PENSACOLA, Fla. – Thanks to a 6-0 run over the final two minutes, capped by a one-handed fadeaway make by Mason Harrell with less than seven seconds remaining, Texas State took down No. 3 seed Marshall, 71-68, in the 2023 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Basketball Championship quarterfinals on Saturday at the Pensacola Bay Center.
 
The No. 11 seeded Bobcats (16-18, 6-12 Sun Belt) became the first double-digit seed to ever advance to the Sun Belt tournament's semifinals with the come-from-behind victory over 24-win Marshall (24-8, 13-5 Sun Belt).
 
Texas State trailed by as much as eight with five minutes remaining in the game, but starting with a three-pointer by Drue Drinnon, the Bobcats closed out the game on a 15-4 run to blow past the Thundering Herd, who led for nearly 30 minutes total.
 
After Drinnon's three – which was his only basket of the night – cut the Bobcats' deficit to 64-59 and Marshall answered with a lay-up on the other side nine seconds later, Harrell drained a three-pointer from the Sun Belt Conference logo at midcourt only 14 seconds after Marshall's make to trim it 66-62 Thundering Herd.
 
Both sides traded missed baskets and turnovers for the next two minutes before a three-point play converted by Nighael Ceaser pulled Texas State within one, 66-65, with 2:31 to go.
 
Marshall went on to make two free throws on its next possession to regain a three-point lead, but Nate Martin contributed a lay-up from underneath to make it a one-point game once again – this time with 1:55 on the clock.
 
It was Tyrel Morgan's finish with 1:03 remaining that proved to be the game-winner for the Bobcats as he made it 69-68. The Bobcats got a stop on the other end of the floor, and while Marshall elected not to foul Texas State on the subsequent possession, Harrell took over and hit the big shot on the right side to give the Bobcats their game-deciding margin of three points.
 
The offensive contributions were across all eight Bobcats who logged minutes, led by Harrell's 17 points. Ceaser had 11 while Martin, Morgan and freshman Jordan Mason each chipped in 10.
 
Texas State outshot Marshall, 53 percent to 44 percent, and matched its season-high for three-pointers made against a Sun Belt opponent.
 
The 30 field goals made by the Bobcats were their second-highest this season and most against a Division I opponent.
 
In the first half, Texas State outshot Marshall, 59 percent to 52, but trailed 38-37 at halftime. The Bobcats led for eight minutes in the opening half, thanks to a 14-2 run midway through that turned a 23-20 deficit into a 34-25 lead. Over the run, Brandon Love and Brandon Davis each contributed multiple baskets, including a pair of three-pointers by Davis to cap it.
 
However, the Bobcats surrendered the lead as Marshall scored 13 of the final 16 points in the first half.
 
In the second half, Marshall was up by as much as eight on two occasions, including the first time with 13 minutes remaining and then with five minutes to go. Texas State, which began the second half 4-of-15 from the field, then used its 15-4 run to close out the victory.
 
Texas State will play the winner of Louisiana and Georgia Southern on Sunday at 7:30 pm in the tournament semifinals. The game can be watched on ESPN+.
 
 
FROM HEAD COACH TERRENCE JOHNSON
"Wow. If you didn't know before, now you know why they call this the 'Fun Belt.' This is amazing. This is a player moment. I shouldn't even talk very long because this is a player moment. These guys put in the work for it, they grinded for it. They deserve everything they get."
 
Full press conference
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES
This marks the first time Texas State has advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt tournament since 2020.
 
The Bobcats are the first 10-seed or higher to reach the Sun Belt tournament semifinals.
 
Texas State was 7-of-18 from three-point range as the 7 long-distance makes matched it season-high against a Sun Belt opponent this year.
 
The Bobcats have shot 50-percent-or-better in two of the three tournament games so far.
 
Texas State has also shot 50 percent or better in three of its last six games.
 
The seven turnovers by Marshall were the fewest by a Bobcat opponent this season while Texas State's nine turnovers are tied for its third-fewest in a game this year.
 
Mason Harrell played in his 145th career game, set a program record for most career games played.