TROY, Ala. – Texas State trimmed Troy's once 14-point lead to a single digit with 6:04 to go in the game, but the Trojans answered with a 16-4 run to regain control and go on to a 65-54 win over the Bobcats Thursday in Sun Belt Conference women's basketball action.
 
Troy, which entered the game averaging nearly 88 points per game, was paced by Caitlyn Ramirez's 21-point, 16-rebound double-double. Amahni Upshaw also reached double-figures for the Trojans (11-4, 4-0 Sun Belt) with 11 points. Troy shot 27.7 percent (18 of 65) from the field, but took advantage 53 rebounds – including 25 on the offensive end that produced 23 second-chance points.
 
Taeler Deer led the Bobcats (6-9, 1-3 Sun Belt) offensive efforts with 17 points on 8 of 12 shooting. Amber Jones was Texas State's second-leading scorer with eight. TXST, which closed the contest shooting 36.1 percent (26 of 61), outscored the Trojans 32-18 in the paint, but only mustered 16 points off 22 Troy turnovers.
 
Neither team could find its offensive rhythm in the opening quarter as the teams combined to shoot 6 of 30 from the field. Troy's Lauren Day scored the first points of the game at the 7:45 mark and Troy built a 7-0 lead on two free throws and a 3-pointer by Ramirez. Moments later Harriett Winchester made it 10-0 with a 3-pointer of her own. Toshua Leavitt finally got the Bobcats on the board at the 2:53 mark with her team-leading 25th 3-pointer of the season. The Trojans stretched the lead to 14-3 before Deer capped the quarter's scoring on a layup with 14 seconds to go in the stanza.
 
Texas State trimmed the Trojan lead to 17-9 on inside scores by Deer and Whitney Apari in the early stages of the second quarter. However, the Bobcat momentum would not last as Troy responded with a layup by Ta'Kierra Gibbs and a 3-point play by Upshaw for a 22-9 lead. Neither team scored during the two-plus minutes until Amber Jones and Kaitlin Walla scored two each at the free-throw line to trim the Troy lead to 22-13.
 
But again, Troy responded with a 5-0 run with Day hitting a jumper and Ramirez another triple to restore a 13-point lead at 27-14 with 3:27 to play in the opening half. The Bobcats would not allow the Trojans to score the remainder of the half and pieced together an 8-0 run to trim Troy's halftime lead to 27-21. The Bobcat run was started by Leavitt with two at the FT line and continued by two layups from Jones. Erin Peoples capped the outburst with a steal and fast break layup for her first points of the evening.
 
Texas State held the nation's sixth-ranked scoring offense to a 29.0 shooting percent from the floor and outscored the Trojans 12-8 in the paint during the first half.
 
After a Gibbs free throw to open the second half's scoring Deer knocked down an open 3-pointer from the right wing and immediately followed with a steal and fast break score, bringing the Bobcats within a single possession at 28-26. The teams traded the next four points, but Troy's Banks created separation on the scoreboard with back-to-back 3-pointer and a free throw to push the Trojans up 39-30. Each score was answered over the final four minutes of the third, sending the game to the fourth quarter with Troy ahead 47-38.
 
Troy scored first in the fourth quarter, but the Bobcats answered with a 9-0 run to cut their once double-digit deficit to 49-48 with 6:04 to play. Walla sparked the run with a free-throw line jumper and Jones scored on a run out after a Leavitt steal. Kiani Lurry then sank a jumper and May capped the run making the first of two at the line.
 
Moments later Ramirez scored inside and Amanda Mendoza made a 3-pointer to put the Trojans back up by six. Texas State's only score over the next two minutes would come on a Deer layup as Troy put the game away at the free-throw line.
  • Texas State continues its Alabama road trip at South Alabama on Saturday at 1 p.m. Texas State leads the all-time series 6-1 and has never lost to the Jaguars in Mobile.
  • The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy.  New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12 and ticket books can now be purchased from the Texas State ticket office.  For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference's championship central websites - Men's Championship – Women's Championship – and be sure to follow the @FunBelt on social media - @SunBelt.