Third Time is Not the Charm as Bobcats Lose in Triple Overtime

The Men’s basketball team probably played their best game of the season against the TCU Horned Frogs, but came up just short losing 108-99 in 3 overtimes. The game was the second in a two-game Consolation Bracket in the NIT Tournament this week that tipped-off at 8 P.M. and nearly ran until 11 at night in Fort Worth. Neither team gave up as clutch threes and free throws were knocked down late in the game. The clutch free throws reference was really meant for the Horned Frogs, as they continually knocked them down in the second and third overtime to get them the win, but we will get to that in a minute.

Before it came to that, the Bobcats held a 9-point lead with under 2 minutes left in the second half but could not hang on. Coming out of a timeout, TCU hit back-to-back three point shots to bring them within 3 with just a minute remaining. Sophomore guard John Bowman, who played well and finished with 19 points and 5 assists, started off trading free throws with the horned frogs squad but he missed a couple down the stretch, which allowed the opposition to tie the game and take it into overtime.

Fast-Forward…

Pending a 6-0 run by the Frogs at the end of overtime #1, senior guard John Rybak stepped it up in a huge way by knocking down his sixth and seventh three-point shots of the night. This took the ’cats into overtime #2 with all of the momentum. Rybak put the team on his back offensively in the waning moments of this overtime as his seventh three pointer came with just 4 seconds left on the clock.

In the 2nd OT, Texas State had to play on without senior center Emmanuel Bidias A' Moute as he fouled out. With 1:14 remaining the ‘Cats forced a big turnover and took control of the basketball with the game knotted at 93, and guess who stepped up once again? John Rybak drilled another three-pointer giving him 28 points on the night, and more importantly, pushing his team out front to a three-point lead. However, with :15 remaining, TCU hit another clutch three and took the game to a third and final overtime.

In this final period junior transfer J.B. Conley, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, scored the Bobcats’ first four points and Texas State looked good. TCU was nursing a two-point lead with under two minutes remaining when Texas State had a few shots rattle in-and-out and they could not put the ball in the hoop. The Horned Frogs made all but one of their free throws that iced the game and sent the Bobcats to the locker room with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Fatigue seemed to set in at the end of the third overtime period for the ‘cats and for good reason. Coach Davalos was forced to shorten up his bench as junior center Jonathan Sloan and forward Tony Bishop were unable to play due to injury. Sloan has been out for a few games now and this was Bishop’s first game out as he suffered an ankle sprain in the Bobcats’ previous game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Texas State falls to 1-5 on the season as they missed a total of 10 free throws on the night, which might have been the deciding factor. Some good news was that the Bobcats’ turnover numbers were way down in this match up against TCU (16 total), which has been a problem for the team all season.

John Rybak finished with 30 points and Cameron Johnson finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Texas State will be back in action on December 1 in San Marcos against Texas A&M - International. You can listen to the game on 89.9 FM KTSW-San Marcos or online at ktsw.net.

-Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Women's Basketball Stymies Southwest Assemblies of God

In the final game of an opening three game home stretch, the Lady Bobcats improve their record to 2-1 in a victory over the Southwestern Assemblies of God Lady Lions with a final score of 65-51.

This marks Texas State’s second win over a Red River Conference opponent, the first being a 100-42 win over Texas College. Although State received a win, it was only a seven point ball game in the first half with the score favoring the Bobcats 29-22. The Bobcats were struggling early on against the Lion’s 2-3 zone defense where shots were being contested down low and turnovers off of deflections were a common occurrence.

Coach Suzanne Fox wasn’t concerned about the zone as much as she was concerned about the effort of the team. Considering Texas State had seven players over six feet tall compared to SAGU’s two, the Lady Lions were winning the unofficial stat of hustle plays.

It wasn’t until sophomore guard Kelsey Krupa exposed the holes in the zone in the beginning of the second half where she put the ball on the floor to create shots for teammates and took advantage of weak rotation as she went 4-6 from the arch to account for all 12 of her points.

By giving respect for Krupa on the perimeter, the zone was stretched thus leaving the middle open for junior forward Chika Ofoegbu where she hit five of her seven shots and ended the game with 13 points. Her performance tonight now brings Ofoegbu shooting 18-22 from the field for the season bringing her to an impressive 81%.

Even though Texas State didn’t have the prettiest win of the season, the Bobcats can be proud of a winning record and continue to improve on their mistakes the rest of the season.

The Bobcats will travel to Fort Collins, Colorado this Friday as they take on Colorado State in the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational. Although the game will not be on the air, you can listen to live coverage of the Texas Tech game in Lubbock on December 2nd on 89.9 KTSW, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com.

-Sam Kruppa, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Wisconsin-Milwaukee Brews Up a Big Victory Over the Bobcats

The Wisconsin Milwaukee-Wisconsin Panthers got the best of the Texas State men’s basketball team tonight, beating them 96-77.

From beginning to end, the Bobcats never led the game. The Panthers started the game on fire, leading Texas State 16-0, and led by as many as 31 points. While Texas State was down by 26 at the half, they cut the deficit in half to thirteen points in the second half, shooting 46 percent. But the rally was not enough to catch the Panthers.

