LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Texas State men's basketball team used a balanced scoring attack and a 48-27 rebounding advantage to defeat McNeese State 70-67 in Burton Coliseum on Saturday.
 
The Bobcats had four players score in double figures as Kavin Gilder-Tilbury netted a season-high 17 points to lead the team. Emani Gant recorded a double-double with 13 points and a career-best 15 rebounds, while Ojai Black added 14 points and Ethan Montalvo tallied 11.
 
The win gave the Bobcats their first victory in Burton Coliseum since Jan. 4, 1993, having dropped the previous 14 games on McNeese State's home court.  Saturday's win also gave Texas State its second straight win over the Cowboys after Texas State won 82-72 in San Marcos on Jan. 14, 2012.
 
The victory also gave Texas State head coach Danny Kaspar his 489th career victory and his 15th win against the Cowboys improving his record to 15-8 against McNeese State.
 
Gilder-Tilbury scored the first two points in the game before McNeese State opened up an 8-2 lead. However, the Bobcats answered with a 16-4 run and went on to take a 30-24 lead into halftime.
 
McNeese State opened the second half with a hot hand as the Cowboys used a 7-1 lead to tie the score at 31-31 with 17:38 left to play.
 
The two teams battled back and forth during the next six minutes. The game was tied three different times during that stretch.
 
Black gave the Bobcats the lead for good when he hit a floating jumper in the lane with 12:02 left to play.
 
Then, Gilder-Tilbury hit Kendell Ramlal for a lay-up before scoring a lay-up himself off a rebound. Then, he nailed a pair of free throws and made another lay-up.
 
After another lay-up by Ojai Black, Texas State suddenly held a 12-point lead with 7:23 left to play.
 
Texas State held a 67-55 lead with 56 seconds left when Kaspar began emptying the bench. The Bobcats led 69-61 with 33 seconds left when Jamaya Burr ended the game hitting three treys, including one at the buzzer for the Cowboy.
 
The win improves Texas State's record to 2-1 this season and the Bobcats return home to host UTSA in the Maroon-Orange Rivalry game on Wednesday, Dec. 2, in Strahan Coliseum.