Texas State Bobcats hand another loss to the Abilene Christian Wildcats 

By Jonathan Marin

KTSW Sports Reporter

SAN MARCOS, Texas–Texas State handed a loss to the Abilene Christian Wildcats with a score of 63-49 on Tuesday at Strahan Arena in a great defensive showing for the Bobcats. 

The first half was low energy for both squads offensively, with 52 combined total points when it was all said and done. This, in turn, made for a showcase of both teams’ rebounding abilities. DJ Hall finished the half off with five total rebounds.  

ACU’s physical playstyle was to their detriment early on, with 11 personal fouls accumulated from mostly their starting lineup, which quickly turned the tide in favor of the Bobcats, who capitalized on free throw opportunities.  

Turnovers became a problem quickly for both the Bobcats, who had 10, and the Wildcats, who had 11, solely in the first half. This would continue as both teams finished with 19 and 16, respectively.  Bobcat Coach Terrance Johnson spoke on the inflated turnover numbers. 

“We played against a very good defensive team. We could not get separation on the wings, but we made adjustments,”  said Coach Terrance Johnson. “When you see something like that, it means you have to have a dominant point guard, so we kept the ball in the point guard’s hands and began to play in the middle third.” 

The second half showcased a similar game script. Extremely physical, rebound-heavy, low-scoring basketball. Abilene Christians Braydn Hubbard helped try to keep the Wildcats with 7 points but ultimately, the Wildcats could not get much done offensively  

 There was a player who came up big for the Bobcats in the form of Dimp Purnell. Purnell came in for team leader Kaden Gumbs at the halfway mark of the second half. Purnell showcased the Bobcats’ depth with a great scoring performance of 13 points only in the second half, which helped seal the Bobcats’ eventual victory.  

“One of the big benefits of this team is depth. Tonight, maybe won’t be your night, but it could be our night if you do your job,” said Coach Johnson. “He did a great job of coming in and picking spots, Dimp Purnell snapped back.” 

The final score was 63-49 in favor of the Bobcats, keeping them undefeated at home. The Bobcats will look to continue to ride the momentum at home against the Little Rock Trojans on Friday, Nov. 21 at Strahan Arena.