Boko Gets Birthday Wish With A Dominant Cats Win

The Women’s Basketball team faced a daunting task against the division leading Stephen F Austin Ladyjacks. After a poor road win against the Colonels the Women’s Basketball team was looking to make a statement to show the other teams in this conference that they belonged with the best.

Coming into this game the pressure was on to win every game left on the schedule. The first half started like a track meet both teams exchanging baskets after baskets. Victoria Davis and Gabriell Mattox brought their "A" game tonight versus the Ladyjacks. At one point in the game Mattox and Davis combined to score 22 of the 28 total Bobcat points. Despite the dominance by Mattox and Davis the team as a whole played exceptional defense and ran their offense to perfection. The Cats went into the half leading 33 to 31 against the Ladyjacks.

The second half was all Bobcats. The Cats shot a sizzling 75 percent from the field. This was the best I have ever seen them play. It was a passing frenzy, and on defense Stephen F Austin could not do anything right because of the stifling defense. The Cats played both sides as if it was a championship game. They hustled for every rebound and made every play they needed to make. Mattox led the team with 21 points, and right behind her Victoria Davis chipped in 19 points. The team as a whole shot 52 percent for the game, and they shutdown the Ladyjacks offense by allowing them to only shoot 37 percent from the field.

The Cats continue to improve as a team and now believe that they can hang with anyone in this conference. This team is committed to playing defense, while their offense is improving game by game. They play for each other and have great leadership in their seniors. If the Cats continue their stout defensive and improving offensive, there is no doubt that this Women’s Basketball team cannot only make into the tournament, but also can do some serious damage.

The Bobcats will look to continue their winning ways on the road when they travel to Natchitoches, LA., to take on the Northwestern State Lady Demons. The game is set to tip off at 2pm on Saturday. You can catch the game live on 89.9 KTSW the other side of radio.

Nathan Castro- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Cats Lose to Dominant Lumberjacks Team

With Southland Conference play coming to an end, the Texas State Bobcats needed a swift upset victory over the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin. The Bobcats entered the game 5-7 in conference and in dead last in the West, while Stephen F. Austin came in with a 17-7 overall record and sole possession of first place in the East with a 9-3 conference record.

Needless to say, the Lumberjacks used a variety of excellent free throw shooting as well as superb shooting from the field to put the Bobcats away before the game had a chance to get interesting. Matt Kingsley of the Jacks led both teams with 23 points, as they cruised to a 68-52 victory and improved their lead in the east to two games.

The game started off well for the bobcats, as they led 12-7 after the first five minutes of the game, but the tide turned quicker than the Cats could even blink. Matt Kingsley and Josh Alexander of the Lumberjacks hit a few open jumpers and dominated the paint for the rest of the half, as the Cats faced a 19 point deficit at halftime (40-21). Stephen F. Austin used the home court to their advantage as they shot 58 percent from the field in the opening half, while Texas State shot 37 percent and got dominated on the boards.

The Bobcats did not panic going into the second half, as they narrowed the gap to single digits at one point. The Cats treated every possession as if it were their last and stayed disciplined on defense, but the gap created by the Jacks in the first half proved to be too overwhelming as the Bobcats were merely playing catch-up and just ran out of time and fouls to give.

Brandon Bush seemed to be the only player that got it going for Texas State, and led the team with 22 points. Josh Alexander added 15 for the Lumberjacks, and Nick Shaw posted a sufficient double-double scoring 11 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Stephen F. Austin made their free throws down the stretch, and controlled the tempo of the game for the most part as they cruised to another double digit victory at home where they have yet to beaten in Southland Conference play this year.

The loss takes the Bobcats record down to 5-8 in conference and in a last place tie with Lamar University in the West. The road game marked unofficially as a “must win” for the men got away from them with about twelve minutes to go in the first half, and although Davalos and the Bobcats did not panic, the halftime deficit once again was just too much. Turnovers, lack of individual defense, and the lack of rebounding cost the Cats a much needed win and a chance to represent themselves as a threat in the Southland Conference tournament coming up in March.

The men have three more conference games in which they can try to climb up to .500 in conference, including two home games in a row and a road game against western conference leading Sam Houston State to conclude the season. The Bobcats are back in action this Saturday Feb. 28, at Strahan Coliseum against a struggling Northwestern State; game time set for 4:00 p.m.

Weston Warner- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Overtime Win For Bobcats Sends Colonels Marching Home

Led by Texas State point guard Corey Jefferson’s 22 points and five assists the Bobcats came back home to Strahan Coliseum to claim an over time victory against the Nicholls Colonels 71-66.

A John Rybak three pointer followed by a free throw by Brent Benson gave the Bobcats a quick 4-0 lead to start out the ball game. The Cats led over the next nine minutes, but the lead never increased. The Colonels took the lead on a three pointer by Anatoly Bose who is one of five Australians on the team.

The lead changed two more times in the first half and Texas State opened up a five point lead at 21-16 with just under three minutes remaining. The Bobcats only score once more during the half and an 8-2 run by Nicholls put them up 24-23 at halftime. It was a low scoring game that bodes toward Nicholls slow tempo style. The Bobcats turned the ball over early and often, but what kept them in the game was their lack of fouling. That hasn’t been said much for the Bobcats this season but at halftime they had only committed seven fouls and had been to the line six more times than the Colonels. The two point guards Jefferson and Ryan White led the Cats at halftime with 6 points a piece. Those may seem like small team leading totals but the two point guards made up over half of the teams scoring so far.

Texas State fans got worried when Nicholls opened up their lead to seven points only two minutes into the half. But Jefferson wasn’t about the let the Cats fall far behind. After a lay up and a three pointer, Jefferson’s five points brought the Bobcats back to life. The teams traded shots for the next few minutes until Jefferson stepped up to the three point line again. He answered with his second three pointer of the game and followed it up with another lay up. Jefferson had scored ten of the Bobcats 13 points in the second half to bring the Bobcats within one at 37-36.

