Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up: Bobcat Basketball, Soccer And Track & Field

Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up:
Bobcat Basketball, Soccer And Track & Field

UTSA’s backcourt explodes to help earn 77-71 win over Texas State

SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) – Junior guard Jhivvan Jackson poured in a season-high 33 points and hit the key shots in a late run to give UTSA (3-6) a 77-71 victory over Texas State (6-4) on Saturday evening at Strahan Arena. It is the Bobcats’ first loss at home this season.

Senior guard Nijal Pearson hit a 3-pointer to give Texas State a 48-45 lead with 14:10 remaining in the game. The Roadrunners responded, however, with a 10-0 run, with five of them from Jackson, to regain a 55-48 lead with 10:14 left and never looked back.

Jackson made half of his 26 shots, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, and added seven rebounds and three steals for the Roadrunners. Junior guard Keaton Wallace pitched in with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists, while freshman guard Erik Czumbel scored 11 points.

Sophomore guard Mason Harrell topped the Bobcats with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Sophomore guard Caleb Asberry sank 7-of-12 shots and scored 18 points, while Pearson added 15 points and seven rebounds.

TEAM NOTES

• Texas State shot 45.4 percent from the floor (25-of-55), marking the third time in four games that the Bobcats have shot over 45 percent. They also had a .412 (7-of-17) clip from behind-the-arc but shot 63.6 percent (14-of-22) at the charity stripe.
• UTSA shot 47.5 percent from the floor (28-of-59) which is a season-high of any Texas State opponent this year. They also made 11 3-pointers which is the second-most of any Bobcat opponent this year (Air Force, 12) and was 10-of-14 from the free-throw line.
• Texas State was outrebounded for the fifth time this season (1-4) and it was the first time this season the Bobcats’ bench did not outscore their opponent (8-8).
• The Bobcats drop back-to-back games for the first time this season.
• UTSA improves to 36-27 vs. Texas State in the all-time series and have won four of the last five meetings played in San Marcos.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Harrell had a career day with 19 points behind three made 3-point field goals. He finished with three assists and two rebounds.
• Asberry scored a season-high 18 points and also hit three triples in the game. He finished with four rebounds as did junior forward Isiah Small.
• Pearson has scored 15 or more points in five consecutive games and had a game-high seven rebounds while matching Harrell’s three assists.
• UTSA’s Jackson dropped 21 points on 9-of-16 field goals and led all players with five rebounds in the first half. He became the first opposing player to score 30-plus points since Ty Cockfield for Arkansas State scored 39 on Feb. 14, 2019. Jackson also had seven rebounds.
• In addition to Wallace’s 15 points, the Roadrunners’ backcourt scored 65 percent of the team’s total points. Wallace also had a game-high four assists.

UP NEXT

Texas State ends its nonconference schedule vs. Bethany College at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15 at Strahan Arena.

QUOTABLE

Head coach Danny Kaspar

“It was a very disappointing loss for us. We could not stop their [UTSA] big two in Jackson and Wallace. Wallace scored his average, but Jackson went 10 points over. I also do not like where our rebounding is right now. We are getting out rebounded too much and need more inside help in both rebounding and scoring.”

Track and Field opens 2019-20 schedule at Navy Invitational

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The 2019-20 indoor track and field season begins for Texas State as they are set to compete at the Navy Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Wesley A. Brown Field House. The meet will start at 9:30 a.m. with the men’s weight throw and the running events will start at 11 a.m. with the men’s 5,000-meter run.

The Bobcats are one of six competing programs including Georgetown, Morgan State, Navy, Penn, and William and Mary. Live results will be made available by M&D Timing and the meet schedule can be found below:

Meet Schedule

Field Events

• 9:30 a.m. – Weight Throw (M)
• 10:00 a.m. – Long Jump (M/W, two runways); High Jump (M)
• 11:00 a.m. – Pole Vault (W)
• 11:15 a.m. – Weight Throw (W)
• 1:30 p.m. – Shot Put (M); Triple Jump (M/W, two runways)
• 2:00 p.m. – Pole Vault (M)
• 2:30 p.m. – High Jump (W)
• 3:30 p.m. – Shot Put (W)

