SAN MARCOS, Texas – The last weekend on Sun Belt Conference play on the road for the Texas State men's basketball team (12-13, 5-7 Sun Belt) begins on Thursday when it travels to take on ULM (6-19, 2-10 Sun Belt). The game is scheduled to tipoff at 6:30 p.m. from inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Fans can catch the action on ESPN+ and on the Varsity Sports Network with Zach Linfield on the call. Live stats will also be available to follow.
About Texas State
Last week saw the Bobcats fall on the road to Central Michigan and Old Dominion that extended their skid to five straight games. It is the longest such streak since also dropping five consecutive contests last season (Dec. 21, 2023 to Jan. 11, 2024) that ended with a win on the road over the Warhawks.
Tylan Pope leads the team in scoring (15.7), field goal percentage (54.0%), made free throws (111) and blocks (39). He is seven points shy of recording the 72nd 400-point season in team history. The forward's block total ranks as the seventh most in a campaign in program history, as well.
Dishing out 4.4 assists per game is Kaden Gumbs. The San Marcos native is also contributing 12.0 ppg on 45.3% shooting. He also paces the squad with 37 steals, which ranks in the top 10 in the league.
Both Coleton Benson and Joshua O'Garro are netting 9.6 ppg. O'Garro is grabbing a team-high 7.1 boards a contest and has added 27 steals and 16 blocks. Benson has seen 37 of his 49 made field goals come from beyond the arc and making 38.5% of those long-distance attempts.
About ULM
The Warhawks have lost two straight and 12 of their last 14 games. The only two victories in that span came on Jan. 27 & 30 against South Alabama. At home, ULM is 4-8 this year.
Jalen Bolden enters the game pacing the team at 12.4 ppg and 49 steals. He is shooting just 37.2% from the field, 23.2% on three-pointers and 65.7% at the charity stripe. His 6.4 rpg are tied for the most on the team with Makai Willis, who has blocked a team best 21 shots.
Coltie Young enters netting 12.1 ppg behind 66 three-pointers which he is making at a 37.7% clip. Also with a double-digit scoring average is Tyresse Watson at 10.8 ppg while having handed out 99 assists. Both Jacob Wilson and Willis are putting up 9.5 ppg.
Series History
Texas State holds a slim 33-32 advantage in the all-time series. Since the 2017-18 season, the Bobcats have won 14 of the 18 meetings including both games last season.
When facing ULM on the road, TXST is 12-19 all-time but have gone 6-2 over the last eight contests. The Bobcats won 67-54 last season in Monroe behind a 16-point output from Jordan Mason and a 15-point performance by Benson that saw him go 5-for-5 from the field and knock down four long-distance shots.
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