SAN MARCOS, Texas – Up by one with 15.1 seconds to play, the Texas State men's basketball team forced a tough last second three-point shot by Appalachian State that clanked off the right side of the rim to give the Bobcats a 69-68 victory Thursday night in Strahan Coliseum. Emani Gant had his best game in nearly a month with a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season.
 
The victory improves Texas State to 10-12 overall, 4-9 in the Sun Belt Conference and snaps a five-game winless streak. The Mountaineers are now 6-18 on the season and 4-9 in conference action.
 


After falling behind 8-4, the Bobcats went on a 13-3 run with Gant scoring the final five points. Texas State would eventually stretch its lead to 12, 35-23, after K.J. Malveau made two free throws with 2:30 left until halftime
 
Seven straight was then scored by APP to narrow the Bobcats lead to five. Gant recorded the final points of the period with just over 16 seconds remaining by sinking two free throws to give the Bobcats a 37-30 advantage at the break.
 
Texas State were in front until the Mountaineers' Matt O'Boyle made his lone trey of the game with 8:06 to play to give them a 57-55 lead. Ethan Montalvo answered back 58 seconds later with a triple of own.
 
Frank Eaves, the SBC's leading scorer, again gave APP the lead when he drove down the lane for a layup. Bobby Conley tried to answer back the ensuing possession with a reverse layup attempt but did not get the bounce. However, Gant was there for the tip in putback.
 
After Chris Burgess made a trey to put the Mountaineers up by two, Gant retrieved two offensive rebounds the next trip down the court. The second came when an APP player desperately tried to save the ball from going out of bounds but threw it right to Gant. He then emphatically slammed the ball home to knot the score 62-62 with just over four minutes left in the contest.
 
Gant nailed a 13-foot jumper with a hand in his face to increase the lead to 64-62 at the 1:37 mark.
 
On the Mountaineer's next possession, Eaves was fouled driving the lane and Texas State head coach Danny Kaspar was whistled for a technical foul out of the blue. Eaves made all four free throws to give APP a two-point lead with 70 seconds to go.
 
Kavin Gilder-Tilbury set a screen beyond the arc for Montalvo that saw the Mountaineer defenders switch their assignments. The slight gap from the switch and screen gave Montalvo enough room to get off a deep three-pointer that connected, giving the Bobcats a 67-66 advantage.
 
On another drive down the lane, Ojai Black poke the ball away from Eaves. Eventually the loose ball was picked up by Gant near midcourt was fouled.
 
Gant was fouled again a couple of seconds later, sending him to the line for a 1-and-1. Gant calmly made both charity stripe shots to increase Texas State's lead to 69-66.
 
Appalachian State cut its deficit to one on a Jacob Lawson layup, leaving 15.1 seconds on the clock. Texas State attempted to throw the ball to the other side of the baseline on the out of bounds play but Gilder-Tilbury caught the ball while just barely still in play, resulting in a turnover.
 
The Mountaineers tried to get Eaves a chance to drive the lane but the Bobcats denied. The visitors had to settle for a three-pointer from Ronshad Shabazz at the buzzer that clanked off the right side of the iron to give the Cats the victory.
 


Along with Gant, Montalvo surpassed double figures in points with 16. He made six field goals, four of them triples. Defensively, Montalvo was credited with three steals to double his total in conference action.
 
Gilder-Tilbury netted nine points to see his consecutive double-digit point streak come to an end at 13 games. Anthony Roberson added seven points on 3-of-3 shooting and a free throw off the bench. Blocking a team-high two shots was Kendell Ramlal.
 
For APP, four players reached double digits led by 13 from Eaves. Burgess tallied 12, Shabazz netted 11 and Lawson scored 10. Tyrell Johnson grabbed a team best eight rebounds and Lawson rejected four shots.
 
The Bobcats are off this weekend, returning to action next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against UL Monroe in Strahan Coliseum.