Running Events

• 11:00 a.m. – 5,000m Run (M)
• 11:20 a.m. – 5,000m Run (W)
• 11:45 a.m. – 1-Mile Run (M)
• 12:00 p.m. – 1-Mile Run (W)
• 12:30 p.m. – 60m Hurdles (M – prelims)
• 12:45 p.m. – 60m Hurdles (W – prelims)
• 1:00 p.m. – 60m Hurdles (M – finals)
• 1:05 p.m. – 60m Hurdles (W – finals)
• 1:10 p.m. – 60m Dash (M)
• 1:30 p.m. – 60m Dash (W)
• 1:50 p.m. – Kids vs. Mids Race
• 2:05 p.m. – 400m Dash (M)
• 2:25 p.m. – 400m Dash (W)
• 2:45 p.m. – 500m Dash (M)
• 3:00 p.m. – 500m Dash (W)
• 3:15 p.m. – 800m Run (M)
• 3:25 p.m. – 800m Run (W)
• 3:35 p.m. – 1,000m Run (M)
• 3:45 p.m. – 1,000m Run (W)
• 3:55 p.m. – 200m Dash (M)
• 4:20 p.m. – 200m Dash (W)
• 4:50 p.m. – 3,000m Run (M)
• 5:05 p.m. – 3,000m Run (W)
• 5:25 p.m. – 4x400m Relay (M)
• 5:50 p.m. – 4x400m Relay (W)

The Bobcat women are the reigning Sun Belt Conference Indoor Champions and have won the last three titles. They ended 2019 at the conference championships where they totaled 128 points. The men placed third in the championship meet with 119 points.

PREVIEW: Bobcats, Roadrunners meet for I-35 rivalry contest

SAN MARCOS, Texas– The Bobcat faithful will get a taste of rivalry basketball in December as Texas State (6-3) host UTSA (2-6) in the annual I-35 rivalry game at 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at Strahan Arena.

FOLLOW ALONG

• ESPN + vs. UTSA: PXP: Brant Freeman, Analyst: Suzanne Fox
• Listen vs. UTSA: AM 1300 The Zone, 89.9 KTSW, TuneIn App – Bill Culhane
• Live Stats vs. UTSA: Statbroadcast

SETTING THE SCENE

• Texas State’s four-game winning streak ended after a hard-fought 68-60 setback at Houston.
• The Bobcats still have a five-game winning streak at home intact to start the season that they will put on the line. This is the first of two games remaining in nonconference play with both games being played in San Marcos.
• Defense continues to be the battle cry for the Bobcats as they hold their opponents to 59.7 points per game, a mark that ranks No. 9 in the nation. They lead the Sun Belt field goal percentage defense (.353) and rank No. 2 with 36 total blocks.
• Offensively, Texas State is averaging 71.0 points per game behind a 46.2 field goal percentage (No. 3 in the Sun Belt), leading to an 11.3 scoring margin that leads the league and sits at No. 73 in the NCAA. The Maroon and Gold have improved in their free-throw shooting and total 142 free-throws made (leads the Sun Belt) and have a 73.6 free-throw percentage that is No. 2 in the league.
• Senior guard Nijal Pearson is No. 3 in the Sun Belt with 18.0 points per game behind a 43.8 field goal percentage and .362 clip from 3-point range. He also averages 4.3 rebounds per game and has 14 assists, nine steals and five blocks on the year.
• Sophomore guard Mason Harrell follows with 10.2 points per game and leads the team with an efficient 57.9 field goal percentage. He also shoots 80.8 percent at the charity stripe and has 27 assists and nine steals.
• Junior forward Isiah Small ranks No. 4 in the Sun Belt with 7.9 rebounds per game and is third in the league with 5.8 defensive rebounds per game. Small also joins senior forward Eric Terry in the top five of the conference with 1.3 blocks per game (No. 5). Terry is forth with 1.6 swats per game. Small averages 6.9 points and Terry has 5.6 on average.

PEARSON RECORD TRACKER / NOTABLES

• Pearson is one of 10 active NCAA players across all divisions with 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds.
• Pearson has 1,683 career points that rank No. 3 all-time in TXST history and No. 23 among active players in the NCAA across all divisions. He is 159 points shy of passing former Bobcat Travis Cornett (1970-74, 1,841 points) for No. 2 all-time.
• The Beaumont, Texas native has 147 career steals, ranking No. 5 in school history (Ryan White No. 4, 154).
• Pearson has 611 career rebounds that rank No. 14 all-time in the program’s history (Charles Spurlin No. 13, 618). Pearson is on pace to finish his career in the top 10 in total rebounds for Texas State.
• Pearson was named to the Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List on Nov. 5. Pearson appeared on the Lou Henson Mid-Season Watch List last year. He was also picked as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in a couple of publications including the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Street & Smith’s.
• Pearson was tabbed to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team by the league office after garnering All-Sun Belt First Team honors in the 2018-19 season.

