ATLANTA – In a matchup between the two top teams in the Sun Belt Conference, the Texas State men's basketball team (17-3, 6-1) defeated Georgia State (14-6, 5-2), 81-68, at the GSU Sports Arena on Thursday night.
 
Nijal Pearson scored 27 points to lead the Bobcats, who had three players score in double figures. Tre'Larenz Nottingham and Alex Peacock also score 13 points each for the Bobcats, who won their fifth straight game.
 
Texas State jumped out to an early 10-2 lead when Nottingham made the second of his three 3-point shots after Peacock and Eric Terry combined for a pair of layups. Georgia State answered with 11-3 run to pull to within one, 13-12. The two teams battled back and forth the rest of the half. Georgia State took its first lead on a three-point jumper by Jeff Thomas from the top of the key. Devin Mitchell added another three to give the Panthers a four-point with 4:25 left in the half.  Georgia State opened a five-point lead with 1:59 left to play in the period on another three-point shot by Mitchell. The Bobcats answered with Alonzo Sule scoring the final five points in the opening period to tie the score at halftime. Sule scored all nine of his points in the first half.
 
The Bobcats opened the second half with Peacock nailing a pair of three-point shots and Eric Terry nailed a layup to give Texas State a 50-47 lead. Then Pearson nailed a pair of three-point shots to extend the lead to 57-49. On the defensive end, Texas State held the Panthers to 37 percent shooting (10-27), including 21.4 percent (3-14) from the three in the second half.
 
 The Bobcats led by a many as 20, 79-59, in the second half with 2:56 left in the game.  Texas State went on to win the game, 81-68. The victory gives Texas State sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt Conference standings at 6-1, while Georgia State and UT Arlington are tied for second place at 5-2. The Bobcats will continue their road trip at Georgia Southern on Saturday at 4 p.m.