SAN MARCOS, Texas – For the second time this season, Texas State had a pair of 20-point scorers as senior forward Isiah Small and junior guard Caleb Asberry led the team to a 79-68 victory over UT Arlington on Saturday afternoon at Strahan Arena.

With the win, the Bobcats (15-6, 9-3 Sun Belt) swept the Mavericks (11-11, 7-7 Sun Belt) in a single-season for the first time in 12 years, and interim head coach Terrence Johnson ties the late Vernon McDonald for the third-most wins as a first-year coach in program history. 

TXST shot 46.6 percent from the floor (27-of-58) and knocked down seven 3-pointers in the team's highest-scoring total against a Division I opponent this season. UTA had a .423 clip from the floor (22-of-52) and shot 48.3 percent from 3-point range as they connected on a Bobcat opponent season-high 14 made triples. The Bobcats won the battle on the glass, however, 40-21, including pulling down 16 offensive rebounds that they converted into 25 points and owned the paint where they outscored the Mavericks 22-10.

Small turned in his second double-double of the season (4th of his career with Texas State) with 21 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three assists and two blocks. Small shot 6-of-9 from the floor and was 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, marking a new career-high in made freebees. Asberry logged his fifth 20-point game of the season with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including three 3-pointers. Asberry also had five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Junior forward Nighael Ceaser rounded out the Bobcat top scorers with 10 points and had a season-high six rebounds and two assists. Freshman guard Dylan Dawson chipped in nine points, and junior forward Alonzo Sule added eight points, five rebounds, and two steals. 

UTA had four players score in double-figures, led by junior guard Shahada Wells who finished with 17 points behind five 3-pointers. He also had a game-high six assists in just over 31 minutes of action. Junior forward Jordan Phillips contributed 12 points and added three made 3-pointers, while sophomore guards Nicolas Elame and Sam Griffin followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively. 

FIRST HALF
Both teams were efficient and shot over 50.0 percent at all three levels, but the duo of Asberry and Small was a tough matchup as they split 22 points evenly in the first 20 minutes. Texas State pulled off a 13-0 run that gave them a 15-6 lead, and the home team never looked back as they built their lead to as many as 16 and went into the half with a 42-30 advantage.    

SECOND HALF 
TXST started fast in the second half and stretched its lead to 20 at 59-39 before UTA responded with a 9-0 run, sparked by back-to-back triples from Phillips and another from Wells. That would be the Mavericks' best run of the stanza, however, and although the visiting team trimmed the deficit to as low as seven points with just over two minutes left to play, five unanswered free-throws by the Bobcats pushed the margin back to double-digits and it would stay that way. UTA did outscore TXST in the second half 38-37, but the Bobcats intensity on the offensive glass was a huge factor as they turned 10 rebounds into 12 second-chance points.

UP NEXT
Texas State is scheduled to play one of three consecutive games against Arkansas State with one being at Strahan Arena at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

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