The Bobcats started the game off poorly. They shot 36 percent in the first half and had nine turnovers in less than ten minutes. Whether it was a drive, jumper or 3-pointer, they couldn’t find the basket. Not that it’s an excuse, but the Bobcats are a young team with only a handful of veteran players. They are still trying to find their identity, chemistry and execution. Fortunately, they do have a lot of potential and room to grow. Just remember, this was only one game.

-Tim Leeland, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Sam Houston State Fires Football Head Coach Todd Whitten

After a stint of mediocrity for the latter half of this decade, Sam Houston State has decided that it has had enough. According to an official release from the SHSU Athletic Department, Todd Whitten will no longer be head coach of the Bearkat football team. This marks the second coaching change in the Southland after Jay Thomas was fired from Nicholls University this past Thursday.

Coach Whitten coached for five seasons at Sam Houston and amassed an overall record of 25-28. The once-proud Bearkats have not been to the playoffs once under Whitten's tenure, and Texas State amassed a 4-1 record against their rivals during that period of time. SHSU's best season under Whitten came in 2007, when the Bearkats finished 7-5, 5-2 SLC and beat the Bobcats in San Marcos. However, the 'Kats still missed out on the playoffs that year.

There may be additional fallout from this coaching change that may affect other Southland schools as well. According to an article from neworleans.com, former Northwestern State coach and current SHSU defensive coordinator Scott Stoker may be among a list of candidates for the Nicholls head coaching job.

A list of preliminary candidates for the position is unknown as of this point, but SHSU Athletic Director Bobby Williams was quoted as saying that "it is imperative that the search for the individual to move our football program toward that new outlook begin immediately." KTSW will have more news on the coaching searches of Nicholls and Sam Houston State whenever we get any information concerning them.

Sam Houston State finished 5-6 overall and 3-4 in the Southland Conference this year, and Texas State defeated them in their season finale in San Marcos by a score of 28-20.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Texas State Volleyball: 2009 Southland Conference Tournament Champions

The Texas State Bobcats defeated the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in four sets to claim the Southland Conference Tournament Title. Texas State was led by junior Mo Middleton, who had 18 kills in the championship game. Middleton also recieved the award for being the tournaments Most Valuable Player. Jessica Weynand and AJ Watlington also were in double digits with 12 kills apiece. Senior setter Brittany Collins had a great day as well, as she setup her teammates numerous times 40 on assists. Weynand and Melinda Cave also were named to the SLC All-Tournament team.

In the first set, the Bobcats came out strong early as they scored 6 before the Lumberjacks even registered a point. However, the Lumberjacks battled back into it as they were led by sophomore M.C. Battles, who had 4 kills while senior Palomona Buckner led in assists. For the Bobcats, Melinda Cave recorded 4 kills and Brittany Collins recorded 8 assists. Texas State held off the Ladyjack run and won the set (25-20). The lead changed twice in that set.

In the second set the Ladyjacks came on strong early, and put the Bobcats into a pretty deep hole by scoring six unanswered points. The Bobcats continued to fight, and rallied back to beat the Lumberjacks by the score of (25-20). The teams both played well around the ball and the experienced seniors for both sides really stepped up.

The Bobcats coming into the 3rd looked to sweep the Lumberjacks and take home the SLC Title, but were stopped when the Lumberjacks put up a fight and won. As a result, this forced a 4th set to be played. Senior Ashley Bailey recorded ten kills and delivered the final blow to take that set (25-23). MC Collins was the team leader in kills with 18 throughout the set.

In the fourth and final set the Bobcats and Ladyjacks were locked in a tough battle in the beginning, but the Bobcats took control and never looked back. AJ Watlington scored the clinching point to give the Bobcats the Championship.

This is the Bobcats fourth title in five years and the sixth title for Texas State. The Bobcats last tournament title was in 2007 against SFA.

-TJ Ladusky, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Turn Back Bearkats for the Second Straight Year

Diehard Bobcat fans, are you still a bit disappointed about the fact that Texas State will not be participating in the NCAA FCS Playoffs this year? You have plenty of reason to be. An extremely winnable game against Southeastern Louisiana turned into a shocking nightmare over the course of 10 minutes that unequivocably cost Texas State their shot at the playoffs and at least a share of the SLC Championship. The Bobcats' inability to figure out the historically dormant Southern Utah program has been a headscratcher, to make the understatement of the year. That loss blew a hole through any chance Texas State had of receiving an at-large playoff berth. The McNeese game was certainly winnable as well, although that loss may not have stung as much because both teams seemed to be more evenly matched than the SUU and SLU losses...and it also wasn't nearly as disorienting. Add on the fact that the door was wide open for Texas State to win the SLC Championship if they could have beat McNeese--SFA was able to upset SLU in Hammond and the Lions inexplicably dropped a 45-30 loss to a sad-sack Nicholls team a week later--and you might be still feeling slightly sick to your stomach if you're a Bobcat fan.

However, with all that being said, Bobcat fans have to admit that it feels great whenever Texas State can ruin the spirits of their rivals in Huntsville. Despite occasionally poor play, a poor attendance of 9,118 fans, questionable refereeing and a brawl instigated by bitter Bearkat players, the 'Cats were able to do just that on Saturday with a 28-20 win over Sam Houston State.

