SAN MARCOS, Texas – Following a four-game road trip, Texas State (8-7, 1-3 Sun Belt) is set to have its Sun Belt Conference home-opener at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6 vs. Troy (5-10, 1-3 Sun Belt) at Strahan Arena.   
 
FOLLOW ALONG
ESPN + vs. Troy: PXP: Brant Freeman, Analyst: Suzanne Fox
Live Stats vs. Troy: Statbroadcast
Listen vs. Troy: AM 1300 The Zone, 89.9 KTSW, TuneIn App
 
SETTING THE SCENE
• Texas State is coming off a 70-67 win at Arkansas State on Saturday, Jan. 4. The win was the Bobcats' first in Sun Belt play this season and ended a four-game losing streak on the road.
• The Bobcats enters Monday matchup vs. Troy with a 6-1 record at home this season, including a 4-1 mark vs. Division I opponents.   
• Overall this season, Texas State leads the Sun Belt Conference in scoring margin (8.8) and field goal percentage (.471) and have one of the best defenses in the league as they hold opponents to a 38.7 field goal defense percentage and relinquish just 64.4 points per game (No. 2 and No. 3, respectively).
• The team also ranks No. 3 in the league with a 74.1 free-throw percentage and their 246 total made free-throws ranks No. 19 in the nation.
• Senior guard Nijal Pearson is No. 2 in the Sun Belt with 18.7 points per game behind a 43.6 field goal percentage and 38.1 3-point field goal percentage. He ranks No. 5 in the Sun Belt in both categories.
• After scoring 23 points at Arkansas State, Pearson becomes the third Bobcat to reach 1,800 career points and has 1,801 career points.
• Sophomore guard Mason Harrell follows with 10.6 points per game and leads the team with an efficient 55.2 field goal percentage (53-of-96). He also shoots 85.4 percent at the charity stripe (No. 3 in the Sun Belt). Harrell is the league leader with a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio and dishes out 3.2 assists per game (No. 9 in the Sun Belt). Junior guard Marlin Davis sits at No. 2 in the conference with a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Senior forward Eric Terry has had a hot start in conference games, averaging 11.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He averages 8.1 points per game overall and leads the team with 1.1 blocks per game (tied No. 8 in the Sun Belt).
• Junior forward Isiah Small ranks No. 7 in the Sun Belt with 6.7 rebounds per game, including 4.7 defensive rebounds per game (tied No. 7 in the Sun Belt). Small also joins Terry in the top 10 of the conference with 0.9 blocks per game (T-No. 10). Small and averages 7.4 points per game overall and 9.3 points in conference games.
 
PEARSON RECORD TRACKER / NOTABLES
• Pearson is one of 13 active NCAA Division I players with 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds (25 total players across all divisions).
• Pearson has 1,801 career points that rank No. 3 all-time in TXST history and No. 20 among active players in the NCAA across all divisions. He is 42 points shy of passing former Bobcat Travis Cornett (1970-74, 1,841 points) for No. 2 all-time. He is also tied at No. 19 in the Sun Belt Conference all-time with South Alabama's Ed Rains (1977-81).
• The Beaumont, Texas native is tied with Ryan White at No. 4 with 154 career steals.
• Pearson moved to No. 11 on the all-time rebounding list with 646 boards after pulling down five at Arkansas State to pass Willie Terrell (1969-71, 644). He now needs 26 rebounds to break the top 10 (Brandon Bush 2005-09, 671).
• 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 TROY
• After opening Sun Belt Conference play with a 77-59 victory at home, Troy has lost its next three games vs. Appalachian State (70-65), at ULM (79-63) and at Louisiana (79-62).
• Troy is 1-7 on the road this season and has lost three consecutive road games.
• Overall this season, the Trojans average 69.9 points while giving up 70.5 points per game to their opponents. The team shoots 40.1 percent from the floor, 31.1 from 3-point range, and 67.2 at the free-throw line.
• Junior guard Darian Adams leads the team with 13.0 points (No. 19 in the Sun Belt) and 3.4 assists in addition to his 3.5 rebounds per game and 16 total steals.
• Sophomore forward Zay Williams follows with 11.1 points and is the team's leading rebounder with 5.7 boards per game and nine total blocks.
• Junior guard Ty Gordon averages 10.9 points per game behind a .391 clip from 3-point range. Gordon also averages 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 14 total steals.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Texas State leads Troy 8-4 in the all-time series and is on a two-game winning streak.
• The Bobcats are 5-0 at home vs. the Trojans with the last meeting in San Marcos coming on Jan. 6, 2018, where TXST pulled out the 57-56 win.
• Texas State defeated Troy 58-44 last year (Feb. 28, 2019) led by Pearson's 15 points and six rebounds, and Harrell's 14 points and four assists.
 
UP NEXT
Texas State's homestand continues with a 7 p.m. game on Thursday, Jan. 9 vs. Coastal Carolina, and end the week with a 4 p.m. tip-off on Saturday, Jan. 11 vs. Appalachian State.
 
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