23 points.

Texas State defeated the Georgia Southern Eagles 83-61 and improved to 8-4 on the season and 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference games. Georgia Southern falls to 7-6 in 2024.

Next, Texas State will play UT Arlington on Dec. 29 at 4:00 p.m. in Strahan Arena. UT Arlington posts a 6-7 record in 2024 and has won three of their last four games.

The matchup between Texas State and UT Arlington will be available to stream only on ESPN+.