SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State led by three at halftime, but a second-half field goal shooting percentage of 24.3 percent by the Bobcats allowed James Madison to climb back and defeat Texas State at home, 58-54, on Thursday in Strahan Arena.
 
The Bobcats (18-8, 10-5 Sun Belt) had their three-game winning streak snapped due in part to nine field goals on 37 shots in the second half. The loss in Texas State's penultimate home game was only its fourth all season in San Marcos.
 
JMU (21-6, 11-4 Sun Belt) earned its third win a row by outscoring the Bobcats 17-11 in the third quarter – and outshooting them 50 percent to 23.8 percent in the period – to soar ahead and lead for the final 11 minutes of the game.
 
Despite the loss, Texas State stayed one game back of first-place in the Sun Belt standings as Troy lost at Coastal Carolina. JMU and Old Dominion, meanwhile, jumped into a tie for first with the Trojans with their Thursday night victories.
 
Texas State finished with 19 field goals made, its fewest in the last six games. The 29.7 field goal shooting percentage was its second-lowest all year and worst since Nov. 23 at Texas A&M (28.6 percent).
 
While the Bobcats struggled offensively, they forced the Dukes into 13 turnovers and a fourth-quarter shooting percentage of 28.6 percent (4-of-14). JMU finished 23-of-53 from the field, but only 2-of-18 from three.
 
Both sides made four field goals in the fourth quarter, and while Texas State trailed by as much as six points at 48-42 with 8:12 remaining, the Bobcats clawed back to tie the game at 50-50 when Kennedy Taylor hit her only three-pointer of the night with 2:01 left.
 
The three-pointer by Taylor snapped a four-minute stretch where the two teams combined for two made baskets.
 
The Dukes closed it out, though, when Kiki Jefferson was fouled on her third field goal attempt on one possession with a minute-and-a-half remaining. Tianna Eaton blocked her first attempt, and after JMU got the offensive rebound off the block, Jefferson missed her follow-up jumper. She grabbed her own rebound and was subsequently fouled by Texas State.
 
Jefferson made her two free throws, but down on the other end of the floor, Da'Nasia Hood scored two of her team-high 18 points on a jumper with just over a minute remaining to tie the game at 52-52.
 
JMU answered with a lay-up of its own to take a two-point lead, and then Ja'Kayla Bowie turned the ball over on the final possession which allowed the Dukes to close out the win.
 
FROM HEAD COACH ZENARAE ANTOINE
"This is a tough loss. This is a tough one. I really felt our team was trending in the right direction – which I still feel our team is trending in the right direction. At the end of the day, we met our defensive markers. It was really important that we scored the ball and we had plenty of opportunities, but when you're shooting in the 20s in third and fourth quarter, you're putting yourself in a tough situation, even if your defense is holding strong. That's really what happened. The end of the game is the end of the game either way. As far as us being able to make shots and knock down shots, that's what we needed to do in those two quarters and the second half. And we struggled doing that."
 
STAT LEADERS

• Points – Da'Nasia Hood (18)
• Rebounds – Da'Nasia Hood (9)
• Assists – Kennedy Taylor (3)
• Steals – Tianna Eaton, Ja'Kayla Bowie, Taelour Pruitt (3)
• Blocks – Tianna Eaton (2)

 
SCORES BY QUARTER
1st | Texas State 18, JMU 15
2nd | Texas State 30, JMU 27
3rd | JMU 44, Texas State 41
4th | JMU 58, Texas State 54
 
GAME NOTES

• The loss snapped Texas State's three-game winning streak. The Bobcats have not won more than three games in a row all season.
• Da'Nasia Hood became only the 6th different Bobcat to score 1,700 career points. Her 18 on Thursday gives her 1,702 in her career, which is 6th-most in program history. She is 3 points shy of tying Carlotta Fisbeck (1967-71) for 5th on the all-time list.
• Da'Nasia Hood moved into 6th in Texas State history with 781 career rebounds.
• Texas State lost the rebounding battle, 43-37.
• Texas State attempted 26 three-pointers, its most in a game since Nov. 15 of earlier this season against Arlington Baptist.
• The Bobcats are 6-4 this season when attempting 20+ three-point shots in a game.
• Ja'Kayla Bowie had 13 points, giving her 6 double-digit scoring efforts in the last 7 games.
• Texas State only turned the ball over 8 times, which matched its fewest in a conference game this season.
• The Bobcats are 4-1 this season against the Sun Belt's new teams.

 
UP NEXT
Texas State will play in its final home game on Saturday at 2 pm against South Alabama. Graduate Day ceremonies will take place after the game and honor Ja'Kayla Bowie, Tianna Eaton, Da'Nasia Hood, Taelour Pruitt and Kennedy Taylor.