Women’s Basketball Edges Past Texas A&M Commerce At Home

Strahan Coliseum fell silent when Erin Peoples, senior guard, went down with an ankle injury Sunday against Texas A&M Commerce.

Peoples was leading the Bobcats with 18 points in a close game when she was assisted by trainers to the locker room.

“I haven’t actually had a chance to talk to Darcy Downer, our athletic trainer,” Coach Zenarae Antoine said. “My assumption is that she’ll still be okay, but she’s still going to travel with us.” Despite her absence, Texas State held on to the lead to defeat the Lions, 74-69.

Meghan Braeuer, senior guard, played a key role in maintaining the lead by finishing the game with a team-high 22 points on 11 field goal attempts. “I just try to make sure every shot I take is a good shot and not force anything,” Braeuer said.

Although the Bobcats were able to pull off the win, Antoine was not pleased with the defensive effort. The Bobcats allowed 38 points in the paint and four Lions finished in double-figures. “That’s just not going to get it done,” Antoine said. “We have to figure out a scheme to help stop the bleeding in that particular area.”

Antoine did note that she is pleased with other parts of the defense, namely help defense and rebounding, which they emphasized in practice.

What the game ultimately came down to was the free throw line. The Bobcats attempted 22 free throws compared to the Lions’ eight free throw attempts. Ayriel Anderson, junior guard, created free throw attempts by pushing the pace in transition. Anderson converted all six free throws to finish with 13 points. “Growing up I’ve always been a good scorer, but I’ve also had the ability to make good passes,” Anderson said. “We continue to practice pushing the ball in transition and I like to reward my wings.”

The Bobcat are heading into the Stetson Hatter Tournament Friday with a 4-3 record, drawing Bethune-Cookman University and Stetson University in Deland, Florida.

“Our mindset going into the tournament is going to be our on-the-road defense,” Antoine said. “My goal for us is to come out of it 2-0.”

Donavan Jackson is a sports reporter for the University Star where this story originally published. It is reprinted here through a news partnership between the University Star and the San Marcos Corridor News | @CorridorNews | @Corridor_Sports