SAN MARCOS, Texas – The first of five straight games in Strahan Arena saw the Texas State men's basketball team fall 71-65 to Mary Hardin-Baylor Tuesday night.
 
"It's an extremely disappointing loss. Obviously when you get a chance to play in front of your home crowd, you want to play better and come in with a whole more focus. You want to be able to execute your game plan," said head coach Terrence Johnson. "But credit goes to Mary Hardin-Baylor. Those were some tough guys tonight. They competed from start to finish."
 
"AS it pertains to this team, the level of inconsistency is something that we need to address. That inconsistency is in our play and leadership and that starts and ends with me. I have to do a better job holding these guys accountable, finding a set rotation, and coaching the culture of this program."
 
The Bobcats drop to 6-5 on the year while the contest was an exhibition for the Crusaders.
 
UMHB scored on its second possession and Nighael Ceaser answered with a layup on the other end to tie the score. The Crusaders knocked down the first of their nine three-pointers on the night to retake the lead, which they would hold until late in the second half.
 
Nate Martin converted layup on back-to-back possessions to give TXST its first lead of the game at 62-60 with 1:41 left on the clock. However, UMHB would close the game on an 11-3 run.
 
Pacing the Bobcats was Mason Harrell with 20 points. He also finished with five rebounds and dished out a team-high four assists. Martin was the only other Bobcat in double-digits with 13 points off the bench as he made 4-of-8 from the field and went 5-for-6 at the free throws. The junior forward also had six rebounds, three assists and blocked a shot.
 
Ceaser grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and finished with eight points. Also netting eight points was Tuongthach Gatkek as he also had six rebounds and three steals. Freshman Jordan Mason had the best game of his young career with nine points on 3-of-3 shooting and two made free throws.
 
Next up for TXST is a meeting with Sam Houston on Saturday at 2 p.m. inside Strahan Arena.
 
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