SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State men's basketball team (7-8, 0-2 Sun Belt) hits the road to face James Madison (11-4, 2-0 Sun Belt) Thursday night at 6 p.m. CT inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center. It is the first of four straight games on the road for the Bobcats while the Dukes will be hosting their first Sun Belt Conference game.
 
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can also tune into KTSW 89.9 FM and the Varsity Sports Network app to listen to Clint Shields on the call.
 
About Texas State
Conference play began two close, low-scoring affairs for TXST. First was a four-point loss to ULM followed by a three-point setback to Troy. It is the first time the Bobcats have dropped their first two conference games since the 2019-20 campaign.
 
Leading the way offensively is Mason Harrell at 17.9 points per game. The senior guard moved up to ninth on the team's all-time scoring list and has netted 1,317 points in his Bobcat career. He also leads the squad in made field goals (90), three-pointers (22), free throws (60) and steals (17).
 
Nighael Ceaser is second on the team in scoring at 9.9 ppg and has grabbed 9.3 rebounds a contest that included a stretch of three consecutive games with 10 or more. Tyrel Morgan enters averaging 9.0 ppg and 5.9 rpg while shooting a team best 46.6% from the field.
 
About James Madison
JMU is coming off two road victories over Georgia State and Marshall to start its inaugural season in the Sun Belt. The Dukes are 5-0 at home with Division I wins over Eastern Kentucky and Hampton. Of their four losses, three have been by seven points or less with the lone exception being to then No. 1 ranked North Carolina.
 
Leading the country in scoring offense (89.7 ppg), JMU has three players averaging double-figures in Terrence Edwards (11.3), Takalk Molson (11.5) and Vado Morse (13.2). Mexie Offurum has made a team best 63.9% of his field goal attempts and is grabbing a team-high 5.3 rebounds a contest while netting 9.8 ppg.
 
Both Noah Freidel and former TXST player Alonzo Sule are contributing 9.3 ppg. Also scoring nearly nine points a game is Julien Wooden (8.9).
 
All-Time Series
Thursday will be the first ever meeting between James Madison and Texas State. The Dukes are the sixth first time opponent this season the Bobcats will have faced. Three more first meetings are on tap for TXST in other Sun Belt newcomers Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss.
 
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