HUNTSVILLE, TX. — With only nine student-athletes available for its road contest at Sam Houston on Saturday night, fifth-year senior
Kennedy Taylor "put the team on her back" and carried the Bobcats to a five-point victory in Huntsville.
Without fellow fifth-year senior
Da'Nasia Hood, Taylor, in addition to her normal floor general duties, filled the scoring and rebounding voids left by Hood as the Dallas native followed up a double-double in the Bobcats' season-opening win earlier in the week with a 21-point, 6-assist, 6-rebound, 4-steal performance against the Bearkats.
Taylor, playing all 40 minutes of Saturday' action, racked up her point total on 7-of-14 shooting, including 4 of 6 from behind the 3-point arc and knocking down three of four free throw attempts. Taylor, who entered the contest as the nation's leader in assists per game with a 12.0 clip, chipped away at her deficit towards becoming the program's career assist leader as well. The 5-foot-3 point guard will enter Texas State's next contest needing just six more assists to pass Shelly Borton (1986-90) for the top spot.
While Taylor's statistical numbers impressed many Saturday night, it can't be overlooked how she ignited her team's determination and drive coming out of the locker room to start the second half.
With Texas State trailing by six at intermission, Taylor knocked down a 3-pointer on the Bobcats' first offensive possession of the third quarter. She, immediately, was credited with a steal on the other end of the court, before knocking down another 3-point basket to cut Texas State's deficit to two. Moments later,
Tianna Eaton knocked down a pull-up jumper to tie the game.
Texas State went on to outscore Sam Houston, 25-14, during the third quarter thanks to Taylor's series of plays to begin the court.
FROM HEAD COACH ZENARAE ANTOINE
"With a team as experienced as this one, there's a good sense of understanding of what needed to be done. We were fouling (too much in the first half) and allowing (Sam Houston) to speed us up, which led to transition opportunities, but we weren't doing a great job of converting those. We came out in the third quarter with great timeout response — as we like to call it — and a lot more poise. We did a better job defensively, but still could've done a better job of boxing out. We didn't get into foul trouble and found a way to win in a very tough situation this evening."
STAT LEADERS
SCORES BY QUARTERS
- 1st | Sam Houston 18, Texas State 12
- 2nd | Sam Houston 40, Texas State 34
- 3rd | Texas State 59, Sam Houston 54
- 4th | Texas State 75, Sam Houston 70
GAME NOTES
- In just seven minutes of game action off the bench, first-year freshman Kennedy Claybrooks scored a career-high five points on 2-of-3 shooting while also knocking down her lone free throw attempt.
- Claybrooks also added a defensive rebound to her stat line as well.
- In 12 minutes off the bench, first-year Bobcat Morgan Hill was credited with a season-high two steals. The two steals Saturday night matched her entire steal total from a 22-game season at ULM in 2020-21.
- Hill also scored two points and brought down two defensive rebounds to go along with her two steals on the night.
- For the second consecutive game, fourth-year senior Chelsea Johnson was credited with three steals, giving her six on the season and matching her steal total from the entire 2021-22 season.
- Johnson's three steals was tied with Taelour Pruitt for the second most by a Bobcat.
- The Louisiana native also scored four points, credited with two defensive rebounds, and had one block in 16 minutes off the bench.
- After finishing with 25 assists in its season-opening win against Howard Payne on Monday, Nov. 7, Texas State continued its distribution of the basketball as the Bobcats were credited with 18 on Saturday to push their season total to 43.
- Five different Texas State student-athletes were credited with an assist with all five having at least two.
UP NEXT
- Texas State (2-0) will look for its best start to a season since the 2011-12 campaign, when it opened the season with three straight wins, as the Bobcats host Arlington Baptist at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
- A win over the Patriots would mark just the sixth 3-0 start to a season in program history.
FOLLOW US
- For the latest information on the team, follow @TXStateWBB on Twitter and Instagram. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