Texas State came out a big sluggish to start the game, as DeMarcus Griggs fumbled away the ball inside of the Bearkat red zone within the first minute of play. QB Blake Joseph and the Bearkat offense then sliced through a reeling Bobcat defense in their first offensive posssession. Momentum was squarely in SHSU's corner, as the Bobcats looked uninspired save for an impressive 48-yard touchdown run by Alvin Canady. The Texas State defense looked to have had the Bearkats stopped on the next possession, but a questionable roughing the kicker call kept the SHSU drive alive that eventually led to another touchdown. Compounding the crowd's frustration with the officiating was an obvious offensive pass interference call that should have been docked against SHSU's Jason Madkins, but was inexplicably called on Texas State's Darryl Morris instead. The usually stoic Bill Culhane called it "maybe the worst call we've seen all year." Thankfully for Texas State, the end result of the drive was a missed field goal for the Bearkats. Still, the frustration for Bobcat fans and players remained as SHSU led at halftime, 17-14.

Whatever Coach Wright told his team at halftime must have worked like a charm.

In the second half, the Texas State defense stepped it up in a big way, holding SHSU to three total points. The defense, displaying their M.O. of bending but not breaking, stepped up in the red zone once again and stuffed the Bearkats on a 4th and 3 at the Bobcat 8 late in the fourth quarter. It was also fitting that DeMarcus Griggs was the recipient of the two winning touchdown passes from Bradley George, both of them going for 13 yards and electrifying the relatively sparse Bobcat Stadium crowd. It was after that last touchdown that things started to get a little chippy. The Texas State defense stepped up their game, and the Bearkats may have lost their cool as a result.

Some Bobcat fans and KTSW staff members had been telling me that SHSU's Jason Madkins had been talking trash non-stop to Texas State players throughout the game (and for good reason as he finished with over 100 yards receiving on the day). However, the trash-talking turned into an all-out slugfest in the fourth quarter. After the Bobcats stuffed SHSU on the aforementioned 4th and 3 stop at the Texas State 8 yard line, some pushing and shoving occurred and then both teams started throwing punches and saw their benches clear. While it may not be known who the exact instigator was, the referees clearly thought that the majority of the blame fell on Sam Houston State's shoulders as QB Blake Joseph and DE Chris Brown were BOTH called for personal fouls. Instead of starting at the 10, Texas State would start at their own 40 as a result. Chris Brown was eventually ejected, possibly for an incident in which he threw his helmet while on the sideline. Brown was eventually seen being escorted off of the field by UPD officers. On Texas State's end, KTSW Sideline Reporter Luke McBroom overheard Bobcat head coach Brad Wright telling his redshirt players to get off the field or risk losing playing time next year. Both coaching staffs were thankfully able to keep the situation from escalating out of control, and as of this point no major injuries were reported to have been suffered during the brawl.

After the dust cleared, the now-raucous Bobcat Stadium crowd saw Texas State stall on their offensive drive, punt the ball away to SHSU and pin them back deep in their own territory due to a penalty called on the return against the Bearkats. SHSU's Blake Joseph, who had an admirable effort on the day with 24 completions out of 36 attempts for 240 yards and one touchdown, set up his offense with 85 yards and 1:34 left to try and score eight points. He was able to get off a nice 11-yard pass to Madkins, but saw disaster strike on the next play. Senior defensive lineman Garrett Hood, who has had some outstanding games as a Bobcat but had previously never recovered a fumble, finally got his hands on the pigskin after Travis Houston jarred the ball loose from Blake on a sack. It was a triumphant way for Hood and Houston to end their careers at Texas State and it was an emphatic exclamation point to cap off the Bobcats' first consecutive winning seasons since the 1980's.

Fourteen seniors took the field on Saturday, including some big names such as Bradley George, Travis Houston, Will Thompson, Garrett Hood, Alex Luna, Alvin Canady, Calvin Gore, and Joe Bell, among others. George, despite showing spurts of inaccuracy during periods of two interceptions and a couple of balls thrown up for grabs, had an outstanding day to close out his senior career with 322 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. DeMarcus Griggs had an outstanding day with 11 catches for an eye-popping 178 yards and two touchdowns. Griggs was one catch shy of tying Texas State's all-time reception record in a single game, and he passed Cameron Luke's single-season reception record with 80 total. Not bad for a sophomore.

Texas State finishes the season 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the SLC, while Sam Houston State drops to 5-6, 3-4 SLC. The Bobcats have won their last two against the Bearkats and have taken the last 5 out of 7 against their rivals. While missing out on another SLC Championship and another playoff berth may not be what Bobcat fans want, there are still plenty of bright spots to pick out from this season. The dominant win over SFA, garnering the first win over Central Arkansas, winning for the first time in Thibodaux since 1999, and the rivalry win over Sam Houston State were all high points for this year's team. Also, having winning seasons for consecutive years may not sound like much, but with this program it's a welcome change. There are also a number of players coming back next season that should excite Bobcat fans and coaches--DeMarcus Griggs, Darren Dillard, Mishak Rivas, Tim Hawkins, Joplo Bartu, Adley Eshragipour, DJ Hall, Brian Iwuji, Ron Jackson, Frank Reddic, and hopefully Karrington Bush are just a few names of players that may be standouts next year for Texas State.

