By Joshua Orozco
Sports Reporter
After arguably one of the best regular season runs in program history, the Bobcats’ hopes of a Sun Belt conference championship has come to a crushing end.
The number one seeded Georgia State Panthers defeated Texas State 59-46 on Saturday in the semifinal round of the Sun Belt conference tournament.
Although it was not the outcome the ‘Cats wanted, the future looks bright in San Marcos. Freshman guard Mason Harrell stepped up offensively when the veterans shot poorly. Harrell finished with 10 points on a pair of three-pointers, an assist and a steal.
Unfortunately, seniors Tre Nottingham and Alex Peacock possibly played their final game in a Bobcat uniform on Saturday.
On a night defined by shooting struggles, Nottingham poured in 13 points and a pair of rebounds. Nottingham wrapped up his career tied with former Bobcat Clay Click (2001-02) for most three-pointers made in a single season with 83 triples.
Peacock spoke after the game about how being a Bobcat has impacted his life outside of the court.
“It was fun to lead the guys and teach the guys,” Peacock said. “Being a part of this team was the best thing to ever happen to me.”
Scoring droughts diminished the Bobcats from the start. Texas State came out in the first half scoring only seven points in the first 10 minutes of the game. The lid wouldn’t come off the hoop on Saturday as Texas State shot 13-for-61 throughout the game.
Along with shots not falling, the Bobcats committed 18 turnovers in their most important game of the season. With turnovers totaling nearly triple the amount of field goals made, the outcome was a recipe for disaster.
On a tough night offensively, head coach Danny Kaspar praised his team’s defense against the Panthers.
“I appreciate the effort our guys gave on the defensive end,” Kaspar said. “Most games when you hold a team to 32 percent you’re going to win.”
Texas State’s 2018-19 season marks their third best regular season in program history, only trailing the 93-94 NCAA tournament team and 1951-52 squad led by Milton Jowers who finished 30-1.
Coach Kaspar believes Texas State basketball has produced a product that Bobcat fans could be proud of.
“The fans made it special,” Kaspar said. “I hope we’ve established something where people can say: I can’t wait until next year.”
The Bobcats finished the season with a 12-6 record within the conference, their best record against their closest enemies since their entry into the SBC in 2013. This memorable season will go down in the record books as one of the most outstanding teams within the last two decades.
Until next season, eat ‘em up ‘Cats.
Featured image by Joshua Orozco.
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