Bobcats Survive North Texas’ Second-Half Rally

DENTON, Texas – Ericka May split two free throws with six seconds to play in regulation to lift Texas State to a 59-58 win at North Texas. The Bobcats led by as many as 23 in the first half but were forced to withstand a second half rally by the Mean Green.

Texas State (5-6) shot 66.7 percent (16 of 24), counted five 3-pointers and scored 21 points off 16 North Texas turnovers in the first half to build as much as a 23-point lead over the Mean Green. The Bobcats slowed in the second half as the Mean Green rallied to tie the game at 58-all with a minute to play. A combined three turnovers on the next three possession left the Bobcats with the ball and 28 seconds to play. May ended up with the ball and was fouled on a shot in the paint, setting up the junior’s heroics.

Ti’Aira Pitts, who made each of Texas State’s fourth-quarter field goals, led the Bobcats in scoring with a career-high 14 points on 5 of 8 from the field and 4 of 4 at the free-throw line. Toshua Leavitt also reached double-figures with 12 points on four second-quarter 3-pointers. Amber Jones scored 10 points, marking her second career double-digit scoring game. The Bobcats closed the game shooting 51.2 percent (22 of 43) from the field and outscored UNT by 11 off turnovers.

North Texas (3-8) was led by Terrell Bradley and Kelsey Criner with 19 and 16 points, respectively. After shooting just 31.6 percent in the first half, the Mean Green made 14 of their 29 second-half attempts to close the game at a 41.7 shooting percentage (20 of 48). UNT won the rebounding battle 28-25 and outscored the Bobcats 30-24 in the paint.

North Texas scored quickly off the opening tip, but Texas State replied with seven of the game’s next nine points as Pitts scored twice in the paint and McKinley Bostad connected on her 10th 3-pointer of the season. Two minutes later redshirt senior Erin Peoples, who was making her season debut after recovering from a knee injury sustained in Aug. 2015, forced a Mean Green turnover and converted the fastbreak layup for her first points since March 18, 2015. Texas State outscored North Texas 6-5 the rest of the quarter, establishing a 15-9 lead.

Texas State kept its momentum into the second quarter with Jones converting a layup and Leavitt knocking down a trio of 3-pointers, giving the Bobcats a 26-9 lead with 6:10 to go before the intermission. The Bobcats built a 22-point lead at 31-9, while holding UNT without a field goal for the first 5:15 of the quarter. Texas State would maintain its healthy lead throughout the remainder of the half and enter the dressing room with a 37-18 advantage.

The third quarter played at a much quicker pace than the first two as the teams combined for 41 points. North Texas outscored the Bobcats 24-17 in the period, but the Bobcats maintained a double-digit lead throughout. The Mean Green cut the TXST lead to 12 on a Bradley free throw at the 3:19 mark, but the Bobcats would outscore UNT 6-4 over the next two minutes. Bradley again cut the Bobcat lead to a dozen with two at the line late in the period, sending the game to the fourth with Texas State up 54-42.

Bradley hit a 3-pointer and a jumper to count five of North Texas’ fourth-quarter opening 7-2 run that cut the Texas State lead to 56-49. Each team then endured three-plus minute scoring droughts before UNT’s Criner scored a pair of free throws. Forty seconds later Pitts connected on an 18-footer. UNT’s Bradley then made a 3-pointer from the right wing, cutting the TXST lead to 58-54 with 2:00 remaining in regulation. Four free North Texas free throws and 59 seconds later the game was tied to set up the exciting finish.

Texas State takes the next week off for the Christmas holiday before opening Sun Belt Conference play on Dec. 29 at Strahan Coliseum against league newcomer Coastal Carolina. The opening tip between the Bobcats and Chanticleers is set for 7 p.m.

Sun Belt Conference Championship

• The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy.  New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12 and ticket books can now be purchased from the Texas State ticket office.  For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference’s championship central websites – Men’s Championship – Women’s Championship – and be sure to follow the @FunBelt on social media – @SunBelt.