The two most compelling stories this offseason will likely be Coach Wright's contract talks and who Texas State will play in non-conference next year. Texas State is locked in to play TCU again next year and has been rumored--for better or for worse--to be playing Southern Utah again, although that is not official. KTSW will have coverage of both stories whenever we find out more information, so stay tuned to the KTSW Sports Blog for more updates around Bobcat Football and all Texas State athletics.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Bobcats Sweep Southeastern in First Match of SLC Volleyball Tournament

The Bobcats defeated the Southeastern University Lady Lions on Friday in the first match of the 2009 SLC Tournament in San Antonio, Texas. Texas State swept all three sets with the scores of (25-16), (25-15), (25-20).

In the first set the Bobcats came out strong by going up early and never looking back. They were led by Sr. Jessica Weynand and Jr. Amber Calhoun both girls with three kills a piece. On defense, the Cats on the court all contributed on defense Ally Buitron led the Cats in digs with three. The Lion points came from the trio of Lauren Mayer, Courtney Donald, and Taylor Buckner with a total of ten kills between them.

In the second set the Lions came out strong early. Both teams traded points all the way up until the 12th point when the Bobcats caught fire and kept the lead until the end. Lauren Mayer again led the Lions in scoring with six kills. For the Bobcats Jessica Weynand had seven kills in the set.

In the third set, the Lions put up a fight again as they kept it close all the way until the end. However, their efforts came up just short as the Bobcats won 25-20 with Mo Middleton scoring the game winning point. Scoring for the Cats came from Jessica Weynand who had 11 kills and Melinda Cave who produce 7 kills. On the other side of net Courtney Donald and Lauren Mayer had 7 kills each.

The Bobcats will play either the Mavericks of UTA or the Cardinals of Lamar on Saturday at 1 P.M.

-TJ Ladusky, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Nicholls University Fires Football Head Coach Jay Thomas

The Southland Conference's football season is in its final week, and we already have a coaching change.

According to the official blog of Nicholls State University, head football coach Jay Thomas will not be returning to lead the Colonels next season. Thomas was 26-36 as head coach of the Colonels, and his squad suffered through a couple of sad-sack seasons in recent years. NSU was 3-8 overall this year and 2-5 in the Southland, with their only wins coming against a struggling 3-7 Duquesne team out of the Northeast Conference, a still-winless Northwestern State squad and a shocking 45-30 upset over Southeastern Louisiana's best team since 2004.

The Colonels were 3-6 last year, 3-4 in the SLC as a number of their out of conference games were disrupted by Hurricane Gustav's impact on the Louisiana coast. Their last winning season game in 2007, when NSU went 6-5 but still finished only 3-4 in the Southland Conference, and in 2006 they were 4-7 and 2-6 in the SLC. When you look at those facts, it is not exactly surprising that Thomas has been let go from the school in Thibodaux.

Texas State has won the last two games against the Colonels in the Battle for the Paddle with a 34-28 win in Thibodaux this year, and a 34-10 win in San Marcos last year.

According to NSU's official blog, the process of searching for the next head coach "will begin immediately."

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Men's Basketball Falls Again in the Desert

The Texas State Men's Basketball team went 0-2 in the Dick's Sporting Goods tournament in Tempe, Arizona this week. After falling to nationally recognized Arizona State on Monday, the Bobcats were looking forward to bounce back with a win against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday.

The Bobcats were up at recess 51-46 and they looked strong early despite them trailing most of the first half. Cal State, 2009 Big West Conference champions and NCAA tournament qualifier, did not look like they could keep up with the Bobcats' fast paced offense. Texas State jumped out early in the second half and clung to a 10 point lead. However, the Matadors came out of a timeout and was all business. After Northridge went on an immediate 6-0 run, the game was tick-for-tack the rest of the night.

Texas State continually shot themselves in the foot as they tallied up a ridiculous 30 turnovers compared to twenty-three Matador turnovers. For comparison's sake, Texas State turned over the ball 27 times against Arizona State last night. Coach Doug Davalos showed his disgust with his team's careless-ness during his post game interview. Davalos said his team was not strong with the ball and they cannot win games like that. This young squad showed their immaturity with all of the turnovers, but the season is young so they have time to clean it up. "We are not in a position to learn from losing games," Davalos said. "We need to win right now."

The 'Cats fought all the way to the end and did not let up one bit. They were down by two with 6.1 seconds left, and missed free throws kept them down for good. Cal State missed the back end of a 1-and-1 but the Bobcats could not come up with the rebound and one more free throw sealed the deal. John Ryback threw up a desperation shot at the buzzer but was off the mark as the scoreboard flashed a final score of 85-82 in favor of CSU-Northridge.

Texas State impressively out-rebounded Cal State 50-27, but the last one they could not come up with proved to be the deciding factor. What is typically considered a simple box out and defensive rebound, was overlooked and Cal State capitalized. The Matadors definitely escaped a loss, as being out-rebounded by twenty-three is a recipe for disaster.

The men's team will resume play on Saturday when they travel to the University of New Orleans. One rationale for the excessive giveaways is that players are playing out of their position. Junior point guard Ryan White is expected to return to the floor where he has been greatly missed in the team's first 3 games. Coach Davalos is confident that White's return will drastically improve this team and fans can rest assured that he is probably right. He will relieve point guard duties from shooting guard John Bowman, who is playing out of his position, which should improve the team's offensive efficiency and lower their turnovers. Texas State goes to 1-2 on the season with Tuesday's loss as they continue to develop in this young season.

-Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Women’s Basketball Team Suffers Crushing Defeat to the University of Louisiana-Monroe

It was a heart wrenching loss for the Bobcats tonight, as they fell short to the Lady Warhawks 48-54. Texas State had high expectations after their blow-out victory over Texas College last week, but the Lady Bobcats did not have the same fate tonight. Louisiana-Monroe pounced on the Bobcats early as they came playing extremely aggressive straight from the tip off. The 'Cats were also incredibly physical and it was rough game with lots of physical contact and perhaps a few minor injuries. The Warhawks played intensely from start to finish; they never let their aggression die down. As a result, the Bobcats trailed the Warhawks for the entire game, never taking the lead.

Although Texas State continued to battle the whole game, their efforts just were not enough to over power UL-Monroe offense. Early in the first quarter Monroe proved how aggressive and physical the team was. In fact, Elizabeth Torres had 3 fouls alone within the first few minutes of play. But even Coach Fox said in the post-game she pleased with her teams efforts to fight back, “They never quit clawing back the entire time, that is a good thing.”

The Warhawks immediately showed off their strongest assets of rebounding and boxing out against their opponent. ULM crashed the backboard every time the ball was shot coming up with a total of 47 rebounds, 17 of which were offensive. Even Coach Fox said during the post-game interview that it is hard to win a game when you are out-rebounded by that much.

Louisiana-Monroe also ran a very fast paced game because the squad is full of athletes, and most are capable of exerting great amounts of quickness. If given the opportunity, they would fast-break on the Bobcats keeping them off guard and giving them no time to set up their defense. But along with quick, fast-paced aggression came sloppiness. That sloppiness resulted in repeated traveling violations and unnecessary fouls, but unfortunately Texas State was not able to capitalize on their errors. The Bobcats were not only out-rebounded they were also out scored, most noticeably at the free-throw line. Texas State ended up losing by six points, and left nine points in missed free throw shots. Coach Fox and Kelsey Krupa both agreed that the team will most certainly be practicing their free throw shots before the next match.

The Bobcats will prepare to play Southwest Assemblies of God on Nov. 23rd at 7:00 pm, you can listen to live coverage on 89.9 FM KTSW, ktsw.net and txstatebobcats.com.

-Lauren Scalise, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Turnovers Costly for the Bobcats against Arizona State

Texas State traveled to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils at Wells Fargo Arena in the first round of the Dick's Sporting Goods Tip Off in a nationally-televised game on ESPNU. However, television or not, the Bobcats were handed their first loss of the season by the Sun Devils in a dominating fashion.

The first few minutes of the game were mostly a battle between the two teams for control of the ball. John Rybak was the first leader for the Bobcats, hitting much needed three-point shots with Jonathan Sloan chiming in with a nice lay-up for an early lead. However as the first half came to a close, and point guard Uriel Segura picked up his third foul, the Bobcats' luck turned. Texas State missed all six of their next shots and to make matters worse had four turnovers in five minutes, only helping the Sun Devils take a 39 to 26 lead to end the half.

The second half didn’t look much better for the Bobcats as the Sun Devils outscored the Bobcats 13-4 to start the third quarter. Junior J.B. Conley, would not give up as he nailed a three-point basket in hopes of sparking momentum for the Bobcats. Teammate Tony Bishop seemed to answer that call with five straight points on a pair of lay ups and a free throw to pull the Bobcats within 15, the score being 53 to 38 with 11:29 left of the game.

Unfortunately for Bobcat fans, it would be as close as Texas State would get to the Sun Devils in that half, as ASU seemed to keep the shots going and showed no mercy for the well traveled Bobcats. To add to the disappointment, Jonathan Sloan, who finished with nine points, left the game in the second half with an ankle injury.

Despite the efforts of Cameron Johnson’s 14 points to lead Texas State, the staggeringly high number of 27 turnovers for the Bobcats would ultimately be the major dagger that caused the first loss of the season.

The Bobcats will look to get back on track tonight as they take on Cal State Northridge with an 8:00 pm tip off.

-Karina Medellin, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Men's Hoops Shows Progress in Season Opener

After starting out with a sloppy defensive performance in the first half, the Texas State Bobcat Men's Basketball team clamped down in the second half to defeat Howard Payne 102-67.

This game marked the start of Head Basketball coach Doug Davalos' fourth year on the bench coaching for the 'Cats. Coach Davalos has been talking about this team being one of the best defensive teams that he's had, and the Bobcats looked like that team in second half of action.

The Howard Payne Yellow Jackets came into Strahan Coliseum ready to play starting the game with some quick three-pointers to give the Jackets an 8-0 lead. The Bobcats quickly regrouped on offense by matching the Jackets throughout the rest of the first half. It wasn't until the last two minutes of the first half when the Bobcats finally started to pull away from the upset hungry Jackets. A couple of turnovers were forced on defense which led to a three-point shot from starting freshman guard, Dylan Hale, and another long range jumper by the Senior leader, John Rybak, who finished with 12 points on the night. The Bobcats went into the locker room with momentum and an 8 point lead over the Jackets.

Head Coach Doug Davalos must have said something in the locker room at halftime to spark the Bobcats because it didn't take long for the 'Cats to pull away and put the game out of reach for the Jackets. The Bobcats only allowed 5 points in the first 8 minutes of the second half and the offense was clicking from just about everybody on the team. The Bobcats forced 20 turnovers throughout the game and scored 31 points off of those turnovers. The defense took charge and never let up for the rest of the game.