SCOUTING UTSA

• UTSA is 2-6 on the year but comes off a 22-point victory vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (89-67) on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
• The Roadrunners have lost seven consecutive road games dating back to last season and are 0-5 this year. Their other win this year was a 90-68 decision vs. Wiley College against Wiley College at the UTSA Convocation Center.
• UTSA has a 79-72 loss to Prairie View A&M (Nov. 30) on its resume this year. Texas State defeated PVAMU 75-48 on Nov. 12.
• Overall this season, the Roadrunners average 71.1 points per game and shoot .387 from the floor, .293 from behind-the-arc, and .776 at the free-throw line. They surrender 77.4 points per game and their opponents have shot 47.4 percent from the field. They do, however, force 13.1 turnovers per game which is the third-most in Conference USA.
• Junior guard Jhivvan Jackson ranks No. 5 in the nation with 23.9 points per game and his 191 total points are the ninth-most in the nation. He shoots 38.6 percent from the floor, 27,6 from 3-point land, and averages 4.6 rebounds per game to go along with 14 total assists and 11 total steals.
• Junior guard Keaton Wallace follows with 15.1 points per game and averages 5.1 rebounds. Wallace leads the team with 34 assists and 20 steals.

SERIES HISTORY

• This will be the 63rd meeting between the two teams.
• UTSA leads the all-time series 35-27 but the teams are 5-5 in the last 10 games head-to-head.
• Texas State narrowly defeated UTSA last season, 69-68 in San Antonio.
• In last year’s game, Person led all players with 26 points with half of his 10 made field goals coming from downtown.

UP NEXT

The Bobcats will have an eight-day break before they play its final nonconference game vs. Bethany College at 5 p.m. on Dec. 15 at Strahan Arena.

Bobcats knocked out of the NCAA Tournament after four-set loss to UC Santa Barbara

AUSTIN, Texas – Arguably the toughest first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament saw Texas State (24-9, 14-2 Sun Belt) season end as they dropped a 3-1 decision to UC Santa Barbara (23-5, 12-4 Big West) Thursday night at Gregory Gymnasium. The Bobcats turned in their seventh consecutive winning season and made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2004-05.

“Tonight, we got beat by a better team,” said head coach Karen Chisum. “We did not play our best at all and could have been the better team on another night. The third set looked like the Bobcats I know but UC Santa Barbara just pushed harder tonight so hats off to them. But even though we fell short, this season was not a disappointment. Back-to-back conference champions with NCAA Tournament appearances is something for these kids to hold their head high about. Of course, I am disappointed for our seniors and I thank them for all of their contributions. But as I look ahead to the future, our returners bring a lot of talent to the 2020 team and I like our recruiting class. The Bobcats will be back.”

Although a hard-fought battle, Texas State was outhit by UC Sant Barbara .245-.169 and logged 61 kills to the Bobcats’ 46. The Gauchos also held the advantage in assists (53-44), digs (70-54), and blocks (10-6). The Bobcats did have eight aces to the Gauchos’ six.

Sophomore outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald led the Bobcats with 12 kills (.267) and had three digs and two blocks. Senior outside hitter Cheyenne Huskey followed with nine kills but paced the way with three aces. She also recorded five digs and one block. It was the first time in 13 matches that Huskey was held under 10 kills. Sophomore setter Emily DeWalt finished with a math-high 38 assists and had six digs, two kills, an ace, and a block. Sophomore middle blocker Jillian Slaughter led the team with four blocks and matched freshman outside hitter Caitlan Buettner with seven kills. Junior libero Brooke Johnson led the team with 13 digs.

