Texas State plays with a high level of reverence when it matches up with Little Rock.
The Trojans are the reigning Sun Belt regular season champions. They were the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament last season before the league suspended play. They roster three Preseason All-Sun Belt selections and are coached by someone who’s played at the highest level of the sport.
There’s a slim margin of error if a team is going to beat Little Rock. Yet, the Bobcats have done it three times this year, the most recent being a 57-47 victory inside Strahan Arena on Friday.
“We understand that that's the bar that we're trying to reach,” interim head coach Terrence Johnson said. “We try to address everyone the same. We do. Certainly, it's difficult to do that every time out. But certainly, against Little Rock, I would just say, if I have to put it in one word, I would say ‘respect.’”
But it’s not just respect for the Trojans that makes Texas State (12-6, 6-3 Sun Belt) so successful against Little Rock (10-8, 6-5). It’s respect for each other, too.
The visitors opened the game building a 12-6 lead by the 14:54 mark of the first half. The maroon and gold responded with a 23-4 run to leap in front by 13.
The Bobcats didn’t care who scored the ball on Friday — of the nine players that saw the court, eight scored points for the team. The one that didn’t, redshirt senior guard Marlin Davis, finished the night with a game-high five assists.
“From a coach's standpoint. I don't know if you could ask for more regarding the term 'complete team effort.' I thought our guys were locked in and focused from start to finish,” Johnson said. “I think their approach to the game was of the understanding that everything matters. That's been the thing that we've been preaching the most over the last seven, six days or so.”
The Trojans started pressing in the second half and capitalized on some of the hosts’ mistakes. Texas State committed nine turnovers in the period after giving up just three in the first half.
But the Bobcats stifled Little Rock on defense, too, keeping the team at 34.8% shooting from the floor in the half. The visitors cut the deficit down to 10 multiple times in the second, but never got it down to single digits, ending the game with the 57-47 loss.
“I'm extremely proud of them,” Johnson said. “I'm sure there are things that we can get better at, and we'll watch film. But for now, I'm just going to be proud of my team.”
Redshirt junior forward Alonzo Sule led the team with 10 points, followed by senior forward Isiah Small and junior guards Mason Harrell and Caleb Asberry with nine each. Senior guard Shelby Adams scored another seven and grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
Texas State and the Trojans return to Strahan Arena for the final game of the season series on Saturday at 4 p.m. Johnson hopes for more of the same from his players.
“I think it's going to take a very similar effort in tomorrow's game,” Johnson said. “Especially on the defensive end and on the rebounding, winning 50/50 balls and actually causing havoc by getting deflections.”
