Texas State Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Win Over ASU

By Wes Clary
KTSW Sports

The Texas State men’s basketball team began a three game road trip against the Arkansas State Red Wolves Thursday night with a 71‐60 victory. The Bobcats fought neck and neck through the first half only to pull away with strong offensive performance from the team, lead by Emani Gant.

Four of the five starters for Texas State scored in double digits. Gant lead the way with 21 points on 9‐of‐15 shooting. Cameron Naylor, Ethan Montalvo and Kavin Gilder‐Tilbury all finished in double digits as well. Ojai Black repeated history with another eight‐assist game that tied his career high the previous set the last time the Bobcats took on the Red Wolves. The victory is also Coach Danny Kaspar’s 499th career win, one more win away from a huge career milestone.

The Red Wolves gave the Bobcats a good fight for the first half of the game. Any time the Bobcats made a big shot, the Wolves answered back. At halftime the score was 31 all. When the second half started, both teams were playing just as well as they were in the first. It was clear to anyone watching that the teams were playing for a chance at the postseason. The deficit was cut to 2 points multiple times within the first eight minutes but then the Bobcats took over on offense. With about ten minutes remaining, the Bobcats extended their lead to double digits. Montalvo hit two clutch 3’s close to the end of the game to stop any chance of a Red Wolves comeback.

Texas State is currently 12‐13 overall and ninth in the Sun Belt Conference. This win pulls the Bobcats to only a game behind Georgia State for the eighth seed. To be eligible for the SBC Tournament, a team must be ranked eighth or higher in their conference. With only four games remaining in the season, the Cats will continue their final road trip against Little Rock on Saturday. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m.