The Cats took the lead on a John Bowman lay up with 11:48 remaining in the game. The lead changed four times over the next five minutes. With 2:05 the Bobcats were down four points 58-54. This was a bad time for a minute and a half scoring drought but the Bobcats defense stepped up where it’s offense let down. With :32 left in the game, who else but Corey Jefferson would step up and nail a three point shot to bring Texas State within one point.

The Bobcats fouled Nicholls’ Justin Payne, a 55% free throw shooter, and Payne made both shots. The Cats brought the ball down the court and senior guard Brent Benson, who had only scored two points the entire night, caught the ball at the top of the key. Smothered in coverage Benson pulled up and drained the game tying three pointer. The score was 60-60 with fourteen and a half seconds left. The Bobcats’ defense forced Nicholls to throw up and air ball and the game was headed into overtime.

Texas State scored the first six points of overtime to take a 66-60 lead with 2:22 left. Milking the clock and four Ryan White free throws closed out the game.

Most all of the stats were dead even in the ball game with the exception of free throws. Texas State went 20-31 from the free throw line while Nicholls went 10-17. Brandon Bush played over 40 minutes tonight and had 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals. White had four steals to go along with his 12 points.

The win brings Texas State to 12-13 overall and 5-7 in conference play. Next up for the Cats is a game in Nacogdoches against Stephen F. Austin who leads the Southland Conference East Division with a conference record of 9-3. You can listen to that game on KTSW 89.9 on Wednesday at 7pm.

Dalton Sweat- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Women's Basketball Takes Charge Over Colonels

The Texas State Women’s Basketball team scraped their way to a 70-58 road victory in Thibodaux, LA over the Nicholls State Lady Colonels.

The Bobcats were a bit sluggish in the first few minutes of the ball game but quickly regrouped and set the tone and a season record, limiting their opponents to a mere total of 15 points at the closing of the first half.

At the start of the second half, Nicholls went on a 15-5 run over Texas State but could not manage to take the lead. While the Colonels never backed down, leading scorers Ashley Cole, 16 points, and Gabriell Mattox, 14 points and nine rebounds, propelled the Bobcats to victory.

“This game today is the most important game on our schedule,” said head coach Suzanne Fox.

Though the Bobcats surrendered their lead over the Colonels only once, both teams were evenly matched in the areas of points in the paint, points off turnovers and fast break points. So what was the x-factor for the Bobcat’s victory? Bench points.

The Bobcat bench was on fire and scored 30 points, almost half the team’s total points, and outscored Nicholls bench by 19. They definitely played a huge role in the team’s stellar 49 percent field goal shooting.

The basketball team only has four games remaining, and this road win, the second of the season, will hopefully give them momentum. The Bobcats needed this win according to head coach Suzanne Fox. Today, she got her wish.

Tim Leeland- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Softball Stuns No. 15 Texas A&M

In a week that has seen Texas State Softball beat two Big XII teams, 14th ranked UH and nearly steal a win from No. 7 Oklahoma, the Bobcats won 3-2 Wednesday night in walk-off fashion against the number 15th ranked Texas A&M.

In front of nearly 1,400 fans, action between the Bobcats and Aggies began heatedly and the first two inning came and went rather quickly. Chandler Hall, freshman pitcher and sister of Bobcat junior outfielder Taylor Hall, got the call to start on the circle for the Cats, and held the Aggies to only two hits all game. Those two hits, however, came in the form of long-balls off the bats of right fielder Holly Ridley and catcher Erin Glasco. Glasco's home run hit the Texas State scoreboard in right field and put the Aggies up 1-0 in the top of the second. Ridley's shot to right centerfield came in the fourth.

Chandler Hall might find comfort in her performance, despite being taken out after the third inning, seeing that Texas A&M used most of the same starting nucleus as its 2008 Women's College World Series Finals lineup for Wednesday night's show-down in San Marcos. To play on a comparable level with No. 15 Texas A&M not only provides promise for Hall, but for the Bobcats as a whole, especially holding such an offensively powerful Aggie team to only two hits on the night. The evening proved especially historic as this was the first game ever played in the new Bobcat Softball Complex.

Playing the new complex's first hero, junior first baseman Leah Boatright went 3-for-4 on the evening, plating two crucial RBI, the latter of which the game-winner.

Boatright singled to center field early on, reaching third on a two-base error, only to be stranded by the end of the inning. McKenzie Baack, the sophomore first baseman and 2008 SLC Hitter of the Year, hit cleanup behind Boatright. Baack was 2-for-3 on the night with one strikeout. Junior utility player Kristina Tello played a big role in the offense, despite going hitless on the night.

Ridley crushed a drive deep and over the right centerfield wall to regain the lead at 2-1 in the out-of-towners' favor in the fourth inning. But in the home half of the fourth, Chandler Hall popped foul behind the first base bag and the flare fell between second baseman Natalie Villareal and first baseman Taryn Broussard, keeping Hall's at-bat alive. Hall hit a slow-roller to Villareal who scooped it and made a poor backhand flip, which sailed over Broussard's head, sending Hall to second base. Hall earned credit for a hit. Tello followed in the next at-bat, slapping a routine grounder to short, but Junior short stop Macie Morrow made an errant play on the ball, allowing it to bounce off the end of her glove and into shallow centerfield, plating Hall from second.

Senior pitcher Katie Garnett replaced Chandler Hall in the fourth inning, keeping the Aggies hitless through the rest of the game, as well as keeping Hall's two-hit effort in tact. The Bobcats would extend their hits to seven total on the night by the seventh inning.

Tied at two runs apiece in the bottom of the seventh, senior short stop Alex Newton creamed a single to left, followed by Taylor Hall who stepped in hitting left-handed. Hall drew a walk to move the runner over. Newton and Hall each reached safely on a double steal after a pitch in the dirt, with a late throw to third missing Newton by a step. The next batter, Boatright, sent a 1-1 Texas Leaguer over the short stop Morrow, plating Newton from third for the game-winning run to beat Texas A&M 3-2.

