Box Score JONESBORO, Ark. – Nijal Pearson scored 21 points to lead three players in double figures as the Texas State men's basketball team overcame a 16-point deficit in the first half and came back to defeat Arkansas State 84-74 Thursday night at the First National Bank Arena.
In addition to Pearson's 21 points,
Alonzo Sule added 18 points off the bench and
Jaylen Shead netted 17 points as the Bobcats won their 20th game of the season and improved to 20-5 overall, 9-3 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Ty Cockfield scored a game-high 39 points and Tristin Walley added 12 points off the bench for Arkansas State (10-15, 4-8).
Texas State equaled its season-high of 28 free throws made in the game as Shead made 9-11 and Sule hit 8-9.
Tre'Larenz Nottingham made all five of his free throws and ended the game with seven points, while
Eric Terry and
Alex Peacock netted eight points each.
The Bobcats will play Little Rock on Saturday after the Trojans beat UT Arlington 56-52 in the Jack Stephens Center. Texas State's victory combined with UTA's loss put Texas State atop the Sun Belt standings. UTA drops back into a second-place tie with Georgia State, one game back of the Bobcats.
