When it mattered most, Texas State’s seniors came through against Georgia State.
With the game knotted at 74-74 late in Saturday’s game, Bobcat senior guard Nijal Pearson knocked down a jumper to give his team the lead. Senior forward Eric Terry followed moments later with a strong move to the hoop. He got the bucket to go and was fouled. Terry nailed the And-1 shot and put Texas State on top 79-74 with 1:16 remaining in the contest.
The Bobcats never surrendered the lead and grabbed an 86-76 win over the Panthers, securing sole possession of second place in the Sun Belt in the process.
“It’s just part of the game. It’s just what you got to do if you want your team to win,” Pearson said of the senior’s key baskets late in Saturday’s game. “It didn’t mean more because it was senior day or less because it was senior day. It’s just let’s find a way to win, make big buckets and win the game.”
Texas State (19-10, 12-6 Sun Belt) built a big lead early against Georgia State (18-11, 11-7). Terry contributed the first four points for the Bobcats. Pearson added a jumper to give his squad a quick six point advantage.
Texas State saw itself up 18-5 just six minutes into the game. But the Panthers slowly worked their way back into Saturday’s contest. Georgia State cut the Bobcat lead down to four points several times in the opening half but Texas State took a 46-38 lead into the intermission.
The Bobcats held a seemingly comfortable 11 point lead twice in the second half. Georgia State, however, turned the tide, whittling Texas State’s lead down to single digits and eventually tying the game at 74-all with 3:27 remaining in the second half.
Pearson and Terry wouldn’t be denied on senior night, though. The duo led the Bobcat defense to a shutdown performance in the final minutes. Georgia State was held scoreless for nearly two minutes down the stretch, allowing Texas State to build a comfortable lead.
“It was winning time,” Pearson said. “It’s just as simple as that. It’s time to win and play some defense. We didn’t get a lot of stops this game, so we got them when we needed them.”
Pearson and Terry closed out senior day with their fourth consecutive win inside Strahan Arena in front of 2,718 fans clad in maroon and gold.
“We just somehow found a way to pull it through,” head coach Danny Kaspar said. “I thought Eric Terry had a monster game and I’m so happy for him in his last game at home … I don’t think Nijal had one of his best nights but that’s going to happen from time to time because people key in on him so much. But it was a great day. A good crowd and great game for them to watch.”
Terry terrorized Georgia State inside throughout Saturday’s game, constantly powering his way past defenders and finding his way to the bucket. He tallied 20 points and grabbed four rebounds.
“I just made plays for my teammates, being aggressive and just finding a way to win the game,” Terry said. “I didn’t care if I was on the bench, I wanted to win the game. So, for me to just make plays for my team, it really makes me proud due to the fact that we got that win.”
Pearson finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Caleb Asberry added 13 points. Redshirt sophomore forward Alonzo Sule amassed 12 points and three rebounds, while junior guard Shelby Adams had 11 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Texas State closes out the regular season on the road, beginning with UT Arlington (13-16, 9-9) on Friday at 8 p.m. inside College Park Arena on ESPN 2.
The Bobcats know the No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt tournament is in their possession. They’re focused on keeping it that way — one game at a time.
“We know if we take care of our business everything will fall into place,” Pearson said. “So, just one game at a time. Win that game. Look to the next game. Just keep winning the games.”
