SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State (15-10, 8-6 Sun Belt) will have its final homestand of the 2019-20 regular season with four games in front of the Bobcat faithful. This week, the Bobcats will host Little Rock (18-7, 12-2 Sun Belt), the No. 1 team in the Sun Belt Conference at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13 and end the weekend vs. Arkansas State (15-10, 7-7 Sun Belt) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15. Both games will be played at Strahan Arena.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
ESPN + vs. Little Rock / Arkansas State: PXP: Brant Freeman, Analyst: Suzanne Fox
Live Stats vs. Little Rock: Statbroadcast
Live Stats_­ vs. Arkansas State: Statbroadcast
Listen: AM 1300 The Zone, TuneIn App – Bill Culhane
 
SETTING THE SCENE
• Texas State is receiving 21 votes in the latest Collegeinsider.com Men's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. It is the Bobcats third appearance in the poll this season and first since December. The Bobcats are one of three teams in the Poll representing the Sun Belt Conference along with No. 14 Little Rock and Georgia State (receiving 15 votes).
• The Bobcats enter the weekend tied at No. 4 in the Sun Belt standings after a 60-57 loss at Appalachian State. Texas State is 7-3 in its last 10 games.    
• Texas State continues to stand out defensively by leading the Sun Belt Conference with a 63.4 scoring defense and ranks No. 2 in the league in field goal percentage defense (.398). The Bobcats are 9-1 this season when holding their opponents to 60 points or below and have a league-best marks in turnover margin (4.0, No. 17 in the NCAA) and turnovers forced (15.2).
• Offensively, Texas State rank in the top five of the Sun Belt Conference in scoring margin (9.1, No. 1), free-throw percentage (76.4%, No. 2), field goal percentage (45.4%, No. 3), 3-point field goal percentage (34.4%, No. 4), and scoring offense (72.6 ppg., No. 5). 
• Senior guard Nijal Pearson is the league-leader in the Sun Belt with 19.5 points per game behind a 42.9 field goal percentage (No. 7 in the Sun Belt), a 39.2 3-point field goal percentage (No. 2 in the Sun Belt), and a 78.9 free-throw percentage (No. 8 in the Sun Belt). He averages 33.5 minutes per game and his 467 total points this season ranks No. 36 in Division I as of Feb. 11. 
• Sophomore guard Mason Harrell follows with 9.6 points per game, shooting 49.7 percent from the floor, 41.2 percent from 3-point range, and 87.0 percentage from the charity stripe. Harrell rank No. 2 in the Sun Belt with a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio (No. 20 in the NCAA) and has 3.2 assists per game. 
• Junior guard Marlin Davis leads the Sun Belt Conference with 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio that ranks No. 10 in the nation. Davis leads the team with 3.4 assists per game (T-No. 7 in the Sun Belt) and 1.2 steals per game. Davis logged a career-high 11 assists last game vs. Appalachian State and chips in 5.7 points per game.
• Junior forward Isiah Small ranks No. 8 in the Sun Belt with 6.5 rebounds per game, including 2.3 offensive boards per game (No. 8 in the Sun Belt). Small averages 8.0 points overall this season, and 9.1 points per game in conference play.
 
