MOBILE, Ala. – For just the fourth time this season, the Texas State women's basketball team overcame a six-point, halftime deficit to ultimately defeat the South Alabama Jaguars by a score of 46-44 at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala. The Bobcats have now won four out of the last five and six out of the last eight en route to their 13-8 overall record and 8-4 mark in Sun Belt Conference play.
Fourteen second half points by junior guard Ayriel Anderson propelled the Bobcats to the victory. She finished the contest with a floor-high 16.
The Bobcats got off to a quick start against the Jags as Meghan Braeuer knocked down a long three-pointer and Kileah Mays scored inside to give Texas State a 5-0 advantage.
South Alabama then answered that fast Bobcat start with a 19-6 run that was highlighted by a pair of three's by USA's Breanna Hall. In that span, the Bobcats had a period of over six minutes of scoreless basketball.
That scoring drought was snapped by Mays after she hit a jumper from the left elbow with 5:46 left on the clock.
After finding themselves down by as many as 11 with 5:58 remaining in the first, the Bobcats rallied to cut the halftime deficit to 24-18. The 18 points in the first half was the fewest scored this season, matching the total scored against UALR earlier on the conference slate.
Within four and a half minutes out of the break, the Bobcats had cut the South Alabama lead to just two after a 6-2 run. That run was capped by a three by Anderson.
Anderson continued to be key for the Bobcats as she proceeded to score seven of the first 10 points in the second half.
With 11:38 left in the game, Texas State regained the lead for the first time since early in the game on a lay-up by Ericka May. The Jaguars then answered and the teams would seesaw back-and-forth for the next few possessions.
Up two with 3:20 on the clock, Anderson hit another big three to give Texas State a two possession, five-point lead. A free throw by freshman Whitney Apari over a minute later gave Texas State its largest lead of six before the Jaguars began to rally.
South Alabama then rattled off a 6-0 run while forcing a pair of Bobcat turnovers en route to tying the game up at 44-all. With eight seconds left in regulation, Anderson nailed a pair of free throws to give Texas State its final lead of the evening.
Texas State finished the game with 45 rebounds compared to 42 by the Jags. Erin Peoples finished with eight points and Mays ended with a team-high nine rebounds.
The Bobcats will remain on the road this Saturday as Texas State will take on UALR at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark. at 3:00 p.m. Live stats, live audio, and live video will be available at www.txstatebobcats.com. A live broadcast of the game will be streamed at 89.9 FM KTSW.