After struggling for much of the game, the Texas State Bobcats (9-10, 5-4 SBC) finish their four-game homestretch by overcoming an 11-point deficit to grab a 65-61 victory against the Old Dominion Monarchs (12-9, 4-5 SBC) Saturday afternoon at Strahan Arena.
The Bobcats went on a 13-2 run in the last final minutes to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat, many of which were caused by self-inflicted issues, one of which was a poor night from the line as Texas State hit 17-27 free throws.
“I’m glad that we were able to find a way, because the free throw line was atrocious [for us],” Texas State head coach Zenarae Antoine said after the game. “But overall, I’m proud of this squad because [Old Dominion]’s a tough team.”
The Bobcats were led in scoring by sophomore guard Kyra Anderson, who had 18 points. Sophomore guard KP Parr led the team in assists with six. She also had the team’s highest plus/minus rating with +18.
The Bobcats only scored one point in their first five minutes of play as they couldn’t generate any open looks against Old Dominion’s staunch defense. They entered the second quarter only down five as the Monarchs didn’t create too many chances themselves.
The Bobcats shot 24.1% from the field in the first half. Texas State played much better in the second quarter shooting-wise, but they still entered the half down eight points. However, they did win the offensive rebound battle and scored more points off turnovers, which became a deciding factor in this game later on.
After a tightly contested third quarter, the Bobcats started to mount a comeback in the fourth. With 6:25 left in the game, they were only down by one point after an 8-0 run.
Four minutes later, sophomore guard Saniya Burks hit a three-point shot to give Texas State the lead. That was the only shot she made in the game, but it was mightily important as the Bobcats would stay in control for the rest of the game and come out with a gritty win.
Among the highlights from this stretch of home games has been the emergence of sophomore guard Mia Galbraith. Coming off an 11-point performance against Appalachian State, Galbraith continues to ramp up after coming off a season-ending injury last year.
“Mia [Galbraith] put together two games back-to-back; I’m really excited about that,” Antoine said. “The more that she’s poured into the game, both on and off the floor… she’s reaping those benefits with her teammates [and] doing a really good job, being a much better listener… but at the same time, still trusting her basketball instincts.”
Texas State will attempt to continue its strong stretch of form and get back to .500 on the season against Coastal Carolina at the HTC Center in Conway, S.C. The game will be set to start Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 5 p.m. and will be available to watch on ESPN+.