The Jackets had a couple of solid performances from their go-to guys Keith Perry, who finished with a game high 24 points, and Brandon Irwin, who went 3-4 from beyond the arch and finished with 16 points. That was just about all the scoring the Jackets got and it wasn't enough to stack up against the Bobcat offense.

The Bobcats showed just how much depth they have on offense. Five players finished the night in double figures including Cameron Johnson, John Rybak, Dylan Hale, Uriel Segura and John Bowman. Jonathan Sloan, Tony Bishop and J.B. Conley came off the bench to score 9 a piece.

The progress made in just one game can often be overlooked. Although it was the first game against a lesser team, the Bobcats showed they can count on just about anyone on the team to score and if their defense is stopping people then this team could make some real noise in the Southland Conference. Texas State will be on the road for the next several weeks and will take part in the Dick's Sporting Goods Invitational that will start this weekend. The Bobcats are set to face Arizona State in the first round of the tournament; a game that some have had circled on their calendar for a while now. You can get all the live stats and action on txstatebobcats.com as well as have a chance to watch the Bobcats on national television with ESPNU covering the tournament.

-James McNeal, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Brand the Steers With a "100"

The Texas State Woman's Basketball team team crushed Texas College in a 100-42 rout to open up the season Friday night. As you would imagine in the first game of the season, play was a bit rusty through first few possessions of the game. However, it quickly transformed into a fast-paced game where the Bobcats tied the school's single game 3-pt mark of 14.

The teams were tied at 4-4 through the first four minutes when Texas State went on a 28-6 fun and then a 14-4 run to close the half out with a 25 point lead. After halftime, Texas State went right back to work on the Lady Steers. The score was already 71-28 after the first ten minutes of the second half. With an insurmountable lead, Head Coach Suzanne Fox started to mix-and-match players. Bringing in each of the 9 underclassmen. In fact, every player on the 16-man roster played.

The lead hit 60 before Texas College scored in the waning seconds to make it a 100-42 final. The Bobcats were led by sophomore Kelsey Krupa who had 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Victoria Davis, last year's leading scorer, only registered 5 points on 2-of-3 shooting but her impact was felt with 6 rebounds, 5 steals and 5 assists. The Bobcats will look to continue their early success at home this Tuesday versus Louisiana-Monroe.

-Colby Howell, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Texas State Upsets #20 Central Arkansas With Last-Minute Heroics

Call them the Cardiac 'Cats.

After a series of games that likely raised the profits of cardiologists at the Central Texas Medical Center, the Texas State football team put forth their most exciting -- and hair-raising -- performance to date with a last-minute 27-24 road win over #20 Central Arkansas. There were a number of events that happened that may sound familiar to Bobcat fans after their win over then-#11 SFA last week: Texas State beat a ranked opponent, and saw their offense came up clutch in the 4th quarter despite being outgained on offense for the second straight week. However, those facts don't tell the whole story, as this contest was much, much closer and evenly matched than last week's tussle against the Lumberjacks.

The two teams traded blows throughout the entire game, and both seemed to be fairly evenly matched. In the case of Texas State's unstoppable force on offense vs. Central Arkansas' immovable object on defense, Texas State won out, but barely. Bobcat fans should be thanking their lucky stars--and Darius Bolden, who pulled in an outstanding game-winning touchdown catch with 27 seconds remaining--that the offense was able to pull out a last-minute victory on Saturday. Bradley George had an outstanding day as he as he completed 27 of his 39 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns, which is even more impressive when you consider that DeMarcus Griggs exited the game in the first quarter for unspecified reasons. However, the rushing game continues to be a concern in the absence of Karrington Bush, as the Bobcats were held to under 70 yards rushing for the second straight week.

Texas State's defense put forth another bend-but-don't-break effort against UCA...well, mostly. They did let Central Arkansas score a touchdown with 1:40 remaining, and they did give up over 400 yards of offense once again. Still, holding an offense that has been averaging 30 points a game to 6 under their usual average is a good thing, and this team has seemed to have found a way to turn things up a notch inside the red zone. Last week, SFA came up empty inside the Bobcat 20 in three out of four tries, and this time UCA was only able to convert three of their five red zone trips to touchdowns. It's an impressive amount of improvement for a team that was giving up 28 points to a stagnant Nicholls offense and 51 to Southeastern Louisiana a few weeks ago.

The one unfortunate thing about Saturday for Texas State was a lack of movement at the top of the Southland Conference standings. SFA escaped an apparently inspired Nicholls team 31-27 despite trailing at the start of the 4th quarter, while McNeese turned up the temperature on Bearkat head coach Todd Whitten's hot seat with a 63-42 pinball game of a victory over Sam Houston State. The most disappointing (and unsurprising) outcome for Bobcat fans came at the hands of Southeastern Louisiana, who possesses a tie-breaker on the Bobcats. The Lions went into Natchitoches and kept Northwestern State's winless woes alive with a 27-0 shutout, and Texas State badly needs them to lose to SFA this Saturday in order to have the fast track towards a second straight Southland Conference championship. After this week, SLU only has to play a reeling Nicholls team, and while it is a rivalry, the game will be played in Hammond. Advantage, Lions.

