SAN MARCOS, TX — Classes at Texas State University don't resume out of the holiday break until next week, but the Texas State women's basketball program gave all 3,175 in attendance a history lesson during the Bobcats' 64-48 win over Georgia State on Thursday.
Needing just one more win to surpass Suzanne Fox, who watched Thursday's action from courtside while serving as the analyst for the game's ESPN+ broadcast, as the program's all-time winningest head coach, 12th-year head coach
Zenarae Antoine had her squad racing out to a near double-digit lead less than two minutes into the game following the first of four made 3-pointers on the day from
Kennedy Taylor.
Even after Georgia State attempted to rally during the middle portion of the quarter,
Jaeda Reed, in her first game on the season, made back-to-back layups for Texas State to extend its lead back to nine after 10 minutes of action.
From there, the intensity picked up as the Bobcats went on to outscore the Panthers, 15-8, during the second quarter behind four points from
Tianna Eaton and
Sierra Dickson. But the final sequence to provide the separation was a quick 7-0 scoring run — capped by a
Nicole Leff 3-pointer — from Texas State out of halftime to push its lead to 23 at 38-15 less than three minutes into the third quarter.
The rest of the way was just watching the clock tick down on Antoine's 175th career win as the head coach of the Texas State women's basketball program, passing Fox to become the new all-time winningest head coach in program history with 175 career wins.
FROM HEAD COACH ZENARAE ANTOINE
"Once we beat App State last Thursday, I didn't want anyone to talk about (breaking the record), to be honest. I just wanted to focus on beating Louisiana, then we got to this game, and everyone was completely quiet, which I appreciated because my entire focus was on finding a way to beat Georgia State as well as Arkansas State. I think, once this season is over, I'll have time to be able to reflect on this. But I'm humbled, like I said. I love being a Bobcat. I love — as a woman of color — having the opportunity to be able to lead these young women. There are a lot of positives, but I'm not in reflection mode right now just because of when this fell during the season, to be honest."
FROM GUARD KENNEDY TAYLOR
"It's amazing (to be able to be a part of a senior class that helped with this accomplishment). We are all just so happy for Coach Z today, but we are trying to give her a (conference) championship. Being able to go out — as seniors — and give her a (conference) championship would be so amazing for this program and this community."
STAT LEADERS
SCORES BY QUARTERS
- 1st | Texas State 16, Georgia State 7
- 2nd | Texas State 31, Georgia State 15
- 3rd | Texas State 49, Georgia State 31
- 4th | Texas State 64, Georgia State 48
MATCH NOTES
- In her first game action since March 4, 2022, fifth-year senior Jaeda Reed brought down a game-high nine rebounds and scored eight points in 25 minutes of game action.
- Reed's nine rebounds are the most in a single game by the Oklahoma native since bringing down a career-high 11 against Little Rock on Jan. 2, 2020.
- Thursday morning's announced attendance of 3,175 was the eight-largest crowd to watch a Texas State women's basketball game inside Strahan Arena at the University Events Center.
- By holding Georgia State to seven first-quarter points and eight second-quarter points, Thursday's game marked the first time a Texas State women's basketball team has held a conference opponent to single digits during a game's first and second quarters since March 5, 2021, when the Bobcats accomplished the feat against Georgia Southern during the opening round of the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Championship.
- Texas State held the Eagles to eight points in the first quarter and nine during the second before going on to win the game 94-61.
- Neither team — Georgia State nor Texas State — missed a free throw during the second half of Thursday's game.
- Georgia State connected on all 10 of its second-half free throw attempts, while Texas State made all six of its second-half free throw attempts.
- By finishing Thursday morning's game with two blocks, sixth-year senior Tianna Eaton became the first active Texas State women's basketball student-athlete to be credited with 20-or-more blocks in a single season.
- Eaton also became the first Texas State student-athlete to record 20-or-more blocks during a single season since Ti'Aira Pitts was credited with 34 during the 2017-18 season.
UP NEXT
- With Thursday morning's action now in the past, Texas State (11-5, 3-2) will now play for its 10th home win on the season when the Bobcats and Red Wolves of Arkansas State tangle inside Strahan Arena at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14.
- Arkansas State (5-10, 0-4) will play its fifth Sun Belt game at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 12, when the Red Wolves travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to play Southern Miss.
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.