Senior outside hitter Lindsey Ruddins and freshman outside Tallulah Froley each turned in 18 kills for UCSB to lead all players. Ruddins hit .275 and registered a double-double with 13 digs and finished the match with two blocks, an ace, and one assist. Froley had a .394 hitting percentage and had three blocks. Sophomore setter Olivia Lovenberg had 30 assists, while freshman setter Romoni Vivao turned in a double-double with 19 assists and 11 digs. Sophomore libero Zoe Fleck had a match-high 26 digs and junior middle blocker Rowan Ennis led the team with five blocks and had eight digs.

Set 1
Both teams were neck-and-neck through the early portion of the set, but the Gauchos put together a 6-1 run to take an 11-8 lead, forcing the Bobcats to use their first timeout of the match. Texas State responded by scoring six of the next eight points out of the break to gain a 14-13 advantage. The teams would go back and forth with four ties, including at 20-20 before Santa Barbara closed out the set with a 5-1 burst to take the opening frame 25-21.

Set 2
Senior defensive specialist Micah Dinwiddie’s ace sparked a Bobcat 6-2 scoring run to give the visiting team a 9-5 lead, forcing the Gauchos into a timeout. UCSB would battle back and cut the deficit to one at 13-12, but a Bobcat 6-1 run gave them a 19-13 lead that pressured the home team into their final timeout. Santa Barbara came back with another push, however, scoring six unanswered points to tie the set at 19 and eventually took the lead 21-20 after an ace by Senior outside hitter Torre Glasker. UCSB took a 2-0 lead after winning the stanza 25-21 and ultimately closed the set on a 12-2 run.

Set 3
The Gauchos started early by scoring the first three points, but the Bobcats answered by scoring the next four to take the lead and led 10-7 when Santa Barbara called its first timeout of the set. The Bobcats led by as many as six points (19-13) and avoided the sweep with a 25-20 win. Texas State hit .286 in the set and had three aces to the Gauchos’ one. Both teams finished with 14 kills and Fitzgerald led the Bobcats with four.

Set 4
Although Texas State struck first, UC Santa Barbara rattled off six straight points to force the Bobcats to burn their first timeout and led 12- 6 when they decided to spend its second. The Gauchos continued to pile on by using a 7-0 run to take a 19-6 lead and ultimately won the set 25-14.

CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America® Honors for Martin

AUSTIN, Texas – With the announcement by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) of the 2019 Academic All-America® Division I women’s soccer teams on Thursday, history was made for the Texas State. Senior goalkeeper Heather Martin was named to first team to become the first student-athlete in program history to make the top team.

“It is truly an honor to receive this award. Without my teammates and everyone involved in my academic and athletic career pushing me to be better every day, none of this would be possible,” said Martin. “Thank you to all of you and to CoSIDA for allowing me this amazing opportunity.”

It is the second straight year that the Midlothian, Texas native has been named to an Academic All-America® team after earning second team accolades in 2018. She is just the second-ever female Bobcat student-athlete (Kristen Zaleski, softball, 2003-04) to earn multiple Academic All-America® honors and the seventh all-time overall at TXST.

Martin’s selection makes it three consecutive years that a Bobcat soccer student-athlete is an Academic All-American. Texas State is one of six schools to have at least one selection the past three years along with Alabama, Memphis, Navy, Penn State and Stanford.

“Heather is very deserving of being named to the Academic All-America First Team. She excels at everything she does,” said head coach Kat Conner. “Her work ethic and competitive spirit are apparent both in the classroom and on the field. Heather epitomizes what I look for in a prospective soccer recruit and is a role model for her teammates and for future Bobcat soccer players.”

Martin boasts a perfect 4.00 GPA and is majoring in psychology. She is a three-time Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List and Texas State Star of Excellence recipient. All six semesters Martin has been named to the Texas State Dean’s List.

Back in early September, she received the Texas State University System Foundation Regents’ Student Scholar Award. Regents’ Scholars are selected by the chancellor based on outstanding academic achievement and scholarship, leadership abilities and contributions to the institution and their community.

This season on the pitch Martin started all 19 matches in goal and helped the Bobcats post a 9-7-3 record. Her 0.47 GAA and .893 save percentage, fifth highest in the nation, are both the second-best marks in a season in program history behind her record-setting 2018 campaign. She also posted seven shutouts and made 67 saves.

Martin concluded her Texas State career with a program record 0.73 GAA, .858 save percentage and nine draws. She is second in the Bobcat career record book for saves (279), wins (34), shutouts (22) and minutes played by a goalkeeper (5,636).