For a night full of firsts, the Bobcats cleared the bench to celebrate a quite memorable first, a win in their brand new stadium. The Cats are now 6-4 overall, and begin conference play next week. The Aggies fall to 5-6, including five straight losses.

The Bobcats leave Friday for Baton Rouge, LA, to partake in the LSU Purple and Gold Challenge. The Cats continue three more games on the road at UT-Arlington before coming home to play two against McNeese State Feb. 28 at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. The Cowgirls of McNeese stay until Mar. 1, and then the Texas Longhorns head to San Marcos, Mar. 3, at 7:00 p.m.

Mason Robinson- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Tough Valentines Match For Bobcat Tennis

The Texas State women's tennis team was defeated Saturday by the Mean Green of North Texas. The Cats lost 5-2 overall to the women of North Texas. The Bobcats' highlight of the day was Senior Ashley Ellis who made her record 6-0 for the weekend.

The day started out as Texas State was defeated in doubles play in two out of the three matches. The doubles team of Nyssa Peele and Ashley Ellis did keep their winning streak alive as they improved to 3-0 for the weekend.

In singles the Bobcats had their hands full with tough opponents from the UNT squad. In the number one match Andrea Giraldo was defeated 1-6 and 0-6 in a tough match. In the four match Senior Lainy Chafitz who had been on fire all weekend lost in 3 sets after losing the first set and rallying back to take the match to 3 sets.

Senior Ashley Ellis started her singles match very strong with a 6-3 victory in the 1st set. Ellis stumbled in the second allowing her opponent to get back in the set after she was up five games to two. Ellis though proved her veteran experience as she regrouped and took the match 7-6 after winning 7-3 in a tiebreak.

Kiki Kruse who had a great day in singles play as she put on a great showing defeating her opponent 6-4 and 6-3 in two sets. Mackenzie Farmer also had a tough day as she lost to a strong UNT opponent.

Overall the Bobcats had a great weekend home stand going 2-1 and improving their overall record this spring to 3-2. Texas State now looks ahead to conference play as well as hosting Trinity University next Saturday, February 21, 2009.

TJ Ladusky - KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Clutch Free Throws Ace The Bobcats A Victory On The Road

The Bobcats traveled to Beaumont, Texas to take on the 12 and 11 Lamar Cardinals on Saturday. The first half started about as bad as it could have for the Bobcats. If you are an offensive guru this was not the game for you. Both teams combined for 51 points in the first half putting the Bobcats trailing 25 to 26 going into halftime.

The second half started the same way as the first half started with the Bobcats and Cardinals still shooting bad from the field. The only difference was that Brent Benson and Cameron Johnson showed up in the second half. Brent coming off a one game suspension played hard scoreing 16 of his 24 points in the second half, and was a sizzling 5 of 10 from three point range. Cameron Johnson was held scoreless in the first half, but came on strong scoring all 13 of his points in the second.

Despite the emerging inside, outside threat from the Cats, the team still found themselves in a dogfight with the Cardinals. With the game winding down the Bobcats found themselves having to make clutch free throws to win the game. Free throws have been known to be the achilles heal of this team. Tonight was different for the Cats as Benson and Bush stepped up and went 4 for 4 in the final minutes to claim victory.

The Bobcats now will have a week off, and then on Saturday the 21st will host the division leading Nicholls State Colonels. The game tips off at 4pm and you can catch the action live on 89.9 KTSW the other side of radio.

Nathan Castro- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Lady Cardinals Leave Bobcats Broken-Hearted On Valentine’s Day

The Texas State women’s basketball team came into Saturday’s game with a plentiful amount of momentum coming off of a huge road win against A&M – Corpus Christi as well as a two-game win streak, but all of that energy from those two games seemed to be all but dissipated after Lamar came into Strahan Coliseum and torched the Bobcats by a final score of 71-56 on Saturday afternoon.

Texas State got off to a good start early in the first half with the pair of Kim Cessna and Aimee Hilburn eating the Lady Cardinal defenders for lunch down in the paint, but with 11 minutes to go in the first half Lamar retook a 14-13 lead and never looked back.

After Kelsey Krupa hit a jumper to cut the Lady Cardinal lead to 21-19, the Lamar athletes took no prisoners and burned the Bobcats from 3-point land in an 18-6 run that left the Bobcats down by 14 at halftime. Texas State’s players and coaches are going to be looking at game film over the course of next week and will likely be wondering just how Lamar’s Darika Hill got so wide open on the perimeter as she scored 11 points during said run, 9 of those points coming off of three-pointers.

Texas State knew coming into the game that Lamar loved to run ball screens and get their shooting threats open, and were still not able to adjust as 12 of those 18 points during the Lady Cardinal run came from outside the 3-point arc. That run seemed to suck the life out of Strahan Coliseum as well as the Texas State bench, and the Bobcats were never able to completely recover. Despite another frenetic attempt at a comeback by Texas State with a 23-11 run coming out of the locker room to cut the Lady Cardinal lead to 4 the Bobcats were unable to get over the hump.

The Bobcats played some good defense down in the paint while making some tough shots in the lane, and they were also fortunate to watch outside threats Darika Hill and Emily Spickler go cold from the perimeter. But, just as it seemed that Texas State was about to possibly come back once again against the Lady Cardinals and possibly get over the top this time, disaster struck as a metaphorical truckload of fouls unloaded on the Bobcats’ backs and subsequently broke them.

