Men's Basketball | 2/24/2017 9:17:00 PM

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State men's basketball team returns home to Strahan Coliseum to face Troy in a key Sun Belt Conference matchup Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
 
Entering the game, the Bobcats are 15-11 on the season while the Trojans are 16-11. Both teams are tied for sixth in the conference standings at 8-6.
 
Live stats, audio and video will be available for the game with Bill Culhane calling the game on either 1300 The Zone (1300 AM) or 103.1 FM out of Austin and on KTSW 89.9 FM out of San Marcos.
 
Last Time Out
Two runs by Georgia State allowed the Panthers to pull away from Texas State in the second half on Monday. It was the Bobcats' second straight loss; the first time the team has dropped two straight since November.
 
Nijal Pearson paced the squad with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and converted both of his free throw attempts. The freshman also grabbed five rebounds and was credited with a steal.
 
Recording his 15 consecutive game of 10 points or more was Kavin Gilder-Tilbury. The Houston native knocked netted 12 points, 10 of which came in the second half. He also moved into a tie for third in school history in games played (118) and started (89).
 
Also posting a double-digit scoring game was Ojai Black with 10 points after knocking down 5-of-7 shot attempts. The senior also dished out three assists, recorded two steals and blocked a shot.
 
Overall, Texas State is allowing just 63.0 points per game that ranks 17th in the nation. The next closest team in the SBC is Arkansas State at 68.3 ppg, the 80th lowest in the country. Among mid-major programs, the Bobcats scoring defense is the ninth best.
 
Scouting Troy
Troy heads into Saturday having won four straight and five of its last six games. The Trojans beat Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina at home last weekend and took down Louisiana and ULM on the road two weeks ago. On the road this season, Troy is 5-8 overall and 4-3 against conference opponents.
 
Jordon Varnado leads the Trojans in scoring (16.1), rebounding (7.2) and blocks (40) with his rejection total being the most in the SBC. The sophomore has made 52.8 percent of his shots and 70.7 percent at the free throw line. He has made 21-of-55 (38.2%) of attempts from beyond the arc.
 
Wesley Person is averaging 14.0 ppg with 72 of his 118 made field goals being three-pointers. He has converted a team-high 81.6 percent at the charity stripe and 39.1 percent on long distance shots. The third player putting up double-digits is Jeremy Hollimon at 11.9 ppg. He has come off the bench in all but one game this season and is shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 43.0 percent on three-pointers and 77.8 percent at the charity stripe.
 
Point guard Kevin Baker has connected on 61 three-pointers and has made 76 field goals overall. He leads the team with 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
 
Juan Davis, Jr. paces the squad in field goal percentage (55.2) and is second in free throw percentage (79.1) while averaging 8.2 ppg with 36 made treys. DeVon Walker, a graduate transfer from Florida, is grabbing 6.8 rpg.
 
All-Time Series
Texas State leads the all-time series 5-3 after taking down the Trojans 75-71 in the first meeting this season on Jan. 17. That game saw Pearson record his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. He was one of five Bobcats to reach double-figures in the game along with Bobby Conley (13), Immanuel King (12), Black (12) and Gilder-Tilbury (17).
 
When taking on Troy at home, Texas State is 3-0. The last meeting in Strahan Coliseum saw the Bobcats take down the Trojans 78-57 behind Gilder-Tilbury's career-high 26 points and six made three-pointers. That game was also head coach Danny Kaspar's 500th career victory.
 
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 your school's 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.
 
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.