The senior was the only player from the Sun Belt Conference on one of the three teams. Martin is also one of only three female soccer players from the state of Texas on any of the NCAA Division I, II, III or NAIA Academic All-America® teams.

The teams are voted on by members of CoSIDA and recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

2019 CoSIDA Division 1 Soccer Academic All-America® Teams: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/txstate.sidearmsports.com/documents/2019/12/5/2019_DI_Soccer_AAA.pdf

Bobcats’ win streak comes to a halt in Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) – A tight game saw a four-game winning streak for Texas State (6-3) end as they were topped by Houston (4-2) 68-60 Wednesday night at the Fertitta Center.

The Cougars’ sophomore guard Quentin Grimes led all players with 21 points while senior guard Nijal Pearson finished with 17 to lead the Bobcats.

Although the Bobcats went into intermission with a 29-28 lead, the turning point came when the Cougars ended the first half on a 5-0 burst and picked up where they left off by opening the second half on a 5-2 run, giving the home team a 33-31 lead that they would not relinquish. The Bobcats trimmed the lead to one-point on three different occasions but was not able to get over the hump.

Junior forward Fabian White Jr. had 15 points for Houston, sophomore guard Nate Hinton added 14 points and junior guard DeJon Jarreau had 12.

Sophomore guard Mason Harrell added 11 points, while sophomore forward Alonzo Sule rounded out the Bobcats’ top scorers with 10 points.

RECORDS & SERIES NOTES

• The Bobcats are now 13-2 vs. Houston in the all-time series.
• It was the Bobcats first loss this season when leading at halftime (4-1).
• Pearson has 1,683 career points after the game at Houston and needs 159 more to move to No. 2 on the all-time scoring list.
• Pearson now has 611 career rebounds (No. 14 in program history), 317 career made free-throws (No. 6 in program history), and 147 career steals (No. 5 in program history).

TEAM NOTES

• Texas State’s largest lead of the night came in the first half with the score at 29-23 with 1:117 remaining in the half prior to Houston’s 5-0 run.
• Texas State held Houston well below its 86.0 scoring average and turned the Cougars over 11 times that translated into 13 points.
• The Bobcats were edged in field good percentage (.360-.340), 3-point field goal percentage (.280-.250) and free-throw percentage (.780-.720). The teams were tied in points in the paint (18) and fast-break points (11).
• The Cougars outrebounded the Bobcats 43-35. UH pulled down 14 offensive rebounds and had 12 second-chance points to TXST’s three. TXST is now 1-3 this season when outrebounded.
• The Bobcats were outscored 40-31 in the second half.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Pearson has scored 13 or more points in every game this season and. He also recorded two rebounds and two steals.
• Harrell logged his fifth straight game with 10 or more points after scoring 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting in the setback. He led the Bobcats with four assists.
• Sule dropped 10 points, marking the second straight game the Houston native scored in double figures. He along with Junior forward Isiah Small paced the Bobcats with five rebounds. Small added seven points and a team-high two blocks.
• Although held scoreless, Houston’s senior center Chris Harris Jr. had a game-high 12 rebounds and six blocks. Nine of his rebounds and all six blocks came in the second half.

UP NEXT
Texas State returns to San Marcos for the I-35 rivalry vs. UTSA at 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Strahan Arena.

WHAT THEY SAID

Head coach Danny Kaspar

“Our guys played very hard and our defense overall was pretty good. Houston’s size advantage hurt us, particularly on the offensive boards. I was proud of our effort tonight, however, and we lost a close one on the road to a very good basketball team.”

PREVIEW: Bobcats ready to battle UC Santa Barbara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament

SAN MARCOS, Texas –Texas State (24-8) will make it’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend and will open the single-elimination tournament with a first-round 4:30 p.m. match on Dec. 5 at Gregory Gym vs. UC Santa Barbara (22-5). It is the Bobcats’ first back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004-05.

For the second consecutive year, the Bobcats opening round match will be hosted by Texas who is the No. 2 seed this year. The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to Friday’s 7 p.m. second-round tilt against the winner of Thursday’s 7 p.m. draw between Texas (21-3) and Albany (16-10). The Bobcats are a combined 20-51-2 all-time vs. this group of teams (0-1 vs. Albany; 20-47-2 vs. Texas; 0-3 vs. UC Santa Barbara).

