TULSA, Okla. – Four Texas State men's basketball players scored in double-figures Saturday night against Tulsa in the Donald W. Reynolds Center. However, the Golden Hurricane used a second half run to come out on top 74-59. Bobby Conley and Ojai Black both tied their career-highs with 19 and 14 points, respectively.
 
"It was a tale of two different halves. We played a very disappointing second half, had people get into foul trouble and did not play the defense we are capable of playing," said head coach Danny Kaspar. "We have to play 40 minutes of tough basketball if we are going to make our mark in the Sun Belt Conference."
 
The Bobcats drop to 5-5 on the year while Tulsa is now 5-4.
 
With the score knotted 4-4, Texas State went on an 8-0 run to take the lead for a majority of the first half. Capping off the run was Black with a left-handed layup over the outstretched hands of Tulsa's 6-foot, 10-inch center.
 
After the Golden Hurricane's Lawson Korita tied the game for the fifth time on a three-pointer, Nijal Pearson hit a short jumper in the paint to put the Bobcats back up 29-27. A trey from Jaleel Wheeler on the very next possession gave Tulsa its first lead of the game since the opening bucket.
 
Pearson scored the final four points of the half for Texas State including the last points by either team with 58 seconds left in the period to tie the score 35-35.
 
Conley got a layup to fall with 18:07 left in the game to put Texas State up 39-37. Tulsa followed by going on a 14-2 run over the next 5:31. The lone points for the Bobcats came on a layup courtesy of Kavin Gilder-Tilbury.
 
Texas State was able to close the gap to 60-52 following back-to-back layups from Black and Pearson. That would be as close as the Bobcats would get the rest of the game as shots that fell in the first 20 minutes would not go down in the second half.
 
Black finished the game 4-for-11 from the field and made all six of his free throw attempts. He set a new career-high with five steals and handed out a team best three assists.
 
Conley made 7-of-11 shots and was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. The senior also grabbed three rebounds, dished out two assists and had two steals.
 
Also reaching double-digits in points was Gilder-Tilbury with 10 points and Pearson with 12.
 
Immanuel King and Pearson both retrieved a team-high four boards. King also had two blocks to pace all players.
 
Next up for Texas State is the final non-conference home game of the season on Tuesday against Howard Payne at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Spectrum Sports.
 
For the latest on Texas State men's basketball, visit the official website of Texas State athletics at www.txstatebobcats.com, follow the team on Twitter at @TxStateMBB, Instagram at @TxStateMBB and like on Facebook at /TexasStateMensBasketball.