SAN MARCOS, Texas — In a crucial matchup at home, Texas State will face off against Troy in Strahan Arena on Thursday (7 pm) in what will have a significant impact on the fight for the Sun Belt Conference regular season championship.
 
Texas State (15-6, 7-3 Sun Belt) has won five of its last six games and is looking for a tie with at least Troy for first place in the Sun Belt standings with four weeks remaining in the regular season. The Bobcats enter Thursday in a four-way tie for second place.
 
Troy (13-8, 8-2 Sun Belt) is alone atop the Sun Belt table as it holds the game advantage over the four teams in second. The Trojans won the first meeting against Texas State this season back on Dec. 31 in Troy. Texas State was outscored in the paint, 38-14, while the 79 points total were the most allowed by the Bobcats this season.
 
The Bobcats are also looking to snap a five-game losing streak to Troy.
 
Thursday will be the first of two games where Texas State will wear special pink uniforms in honor of Play4Kay. Also, the first 100 fans will receive a free pink Texas State shirt, presented by UFCU.
 
Thursday's game can be watched on ESPN+, with Brant Freeman and Suzanne Fox on the call.

SQUANDERING THE SCORE

• Texas State's defense continues to lead the way as of late as opponents are averaging 50.5 points in the last 6 games.
• The Bobcats, who are 31st in the country in scoring defense, are averaging 56.2 points per game against for the entire season.
• Texas State has held its opponents to 57 points or less in each of the last 6 games, a stretch in which it is 5-1.
• The Bobcats have limited their opponents to 57 points or less in 12 games this season, 6 of which have been in the last 20 days (through February 2).
• Last year, Texas State held its opponents to 57 points or less 6 times all season (twice in Sun Belt play).

 
CALCULATING THE PERCENTAGES

• Texas State's scoring defense is powered by limiting opponents to 35.2 percent shooting this season, which is the 14th-best rate against in the nation and best in the Sun Belt.
• The Bobcats have held their opponents under 35 percent shooting in 3 straight games entering Thursday.
• Texas State is 7-3 this season when it holds its opponent to 35 percent or worse shooting in a game.

 
 
HOME IN STRAHAN

• Texas State is in the midst of a three-game homestand and in a place – Strahan Arena – where it has an 11-2 record this season.
• The Bobcats' 11 home wins are their most in a season since 2017-18 when they went 11-2.
• The last time Texas State had 12+ home wins was 2007-08 (14-2). That season, Texas State won the Southland Conference regular season championship under head coach Suzanne Fox.
• The Bobcats are averaging 69.3 points at home this year while holding their opponents to 51.9 points. In conference play, Texas State is averaging 66.4 points at home and allowing 57.0 (4-1 record).
• The Bobcats are shooting 44.9 percent in all home games this season. In all games, they are shooting 42.9 percent.

 
AT THE CHARITY STRIPE

• Texas State, which is first in the Sun Belt in free throw percentage this year, enters Thursday with a 10-1 record this season when it attempts more free throws than its opponent.
• The lone loss was at Troy on Dec. 31. The Bobcats attempted 13 free throws to Troy's 12. Texas State finished 11-of-13 at the charity stripe while Troy was 9-of-12 in a 79-63 decision.
• The Bobcats went to the line 20 times against Southern Miss last Saturday and won 62-52 in overtime.
• Texas State was only 13-of-20 (65 percent) at the free throw line against the Lady Eagles, which was its lowest free throw percentage in a game since Jan. 5 against App State (50 percent, 4-of-8). The last time Texas State shot below 70 percent with 10 or more attempts in a game was Dec. 11 vs. Morgan State.
• The Bobcats are shooting 75.4 percent at the free throw line this season and 78.7 percent in conference-only games.
• Lauryn Thompson is the team's leading free throw shooter as she is shooting 85.7 percent (42-of-49) and is fourth in the Sun Belt. Other Bobcats in the top-15 in the conference in free throw shooting include Kennedy Taylor (79.2 percent, T-10th) and Ja'Kayla Bowie (79.2 percent, T-10th).
• Texas State and Coastal Carolina are the only the Sun Belt teams with 3 different players in the conference's top-15 for free throw shooting.

 
AT HALF

• The Bobcats had a 27-24 advantage at halftime against Southern Miss last Saturday and went on to win its 10th game this season when leading at half.
• Texas State is 10-1 this season when leading at halftime.
• Texas State also has 3 wins this season when trailing at half.

 
FIRST THINGS FIRST

• Texas State is coming off a 6-2 record in the month of January, its best January since 2017-18 when it also went 6-2.
• The Bobcats are 43-36 all-time in the month of February under head coach Zenarae Antoine (since 2011-12).

 
AIMING FOR 700

• Fifth-year senior Kennedy Taylor is inching closer to becoming the Sun Belt's all-time leader in assists.
• Taylor, who is already Texas State's career leader in assists, is 32 assists away from matching Clemette Haskins (Western Kentucky) for the conference record for career assists. Haskins had 731 from 1983-87.
• Taylor is the only Sun Belt player with 500+ career assists in the last 11 years. She is 1 assist shy of becoming only the second Sun Belt payer in conference history to have 700+ career assists.

 
Sun Belt Conference
Career Assists, All-Time
1. Clemette Haskins, WKU           731                1983-87
2. Kennedy Taylor, TXST             699                2018-Present
3. Amy McNear, WKU                 677                2008-11
4. Ivelina Vrancheva, FIU             631                1999-04
5. Stephanie Richardson, USA      605                1987-91