SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State earned the four-game regular-season series sweep against Little Rock after defeating the reigning Sun Belt Conference champions 77-67 in overtime on Saturday afternoon at Strahan Arena.  

The Bobcats (13-6, 7-3 Sun Belt) were in control of the game and led by as many as 23 points in the second half before the Trojans (10-9, 6-6 Sun Belt) stormed back with a 24-2 run, taking a 62-59 lead with 23 seconds remaining in regulation. Junior guard Mason Harrell hit the game-tying 3-pointer, leaving seven seconds on the clock, and senior forward Isiah Small blocked sophomore guard Marko Lukic's shot, sending the game into overtime. 

In the extra five minutes, the Bobcats outscored the Trojans 15-5 and closed the game on a 12-2 run to secure the win. Texas State missed one shot in the overtime period, while Little Rock made one field goal, and was led by Harrell's seven points.  

"What a game," said the interim head coach. "I have not been a part of many of those, especially in my youthful head coaching career. That was fun. Those are the kind of games we live for. Clearly, we kind of let up off the pedal, but we were short-handed and tired. Our guard rotation without Marlin Davis is somewhat depleted right now and we are asking our guys to carry a lot of weight. It may not be so tough for one game, but for back-to-back games and the emotion that comes along with it, it can make you a little bit more tired and your decisions more impactful. With that said, I am very proud of my team. I tell them often that the toughest team wins and today we were pretty tough." 

Harrell and junior guard Caleb Asberry led the Bobcats with 21 points, marking the first game that teammates scored 20 points each since the 2019-20 quarterfinal round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament where Nijal Pearson and Isiah Small both scored 23 points. Harrell was 7-of-14 from the floor, including 3-of-7 from behind-the-arc. He also had four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Asberry (7-of-17) knocked down four triples, and led the team with six rebounds, had four assists, and two steals. Small turned in 12 points, (4-of-5) four rebounds, four assists, and a career-high four steals, while junior forward Nighael Ceaser chipped in a season-high 11 points and was 4-of-4 from the field.

Lukic also had 21 points in the game and was 7-of-10 from the floor, including six made 3-pointers. Junior forward Nikola Maric followed with 12 points and senior forward Ruot Monyyong finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.

FIRST HALF
The Bobcats opened the game with a 10-3 scoring run, shooting 4-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-3 from 3-point range. TXST extended its lead 16-6 highlighted by a three-point play from Asberry and ballooned its margin to 26-9 with 6:25 remaining in the half. The Trojans fought back by ending the half on a 14-7 run, but the Bobcats still went into the half with a 33-23 advantage. In the first 20 minutes, Texas State shot 52.0 percent from the field (13-of-25) and was 80.0 percent at the free-throw line (4-of-5). Asberry led the team with 10 points (4-of-7) followed by Harrell and Small who each had seven points.  

SECOND HALF
Texas State stretched its lead to 22 points behind a 14-0 run in the early part of the second half. The Bobcats led by as many as 23 points at 55-32 with 11:52 remaining on the clock. Little Rock responded with back-to-back triples and ultimately used a 24-2 run behind Lukic's hot hand to give the visitors a 62-59 advantage with 23 seconds remaining. On the following possession, the Bobcats executed to perfection as Harrell came off Sule's screen and nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 62 and left nine seconds in regulation. Little Rock's Lukic tried to put up one more triple, but it was blocked by Small, sending the game into overtime.  

OVERTIME
Asberry opened the period with a 3-pointer, and Lukic responded with his sixth triple of the game. Small banked home a 3-pointer that sparked a 5-0 run, which ballooned to a 12-2 scoring margin to closed the game highlighted by a 3-pointer from Harrell that essentially sealed the game.

NOTABLES
• Texas State shot 50.9 percent from the floor (28-of-55) and matched a season-high 92.3 free-throw percentage (12-of-13).
• Little Rock shot 51.2 percent from the field (22-of-43) and 58.8 percent from 3-point range (10-of-17). 
• In overtime, the Bobcats shot 80.0 percent from the floor (4-of-5) and was 3-of-3 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. 
• The Bobcats logged 11 steals, recording their fifth game with 10 or more steals this season.
• TXST registered 17 assists (7th game over 15 assists). They also turned LR over 19 times and converted those turnovers into 32 points. 
• TXST is 10-1 overall when leading at halftime and improves to 7-2 when scoring 70 or more points this season.
• The Bobcats are now 5-1 when four players score in double figures. 

UP NEXT
The Bobcats will have a quick turnaround as they prepare for a 6 p.m. game against in-state rival UT Arlington on Thursday, Feb. 11 at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. 

Stay updated on everything Texas State men's basketball by following the team on Facebook,  Twitter, and Instagram.

-- TXSTATEBOBCATS.COM --