PEARSON RECORD TRACKER / NOTABLES 
• Pearson is the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,988 career points. His point total currently ranks No. 23 among active players across all NCAA divisions and rank No. 12 in Division I. He also ranks No. 10 in the Sun Belt Conference all-time in scoring.
• Pearson is one of 23 active NCAA Division I players with 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds (50 total players across all divisions). He currently ranks fourth on that list with 1,988 points and 690 rebounds.
• Pearson is the first Bobcat to be in the top 10 of the school's record book in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
• The Beaumont, Texas native has 165 career steals that rank No. 3 in the school's record book. He now trails Wes Davis (2011-15) who is No. 2 with 189 steals, and David Sykes (1999-03) who is the program's leader with 192 career steals.
• Pearson is No. 10 on the all-time rebounding list with 690 career rebounds. Former Bobcat Don Forester (1957-59) ranks No. 9 with 696 career rebounds.
• Pearson is tied at No. 8 in the program's record book with 268 career assists with Billy Bahnsen (1981-85). Former Bobcat Ojai Black (2014-17) ranks No. 7 with 287 career assists.
• Pearson was listed on the 2020 Dos Equis 3x3U National Championship Midseason Watch List and is the front-runner to win the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year award according to espn.com.
• 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 LITTLE ROCK
• Little Rock is the best team in the Sun Belt Conference and are ranked No. 14 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. The Trojans are 12-2 in league play and boast a seven-game winning streak. LR off Arkansas State's comeback for a 90-87 victory on Saturday in Little Rock.
• LR is 7-5 on the road this season with four of its losses coming in the non-conference slate. The Trojans fell at Troy 76-71 on Jan. 9.
• The Trojans average 72.6 points per game, ranking No. 4 in the Sun Belt. They lead the conference with a 47.0 percent field goal percentage and 14.9 assists per game. They also shoot 35.1 percent from 3-point range, the third highest percentage in the league.
• Defensively, the Trojans relinquish 68.1 points per game (T-No. 4 in the Sun Belt) and have a league-worse 36.0 3-point field goal percentage defense. 
• Sophomore guard Markquis Nowell leads the team with 17.5 points per game which sits No. 3 in the conference. He also ranks No. 2 with 5.0 assists, No. 3 with 2.3 steals, and leads the league with a 90.5 free-throw percentage. Nowell shoots 43.4 percent from the field (No. 6 in the Sun Belt) and 38.9 percent from behind-the-arc (No. 3 in the Sun Belt).
• Junior forward Ruot Monyyong averages a double-double with 12.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game (leads the Sun Belt), including 8.1 defensive boards per game. He also leads the Sun belt with 2.2 blocks per game (54 total). Monyyong ranks No. 6 in all of Division I basketball with 14 double-doubles this season. 
• Junior guard Ben Coupet Jr. also adds 12.0 points on average and shoots 46.6 percent from the floor, 37.1 percent from 3, and 75.0 percent from the free-throw line. He also averages 4.8 rebounds per game.  
 
SCOUTING ARKANSAS STATE
• The Red Wolves are 7-7 in conference play and are nursing a three-game losing streak after a narrow 90-87 loss at Little Rock. A-St. is 5-5 on the road this season. 
• Arkansas State ranks in the bottom half of the league in scoring offense (71.4 ppg, No. 7) and scoring defense (71.3 ppg, No. 9). The team shoots 44.4 percent from the floor (No. 5 in the Sun Belt) but gives up a 45.7 field goal percentage to their opponent (No. 12 in the Sun Belt).  
• Junior guard Marquis Eaton paces the Red Wolves with 12.0 points and 1.4 steals per game. He also has 3.3 rebounds per game and his 79.2 free-throw percentage rank No. 7 in the Sun Belt.
• Freshman guard Caleb Fields follows with 11.4 points per game and leads the team with 3.4 assists per game (No. 9 in the Sun Belt).
• Other key players consist of senior guard Canberk Kus who averages 9.8 points and a team-high 23 blocks this season, and senior forward Malik Brevard who averages 6.2 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game (No. 9 in the Sun Belt).
 
SERIES HISTORY
• Little Rock leads Texas State 9-6 in the all-time series. The Trojans' 72-68 win over the Bobcats snapped a four-game losing streak in the series. Pearson totaled 25 points to lead all scorers behind a season-high five made 3-pointers. Harrell had 17 points and five assists and sophomore guard Caleb Asberry had 12 points.
• The Bobcats are 4-3 all-time when playing against Little Rock in San Marcos.
• Texas State leads Arkansas State 8-3 in the all-time series and are on an eight-game winning streak after losing the first three in the series. 
• The Bobcats' 70-67 win at Arkansas State earlier this season was their first conference win of the 2019-20 season. Pearson had 23 points and was 9-of-9 at the free-throw line, while sophomore forward Alonzo Sule finished with 11 points.
• TXST is 4-1 all-time when playing Arkansas State in San Marcos.
 
UP NEXT
Texas State will conclude its home schedule next weekend vs. the Georgia schools. The Bobcats will take on Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20 and then a 4 p.m. game vs. Georgia State at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats fell to both programs at the beginning of Sun Belt Conference play in late December 2019. 
 
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