SAN MARCOS, Texas – Nijal Pearson and Tre'Larenz Nottingham each scored 22 points to lead the Texas State men's basketball team to a 105-29 victory over Howard Payne Saturday afternoon in Strahan Arena.
 
Texas State had four players score in double figures with Eric Terry and Shelby Adams also netting 11 points each. Adams also pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds in his first career start to lead the Bobcats. He is the third Texas State player to record a double-double this season. Jaylen Shead scored all seven of his points in the first half and ended the game handing out a game-high eight assists.
 
Nottingham, Shead and Akiem Daschner combined for 13 steals in the game as Texas State set a school record with 23 steals against the Yellow Jackets, breaking the old record of 20 set against UTSA on March 2, 2002 and McMurry on December 6, 2017. Nottingham equaled his career high of five steals, while Shead and Daschner had career-highs of four steals in the game.
 
The win was the 550th career victory for Texas State head coach Danny Kaspar and that moves him past Frank McGuire for 74th place on the NCAA Division I coaches' career win's list. The victory also was Kaspar's 85th win at Texas State, which ties him with Dan Wall for sixth place among the school's all-time coaching leaders. He needs one more win to tie Mike Miller for fifth place on the list.
 
The Bobcats used the game against the lower NCAA Division Yellow Jackets as a tune-up following their Christmas break as they prepare to open Sun Belt Conference play with home games against Georgia Southern on January 3 and Georgia State on January 5.
 
Texas State started the game slowly, leading 8-5 in the first four-and-one-half minutes, but quickly shook off the rust from its break by outscoring the Yellow Jackets 39-9 in the next 15 minutes.
 
After leading 47-14 at halftime, the Bobcats picked right up where it left off in the second half, outscoring Howard Payne 58-15 in the second half.
 
The 76-point margin of victory also shattered another school record of 63 that was set against Texas Lutheran on January 2, 1957. The win is Texas State's ninth victory in the last 10 games and improves the Bobcats' overall record to 11-2 this season.