SAN MARCOS, Texas – A historic weekend is ahead for Texas State (10-8, 3-4 Sun Belt) as senior guard Nijal Pearson sets his sights to become the program's all-time leading scorer, needing just nine points to do so. His first opportunity will be at 7 p.m. vs. ULM (6-10, 2-5 Sun Belt) on Thursday, Jan. 16 at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, La. The team will end the weekend vs. Louisiana (7-11, 2-5 Sun Belt) at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the CajunDome in Lafayette, La. Pearson has scored in double figures in each game this season.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
ESPN + vs. ULM: PXP: Chris Harris, Analyst: Mike Vining
ESPN + vs. Louisiana: PXP: Dan McDonald, Analyst: Eric Mouton
Live Stats vs. ULM: Statbroadcast
Live Stats vs. Louisiana: Statbroadcast
Listen: AM 1300 The Zone, TuneIn App, 89.9 KTSW (Saturday only) – Bill Culhane
 
SETTING THE SCENE
• The Bobcats are riding a two-game winning streak and have claimed victory in three of their last four games. The team is 2-6 in road games this year, however, including a 1-3 mark in Sun Belt games.   
• Texas State continues to stand out defensively by leading the Sun Belt Conference with a 64.4 scoring defense and ranks No. 2 in the league in field goal percentage defense (.395) and turnover margin (2.8).
• The team also ranks in the top two of the conference in free-throw percentage (75.1, No. 1), scoring margin (8.9, No. 2), field goal percentage (46.2, No. 2), turnover margin (3.3, No. 2), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1, No. 2).
• Senior guard Nijal Pearson is the league-leader in the Sun Belt with 19.7 points per game behind a 44.4 field goal percentage (No. 6 in the Sun Belt), a 39.4 3-point field goal percentage (No. 3 in the Sun Belt), and a 76.9 free-throw percentage (No. 10 in the Sun Belt). He averages 33.2 minutes per game and his 355 total points this season ranks No. 13 in Division I as of Jan. 13.
• Sophomore guard Mason Harrell follows with 10.1 points per game, shooting 52.2 percent from the floor. Harrell leads the Sun Belt Conference with a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio (No. 17 in the NCAA) and an 87.0 free-throw percentage. Junior guard Marlin Davis sits at No. 2 in the conference with a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Junior forward Isiah Small ranks No. 5 in the Sun Belt with 6.8 rebounds per game, including 4.5 defensive rebounds per game (T-No. 5 in the Sun Belt) Small and averages 7.8 points per game overall, and 9.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in addition to five steals and three blocks in conference games.
• Senior forward Eric Terry is averaging 8.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in conference play. He averages 7.6 points per game overall and leads the team with 0.9 blocks per game (No. 9 in the Sun Belt).
• Sophomore guard Caleb Asberry is heating up for the Bobcats, averaging 8.1 points overall and 9.0 points in conference games. Asberry has scored in double figures in three of the last five games and seven times total this season.
 
PEARSON RECORD TRACKER / NOTABLES
• Pearson is one of 14 active NCAA Division I players with 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds (29 total players across all divisions).
• Pearson has 1,876 career points that rank No. 2 all-time in TXST history and No. 17 among active players in the NCAA across all divisions. He is nine points shy of passing former Bobcat Charles Sharp (1956-60, 1,884 points) to become the program's all-time leading scorer. He sits No. 15 in the Sun Belt Conference all-time in scoring and has scored in double figures in every game this year.
• The Beaumont, Texas native has 158 career steals that ranks No. 4 in the school's record book behind Donte Mathis who has 161 career steals.
• Pearson ranks No. 11 on the all-time rebounding list with 660 career rebounds. He now needs 12 rebounds to pass Brandon Bush (2005-09) who is currently No. 10 all-time in rebounding with 671 boards.
• Pearson was named to the Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List on Nov. 5. Pearson appeared on the Lou Henson Mid-Season Watch List last year. He was also picked as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in a couple of publications including the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Street & Smith's.
• Pearson was tabbed to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team by the league office after garnering All-Sun Belt First Team honors in the 2018-19 season.
 
SCOUTING ULM
• ULM enters the weekend on a three-game losing streak. Despite being winless on the road this season (0-7), the Warhawks are 6-3 at home and 2-2 in conference play.
• Although ULM is last in the Sun Belt with 63.7 points per game, they can get hot from deep occasionally where they have a .359 3-point field goal percentage, No. 3 in the Sun Belt. They do defend, however, as ULM limits its opponents to 66.2 points per game (No. 3 in the Sun Belt) and average 3.6 blocks per game (No. 4 in the Sun Belt).
• Junior guard and Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team selection Michael Ertel leads the team with 16.2 points per game (No. 4 in the Sun Belt) and is the league leader with 37.2 minutes per game. Ertel shoots 41.1 percent from the floor (No. 9 in the Sun Belt) and 38.0 percent from 3-point range (No. 5 in the Sun Belt) to go along with 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
• Senior forward JD Williams follows with 14.8 points on average (No. 9 in the Sun Belt) and leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game (T-No. 11 in the Sun Belt), including 4.7 defensive rebounds per game (T-No. 5 in the Sun Belt). Williams is just ahead of Ertel with a 42.6 field goal percentage and right behind Ertel with 36.8 minutes per game. Williams was a Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team selection.
 
SCOUTING LOUSIANA
• Louisiana is nursing a two-game losing streak after falling at Georgia State (90-52) and Georgia Southern (71-51). The Rajun' Cajuns are 5-3 at home this year, but 1-2 at home in conference games. They will face UT Arlington at 7 p.m. Thursday night before Texas State invades the CajunDome.
• La. has struggled across the board this year and average 71.1 points (No. 6 in the Sun Belt) and give up 75.2 points per game (No. 12 in the Sun Belt). The Ragin' Cajuns shoot 41.1 percent from the floor and 32.8 from 3-point range.  
• Junior forward Jalen Johnson leads the team with 14.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, ranking No. 12 and No. 8, respectively, in the Sun Belt Conference. Johnson stands out on the offensive glass with 2.3 boards per game (No. 6 in the Sun Belt) and also has a 79.7 free-throw percentage which is No. 7 in the league.
• Junior guard Cedric Russell averages 13.1 points per game behind a 35.3 field goal percentage from behind-the-arc. Russell who was listed on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team also averages 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
• In just eight games, freshman forward Kobe Julien turns in 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while freshman guard Mylik Wilson rounds out the top performers with 11.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Wilson leads the team with 2.4 steals per game (No. 3 in the Sun Belt) in addition to his 50.4 shooting percentage and 2.5 assists per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• ULM leads Texas State in the all-time series 30-23 and is on a two-game winning streak head-to-head.
• In the lone meeting last year in San Marcos, the Bobcats fell 63-60 despite a double-double from Eric Terry (19 pts., 10 reb.).
• The Bobcats are 7-18 when playing in Monroe, La. The last game played in Monroe was Feb. 17, 2018, where ULM walked away with a 79-71 victory.
• Louisiana has controlled the all-time series vs. Texas State 12-2, although last year, Texas State snapped its five-game winning streak with a 64-62 win at home on Feb. 23, 2019. The Bobcats are 0-6 when playing in Lafayette, La.
 
UP NEXT
After the game at Louisiana, Texas State will return home and have a full week to prepare for in-state rival UT Arlington. Tip will be at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 at Strahan Arena.
 
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