TROY, Ala. – Fans in the Trojan Arena almost saw an epic second half comeback Saturday evening as Texas State nearly overcame a 21-point deficit at halftime but saw Troy hold on for a 68-64 win.
 
"A tale of two halves for us. We're fighting and that's all you can ask for. We've been dealt a rough hand as it pertains to injuries all season but credit these guys for stepping up and continuing to fight no matter what," said head coach Terrence Johnson. "I believe we're getting better. The goal is to put together two halves and bring culture to the floor. We have another great opportunity to do that Thursday night."
 
The result drops the Bobcats to 11-14 on the season and 4-8 in the Sun Belt Conference while the Trojans improve to 14-11 and 6-6 in league play.
 
Mason Harrell led all players with 20 points, 11 of which came in the second half, on 6-of-14 shooting that included going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and made all four of his free throw attempts. Also reaching double-figures was Tyrel Morgan with 14 points.
 
Nearly reaching double-digit point was Nate Martin with nine. The junior also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and blocked a shot.
 
Two free throws by Morgan and a Brandon Davis three-pointer put the Bobcats up early 5-2 with 17:26 showing the on the clock. That would be TXST's lone lead of the contest as Troy responded with a 19-2 run over a seven-minute span.
 
Four quick points from the Trojans' Nate Tshimanga gave the hosts their largest lead of the game at 45-22 with 52 ticks left in the opening stanza. Harrell was fouled just before the halftime horn and made both charity stripe attempts to cut the deficit to 45-24.
 
A layup by Martin kick started a 17-4 run for the Bobcats that spanned 7:08 to cut Troy's lead to 60-54. After the Trojans netted four points in a row, Harrell scored five straight of his own to cut the deficit in half with 1:47 to play.
 
Harrell hit a three-pointer from the left corner to make it a 66-64 advantage for the Trojans with 38 seconds showing on the clock. Unfortunately, the next time down the court Zay Williams grabbed an offensive rebound to force the Bobcats to foul. He would go on to make both of his free throw attempts to seal the game for the hosts.
 
Next up for the Bobcats is a meeting with Arkansas State on Thursday inside Strahan Arena at 7 p.m.
 
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