SAN MARCOS, Texas – A pair of big tests await Texas State (8-8, 1-4 Sun Belt) as they are set to face Coastal Carolina (10-6, 3-2 Sun Belt) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9 before taking on Appalachian State (9-7, 3-2 Sun Belt) at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11 at Strahan Arena.    
 
FOLLOW ALONG
ESPN + vs. Coastal Carolina / Appalachian State: PXP: Brant Freeman, Analyst: Suzanne Fox
Live Stats vs. Coastal Carolina: Statbroadcast
Live Stats vs. Appalachian State: Statbroadcast
Listen: AM 1300 The Zone, 89.9 KTSW, TuneIn App – Alex Hausladen (vs. CCU); Bill Culhane (vs. App)
 
SETTING THE SCENE
• Last time out, Texas State dropped a 71-63 decision at home vs. Troy. Although the Bobcats are 6-2 at home this season, they have lost two of their last three games at Strahan Arena with both losses vs. Division I opponents.
• The Bobcats are 1-3 vs. Sun Belt Conference teams with a winning record in conference play.   
• Overall this season, Texas State leads the Sun Belt Conference with a 64.8 scoring defense and ranks No. 2 in the league in field goal percentage defense (.394) and turnover margin (2.8).
• The team also ranks in the top three of the conference in free-throw percentage (74.3, No. 2), scoring margin (7.8, T-No. 2), and assists-to-turnover ratio (1.0, No. 3).
• Senior guard Nijal Pearson is the league leader in the Sun Belt with 19.0 points per game behind a 43.4 field goal percentage (No. 5 in the Sun Belt), a 38.0 3-point field goal percentage (No. 6 in the Sun Belt), and a 78.5 free-throw percentage (No. 10 in the Sun Belt). He averages 32.8 minutes per game and his 304 total points this season ranks No. 26 in the nation as of Jan. 7.
• Sophomore guard Mason Harrell follows with 10.4 points per game, shooting 50.9 percent from the floor (54-of-106) and ranks No. 2 in the league with an 86.5 free-throw percentage. Harrell is the league leader with a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio and dishes out 3.2 assists per game (No. 10 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 is averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in conference play. He averages 8.3 points per game overall and leads the team with 1.0 blocks per game (No. 10 in the Sun Belt).
• Junior forward Isiah Small ranks No. 7 in the Sun Belt with 6.6 rebounds per game, including 4.5 defensive rebounds per game (T-No. 7 in the Sun Belt) and 2.1 offensive rebounds on average (T-No. 10 in the Sun Belt). Small and averages 7.4 points per game overall, and 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in addition to four steals and three blocks in conference games.
 
PEARSON RECORD TRACKER / NOTABLES
• Pearson is one of 14 active NCAA Division I players with 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds (28 total players across all divisions).
• Pearson has 1,825 career points that rank No. 3 all-time in TXST history and No. 19 among active players in the NCAA across all divisions. He is 17 points shy of passing former Bobcat Travis Cornett (1970-74, 1,841 points) for No. 2 all-time. He is also tied at No. 18 in the Sun Belt Conference all-time.
• The Beaumont, Texas native is tied with Ryan White at No. 4 with 154 career steals.
• Pearson ranks No. 11 on the all-time rebounding list with 651 career rebounds. He now needs 21 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 COASTAL CAROLINA
• Coastal Carolina is currently on a two-game winning streak after closing last weekend with a 74-72 victory vs. Georgia State, and taking care of ULM 93-64 earlier this week.
• Coastal has played just four road games to this point and are 3-1 with its only loss coming at the hands of Troy in the Sun Belt Conference opener, 77-59. They do, however, have a marquee win over South Alabama in Mobile, Ala. (81-69). South Alabama was picked to win the Sun Belt Conference.
• The Chanticleers have arguably the best offense in the conference as they lead the way with 81.2 points per game (No. 17 in the NCAA), a 46.8 field goal percentage, a 38.4 3-point field goal percentage (No. 17 in the NCAA), and an 8.5 scoring margin. They also lead the way in rebounding margin (7.0), highlighted by 13.44 offensive rebounds per game (No. 17 in the NCAA).
• Although CCU ranks toward the top of the league with 8.4 steals per game (No. 3), they are not stout defensively as they give up 72.8 points per game (No. 10 in the Sun Belt).
• Sophomore guard DeVonte Jones leads the team with 15.6 points (No. 5 in the Sun Belt), shooting 50.7 percent from the floor (No. 3 in the Sun Belt) and 84.9 percent at the stripe (No. 4 in the Sun Belt). Adams is the league leader with 5.9 assists per game and rank in the top 10 of the conference in steals (1.7/g, No. 6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8, No. 7). He also averages 5.1 rebounds per game which is tied at No. 18 in the conference.
• Junior guard Keishawn Brewton averages 14.8 points per game (No. 8 in the Sun Belt) and ranks fifth in the conference with a 38.2 3-point field goal percentage. Senior guard Tyrell Gumbs-Frater is the league leader in that category with a .519 clip from behind-the-arc, and chips in 12.7 points per game.
• Senior forward Tommy Burton averages 10.9 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game (No. 6 in the Sun Belt).
• Sophomore guard Ebrima Dibba was a starting guard for CCU who averaged 10.8 points in six games before going down with an ACL injury vs. Baylor.
 
SCOUTING APPALACHIAN STATE
• Appalachian State enters the weekend with a 3-2 Sun Belt record after falling at home to Louisiana 81-73 on Monday, Jan. 6.
• The Mountaineers are 3-4 on the road this season overall, but 2-0 in conference play with wins at South Alabama (81-71) and Troy (70-65). They will face UT Arlington on Thursday, Jan. 9 before coming to San Marcos.
• App averages just 69.4 points per game but defends well as they sit just behind Texas State with a 64.9 scoring defense (No. 2 in the Sun Belt) and 39.9 field goal percentage defense (No. 3 in the Sun Belt). The team also works hard on the boards, averaging 37.7 rebounds per game (No. 3 in the Sun Belt, including 27.4 defensive rebounds per game which is the second-most in the conference (CCU No. 1, 27.9).
• Junior guard Justin Forrest ranks third in the Sun Belt with 18.4 points per game and shoots 38.2 percent from the field (No. 9 in the Sun Belt). In addition to his 4.2 rebounds on average, Forrest has 1.6 steals per game which is tied at No. 8 in the Sun Belt.
• Senior forward Isaac Johnson follows with 11.3 points per game and has a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game (No. 2 in the Sun Belt). Johnson also ranks No. 10 in the league with 1.5 steals per game.
• Sophomore guard Adrian Delph rounds out the top performers for App as he averages 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game (T-No. 18 in the Sun Belt).
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Texas State leads Coastal Carolina 6-2 in the all-time series and is on a three-game winning streak.
• Both losses to the Chanticleers have happened in San Marcos.
• Texas State swept Coastal last year in the regular-season series, including a 65-57 game at Strahan Arena on Feb. 9, 2019, led by Pearson's 17 points.
• The Bobcats also leads the Mountaineers in the all-time series, 6-5.
• Texas State swept Appalachian State in the regular-season series last year and are 3-2 all-time when playing at Strahan Arena.
• In the last meeting in San Marcos, Texas State pulled out a 74-71 victory behind 19 points from Pearson and 10 points from sophomore forward Alonzo Sule (Feb. 7, 2019).
 
UP NEXT
Texas State will head to the Bayou next weekend as they match up with ULM at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16 at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum before challenging Louisiana at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the Cajundome.
 
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