SAN MARCOS, Texas – Taeler Deer scored a game-high 22 points and Ericka May pulled down a career-high 16 points in leading Texas State to a 62-40 win over Louisiana Saturday afternoon in Sun Belt women's basketball action.
 
Deer, who registered her second 20-plus point performance of the season, finished the game 9 of 19 form the floor, while also dishing out a game-high six assists. Toshua Leavitt also finished in double-figures with 11 points, going 4 of 8 overall and 3 of 7 from three. Texas State (9-9, 4-3 Sun Belt) shot 38.1 percent (24 of 63) for the game, scored 30 points in the paint and forced 12 Ragin' Cajun turnovers.
 
Louisiana (10-6, 4-3 Sun Belt) was led by Simone Fields' 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. Jaylyn Gordon, who entered the game averaging 19.1 points per outing, scored 12 points on 24 field goal attempts, including 2 of 11 from three. The Ragin' Cajuns Shot 26.2 percent (16 of 61) for the game after making five of its first 10 shot attempts.
 
Louisiana built a 13-5 advantage through the first quarter as the Bobcats struggled to knock down shots. Deer opened the game's scoring, but the Bobcats would not make another field goal throughout the remainder of the quarter as the Ragin' Cajuns connected on six shots, including a 3-pointer.
 
Nekia Jones scored in the opening minute of the second quarter, extending the Louisiana lead to double-digits. However, the Bobcats responded with the game's next 14 points to take a 19-15 lead. Deer scored eight of the Bobcats' points during the run, including a fast-break layup and a fade-away jumper. Ti'Aira Pitts and Kaitlin Walla each added 3-pointers during the scoring streak. Louisiana would receive only two points at the free-throw line through the rest of the quarter, leaving the Bobcats ahead 19-17 at the intermission.
 
Texas State pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Ragin' Cajuns 26-12 in the period to establish a 45-29 lead. Six different Bobcats scored in the stanza as Amber Jones lead the way with eight points on two and-ones and a shot off the glass. TXST shot 57.9 percent in the period (11 of 19), while limiting Louisiana to 31.3 percent (5 of 16).
 
Leavitt and Deer each hit 3-pointers to score the Bobcats' first two buckets of the fourth quarter and push the lead to 51-32. Louisiana outscored TXST 8-6 over the next five minutes, but the Bobcats scored the game's final five points to secure their largest margin of victory over a conference opponent this season.


  • Texas State returns to the road for three straight games away from Strahan Coliseum. The Bobcats start the road swing at Appalachian State next Thursday (Jan. 26), then play at Coastal Carolina (Jan. 28) before wrapping up with a trip to UTA on Feb. 4.
  • 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.