Texas State will have to win out as well to guarantee any chance of a conference title. The road to the championship only gets tougher this Saturday with #10 McNeese State coming into town. The 'Cats have won four out of the last five against the tradition-laden Cowboys, including a 45-42 win over MSU last season in Lake Charles when the home team was ranked #4 at the time. We may see quite the shootout between these two teams, as McNeese has a powerful rushing attack but has not impressed on defense throughout the season. If you can't make it to a possibly sold-out Bobcat Stadium, you can listen to KTSW's live coverage of the game on 89.9 FM, ktsw.net, and txstatebobcats.com. Kickoff is at 6 pm, and the KTSW Pregame Tailgate Show starts at 4:30 pm.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

Additional note: The game will be broadcasted live on SLC TV.

Rattlers Beat Seguin in Metaphorical, Literal Brawl

Going Out With a BANG!

A story of two halves was the name of the game as the San Marcos Rattlers erupted for 51 points in win against rival Seguin.

Senior night did not look to be too exciting in the first half on Friday night as the halftime score was 10-7, Seguin. Yet, whatever Coach Van Nest told his Rattler team at the break sure worked because they came out and outscored the Matadors 44-21 in the second half, putting up 34 points in the fourth quarter alone! The Seguin Matadors did not help their cause one bit as they commited a total of 16 penalties in the contest.

The four-headed monster, that is the San Marcos offense, will not be here next year as all of them are graduating. QB Ryan Schweers, RB Andre Ray, RB Mike Wilburn and RB “Scooter” Walker are all graduating this year and will leave a gaping hole in the Rattler’s offense that Coach Van Nest will have to fill.

On a lighter note...

Arguably the most important graduating senior is linebacker Blake Bagley. Bagley, who literally plays everything, will not be there to anchor the Rattler defense, special teams, or help out on offense. Bagley showed his importance Friday night as he did everything from running the ball and almost break two kick-off returns, to making what seemed every defensive tackle and catching an interception. He made one of, if not the, biggest plays of the game when he pulled in a one-handed interception in the fourth quarter with five minutes to go that basically sealed the deal. Everywhere you looked #44 seemed to be there. His defense did allow Matador receiver Jared Curnell to put up 152 receiving yards and quarterback Brig Gerlich to throw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, but they still got the win. Blake Bagley will be rightfully missed next season.

Two other candidates for MVP Friday night had to #21 Mike Wilburn and #46 Tyler “Scooter” Walker. Wilburn exploded for a huge 170 yds on the ground on only 17 attempts and a touchdown. Mike was pounding this Matador offense all night long and he ended his Rattler football career on a positive note. Scooter was just as productive putting up 77 yard on the ground on 14 attempts as well as 57 receiving yards with a total of three touchdowns. He caught a late 50-yard pass as Ryan Schweers caught the defense napping on a play-action pass late in the fourth. Neither of these two guys will look back on this game regretting anything as they left it all on the field.

One thing that both coaches wished they could have avoided was the brawl that broke out between both teams clearing both sidelines. The Matadors probably did not like the fact that the Rattlers were scoring even though the game was probably out of reach, but that is not how you conduct yourselves as young men. The Seguin head coach could not have been pleased with his team’s conduct last night.

The San Marcos Rattlers end their disappointing season 3-6 (2-5 in district play) as they never reached their full potential coming off of that big upset win against #15 ranked Kerrville Tivy, but you know what they say…. There’s always next year.

-Robert Fisher, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Bobcats Clamp Down on Cardinals in Five-Set Thriller

So, say that Texas State hypothetically takes the first two sets against Lamar in a rocking Strahan Coliseum. The Bobcats are dominating the front of the net, are in attack mode, and are completely in sync with their fellow teammates. Lamar looks timid as dig attempt after dig attempt goes flying into the crowd as they can't handle a volley of scorching Bobcat spikes. The Lamar players are in complete disarray and are experiencing so much miscommunication that a simple tap over the net by Texas State lands between four dumbfounded Cardinal players.

Easy money picks Texas State to win the third set, right?

Not so fast.

After a slate of intense matches where the Bobcats went into five sets at McNeese State and had their second set against UT-Arlington turn into a 41-39 slobberknocker, Texas State saw their two-set lead disappear in a hurry. Questionable officiating, mental errors and visible frustration on the part of the Bobcats led to Lamar grabbing momentum and taking advantage, as they won the next two sets by capitalizing on Texas State's mistakes. In those third and fourth sets, Lamar looked the part of a dominant team capable of beating any team in the Southland Conference at any time, and any timidity they displayed in the first two sets disappeared. As a result, a feeling of unease started to permeate Strahan Coliseum and some fans may have started to reminisce on the bad memories produced during a 5-set Central Arkansas loss.

However, in the fifth set, the Bobcats got their groove back as they won 15-9. Mo Middleton, who finished with 15 kills on the match, took over the game with help from Jessica Weynand. The Bobcats also put forth some eye-popping numbers in that set; Texas State shot a .529 attack percentage and put their folly-filled third and fourth sets behind them as they committed zero errors. Lamar once again looked timid on defense as the 'Cats brought the heat and the Cardinal defenders saw their occasionally poor digging techniques work against them once again. While the Bobcats looked far from perfect throughout the match, especially in the second through fourth sets, it's safe to say that Texas State looked the part of a championship team in the final go-around.