The first and second-round matches will be streamed on the Longhorn Network and live stats will be provided at texastatebobcat.com.

ABOUT TEXAS STATE

Texas State is the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament champions for the second straight season. After posting a 14-2 conference record, the Bobcats went on to sweep Troy in the semifinals and defeated Coast Carolina 3-1 in the championship to secure the automatic bid.

The Bobcats rank No. 24 in the NCAA with a .163 opponent hitting percentage thanks to 241 total blocks (2.11/set). Offensively, the Bobcats hit .236 and average 12.94 kills per set, 12.03 assists per set, and 1.55 aces per set.

The 2019 All-Sun Belt First Team selection and tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Cheyenne Huskey leads the Bobcats with 3.68 kills and 0.48 aces per set (No. 19 in the NCAA). Huskey’s 54 total aces rank No. 14 in the nation and she also adds 2.25 digs per set and 65 total blocks. Sophomore setter and 2019 Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Year Emily DeWalt directs the offense with 10.25 assists per set and has 37 aces this season (0.33/set). DeWalt’s 1,158 total assists are No. 38 in the nation and she also contributes 75 kills, 50 blocks, and 2.31 digs per set to her season totals.

Other key players for the Bobcats consist of junior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott and sophomore outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald. Both were selected to the All-Sun Belt Second Team. Scott paces the team with 1.12 blocks per set (114 total blocks) and a .333 hitting percentage. In 102 sets played, Scott has 197 total kills. Fitzgerald is second on the team with 2.83 kills per set and has 60 total blocks in 2019.

SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA

The Bobcats aspire to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season but will have to get past the Gauchos who have a No. 34 RPI ranking, four slots behind the Bobcats. UCSB finished third in the Big West Conference with a 12-4 conference record and received an at-large bid to make its first appearance in the tournament since 2013. They are one of three schools from the Big West to make the tournament, joining league champion and 12th seeded Hawai’i, and at-large selection Cal Poly.

UCSB led the Big West in assists per set (12.90), kills per set (13.82), and hitting percentage (.255), all of which ranks No. 31, 32 and 37 in the NCAA, respectively. Defensively, the Gauchos hold opponents to a .182 hitting percentage this year and register 2.46 blocks per set. Both marks were second best in the Big West.

Lindsey Ruddins led the conference with 4.42 kills per set (No. 23 in the NCAA) and averages 2.62 digs per set this year. Ruddins also has 60 total blocks and seven aces. She is followed by Tallulah Froley who has 2.95 kills per set behind a .307 hitting percentage and adds 60 total blocks as well. Rowan Ennis and Deni Wilson are the defensive anchors with 1.20 and 1.05 blocks per set, respectively. Ennis has a team-high .330 hitting percentage behind 174 kills and has 17 aces. Meanwhile, Wilson has 145 total kills with a .300 attack percentage. Olivia Lovenberg and Romoni Vivao quarterback the offense with 6.21 and 4.98 assists per set, respectively. Lovenberg has 20 kills, and 19 aces on the year, while Vivao has a team-high 27 aces to go along with 18 kills.

SERIES HISTORY

Texas State and UC Santa Barbara will meet for the first time since Sept. 20, 2008, and the time before that dates back to Sept. 12, 1991. The very first meeting was Sept. 8, 1988. The Gauchos won all three matches in straight sets on a neutral floor. This will be the first meeting, however, in the NCAA postseason tournament.

Bobcats heading to Austin for first two rounds of NCAA Tournament

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State (24-8) will make it’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend and will open the single-elimination tournament with a first-round 4:30 p.m. match on Dec. 5 at Gregory Gym vs. UC Santa Barbara (22-5). The Bobcats have reached the NCAA Tournament for the third time since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2013.

For the second consecutive year, the Bobcats opening round match will be hosted by Texas who is the No. 2 seed this year. The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to Friday’s 7 p.m. second-round tilt against the winner of Thursday’s 7 p.m. draw between Texas (21-3) and Albany (16-10).

The team who wins both matches will move on to regional play Dec. 13-14. Regionals for the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship will be held at four non-predetermined campus sites, which will be announced after the first two rounds. Four teams will compete at each site in the single-elimination regional semifinal competition. The complete 2019 NCAA bracket can be found here (PDF).

Regional winners will advance to the national semifinals and championship final at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Dec. 19-21. The semifinal matches will broadcast on ESPN and the championship match will broadcast on ESPN2.