Lamar was able to get to the free throw line a ridiculous 27 times in the second half, making 18 of those attempts. Texas State was only able to get to the charity stripe 6 times in comparison and only made 2 of those attempts. The referees were tough to gauge throughout the game, as you sensed they would call a tight game in the first half, then they let the players play in the first part of the second half, and then you could hardly take a breath without hearing a whistle in the latter part of the game. Such eagerness by the officials to blow their whistles had an obvious effect on the Bobcat offense, as the players seemed a bit out of sorts and weren’t able to really get any flow or momentum on their side after their run earlier in the half.

However, head coach Suzanne Fox wouldn’t tell you to blame the officials for this loss, and rightfully so as the Bobcats had their chances throughout the game to bring home a win and were unable to take advantage. Texas State falls to 10-13 overall record and 4-7 in the SLC, leaving them stuck at 9th in the SLC and last in the West Division.

A golden opportunity was also missed today by the Bobcats to jump into 8th as either A&M – Corpus or Sam Houston were guaranteed to fall to 4-6, and the Islanders eventually prevailed by 5 in Huntsville over the Bearkats. Texas State is still in the hunt to become eligible for the conference tournament as the Bearkats could easily be 4-8 by the time Saturday is over as they have to travel to both Beaumont and San Antonio to take on two tough Lamar and UTSA teams.

In order to help their postseason chances, this team will also need to bring home another road win against a 1-21 Nicholls State team next Saturday. You can tune in for the tip-off of that game at 2 pm on 89.9 KTSW and txstatebobcats.com.

Will Butler- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Tennis Serves Up The Broncos

Texas State defeated the UT Pan American Broncos on Saturday 5-2 in another great performance. The day started off with the Bobcats sweeping all three matches in doubles play. They were lead once again by the team of Nyssa Peele and Ashley Ellis.

In singles the Cats were in the lead once again by their number one Ashley Ellis who made quick work of her opponent as she won 6-1 and 6-2 in two sets. Laney Chafitz another senior leader had a tough day as she was defeated twice in a tiebreak. During the match there was some controversy as Chafitz was called for interference forcing her to give up a crucial point.

The match that made the day really exciting was Junior Mackenzie Farmer’s single match that went to three sets. Farmer rallied back after losing her first set 7-5 to win the second set forcing a third set to be played. In the third she rallied back from being down 4 points to win the match in deuce.

Junior Kiki Kruse also had a great a match as she battled through injury to win her match 6-2 and 6-1.

Overall the Bobcat’s had a great performance and will have their skills truly tested as they host North Texas on Sunday.

TJ Ladusky- KTSW Sports Beat Writer

A Valentine Weekend Full of Bobcats

With both Texas State Men's and Women's Basketball teams being outside the top eight, in terms of the Southland Conference Standings, it's imperative that the Bobcats get an arrow from cupid to get a win on this Valentines Day weekend.

The Texas State Men's Basketball team has shown a lot of heart over the past several games, but heart hasn't been enough to solve the overall problems with the Cats blowing the last two games in the last several minutes. The Bobcats 70- 59 loss to Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Wednesday set the Bobcats at a (3-7) Southland Conference record putting them currently in last place in the West standings and 10th overall.

If the Men's Basketball team is going to make a streak to put themselves back in the top eight it would have to be now as the Cats head to Beaumont to take on the Lamar Cardinals, who currently sit on a (3-6) SLC record and are tie for the 7th place spot.

The Women's Basketball team is currently on a two game winning streak after coming off this past Wednesday comeback victory against the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders 66-62. The Cats showed a lot of grittiness on the court proving that they still are a team to be dealt with in the SLC. The streak must continue with the Cats SLC record at (4-6), still putting them out of the Tournament if the season ended today being in the 9th spot.

On V-day the Cats will take center stage and try to defeat a Lamar Lady Cardinals team that beat the Bobcats in the final seconds of their first contest earlier this season. The game will be played in Strahan Coliseum where the you can get into the game for $2 by wearing pink in support of the Susan G. Koman breast cancer awareness foundation.

Celebrate with your Valentine by tuning to 89.9 KTSW for both the Men's and Women's games. Broadcasts start with the Women's game slated for the pre-game at 1:45 p.m., and continuing with the Men's game set for a 7:50 p.m. pre-game start.

If you're taking your Valentine to Houston for a night out on the town you can catch the Bobcat Softball team in action today, as well as Saturday and Sunday, as they are guests in the UH Crowne Plaza Classic. The Bobcat Softball team currently has a (3-3) record and is coming off a huge 9-6 win over the Texas Longhorns this past Wednesday.

That's your weekend preview in Bobcat sports, and make sure you keep up with all this weekends action by checking out the KTSW Sports blogs after each game concludes.

James McNeal- KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Tennis Serves Experience Against St. Edwards

Texas State Tennis hosted St. Edwards in the first home match of the season. The Bobcats were victorious with a 5-2 overall victory. The Cats opened up the day with dominating doubles play winning 2 out of 3 sets to get the point. They were lead by the veteran team of Nyssa Peele and Ashley Ellis.

In singles play the Bobcats also had a very commanding performance of St. Edwards. Senior Captain Lainy Chafitz demanded respect as she took control of her match, and won 6-1 and 6-4 in two sets.

Senior Ashley Ellis had a very exciting match as well she controlled the first set with a 6-2 victory. The second set she allowed St. Edwards to climb back with a tough loss. Ashley’s veteran experience came out in the third set as she won a 9-7 tie-break in an exciting match that was played tough until the bitter end.

The disappointing match of the day was Andrea Giraldo who is number two for the Bobcats. Giraldo played a very tough St. Edwards opponent, and was unable to get the victory that she was hoping for. Her experience helped her along the way as she never quit battling until the very end.

Texas State hosts UT Pan-American in their next match February 14, 2009. The Cats are looking forward to another chance for victory.

TJ Ladusky- KTSW Sports Staff Reporter

State Softball Tops Texas in Last Inning

The Bobcat softball team stormed over the UT Longhorns Wednesday night in Austin with a 9-6 victory proving that even a Big 12 school is no match for the Bobcats.

