SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State men's basketball team battled but fell short to the Sun Belt Conference leading Arkansas State 85-74 on Saturday in Strahan Arena.
 
With the result, the Bobcats fell to 12-11 on the season and 5-6 in conference play while the Red Wolves are now 18-5 overall and 9-2 in the Sun Belt.
 
Four TXST players scored in double-figures led by Tylan Pope's 17 points that saw him net 15 in the second half. Dylan Dawson added 15 points behind four made three-pointers while adding a career-high six assists.
 
Kaden Gumbs netted 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting. The sophomore also contributed four assists, three steals, three rebounds and two blocks. The fourth Bobcat in double-figures was Christian Turner with 10 points. He added three steals and two assists.
 
Falling just shy of a double-digit scoring contest was Joshua O'Garro with eight points but matched his career best of six assists.
 
After Kobe Julien banked in a low post jumper 22 seconds into the game, the Bobcats went on a 9-0 run behind four points from Turner. TXST would stretch its lead to 10 twice, the last time being a 19-9 advantage on an Austin Green layup.
 
Gumbs knocked down a three-pointer from the left wing with seven minutes on the clock. That would be the last basket for Texas State until Turner made a corner jumper with 1:44 to go in the half. During that time, ASU scored 12 straight points and go into the halftime leading 39-33.
 
The Red Wolves began the second half on a 10-2 run that stretched their advantage to 14. A trey by Dawson got the Bobcats to within eight at the 12:10 mark.
 
Eight consecutive points in a 1:11 minute span that was capped off by a Gumbs old-fashion three-point play made it a 64-59 deficit for TXST. However, the visitors scored 17 of the next 22 points to put the game away.
 
Next up or the Bobcats is the team's first-ever game at Old Dominion on Wednesday.
 
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