Texas State uses 23-2 run to snap UTA win streak
SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) Kavin Gilder-Tilbury scored 21 points and added four steals and Texas State snapped UTA's 11-game win streak with an 81-73 win on Saturday night.
Ojai Black finished with 16 points and six assists, while Nijal Pearson had 14 points for the Bobcats (9-6, 2-1 Sun Belt). Texas State shot 55.1 percent from the field and hit 22 of 28 at the free throw line while holding the Mavericks to 42.1 percent and just 25 percent from 3-point range.
UTA (12-4, 2-1) held an eight point lead (50-42) with 16:32 left in the game, but the Bobcats quickly responded. Gilder-Tilbury drilled a 3-pointer, sparking a 23-2 Texas State avalanche which gave the Bobcats a 65-52 lead.
Two Kevin Hervey free throws managed to get the Mavericks to within single digits (74-66) with 2:41 left, but they got no closer.
Hervey scored 25 points to lead UTA.
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Shaw's 5 3s help Coastal Carolina top Arkansas St 80-65
CONWAY, S.C. (AP) Jaylen Shaw made five 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, both career highs, and Demario Beck recorded a career-best 15 rebounds to help Coastal Carolina get past Arkansas State 80-65 on Saturday.
Shaw, who only missed once from long range, added a team-high five assists for the Chanticleers (7-9, 2-1 Big South), who hit 14 from the arc and never trailed. Elijah Wilson made five 3s and scored 19 points.
Coastal Carolina opened the game on an 11-0 run. Arkansas State (11-5, 2-1) got within three on Salif Boudie's dunk to make it 23-20 with 5:29 left in the first half, but the Chanticleers pushed it to a seven-point lead at halftime and were never seriously threatened the rest of the way.
Jahmiah Simmons scored a career-high 14 points for the Red Wolves. Rashad Lindsey and Deven Simms added 10 apiece.
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Louisiana tops ULM 69-60
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) Jay Wright scored 16 points, Bryce Washington added 10 more to go with a career-high 21 rebounds and Louisiana held off ULM for a 69-60 win Saturday night.
P.J. Hardy chipped in 14 points and Johnathan Stove had 10 for Louisiana (12-4, 2-1 Sun Belt), which went cold in the second half and had to scramble to protect its lead. The Ragin' Cajuns hit just 9 of 26 from the field in the second half but dominated at the line, 18 for 25 to ULM's 5 of 14 overall.
ULM (6-10, 0-3) opened the second half with a 15-3 run to erase a 12-point deficit and tied the game at 44 with 15:37 left. Justin Miller's layup ended the scoring drought and put Louisiana on top for good, 46-44, but the Warhawks stayed within striking distance until the final two minutes.
Marvin Jean-Pierre's 16 points led three ULM players in double figures.
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Shoshi leads Little Rock down stretch, beats Appalachian St. 76-68
BOONE, N.C. (AP) Lis Shoshi scored 15 points and made key plays down the stretch to lift Little Rock to a 76-68 victory over Appalachian State on Saturday.
Shoshi made a pair of free throws to give Little Rock a 64-63 lead with four minutes left. He then blocked two shots, made two jumpers and assisted on a Deondre Burns 3-pointer. Shoshi was 6 of 10 from the floor, and finished with six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Marcus Johnson Jr. had 20 points to lead Little Rock (11-5, 2-1 Sun Belt). Burns made four 3-pointers and had 16 points.
Griffin Kinney scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Appalachian State (5-9, 0-3). Tyrell Johnson also had 14 points and Ronshad Shabazz chipped in 12.
Little Rock made 13 of 16 free throws while the Mountaineers were 11-of-17 shooting from the line.
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Georgia State trips S. Alabama 78-77 with 8 straight points
ATLANTA (AP) Devin Mitchell made only one basket Saturday, but it was the winner as he hit a 3-pointer lifting Georgia State to a 78-77 win over South Alabama.
Georgia State rallied with an 8-0 run over the final 1:13. Mitchell scored all six of his points in the rally, kicking it off with three foul shots, Malik Benlevi added two more from the line as the Panthers (8-6, 1-1 Sun Belt) closed to 77-75.
Georgia State called time after South Alabama missed and then suffered a turnover, and Mitchell hit the winner from the corner with 11 seconds left.
The Jaguars (8-7, 1-1) broke a 68-68 tie on a Shaq Calhoun layup off a Dederick Lee steal and Ken Williams pushed the lead to 77-70 with a 3-pointer after a Calhoun steal.
Calhoun finished with 20 points and Josh Ajayi 17.
Georgia State's D'Marcus Simonds missed a third straight game with a knee bruise. Benlevi scored 19, Jeff Thomas and Jeremy Hollowell 15 each.
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Brown scores 24 as Georgia Southern beats Troy, 86-82
STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) Tookie Brown made 11 of 13 free throws and finished with 24 points to lead five Georgia Southern players in double figures and the Eagles beat Troy 86-82 on Saturday night.
Ike Smith had 13 points, Mike Hughes scored 12, Jake Allsmiller added 11 points and B.J. Gladden added 10.
Devonte Boykins made a layup and then a 3-pointer to give Georgia Southern (9-6, 2-0 Sun Belt) the lead, 25-21, for good with 5:50 left in the half.
The Eagles led 37-31 at the break and Shawn O'Connell's jumper with 15:21 remaining gave the Eagles their biggest lead of the game, 55-40, but Juan Davis Jr.'s 3 pulled the Trojans within four with 6:58 to play and a 15-8 spurt trimmed Troy's deficit to 81-77 with 57 seconds left.
Brown and Allsmiller combined to make 5 of 6 free throws from there to seal it.
Davis hit five 3s and scored 21 points, both career highs, for Troy (8-8, 0-2). Jeremy Hollimon added four 3-pointers and 20 points.