PREVIEW: Bobcats head to Houston for final nonconference road game

SAN MARCOS, Texas– Texas State (6-2) will play the final road game of its nonconference slate vs. Houston (3-2) at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Fertitta Center. Strahan Arena.

FOLLOW ALONG

• ESPN 3 vs. Houston PXP: David Saltzman, Analyst: Reid Gettys
• Listen vs. Houston: AM 1300 The Zone, TuneIn App – Bill Culhane
• Live Stats vs. Houston: Statbroadcast

SETTING THE SCENE

• Texas State is on a four-game winning streak after defeating Hartford 69-55 on Saturday, Nov. 30. The Bobcats ended the Southwestern Showdown with a perfect 4-0 record.
• Senior guard Nijal Pearson was named the tournament’s MVP after averaging 17.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He was joined by sophomore guard Mason Harrell and sophomore forward Alonzo Sule on the all-tournament team who averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 points per game, respectively.
• Texas State sits atop the Sun Belt Conference with a 6-2 record. They lead the league in field goal percentage defense (.353), scoring defense (58.6 ppg), and scoring margin (13.8). In these categories, the team ranks No. 9, 22, and 51, respectively, in all of NCAA Division I basketball. The team also has a 47.7 percent field goal percentage (No. 2 in the Sun Belt).
• Pearson is No. 2 in the Sun Belt with 18.1 points per game and rank No. 9 with a 45.5 field goal percentage. He also averages 4.6 rebounds per game and has 13 assists, seven steals and five blocks on the year.
• Harrell follows with 10.1 points per game and leads the team with an efficient 59.2 field goal percentage and 45.5 percentage from behind-the-arc. He also shoots 81.8 percent at the charity stripe.
• After logging his second career double-double and first for the 2019-20 season, Sule averages 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Sule finished with 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds vs. Hartford.
• Junior forward Isiah Small ranks No. 3 in the Sun Belt with 8.3 rebounds per game and is tied at No. 2 with 6.0 defensive rebounds per game. In addition to scoring five points and a team-high three steals vs. Hartford, Small pulled down 10 rebounds, marking the first time the Bobcats ended a game with two players with 10 or more rebounds since Dec. 16, 2015, when Anthony Roberson (12) and Emani Gant (11) did it vs. Prairie View A&M.
• Senior forward Eric Terry is third in the conference with 1.8 blocks per game and is joined by Small in the top 10 with 1.3 swats per game (No. 5). Terry also averages 5.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

PEARSON RECORD TRACKER / NOTABLES

• Pearson is one of 10 active NCAA players across all divisions with 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds.
• Pearson has 1,666 career points that rank No. 3 all-time in TXST history and No. 23 among active players in the NCAA across all divisions. He is 176 points shy of passing former Bobcat Travis Cornett (1970-74, 1,841 points) for No. 2 all-time.
• The Beaumont, Texas native has 145 career steals, ranking No. 5 in school history (Ryan White No. 4, 154).
• Pearson has 609 career rebounds that rank No. 14 all-time in the program’s history (Charles Spurlin No. 13, 618). Pearson is on pace to finish his career in the top 10 in total rebounds for Texas State.
• Pearson was named to the Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List on Nov. 5. Pearson appeared on the Lou Henson Mid-Season Watch List last year. He was also picked as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in a couple of publications including the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Street & Smith’s.
• Pearson was tabbed to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team by the league office after garnering All-Sun Belt First Team honors in the 2018-19 season.

