Feb. 8, 2007

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SAN MARCOS - Texas State scraped and scrapped to get back into Thursday's Southland Conference interdivisional game. But despite coming all the way back from a 20-point, second-half deficit, the Bobcats dropped a 67-65 decision to McNeese State Thursday in Strahan Coliseum.

Texas State would slice into the lead the remainder of the period, at one point going on a 10-3 run that pulled the Bobcats to within seven points, 57-50 with 5:32 to play. The `Cats made it a one-possession game with 2:50 left when Brandon Thomas found a hole in the McNeese defense and went inside for a dunk to make the score 61-58.

Two free throws by John Ford would stretch the Cowboys' lead to five points but Dylan Moseley answered for the Bobcats with a pair at the line.

Texas State would finally erase McNeese State's lead which dated all the way back to the Cowboys' first possession when Brent Holder drained a three-pointer with 1:04 to play, tying the game at 63-63. But McNeese State would regain its advantage on a John Pichon jumper. Then the `Cats would turn the ball over on their next possession. After a Texas State timeout, the Cowboys quickly broke the Bobcats' press culminating with Aldryan Wardell's slam dunk that put MSU up 67-63 with 13 seconds to play.

After Wardell's dunk, the `Cats raced back up the floor and got the ball in the hands of Moseley who launched a desperation three from 22 feet out. He was fouled by Ford and went to the line for three shots. He made his first two, marking the team's 10th straight free throw in the final five minutes, but then intentionally bounced the second shot of the glass and front iron. Thomas was able to come down with the rebound. But Thomas had the ball stripped away and into the hands of Ford who held on for the final buzzer.

Texas State was just 5-of-23 from the field in the first half and quickly fell behind 11-2. The Bobcats did not get their first field goal until Thomas scored on a tip-in of a missed three-pointer by Matt Fullenwider. McNeese State led by as many as 17 in the first half and enjoyed a 36-24 lead at the break.

With the win, McNeese State improved to 9-14 and 4-6 in the Southland Conference. Texas State lost its fourth straight in dropping its record to 8-15 and 3-7. Both teams play their final interdivisional game of the regular season Saturday. Texas State travels to Lamar while the Cowboys play host to Texas-Arlington.

Jarvis Bradley scored 15 points and had eight rebounds to lead McNeese State while Ford scored 13 points and had four steals. Holder led Texas State with 14 points, hitting three of his four three-point shots on the night after the Bobcats had fell behind 49-29 with just under 14 minutes to play.