Texas State will close out their home slate against Sam Houston State on Saturday in Strahan Coliseum. The Bobcats will be looking to avenge a 3-1 loss to the Bearkats that came earlier this year in Huntsville. It will also be a great chance for the 'Cats to tie SHSU in the Southland standings and put themselves in great position to secure a 1 seed in the SLC tournament with a victory. Sam Houston State still has to face undefeated Central Arkansas next week, while Texas State's toughest match should come against 5-8 UTSA.

You can listen to the SHSU match on txstatebobcats.com. Pregame starts at 3:45 pm, and tip-off is at 4 pm.

-Will Butler, KTSW Sports Director/Blog Editor

State Spooks SFA in Halloween Homecoming Thriller

The Texas State Bobcats put on a scary showing on Saturday afternoon, holding the number one ranked offense of Stephen F. Austin to only seven points. The game was the best game the team had played all year and looks as if the team is off to a good ending to the year. The Bobcats won the game with a final score of 28-7. They move to 3-1 in Southland Conference play. Bradley George threw for 324 yards and four touchdowns, with two of those touchdown passes coming to Mishak Rivas.

George broke his own school record with 31 completions as he completed 31 of his 42 passes for 324 yards and a season-best four touchdowns to lead the Bobcats. Texas State took an early 7-0 lead with 8:43 left to play in the first quarter when George hit Mishak Rivas in the back of the end zone from nine yards away. It was the first touchdown reception of the season for Rivas and it capped a nine-play, 67-yard drive. Ryan Batchelor added the extra point.

The Lumberjacks had a few chances to make the score closer but two missed field goals in the first half really hurt SFA. In the second quarter a huge goal line stop fueled by Travis Houston gave the Bobcats the ball back and kept the Lumberjacks off the board. The Lumberjacks entered the game having converted 28-of-its 30 red-zone scoring opportunities this season.

The first half ended with a score of 7-0 Texas State.

Stephen F. Austin tied the score at 7-7 with 7:58 left to play in the third quarter when Jeremy Moses hit Duane Brooks in the right corner of the end zone from 11 yards away to cap an eight-play, 65-yard drive.

From then on out it was all Bobcats. George hit Alvaro Garcia to make it 14-7 after a pass to Mishak Rivas got Texas State down inside the 10-yard line of SFA.

In the fourth quarter, probably the play of the game, as Bradley George scrambled outside the pocket on a 3rd and 31 he hit Mishak Rivas in the back of the endzone to make the score 21-7.

The Bobcats closed out the scoring with 1:08 left when George hit Da’Marcus Griggs for a 17-yard pass to make the final score 28-7.

The game all together was an impressive showing from Texas State, especially the defense. The Homecoming Halloween game turned out to be quite a Treat for the home crowd.

The victory improves Texas State’s record to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in Southland Conference play. Stephen F. Austin falls to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the SLC standings. But the biggest thing about the win was that it places Texas State atop the leaderboard in the SLC. Very impressive showing from the students, alumnus, fans, and team on a beautiful Halloween, Homecoming day.

-Will McGinnis, KTSW Sports Staff Writer

Early Charge by Boerne Sends Rattlers Packing

With playoff hopes out the window for both teams in District 27-4A, the Boerne Champion Chargers showed they were the superior team by defeating the Rattlers 49-24 on a cool night in the Texas Hill Country.

The pace of the game was set on the Chargers first drive when it only took starting quarterback Taylor Davis and his offense seven plays to get in the end zone. Davis was a perfect 3-3 on the drive capping it off with a 25-yard touchdown reception to his go-to target James Hurd.

The Ratters answered back on offense going the distance of the field but failed to put the ball in the end zone ending the drive on a 27-yard field goal. On the Chargers second drive the Rattler defense showed no sign of stopping Davis as he scampered into the end zone showing the duel threat that he posed on the defense.

The score read 14-3 with 3:55 remaining in the first quarter and already Rattler fans could see the Chargers came to the stadium intending on putting a number up on the scoreboard. It was apparent with the quick start from the Charger offense and with the Rattler secondary miscues that the Rattler offense was going to have to keep up by putting up a lot of points.

Although the Rattler offense had success moving the ball in the second quarter, the Rattlers failed to get anything to show for it going 0-2 when inside the red zone. As the Rattlers couldn’t punch in for any scores in the second quarter, the Davis continued to pick apart the Rattler secondary by throwing two more touchdowns; one a 51-yarder to James Hurd and the other a 40 yarder to Blake Allemand. The score looked bad with a dominant 28-3 Charger lead when the Rattlers were able to punch in on their second to last drive of the half with a 4-yard touchdown run by Scooter Walker on fourth down.

SMHS went into the locker room with momentum knowing they’d get the ball to start the second half, but also knew they’d have to come out firing with them being down 28-10.

The Rattlers sputtered on their first drive of the second half but stopped the Chargers on their first drive setting up for the Rattlers biggest play of the night. Mike Wilburn reeled off a 51-yard touchdown run with 6:09 left in the 3rd quarter giving the Rattlers some life in the game now down only by 11 points.

That life would be short lived though, with Davis and his offense putting up 14 unanswered points to put the game out of reach for the Rattlers. San Marcos Head Coach, Steve Van Nest, didn’t give up on his team while the second string (future of the Rattlers) was able to put in a score with Emanuel Saldana leaping over the goal line.

-James McNeal, KTSW Sports Staff Writer