SCOUTING HOUSTON

• Houston is coming off a 112-73 triumph over Houston Baptist at home on Nov. 26. They are 3-2 overall this season with wins vs. Alabama State (84-56) and at Rice (97-89). The Cougars only home loss to date was a one-point setback vs. BYU on Nov. 15 (72-71) and they fell at Oregon 78-66 on Nov. 22.
• The Cougars have a top 10 offense that averages 86.0 points per game (No. 8 in the NCAA) behind a 48.3 field goal percentage and 36.8 3-point field goal percentage. They lead the Big 12 with 43.20 rebounds per game (No. 3 in the NCAA) and outrebound their opponents by 12.4 boards which is the fifth-best margin in the nation. They also lead the conference with the fewest total turnovers (56).
• Defensively, Houston gives up 73.6 points per game, allowing its opponents to convert on 43.0 percent of their field goals, including a .390 clip from downtown.
• Houston has six players averaging 10 or more points, beginning with sophomore guard Quentin Grimes’ 16 points on average. Grimes shoots 51.9 percent from the floor and leads the team with 19 assists. He also averages 4.0 rebounds per game and has four steals. Junior forward Fabian White Jr. follows with 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game to go along with a 54.0 field goal percentage and six total blocks.
• Freshman guard Caleb Mills adds 11.8 points per game, and junior guard DeJon Jarreau, sophomore guard Nate Hinton, and freshman guard Marcus Sasser chip in 10.8 points, 10.6 points, and 10.2 points per game, respectively. Hinton nearly averages a double-double with 9.0 rebounds per game and leads the Cougars with seven steals, while Sasser leads the Big 12 with a .500 clip from 3-point range (15-of-30).
• Houston is picked to repeat as the American Conference regular-season champions after setting a school record last year with 33 wins and claimed its first regular-season title outright since 1984. The Cougars were an NCAA Tournament team last year and reached the Sweet 16 where they were defeated by Kentucky, 62-58. Jarreau was named to the league’s Preseason First Team after averaging 8.7 points and 3.3 assists per game a year ago.

SERIES HISTORY

• Houston has a 12-2 advantage in the all-time series.
• The last meeting was Nov. 8, 2013, when the Cougars defeated the Bobcats 76-70.
• Texas State has never defeated Houston in Houston.

UP NEXT

The Bobcats will return home and end their week with a 4 p.m. tip-off Dec. 7 at Strahan Arena vs. UTSA.

Davis and Kondikoff Picked to United Soccer Coaches All-Region Teams

SAN MARCOS, Texas – For the second straight year, two Texas State soccer players were named to one of the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Teams on Monday. Jordan Kondikoff was a first team honoree and Kaylee Davis received third team accolades.

Kondikoff became the second player in program history to earn first team all-region honors with her selection. She helped lead the Bobcats to a 9-7-3 record this season and playing 1,695 minutes, the second most on the team. The junior netted two goals and assisted on one more to finished tied for second with five points.

Both of Kondikoff’s goals came in a 5-0 win over ULM on the road with her second score coming via a penalty kick. Her lone assist came on Senior Day against Georgia Southern. It was the Mesquite, Texas native’s 11th career assist, tied for the 11 most in program history.

Her performance on the pitch saw her be named to the All-Sun Belt First Team. It was the third straight year Kondikoff was an all-conference selection after making the second team as both a sophomore and junior.

Davis became the first player in program history named to an all-region team twice in her career. The Allen, Texas native was named to the first team last year.

The 2019 campaign saw Davis lead the team with eight goals while adding three assists. Her five match-winning goals, 19 points, 77 shots and 32 shots on goal also paced the squad. She set a new TXST record with three made penalty kicks.

Davis recorded three braces with two coming against Sun Belt Conference opponents. Her two goals against Houston Baptist both came from the penalty spot as she became the first Bobcat to ever convert multiple penalty kicks in a match.

The senior forward received All-Sun Belt First Team decorations for the third consecutive year. She is the first Texas State player since joining the Sun Belt to make three straight all-conference first teams and the fifth all-time.

Bobcats heading to Austin for first two rounds of NCAA Tournament

SAN MARCOS, Texas –Texas State (24-8) will make it’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend and will open the single-elimination tournament with a first-round 4:30 p.m. match on Dec. 5 at Gregory Gym vs. UC Santa Barbara (22-5). The Bobcats have reached the NCAA Tournament for the third time since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2013.

For the second consecutive year, the Bobcats opening round match will be hosted by Texas who is the No. 2 seed this year. The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to Friday’s 7 p.m. second-round tilt against the winner of Thursday’s 7 p.m. draw between Texas (21-3) and Albany (16-10).

The team who wins both matches will move on to regional play Dec. 13-14. Regionals for the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship will be held at four non-predetermined campus sites, which will be announced after the first two rounds. Four teams will compete at each site in the single-elimination regional semifinal competition. The complete 2019 NCAA bracket can be found here.

Regional winners will advance to the national semifinals and championship final at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Dec. 19-21. The semifinal matches will broadcast on ESPN and the championship match will broadcast on ESPN2.