Texas State notebook: Bobcats are surging up Sun Belt basketball standings

Keff Ciardello
·2 min read
Texas State guard Caleb Asberry shoots over LSU forward Mwani Wilkinson in November. Asberry, who's from Pflugerville High School, has averaged 20 points during the Bobcats' current three-game winning streak.
Texas State guard Caleb Asberry shoots over LSU forward Mwani Wilkinson in November. Asberry, who's from Pflugerville High School, has averaged 20 points during the Bobcats' current three-game winning streak.

SAN MARCOS — Texas State's men's basketball team jumped from 11th to tied for second in the Sun Belt standings after three straight wins, and the Bobcats could take sole possession of second place Saturday.

After home wins last week over Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana, the Bobcats beat Arkansas-Little Rock 69-59 on the road Thursday night. Texas State's three games before this winning streak had been canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the program.

Caleb Asberry led the Bobcats (12-4, 3-1) with 19 points in the win over Little Rock and has averaged 20 points over the last three wins. The Pflugerville High School product is Texas State's leading scorer, averaging 14.6 points, which is ninth in the Sun Belt.

On Saturday, the Bobcats will remain on the road to play Arkansas State — the other team tied with them for second place. Saturday's game will be the only matchup between the two teams this season. They are one game behind first-place Troy (13-5, 4-1), which will host Texas State in the regular-season finale Feb. 26.

Women’s basketball: Texas State had won two straight games before falling in dramatic fashion Thursday at Texas-Arlington.

The Bobcats (8-10, 3-3) led for most of the game and were up 67-64 with six seconds left before UTA pulled off the improbable 69-67 win.

UTA called timeout after Texas State guard Da'Nasia Hood's missed free throw, allowing the ball to advance to midcourt. UTA guard De'Sha Benjamin then hit a 3-pointer to tie it 67-67 with 2.7 seconds left. The Bobcats turned the ball over on the inbounds pass, and Benjamin was fouled with 0.9 seconds left.

She made both free throws to win the game.

Hood led Texas State with 22 points, her fifth straight 20-point performance. She's the Sun Belt's fourth-leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points. Benjamin led UTA with 21 points.

The Bobcats and Mavericks will have a rematch Saturday in San Marcos.

Football: Texas State has added two more transfers — Coastal Carolina tight end Donovan Johnson and Syracuse quarterback Dillon Markiewicz.

Johnson, who's from Plano, had one catch for 8 yards in two seasons with the Chanticleers. Markiewicz appeared in two games over two seasons at Syracuse. He played at McKinney North, and his twin brother, Austin, is a center for the Bobcats.

Austin Markiewicz is listed at 6 feet 4 and 300 pounds. Dillon Markiewicz is 6-5 and 230 pounds.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas State faces Arkansas State in battle for Sun Belt's No. 2 spot