Ja’Niah Henson Scores 19 as Bobcats Stay Perfect

By Daven Meredith

KTSW Sports Reporter

Texas State guard Ja’Niah Henson scores 19 points as the Bobcats defeat The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 66-63.

Henson went 7-11 from the field, 3-4 from beyond the arch while tacking on a perfect performance from the line, going 2-2, setting a personal season and career-high 19 points as a Bobcat, improving Texas State to 3-0 on the seasons while the Vaquero’s drop to 0-3.

“The main thing that we come together on is wanting to win,” Henson said. “Being a family just sticking together. I told them before the game we were going to be in for a fight, and I thought we did well fighting together, so we came out with the win.”

Texas State would jump out to a ten-point lead early in the second quarter for their largest lead of the night, but the Vaqueros would chip away, cutting the Bobcat lead down to two before the half. Texas State coach Zenarae Antoine credits the Vaqueros for their fight with an injury-riddled roster.

“My hats off to coach Lane Lord,” Antoine said. “They only have nine young women that could suit up. A lot of key injuries for them right now, and they had a fighting spirit from the very beginning.”

Texas State would hold the lead throughout the second half but would be unable to run away with the game due to UTRGV’s aggressive attack to get to the line, going 18-19 on free throw attempts.

“They did a good job getting to the free throw line,” Antoine said. “They got aggressive and did a good job of getting us into foul trouble.”

UTRGV would come within one point of the Texas State lead with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter, only for Henson to ice the game with a layup, extending the lead by three and sealing the Bobcat win.

“A gritty way to finish the game,” Antoine said. “At the end of the day, we found a way to tighten it up and close out the game when we needed to.”

Texas State looks to continue their perfect season in their next match up against the Sam Houston State Bearkats (2-1), who are 0-4 in their last four matchups with the Bobcats.

“They are more athletic, deeper, and they are going to be aggressive,” Antoine said. “So our ability to play with poise is going to be very important.”

Texas State takes on Sam Houston State at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21st at Strahan Arena.