Five Bobcats finished with double figures as Texas State men’s basketball defeated its Sun Belt rival Georgia State 94-80 on Wednesday at Strahan Arena in a blackout game.
Before the victory, Texas State had been on the road for four games.
“It was good to be back in Strahan. I appreciate the administration and community for putting on the blackout [game] and [for their] support,” Head coach Terrence Johnson said. “It feels really good to be home, but at the end of the day, home doesn’t guarantee you anything [so] it feels good to be home and even better to play how [the game] is supposed to be played.”
Senior forward Tylan Pope led the Bobcats with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Junior forward Austin Green also mustered a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Kaden Gumbs finished with 13 points and six assists and junior guard Coleton Benson made five threes and finished with 18 points off the bench.
After a relatively slow start and a six-point deficit at one point, the Bobcats went on a 10-0 run that eventually grew to 18-1. The team had 22 total assists, and turnovers were massively reduced.
Also, in dominant fashion, the team had 26 first-half rebounds, leading to 44 total, making Georgia State look completely outmatched.
“I think it’s apparent that we got the stop that we needed against Southern Miss, but we [didn’t] get the rebound that we needed,” Johnson said. “So, the emphasis is right there between winning and losing. It’s one of our biggest factors we tried to emphasize coming into this game.”
Georgia State had two players who both scored 20+ points. Senior center Cesare Edwards led the game’s player point total with 27, followed by his teammate, senior guard Toneari Lane, who had 25.
Texas State Senior forward Tyrel Morgan, who finished the game with 13 points, went down late in the second half with an undisclosed injury. Johnson said Morgan’s future status is unclear.
With or without Morgan, Texas State will look to remain hot with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles next on its schedule. The Golden Eagles lost 75-62 to South Alabama on Wednesday.
The matchup between Texas State and Southern Miss will tip off at 4 p.m on Saturday Jan. 18 at Strahan Arena and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
