SAN MARCOS, Texas – For the second game in a row it came down to the last shot to decide the winner. Unfortunately, Tyler Blount's three-pointer attempt from the right corner right before time expired was just off the mark as the Texas State men's basketball team fell 59-56 to Appalachian State Saturday evening in Strahan Coliseum.
 
With the loss, the Bobcats drop to 14-11 overall and 7-5 in the Sun Belt Conference while the Mountaineers are now 10-15 on the season and 5-7 in conference play.
 
Down 47-45 after two Ronshad Shabazz free throws, Eric Terry converted a layup to tie the game on the very next possession. Shelby Adams followed the next time down the court for TXST by drawing a foul and converting both charity stripe attempts to retake the lead.
 
APP tied the game on a layup but Tyler Blount answered with a three-pointer from the left corner to put the Bobcats back ahead 52-49 with 6:35 left to play.
 
Following four straight points by the Mountaineers, Adams hit an 18-foot jumper to retake the lead to 54-53. The next time down the court, APP's Justin Forest made a jumper of his own to give the visitors the advantage again.
 
Twice TXST was able to tie the game with the last coming at 1:13 on the clock when Nijal Pearson went 1-for-2 at the free throw line. Over the final 73 seconds the Mountaineers went 3-for-6 at the charity stripe to keep the Bobcats in the contest.
 
With 2.3 seconds remaining after a made free throw, the ball was inbounded to Pearson. After two dribbles he sent a long pass to the left corner to an open Blount, who's shot to send the game to overtime was just off target.
 
TXST jumped out a 4-0 lead 94 seconds into the game after Immanuel King hit a jumper and Blount stole a pass and took it all the way for a layup. Following five straight points from APP, Pearson forced a steal after the first media break and took it to the house for a layup that saw him split two defenders at the basket to make it 6-5 in favor of the Bobcats.
 
An 11-4 run by the Mountaineers gave them a six-point advantage with 9:15 left in the first half. Adams drove the baseline for a layup and Deris Duncan knocked down a jumper from the left corner to cut the deficit to two. However, APP netted seven of the next nine points to go up 23-16 at the 5:12 mark.
 
Griffin Kinney hit a jumper from the right corner with 2:44 showing on the clock to make it 27-20 in favor of the Mountaineers. TXST clamped down defensively and did not allow the visitors to score the rest of the half. Offensively, Alex Peacock hit a three-pointer and was followed by two free throws from Eric Terry. Peacock was fouled on a long distance attempt and converted all of the charity stripe shots to allow the Bobcats to take a 28-27 lead into halftime.
 
Pearson led all TXST players with 14 points and three steals. He was one of three players to finish with four rebounds, along with Tre'Larenz Nottingham and Terry.
 
Also reaching double-figures was Blount with 10 points. The senior finished 4-for-8 from the field and was 2-of-3 on shots from beyond the arc. His three assists were tied for the team best alongside Nottingham.
 
Peacock contributed eight points on 2-of-3 shooting and made all three of his charity stripe attempts. Adams netted six points off the bench and also grabbed two boards.
 
Next up for the Bobcats is a trip to in-state rival UTA next Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. inside the College Park Center.
 
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 Instagram and Twitter at @TxStateMBB and like on Facebook at /TexasStateMensBasketball.