In the beginning of the game, the path to victory looked a little rough for the Bobcats. Bobcat Katie Garnet pitched a tough game, but the Longhorns were the first to score in the 1st inning with two points. The Bobcats scored 1 run in the 3^rd inning proving they weren’t going to step down anytime soon.

The 5^th inning was a setback for the Bobcats with 3 consecutive strike outs by the Longhorns pitcher Torrey Schroeder. The Longhorns scored two runs in the 5^th when Desire Williams slammed a single down center.

The Bobcats answered back in the top of the 6^th by scoring two runs. The Longhorns switched pitchers putting in Erin Tresselt who walked two Bobcats. At the bottom of the 6^th the Longhorns scored 3 runs taking a 3 run lead over the Bobcats.

The 7^th inning was the key inning for the Bobcats when they scored 6 runs. The Longhorns switched pitchers 3 times and the Bobcat offense was fierce with Kristina Tello and Alex Newton both hitting doubles. The Bobcats were able to hold the Longhorns at the bottom of the 7^th resulting in a final score of 9-6.

The Bobcats proved that they are a force to be reckoned with. With a strong defense and offense the Bobcats will be making many upsets this season. The Bobcats will play in the UH Crown Plaza tournament in Houston this Friday through Sunday where they will face Oklahoma, Indiana, Oklahoma State and Houston.

Hillary Till- KTSW Sports Beat Writer

Women's Basketball Shows Toughness in Gritty Comeback Road Win

Coming into their road game against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, you could feel that it was possibly the most important game of the year for the Texas State Women’s Basketball team. The Bobcats were sitting with a 3-6 record in the SLC as well as 9th overall and a loss would have severely hurt Texas State’s chances of getting into the Southland Conference tournament in Katy this March. So, a thrilling 66-62 road victory over the Islanders should give the Bobcat players a big reason to celebrate tonight.

One could feel that the momentum from the 62-48 drubbing of McNeese last Saturday was carrying over for the Bobcats, as an explosive start out of the gate eventually led to an 11-point early lead for Texas State. But as we’ve seen numerous times in the series between the two, the game quickly turned close again as Jade Davis and Lauren Smith hit a couple of momentum-shifting three pointers for the Islanders to bring the game to a 34-34 tie at halftime.

Despite 15 points and 5 defensive rebounds from Victoria Davis in the first half as well as some good production from the Bobcat bench, one could feel a bit of unease on the Texas State sideline as Aimee Hilburn, Verinus Kalu, Kim Cessna and Gabriell Mattox all ran into foul trouble with 2 fouls each and had to be subsequently benched.

That unease may have carried over out of the locker room as the Bobcats looked disjointed and out of sync as A&M-Corpus quickly went on a 20-6 run to go up by as much as 14 with 14 minutes to go in the game. It was eerily reminiscent of the huge run that Southeastern Louisiana put up on Texas State in Hammond a week ago as they jumped out to an eventually insurmountable 20-point lead.

However, the Bobcat players regrouped and with the pair of Davis and Mattox combining to score 17 points in 8 minutes to resuscitate the team back to a 58-58 tie and eventually a late lead. One could sense that the Bobcat players started to believe when a previously quiet Mattox started draining threes and Davis banked in shots that frankly, not many players in the NBA or the WNBA could make.

The two teams traded baskets as well as the lead numerous times down the stretch, but the Bobcat defense put the clamps down on the Islanders in the last two minutes and forced some key turnovers, flustering the A&M – Corpus players. You could see the frustration finally get to the heads of the Islander players as some miscommunication between A&M – Corpus’ Myesha Miles, Lauren Smith, and Jade Davis led to a deadly mistake in an unforced errant pass out of bounds with 34 seconds to go in the game. The turnover led to a clutch Cessna jumper with about 10 seconds left which iced the game and led to an explosion of joy off of the Bobcat bench.

It was an inspiring performance for the team to come back from such a large deficit and win a crucial conference game, especially if you consider the fact that the women’s team hadn’t won a road game the entire season. Texas State needed some big performances from their key players, and they certainly got some. Victoria Davis surpassed her career high with 26 points, leading all scorers including her Corpus counterpart in Jade Davis, who finished with 24.

Gabriell Mattox also once again scored in double figures with 13 points and of course Kim Cessna had the clutch shot to clinch the win for Texas State while finishing with 7 points. Brittany Wilson also had a good outing for the second straight game off of the bench, scoring 9 points while showcasing her previously unseen abilities in the paint. But, despite those huge performances during the postgame interview head coach Suzanne Fox was quick to compliment her defense first, essentially implying that their toughness on defense won the game down the stretch.

The Bobcats are still sitting at 9th in the Southland Conference with a 4-6 record in conference play, but it was a big win because it chips away at the Islanders lead over the Bobcats in the West Division as they dropped to 4-5 in the SLC. Texas State's sweep of the series against A&M - Corpus Christi also gives them a tiebreaker if both teams end up with the same conference records at the end of the regular season.

The Bobcat players also received another bit of good news as a seemingly hot Sam Houston State team shockingly dropped a 76-74 decision to Nicholls State, who had previously been winless on the season. That upset also dropped the Bearkats to 4-5 in the SLC.

The Bobcats now have a great chance to further insert themselves in the SLC mix by defeating Lamar on Saturday at 2 pm in Strahan Coliseum. Fans should consider attending not only to watch a quickly improving Bobcat team, but also to support the fight against cancer as fans who wear pink in support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s effort to raise breast cancer awareness get in for only $2. Bring your Valentine’s date, and come out and support your Bobcats! You can listen to all the action on 89.9 KTSW.

Will Butler- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Men's Hoops Drops Second Game In A Row

The Texas State Men’s Basketball team was at home Wednesday night to take on the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders. Texas State had a lead going into half time 34-32, but it seemed as if it fell apart for the Bobcats in the second half losing to the Islanders 70-59.

