Dec. 5, 2009

Final Stats

Complete Game Stats in PDF Format

San Marcos, Texas- - Junior forward Cameron Johnson scored a season-high 24 points and led four players in double figures as the Texas State men's basketball held off a late rally by Texas Pan American and win their second straight game with an 80-70 victory Saturday in Strahan Coliseum.

In addition to Johnson's 24 points and season-best 10 rebounds, J.B. Conley added 11 points and John Bowman and Uriel Segura added 10 points each for the Bobcats.

Jared Maree scored 20 points, while ChaRunn Jones and Benn Smith added 12 points each for Texas-Pan American.

The Bobcats went inside to Johnson from the outset as he scored 15 of his game-high total in the first eight minutes of the game to help Texas State jump out to a 22-11 lead with 11:44 left in the opening period.

"They played him one-on-one defense on the post and didn't have any shot blockers," Texas State head coach Doug Davalos said. "He wasn't doing anything special. He just caught it, turned and made a play."

Texas State pounded the ball inside as Johnson and Tony Bishop throughout the first half as they combined for 23 points in the opening period as the Bobcats held a 42-23 lead at the intermission. Johnson led the way with 15 points, and Bishop made all four of his field goal attempts at the post position. In addition, J. B. Conley scored the final five points for Texas State in the first half on a three-point shot from the top of the key and a lay-up off an offensive rebound. Conley finished the opening period with seven points.

The Bobcats extended their lead to 19 points as they led 42-23 at halftime as J.B. Conley came off the bench to score five points on a three-point shot and a lay-up in the final three minutes.

Texas State extended lead to 63-40 with 10:32 left to play before UT Pan American came storming back with a 27-9 run to pull to within five points with 1:19 left to play.

Jones and Maree each scored nine points to lead the comeback attempt, :"We relaxed on defense and when you do that, it affects everything that you try to do," Davalos said.

In addition to relaxing on defense, the Bobcats had 11 turnovers and made just three of their seven shots from the field before Segura and Ryan White each made a pair of free throws to hold off the Broncs and extend Texas State's lead to 76-67.

After Ben Smith made a three-point field goal for UTPA, Texas State closed out the game with four free throws to give the Bobcats the victory.

Texas State improves to 5-3 this season with the win and will travel to SMU on Monday, Dec. 7 for game that tips off at 7:00 p.m. at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. UTPA falls to 1-8 with the loss.