| Senior Joey Shank scored a team-high 12 points on Wednesday. |
SAN MARCOS ? Brandon Bush posted a double-double with 28 points and 14 rebounds and UTSA could not overcome a cold night shooting the basketball, as Texas State defeated the Roadrunners, 80-66, on Wednesday night at Strahan Coliseum.
The Bobcats improved to 14-14 overall and kept their Southland Conference Tournament hopes alive by moving to 7-8 in league play. UTSA, already assured a tourney berth, fell to 17-11 and 8-7.
The Roadrunners shot a season-low 30 percent from the floor, making just 18-of-60 from the field, including 5-of-23 from behind the 3-point line. Senior Joey Shank and sophomore Devin Gibson scored 12 apiece to lead UTSA, while juniors Omar Johnson and Morris Smith IV added 11 and 10, respectively. Juniors Leslie Jackson (9) and Josh Bonney (8) combined for 17 rebounds, but the Roadrunners were outrebounded, 50-38.
Bush led three players in double figures for Texas State, as Brent Benson made five 3-pointers en route to 19 points, while Cameron Johnson tallied 10. The Bobcats shot at a 45-percent clip and made nine from downtown in their first series win since Jan. 26, 2008.
In a first half marred by 23 combined fouls, UTSA took a 24-14 lead at the midway point on a Gibson lay-up that capped a 13-3 run. Gibson scored six of his points to key the run.
The Bobcats clawed back into it by scoring the next eight points to pull within 24-22 and eventually took a seven-point lead on the way to holding a 37-32 halftime advantage.
UTSA shot just 34.4 percent in the first, including making 2-of-14 from behind the arc, and converted only 8-of-15 free throws.
Benson trey from the left wing at the 11:40 mark gave Texas State a 51-42 lead and he drained another 30 seconds later to answer a Gibson free throw and push the advantage to 11.
The Bobcats extended their lead to as many as 17 in the final minutes to even the season series.
The Roadrunners will host Stephen F. Austin in the final home game of the regular season on Saturday, March 7. Tip is set for 7 p.m. and the two seniors ? Travis Gabbidon and Joey Shank ? will be honored prior to the start of the game.