Texas State came out ready to play in the first half. The Bobcats were immediately dunked on, but Junior Forward John Rybak answered back with a wide open three pointer. It was pretty much back and forth in the first half with Texas State leading in every category except free throws, which seems to be a trend for the Cats. Brandon bush hit a three-point shot with 8:20 left in the half; the Cats looked great. Texas State shot 52% from the field with Corpus Christi only shooting 36%.

It seemed as if Texas State was really trying to show the hustle in the first half, but it happened again with the Bobcats getting outplayed in the second half. The second half was filled with fouls and great free throw shooting by the islanders as they finished the half at 77%. The Cats were out hustled in the game all together. A&M Corpus Christi had four dunks in the game with three of them coming in the first half alone.

The game was tied at 53 all with 6:23 left to go in the half, and the Islanders never looked back. There were some bad fouls after that which could have given the Bobcats a chance to come back, but the Cats could not manage to score late in the game . Coach Davalos got a technical and John Bowman committed a personal foul, and that would be all she wrote for the Bobcats losing to the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders 70-59.

The Bobcats are now 3-7 in the Southland conference and it looks as if hopes for making the post season are dwindling down with every loss. Next up for the Bobcats is a game in Beaumont on Saturday to take on Lamar. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. and you can listen to all the action on 89.9 KTSW.

Lisa Freeman- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Back And Forth, Back And Forth... And The Bobcats Fall Short

Texas State Bobcats Men's Basketball shared only four lead changes during a visit to Lake Charles, Louisiana, against McNeese State, but neither team lead by more than nine points throughout McNeese's 85-79 win on over the Cats on Sunday.

The Cats came out guns-a-blazing after the tip, not to relinquish the lead until three minutes before the half. A few fist pumps, back-slaps, (maybe even a "thank you") were passed around to Brent Benson headed back to the showers -- who hit a three-pointer with a couple ticks on the clock to grab the lead at the half.

McNeese snatched the lead again after two minutes with a dunk by Kleon Penn and the 'Cats answered with two missed field goals and a missed layup. However in the ensuing minutes, both teams combined to miss ten total shots. The upside came from a layup from John Pichon for McNeese, and on the Texas State side, a good jumper and layup from Brandon Bush. In other words, neither team took advantage of the other's miscues. And despite a few late-game struggles for the maroon and gold, McNeese felt some heat as well.

More than failing to expand a lead, a turnover, two steals and a blown jump shot was all the offense the Cowboys could muster for several minutes. At the 4:13 mark in the second half, the Cowboys led Texas State 71-68.

Even after the Cats had a turnover, a couple of missed field goals, a turnover, and a missed three pointer, Brandon Bush was finally able to sink a three. And to this point, fans were still watching a two possession game with the Cats down (75-71)!

Deductive reasoning says McNeese is beatable given the fact that the Cats could not capitalize after grabbing 13 boards within a span of 2 minutes. If the Cats could have hit their shots this could have been a 91-77 game in favor of the Bobcats. But the Cats could not capitalize which put the final score to 85-79 in favor of the Cowboys.

In a car with manual transmission, it can be somewhat easy to get stalled in the middle of gears. With the Bobcats now at a (3-6) record in SLC play, there has to be quick action to get back in gear if the Cats want to remain in the hunt for the SLC tournament.

The Men's Basketball team hopes to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they take on the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders, who beat the Cats earlier this season in an 89-64 decision. The Bobcats will take on the Islanders at home in Strahan Coliseum with the tip off slated for 7 p.m. You can listen to all the action on txstatebobcats.com.

Mason Robinson- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Women's Hoops Snaps Losing Streak At Strahan

The Bobcat Women's Basketball team certainly didn’t disappoint in Saturday afternoon’s performance at Strahan Coliseum versus the McNeese State Cowgirls snapping their five game losing streak with a solid 62-48 win.

This game marked the 50^th meeting between the two schools and Texas State leads the series 29-21 after the win today. The Bobcats looked to excel in three particular points throughout the game, which were to attack the boards on both sides of the glass, contest the open shooters, and to attack the inexperienced guards of McNeese State. These areas were met both on and off the stat sheet as they created a consistent flow of intensity throughout the game.

Extra possessions can be critical in any basketball game and the Bobcats out rebounded the Cowgirls 43 to 37. Especially within the first couple of minutes into the game where seven of the Bobcats 27 points in the first half came off of second chance opportunities that were crucial for maintaining the lead throughout the game. Leading the Bobcats was senior forward Kim Cessna with 10 rebounds. Other key contributors were junior forward Aimee Hilburn (9), sophomore forward Gabriell Mattox (8) and senior forward Brittany Wilson (7).

Considering McNeese State was known for their shooting capabilities as a team, the Bobcats did a very impressive job of shutting down their weaknesses for the game. The shooting outcomes of the game reflected the final score in a way, the Cowgirls only shot 25.4% from the field as opposed to the Bobcats 45.3%. By locking up defenders and contesting every shot, the Cowgirls were out-of-sync offensively and committed 20 turnovers throughout the coarse of the game.

The Bobcats look to turn this win into a potential winning streak where they go on the road to take on Texas A&M Corpus Christi where they recorded a 69-65 win earlier in the season. The Bobcats are currently 9-12 overall and post a 3-6 conference record and are continuing to find their first road victory of the season. The Bobcats are indeed still alive and are on the prowl for a playoff birth in the tournament at Katy at the end of the season.

Sam Kruppa- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Tennis Team Shows Off Talent At Friendly Maroon/Gold Match

The Texas State Bobcat Women’s Tennis show cased some of their talent on Saturday in the first annual maroon and gold match. The atmosphere was relaxing as players, parents and alumni got ready for a friendly match versus new and old Bobcats.

The day started off with the Cats squaring off against some of their alumni. Since the matches were scrimmages the players only played one game. The day was labeled to be a friendly match, but the players were playing like it was a championship.

