LAFAYETTE, La. – Thursday afternoon saw five players for Texas State score at least 12 points as the team claimed an 89-74 victory over Louisiana in the Cajundome. It was the first time the Bobcats had won in Lafayette since 2022.

With the victory, TXST is now 12-8 on the season and 5-3 in the Sun Belt Conference while the Ragin' Cajuns drop to 6-14 overall and 4-4 in league play.
 
"I thought it was a hard game, especially with our circumstances to get here and things of that nature. So, it took us a while to get going, but I'm really proud of my guys and the seniors especially stepped up and kept us in the game early on," said head coach Terrence Johnson. "It has been a while since we have won here and for these guys to hold on to the rope and continue to compete throughout, especially with so many guys playing deep into the game, I'm really proud of them and looking forward to celebrating with them tonight before preparing for Arkansas State."
 
For the third consecutive game, Tylan Pope record a 20-point contest as he finished with a game-high 25 points. The redshirt senior was 6-for-11 from the field and went 13-of-14 at the free throw line. He also blocked three shots, handed out two assists and recorded a steal.
 
"Tylan is in a rhythm. He understands where he's going to get the ball at and I think we are putting him in positions to where he can score. I also think the guys are doing a really good job of playing with him and through him," said Johnson. "He has also done a pretty good job of focusing on scoring or getting fouled at certain points of the game."
 
Joshua O'Garro nearly recorded a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. Dylan Dawson added 13 points behind 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc and retrieved six boards. Both Austin Green and Kaden Gumbs netted 12 points off the bench.
 
As a team, TXST made 64.1% (25-of-39) of its shots with a 6-for-11 (54.5%) performance on long-distance attempts. The team also made 33-of-39 (84.6%) free throws with both being season-highs. The Bobcats outrebounded the Ragin' Cajuns 32-21 but saw nearly half (10) of the hosts' boards come on the offensive glass.
 
It was a tight game for the first half of the opening period. That was until the Cajuns went on a 10-3 run in a nearly three-and-a-half-minute span to take 23-17 advantage.
 
A three-pointer from Brandon Hardy with 7:02 remaining in the first half, Louisiana took its largest lead of the game at 27-20. TXST stepped it up defensively to hold the hosts to just two field goals and six points the rest of the period. Offensively, the Bobcats would net 18 points including nine straight to end the half. Pope would net half of the team's final 18 points as they took a 38-33 lead into halftime.
 
The run continued for Texas State as it scored the first five points of the second half, all of which came at the free throw line. A three-pointer from the top of the arc courtesy of Dawson put the Bobcats up 49-37 at the 16:40 mark of the period.
 
Closest that Louisiana got the rest of the game was seven with the last occurrence being at 65-58 following five straight points by the hosts at the charity stripe.
 
An 11-3 run by the Bobcats put them up 16 with 5:22 to play following two free throws from O'Garro.
 
Next up for TXST is a meeting with preseason favorite Arkansas State on Saturday in Jonesboro at 2 p.m.
 
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