LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Junior guard Caleb Asberry turned in his third 20-point game of the season as he led all players with 23 points to lead Texas State in a 67-56 victory over Little Rock Saturday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center.
With the win, the Bobcats (9-4, 2-1 Sun Belt) improve their winning streak to three games and have won six of their last seven contests. The Bobcats also tie the all-time series vs. the Trojans (7-6, 3-3 Sun Belt) 9-9 and have won seven of the last eight head-to-head meetings. TXST shot 53.2 percent from the floor (25-of-47) and matched a season-high 60.0 percent 3-point field goal percentage (at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi). They were also 11-of-17 from the free-throw line and held Little Rock to another season-low 56 points, although they shot 47.5 percent from the floor (19-of-40).
“Complete team effort this weekend,” said interim head coach Terrence Johnson. “We definitely embraced the next man up mentality all weekend and I am so proud of this group of men. They are maturing and making adjustments from one game to the next. Our goal is to get one day better, to win the day. We are finding out how to win and it is a fun process. The consistent play of Caleb Asberry and Isiah Small was outstanding, but this game ball has to go to Shelby Adams. His ability to impact winning and inspiring our guys to be selfless is unmeasured. We have to keep getting better and remain humble and hungry.
Asberry was 9-of-11 from the floor, including 5-of-6 from behind-the-arc. His five made 3-pointers are a new career-high, and he also led the team with seven rebounds in addition to an assist and one steal. Senior guard Shelby Adams finished with 11 points (5-of-10), six rebounds, three steals, and one assist, and junior guard Mason Harrell contributed 10 points in the win.
Senior guard Ben Coupet Jr. led the Trojans with 20 points, highlighted by four made 3-pointers, and also added four rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Junior forward Nikola Maric chipped in 11 points, three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal while senior forward Ruot Monyyong registered his ninth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
FIRST HALF
The Bobcats and Trojans both opened the game shooting well, but the visiting team used an 8-0 run to build a 24-16 lead with 9:59 on the clock. Little Rock responded by scoring 10 of the next 13 points to cut into the Texas State lead 27-26, but TXST answered with eight unanswered points to push the lead to nine at 35-26. The Bobcats went into the half with a 40-34 advantage led by Asberry’s 14 points and Adam’s 10 points. Both teams shot over 50.0 percent from the floor, and the Bobcats was 5-of-6 from 3-point range.
SECOND HALF
The hot shooting from the first half carried into the second stanza for the Bobcats as they outscored Little Rock 9-4 for a 49-38 lead by the first media timeout. The Trojans fought back and scored nine unanswered to bring the score to 49-47, but the Bobcats continued to keep their edge and held a 58-53 lead with 3:40 left to play. TXST closed the game on a 7-0 run and was 5-of-5 from the floor to capture the 67-56 victory.
NOTABLES
• Texas State improves to 5-0 overall (3-0 in the Sun Belt) when holding opponents under 60 points.
• The Bobcats won the rebounding battle 25-24 and had 10 offensive rebounds marking the sixth time this season and the fourth time over a Division I opponent where TXST logged 10 or more offensive rebounds.
• TXST dominated points in the paint 38-16.
• TXST is 6-0 when shooting over 50.0 percent from the floor and 5-1 when three or more players score in double figures.
• The Bobcats are still undefeated (5-0) when Caleb Asberry leads the team in scoring.
• Asberry registered his 10th game of the season and 20th game in his career with the Bobcats scoring 10-plus points.
• Shelby Adams scored 10 or more points for the third time this year and the 12th time in his career.
• Mason Harrell extends his double-figure scoring streak to 13 games.
UP NEXT
Texas State continues its four-game road trip with a pair of games at ULM Jan. 22-23 in Monroe, La.