The single match of the day pitted number one Ashley Ellis against number two Andrea Giraldo. Both girls are veteran players and are the top players for a reason. During their match they had multiple rallies that were very exciting. The team captain Senior Lainy Chafitz also put a display of great skill and style.

This year’s team is looking forward to a very successful season and has high hopes of winning the first conference championship since the eighties. The Bobcats are gearing up for three weeks of home matches starting with St. Edwards on the 12th, and are looking to get a win after their tough loss against Rice.

The Woman's Tennis team opens up Conference play against Northwestern State in Louisiana on February 28. That match looks like it could be the toughest of the season for the Cats.

TJ Ladusky- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcat Blues Continue In The Bayou

Despite yet another frenetic comeback late in the game by the Bobcats, the Texas State Women’s Basketball team dropped their 5th straight game in a 67-58 road loss to the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions.

Gabriell Mattox had another double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds and Kim Cessna had 10 points, but their efforts weren’t enough as three players scored in double figures for the Lady Lions, including bench player Quantae Thomas who torched the Cats with 18 to lead Southeastern Louisiana in scoring.

Texas State played a solid first half on both sides of the court despite some big three-pointers from a number of Lady Lion players. Mattox quickly jumped out with an 11-point burst in the first ten minutes, but stalled a bit as the Bobcats proceeded to bruise Southeastern down in the paint with Cessna leading the charge. The only real lapse the Bobcats experienced was a late 5-1 run by the Lady Lions that put Texas State down by the score of 30-26 at halftime.

Coming out of the locker room the game quickly took a disastrous turn for the Bobcats as Southeastern Louisiana went on a 21-5 run in the first ten minutes to eventually expand their lead to 20. Preseason All-Southland Conference selection Kristy Carlin and Quantae Thomas went on a scoring spree; Thomas abused the Bobcat posts in the paint and Carlin hit some key jumpers to put the Lady Lions up by what would ultimately be an insurmountable lead.

Despite the large deficit, the Texas State players refused to give up, mounting a feverish comeback in the last ten minutes led by Chika Ofegbu, who scored 8 of her 9 total points during that time. Most of her points came in the paint, as she made her presence felt down low to score some crucial layups. Mattox also scored 9 during the comeback effort, many of those coming from the charity stripe. The Bobcats were able to cut the Lady Lion lead to 5, but a couple of clutch free throws by Kristy Carlin and Chelsea Hix put the game away as the game wound to a close.

Texas State now falls to 8-12 overall, and most importantly 2-6 in the Southland Conference, leaving them last in the SLC West and 10th overall in the Conference. They are also still winless on the road this season. This loss doesn’t help the Bobcats’ chances of getting to the Southland Conference tournament in Katy this March, as only the top 8 teams are accepted to play for the title. However, Texas State does have an opportunity to claw back into 9th place as they host 2-5 McNeese State in Strahan Coliseum at 2 pm this Saturday. This team is down but certainly not out, so we hope that everyone will come out and support their Bobcats.

Will Butler- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Keep Streak Alive After Brawl Sends Four Players Into Locker Room

On Wednesday night the Bobcats came out to face the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Strahan Coliseum. Texas State entered the game with a 9-11 overall record and a 2-5 Southland Conference mark after recording an 80-78 victory at UT Arlington last Saturday afternoon. The victory came after the Bobcats suffered their fifth straight loss with an 86-76 setback at UTSA on Jan. 28. Texas State went into the game with full force against the Lions and it came down to four ejections and a close finish for the Bobcats to top the Lions 84-82.

The night started out with the Lions jumping to an early lead. The Cats defense was looking like they might have troubles stopping the likes of Patrick Sullivan and Chris Cyprian and the running Lion offense. The Lions had there inside game working for the first six and a half minutes of the first half with junior Patrick Sullivan. However, half way through the first half Ty Gough and Brandon Bush both scored on back to back possessions, with help from a Lion turnover, and brought the score back to 18-15 Lions.

This was all followed up with a three-pointer, drained by John Rybak, my player of the game candidate, to tie the game at 18 with 9:15, again after another Lion turnover. Three turnovers in a row gave, non other than, John Rybak a chance to get that many points, with one of his four three-pointers. The game had been very sloppy; mostly because of high energy defenses causing bad decisions, bad passes, and poor shot attempts.

With the Bobcats leading most of the minutes after the ten minute mark, there were a series of plays that got the crowd at the Coliseum on their feet and really "growling" for the home team. Back-to-Back dunks by the Lions and Bobcats got the crowd excited and then John Bowman nearly fell into a ladies lap in the front row going for a pass, then ran back on the court to chalk up a steal on the stat sheet from an arrant Lions pass. The first half was as exciting a basketball game can get, with both the fans, and players very energized and pumped. The half ended with Mr. Rybak (Player of the Game) knocking down a buzzer beating "trey" to make the score 45-42 Lions.

It looked like the second half was going to start off just as nice with Brandon Bush getting two points right off the bat for the 'Cats. But the Lions went on a run and after the first two minutes the scoredboard read 52-48 Lions. The game then took a HUGE swing.

The game thus far was a very physical and emotional battle on both sides. The officiating had been shaky on a few plays and it seemed a couple of players were "jawing" at each other. With it being a very tight game each team weighing every possession heavily, the teams were playing extremely aggressive basketball.

With 16:26 left in the second half, Brent Benson for the Bobcats and Chris Cyprian for the Lions were coming down the court, away from the ball, and it seemed that their feet got tangled bringing both to the floor. While both players were getting off the floor, excited Cyprian gave Benson a head butt to the chest. This happened in front of the Lions bench and when the Bobcat teammates came to defend their player the bench cleared thus clearing the Bobcat bench. Pure Pandemonium in the Coliseum people!

