Box Score
San Marcos, Texas –Ryan White proved that it was definitely Senior Day at Texas State as the guard scored a career-high 25 points to lead Texas State to an 82-80 nail-biter against UTSA this afternoon at Strahan Coliseum in the Toyota Southland Conference Game of the Week. In the I-35 Rivalry match up, it was the Bobcats who came away victorious to earn their eighth consecutive home conference victory this season and ninth if you include last season to move to 15-13, 10-4 in conference play.
In a game that literally went down to the final seconds, it was the Texas State Bobcats who showed the most fight today as they beat UTSA, leaving it all on the court. UTSA took a 68-67 lead with 5:27 to go in the game after a pair of made free throws by Larry Wilkins. The Roadrunners held on to the lead and were able to stretch it to a two possession game, before Cameron Johnson hit two from the charity stripe with 1:57 left in the game to give Texas State its first lead in over three and a half minutes.
UTSA's Wilkins hit a free throw to give UTSA a one-point lead, but the Bobcats grabbed it back after a made bucket by Johnson (78-77). With 38 seconds left Devin Gibson drove through the lane for the Roadrunners to make it 79-78 in favor of UTSA. Gibson then fouled White for his fifth foul of the game, which was not a good thing for UTSA, because White connected on both attempts as the Bobcats went up by one with under thirty seconds to go.
Melvin Johnson III shot an airball three-point attempt that went out of bounds with six seconds left to go, but to the astonishment of the building, Texas State's Tony Bishop received a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. The foul was his fifth of the game, which was even more disturbing because it gave UTSA two free throws.
Johnson III missed his first attempt, but made the second to tie the game at 80-all. It was White who the Bobcats went to in the final seconds. He drove down the lane and was fouled with: 00.3 left on the clock. White made both free throws as the Bobcat crowd went crazy. The Roadrunners attempted a last second shot, but it was nowhere near the basket and they didn't get it off on time as Texas State beat UTSA, 82-80.
The Roadrunners scored the first two points of the game, but it was the Bobcats who went on a scoring spree to take a 13-6 lead after a three-pointer by White five minutes into the match up. The Roadrunners however made their way back into the game and went up by 10 when Jordan Sims hit a trey with 7:43 to go in the half. After a made jumper by Travis Jones in the lane with 5:58 to go, both teams went on a scoring drought for nearly two minutes before a pair of made free throws by White cut UTSA's lead to 34-28. Things got chippy near the end of the half as both teams received a pair of technical fouls each. Johnson nailed two free throws with a minute left to score the last points of the half as UTSA took a 38-33 lead into the locker rooms.
Along with White's 25 points, Tony Bishop tallied his ninth double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Cameron Johnson and Travis Jones each netted 12 points apiece.
Melvin Johnson III led UTSA with 21 points. Devin Gibson had 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Jeromie Hill added 16 points and eight rebounds and Larry Wilkins had 14 points and seven.
Texas State will travel to Lamar on March 2 at 7 p.m. and to Sam Houston State on March 5 at 7 p.m. The Bobcats remain tied in the overall conference standings as McNeese State also picked up a win today.
