Deer Scores 15 As Bobcats Roll Past Sam Houston State

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Taeler Deer registered her sixth double-digit scoring performance of the season with 15 points to lead Texas State past Sam Houston State by a 69-46 final in women’s basketball action Monday evening.

Deer, who has led the Bobcats (4-6) in scoring four times this season, finished 5 of 10 from the floor while dishing out six assists. Also in double-figures for Texas State were McKinley Bostad and Ti’Aira Pitts with 11 and 12 points, respectively. Bostad was also the Bobcats’ top rebounder with a career-high seven caroms.

Texas State closed the game outshooting the Bearkats (0-10) 40.6 percent (28 of 69) to 28.6 percent (14 of 49). The Bobcats also outrebounded Sam Houston State 44-37 and outscored the Bearkats 36-10 in the paint.

Jennifer Oramas paced the Bearkats with a game-high 18 points on three field goals and a 10 of 11 effort at the free-throw line.

Texas State opened the game 5 of 5 from the floor with five different Bobcats finding the bottom of the net, establishing an 11-2 lead over the Bearkats. Texas State’s hot shooting would not continue as the Bobcats made just one of their next 13 attempts. However, the Bobcat defense limited the Sam Houston State offense to 25 percent shooting and forced seven turnovers en route to a 13-6 first quarter lead.

Both teams struggled to score in the early stages of the second quarter. Texas State led 21-15 when Pitts made a move down the lane for a layup off the glass at the 5:17 mark. The score sparked a 13-4 Bobcat run that left the home team up 34-19 at the intermission. The run featured scores by five Bobcats, including a pair of 12-foot jumpers by Whitney Apari.

Zandra Emanuel pushed Texas State ahead 41-29 with a pair at the free-throw line with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter; however, Sam Houston State would score the game’s next six points to trim the Bobcats’ margin to 41-35. Following a Texas State timeout Kaitlin Walla sank a 3-pointer from the left wing, Deer then converted an old-fashioned 3-point play and made her second triple of the game to reestablish the Bobcats’ double-figure lead at 50-35 entering the fourth quarter.

Sam Houston State’s Lydia Baxter split two free throws to open the fourth quarter’s scoring. Pitts answered with her fourth bucket of the night, Bostad hit a 3-pointer off an extra pass by Walla and a minute later Jones scored in transition to push the Bobcats’ lead to 21 points at 57-36. Sam Houston State would get no closer than 19 the rest of the way as Texas State picked up its fourth win of the season.

Texas State concludes its nonconference slate Thursday (Dec. 22) at North Texas. Tipoff is set for 5 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.