SAN MARCOS, Texas – In front of students from all around San Marcos ISD, Texas State Women's Basketball earned a 63-47 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to start the 2026-2027 season 3-0 for just the eighth time in program history.
Junior
Saniya Burks posted a season-high 26 points for the Bobcats (3-0 overall) while freshman
Addison Carr held it down at the post position with eight rebounds and five blocks against the Islanders (1-2 overall).
HOW IT HAPPENED
An unusually slow start for the Bobcats meant the first bucket of the day did not fall until the 6:50 mark in the first as the two teams traded blows three separate times before Texas State finished the first quarter with a two-point lead. The first quarter also saw Carr's first block and two rebounds and a crucial three-point block from junior
Emma Pique.
The second quarter saw a reduction in both teams' shooting percentages, but Texas State continued to add on another 12 points thanks to seven from Burks. Carr continued to dominate in the paint, adding another three rebounds to her total.
Through the first half, Texas State dominated TAMU-CC on a number of statistical fronts including points in the paint (14-8) and points from fast breaks (11-1).
Coming out of the break, the Bobcats erupted both offensively and defensively. Improving from a 36% (9-for-25) shooting percentage to a staggering 62.5% (10-16) including the first made three-pointer of the day from Burks. Burks also single-handedly scored more points in the third (13) than the entire Islanders team did in the third (11) thanks to a perfect 5-for-5 performance from the field.
The third also saw senior
Crystal Henderson come alive with nine points and three steals. At the boards, Carr added another two to her total while freshman
Hayden Hearst tallied two defensive rebounds of her own. As a team, Texas State forced a total of five Islanders' turnovers and four total steals.
The final segment of the day saw a quieter offensive performance from the Bobcats, but productive nonetheless as they added another 14 points to their total. Burks contributed seven of those points while Henderson was responsible for four. Half of Texas State's points in the fourth came off transition as seven of the 14 points were from the fast break.
Henderson was the most efficient shooter of the day with a 61% (8-13) performance from the field while Burks was responsible for two of Texas State's three, three-point shots. Burks was also the best Bobcat at the charity stripe, going 9-for-10 on the day.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Chris Kielsmeier on the Win Over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
"It's a pretty significant day for our program. We challenged our players today. Today's a day where you can really impact and give back to others. Every day you have that opportunity. There were a lot of kids out there that could be inspired by you. I felt like the first half we were just out of sync. Whether it was the early start or the environment, we hadn't practiced in the facility since Monday, all of that could be a challenge. There were a lot of factors that you just have to overcome, and I felt like we got in sync in the third quarter. Our defense kind of flexed, and we got our transition game going and closed it out in the fourth quarter. I'm proud of our players for a great week of prep. There's lots to learn from and get better with and that's the way you want it. You want to win the way we did and also feel like there's a lot of room for improvement. We'll be ready to go on Sunday."
NOTABLES
- With the win on Friday, Texas State opens the season with a 3-0 record for just the eighth time in program history.
- Saniya Burks's 26 points marks the third-straight game the junior has finished with 20 or more points.
- Addison Carr is just three games into her Texas State career and has already totaled 16 rebounds and eight blocks.
- 27 of Texas State's 63 points came during the transition. 21 of the remaining 36 points came from steals.
- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi grabbed more rebounds than Texas State, 35-29.
UP NEXT
Texas State hits the road next week to continue non-conference play against Incarnate Word on Nov. 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
