SAN MARCOS, Texas – The final game of the regular season for the Texas State men's basketball team (18-12, 10-7 Sun Belt) takes place Friday night in Strahan Arena at 7 p.m. It is a big game with possible championship implications on the line against App State (19-11, 11-6 Sun Belt).
The Bobcats can finish anywhere from the No. 1 seed to the No. 8 seed depending on the result of the game and other contests from around the Sun Belt Conference.
Prior to the game, Texas State will recognize this year's five seniors: Jalen Bolden, Kyndall Davis, Mark Drone, Tay Knox and Makai Willis.
Fans can catch the action on ESPN+ and on the Varsity Sports Network with Karl Schoening on the call. Live stats will also be available.
About Texas State
Saturday saw TXST see its seven-game winning streak come to an end at Louisiana. The Bobcats return home where they are 15-1 on the season. With one more victory, they will set a new program season record for wins in Strahan Arena. Currently, Texas State is tied for fifth in the conference standings with Arkansas State and Coastal Carolina with the trio sitting a game behind App State, Marshall, South Alabama and Troy.
DJ Hall leads the squad with 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He is shooting 54.9% from the field, the second-best mark in the Sun Belt. The freshman has also recorded 67 assists and 42 steals.
Adding 13.7 ppg with 26 made three-pointers is Mark Drone. The senior has handed out 83 assists and is grabbing 3.4 rpg.
Kaden Gumbs comes in netting 9.0 ppg with 3.1 assists per contest. The junior leads the Sun Belt with 59 steals and is six shy of tying Texas State's season record. Franck Emmou has made a team-high 33 three-pointers having knocked down 41.8% of his shots from beyond the arc while scoring 7.6 ppg.
About App State
The Mountaineers come into Friday having defeated Georgia Southern 89-74 on senior night this past Saturday. With a win on Friday, App State will clinch at least a share of the Sun Belt's regular season title. The team is 8-7 when playing away from home this season with a 5-3 mark in conference play.
Kasen Jennings leads the team in scoring (15.4) and steals (32) while ranking second in made three-pointers (56) and assists (64). Alonzo Dodd is scoring 13.8 ppg with a team-high 47.1% shooting mark and has handed out 131 assists. Luke Wilson comes in putting up 10.7 ppg and grabbing a team best 7.9 rpg.
Of Jalen Tot's 86 made shots, 77 of them have come from beyond the arc. He is scoring 9.3 ppg and Michael Marcus, Jr. comes in putting up 8.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg.
The Mountaineers lead the conference defensively as they hold opponents to 39.4% shooting. Their biggest weakness is at the free throw line having made just 64.0%.
Series History
Texas State holds a slim 10-9 advantage in the all-time series. The teams have split the last eight meetings with all four victories for the Bobcats coming in Strahan Arena while the four losses were in Boone or at the conference tournament.
When playing App State at home, Texas State is 7-2 all-time. The Bobcats have won the last five contests in San Marcos with the most recent being a 63-56 result on Feb. 7, 2024. Last time TXST lost at home in the series was on Feb. 8, 2018 by a score of 59-56.
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