Women’s Basketball Bobcats Quiet The Jaguars

The Bobcats will be back to host Troy in the second game of the set with the Sun Belt’s Alabama schools on Jan. 6 inside of Strahan Coliseum.

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State women’s basketball team (9-5, 2-1 SBC) toppled South Alabama (9-5, 2-1 SBC), 78-63, in the team’s Sun Belt Conference home-opener on Thursday evening at Strahan Coliseum. The Bobcats have won all five conference home openers since joining the Sun Belt in 2013-14.

“We came into this game knowing that rebounding was going to be huge for us,” said head coach Zenarae Antoine. “In eight of South Alabama’s nine wins coming into tonight, they won the rebounding battle. We grabbed 16 offensive boards, which means our girls understood the magnitude of the rebound tonight. It was really good to see that. ”

Outside of rebounding, the biggest point driven home by the Bobcat coaching staff was making sure the team was able to start fast. The message was received as TXST leapt out to a 24-12 lead after the first quarter of action, and extended the lead to 45-26 heading into the halftime break. Ti’Aira Pitts came up big for the Bobcats in the opening half of play, scoring 11 of her 14 points. The senior forward canned both of her 3-point attempts and connected on 3-of-4 shots from the free throw line.

The Jaguars made a run in the third quarter, pulling within five a handful of times late in the quarter, but Texas State scored the final four points of the frame and clung to a nine point lead heading into the fourth. Toshua Leavitt, fresh off of a career-high 34 points against Coastal Carolina, poured in 14 points in the fourth quarter, allowing TXST to surge to a 15-point victory.

Leavitt led all scorers with 28 points. She has notched at least 20 points in six games this season, including each of the last two ball games for the Bobcats. The hot shooting she displayed against the Chanticleers continued as the junior guard buried 6-of-13 shots from behind the 3-point line. The game marked the sixth occasion in which she has made at least six 3-point attempts. Leavitt has already connected on 62 triples this season, the sixth highest season total in Bobcat basketball history. In career, the sharpshooter has made 179 3-point attempts, which ranks second in school history. She trails only Sarah Wagner, who knocked down 196 from 1996-2000.

Senior guard Taeler Deer was honored prior to the game for becoming the 16th player in Texas State women’s basketball history to eclipse 1,000 points. She responded with a near triple-double, tallying 11 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Her seventh assist of the contest placed her in rarified air as she became the third Bobcat in program history to score at least 1,000 career points and dish out 300 or more career assists. Shelley Borton was the first to achieve this feat, scoring 1,893 points and dropping 595 dimes in her illustrious career.

More recently, Ayriel Anderson scored 1,149 points and gave out 348 helpers during her four years in a Bobcat uniform. Deer has amassed 1,018 points and added 301 assists to her career stat line.

Brooke Holle rounded out the Bobcats to reach double figures in the scoresheet. The sophomore guard hauled down six rebounds and grabbed a pair of steals in the contest. Ericka May stuffed the stat sheet, collecting 11 rebounds, dishing out six assists and ripping three steals.

The Jaguars were led by Savannah Jones, who tallied 19 points and four steals off of the South Alabama bench. Chyna Ellis registered a double-double with 11 points and 13 boards in a losing effort.

The Bobcats will be back to host Troy in the second game of the set with the Sun Belt’s Alabama schools on Jan. 6 inside of Strahan Coliseum. Tip is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live via the WatchESPN app.

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