Final Game Notes
The Texas State men's basketball team made believers out of everyone at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. Despite starting the season, 4-14, the Bobcats knew that they hadn't reached their full potential. It took a little while longer than most would like, but by the time the ESPN BracketBusters game rolled around, Texas State had finally caught its rhythm.
The Bobcats defeated Lamar 74-61 on the road, and then returned home to beat Seattle 67-65. Texas State stumbled against Idaho at home, and Utah State on the road, but it was in San Jose where things seemed to finally be clicking.
Texas State took the floor at San Jose State, and after tip-off it never looked back. The Bobcats shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the first half, and finished the game shooting 64.7 percent from the floor to cruise to a 23-point victory.
From San Jose to Las Vegas the Bobcats traveled, and with them they brought their sharp shooting. In its first round game of the WAC Tournament versus No. 10 Seattle, the Bobcats shot 50 percent from the floor in route to a 12-point victory. Texas State then went on to upset No. 2 Denver in the quarterfinals, for the second-biggest upset of the tournament. The Bobcats shot 65.7 percent from the floor – a season high – and defeated the Pioneers by four points to advance to the semifinals.
Texas State was one game short of advancing to the championship game, but it fell to No. 3 New Mexico State 74-65 to end its tournament run. The Bobcats won three out of their last four games, including winning a pair of postseason games for just the second time in four years.
Topping the record charts this past season was newcomer Joel Wright. He finished with 607 points – the fifth-most in a single season by any Bobcat player. Wright also became the fifth player in school history to eclipse the 600 point mark in a single season. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native made 202 free throws to rank third on the single season chart. He attempted 262 free throws – the third-most in a single season. Wright garnered a pair of WAC Player of the Week honors, as well as receiving All-WAC Second Team honors, and All-Newcomer Team accolades.
For his solid play at the WAC Tournament, Wright was one of five players named to the All-Tournament Team. Wright finished the tournament with 75 points and 27 rebounds over the course of three games. He had a tournament-high 32 points in the first round win over Seattle - for his third 30-point game of the season, in addition to shooting 61.1 percent from the field. Wright registered a new tournament made free throws record of 31.
Another bright spot for the Bobcats' offense this past season was Deonte' Jones. The Missouri native posted the seventh-best three-point percentage in a single season by a Bobcat with 45.3 percent (39-86). He also led the Bobcats in field goal percentage with 47.2 percent (58-123).
The quartet of Wright, Matt Staff, Vonn Jones, and Phil Hawkins appeared in all 34 games for Texas State this season to tie for eighth all-time on the single season games played chart.
Off the court, the Bobcats continued to partake in the Reading with the Cats program. For two weeks during the preseason, student-athletes and coaches take time out of their busy schedules to read to local elementary schools.
Texas State said goodbye to two seniors: V. Jones and Staff. Jones finished his two-year stint with 64 career games played. He finished ninth on the single season leaders chart tying his own previous mark of 52 steals from a year ago. Jones finished with a total of 104 career steals for the seventh-most in school history. Staff finished his three-year career at Texas State with 498 rebounds for No. 19 on the Bobcat charts. He also tied for second with 104 career blocked shots, and finished his career with the second highest blocked shots average at 1.2 per game.