No one got hurt and order was restored, the refs Disqualified (Ejected) John Bowman and Brent Benson for the Bobcats and Warrell Span and Chris Cyprian for the Lions. After the game Head Coach for the Bobcats Doug Davalos said he liked the "fire" and "fight" in his guys, stating that he liked how his guys jumped up to defend their player, not that he liked fighting, also stating "he apologized" to fans and spectators for the incident and that it should "never happen" in the game of college basketball.

I do understand exactly what Coach Davalos meant. The team was trying to protect their guy and not let him or them, be walked all over. After play resumed there were three or four quick foul calls amongst both teams as the referees tried to regain order "on the court".

With the game 54-53 Lions after three foul shots by John Rybak with 14:50 left in the game, it seemed as if each team was walking on glass and trying not to get called for fouls after the beginning of the half "shenanigans" . The game went to a slow drag compared to the first half as each team had stopped the fast breaks and the quick drives to the lanes. The Lions were also in early foul trouble in the second half, already in the double penalty with about 14 minutes left in the half. The Cats would made it to the double penalty at the 10 minute mark as well.

The key of this half thus far was the full court and half court pressure, specifically the zone press presented by the Bobcats. This increased impact from the zone press defense exhibited by the Cats led to a 74-63 lead with 8 minutes left in the game. With 6 minutes left and Brandon Bush at the line after a monster Slam and the foul, the game seemed in the Bobcats hands and the win in sight. But Bush missed the free throw and the Lions started to slowly make a little come back.

The Player of the Game Rybak could not get any help from the ref's on the Charging calls, and they kept getting him for Blocking. Obviously the officiating had been tightened but a couple of calls seemed to go against the Bobcats that could have gone either way. However, the Cats would jump out to another big lead of 81-69 with 3:52 left in the game. A three by Dylan Moseley for the Bobcats seemed to anger the Lions, trying to prove they were the bigger Cat in the house.

The Lions quickly brought the game back to 83-78 with about 2 minutes left in the game. The Bobcats could not put away a shot in their next possession giving the Lions a chance to make it 83-80 and that is exactly what they did. After a Bobcat turnover the Lions called a timeout with 37 seconds left and put together an inbound play from under the basket. After the timeout, the Lions whipped the ball around to the top of the key and dropped it down low to the post where Brandon Fortenberry was fouled by Dylan Moseley before he could get the shot off. The big thing was that the officials called a Flagrant foul and thus the Lions had two shots and the ball. Fortenberry went 1-2 from the line and the Bobcats managed to get a rebound on the Lions possession. The Cats were quickly fouled and then went 1-2 from the stripe and the Lions had one more shot to either win the game our send it into overtime with the score 84-82 and only 8 seconds left in the game. After the inbound pass the Lions couldn't even manage to get a last second shot off because the Cats showed great defense with the zone press which proved too much for a freshman guard for the Lions to handle. The Bobcats proved they were the bigger Cat in the house.

The game was one of the most exciting of the year thus far, especially at Strahan Coliseum. The Cats move to 10-11 overall record, and 3-5 in SLC play. The game took a big change with four key players being escorted from the court, however, the Bobcats showed that they were the fiercest Cats on the Court and put away a troublesome Lion offense with an impressive second half burst of defense. Catch the Cats in action again on Sunday as they travel to McNeese State for another big SLC match-up. You can listen to all the action scheduled to start with the pre-game at 6:45 on 89.9 KTSW and txstatebobcats.com.

Will McGinnis- KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Snap a Five Game Losing Streak

The Bobcats find themselves back in the win column after an exciting 80-78 win over the UTA Mavericks on Saturday.

Texas State fell behind early after UTA’s Anthony Vereen scored six straight points to make the score 16-7. But two three pointers by John Rybak and six points by Brandon Bush, who together scored 12 out of the Bobcats next 14 points, brought the Bobcats back to a 21-21 tie. Bush’s sixth point on the night moved him into fourth place for Texas State career scoring passing Henry Garcia who had 1368 points in his career.

Ty Gough aggravated a back injury he got during practice this week but Jonathan Sloan stepped in nicely. Sloan’s first of three blocks on the night came with 7:26 left in the first half. After another Ryback jumper the Bobcats had their first lead of the game.

The game went back and forth from there and after five lead changes and five ties the Bobcats lead the Mavericks 36-32 at the half. Ryback had 13 points and four rebounds to lead the Bobcats at halftime in both categories.

The second half started off slow for both teams with only one point scored collectively in the first three and a half minutes on the half. Then after Brent Benson mad his second three pointer of the night Texas State opened up an eight point lead at 40-32.

From there both teams went on a hot streak. Over the next seven minutes both teams shot over 65% from the field and over 80% from the free throw line shot of shot the entire way. Texas State’s eight point lead disappeared after a three pointer by Roge’r Guignard making the score 68-68.

The Bobcats opened up a four point lead again with 4:34 left to play after four straight made free throws. But not only did that lead evaporate quickly but actually swung in the Mavericks favor. They gained a 78-76 lead with 1:32 remaining, which was their first lead since the there was a minute left in the first half.

Corey Jefferson hit two free throws to tie it back up. With less than a minute left the Bobcats had a critical possession to try and take back the lead with 17 seconds left in the game. The play broke down and with the shot clock winding down Sloan threw up a desperation shot. The ball bounced out to the right wing where a charging Benson found it. Scooping up the ball, pulling up off his right foot, shooting with his left hand all in one motion Benson nails the flyer to take the lead. Fifteen seconds later and one great defensive stand by the Bobcats and Benson’s shot became the game winner.

Bush led the way with 19 points and 9 rebounds while Rybak added 18 points. Overall the Cats were 20-25 from the free throw line.

The win brings the Bobcats up to 9-11 overall and 2-5 in Southland Conference play. Next up for the Cats is the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Strahan Coliseum on Wednesday night scheduled to start at 7:00. You can listen to that game online at txstatebobcats.com.

Dalton Sweat- KTSW Sports Staff Writer