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PENSACOLA, Fla. – Texas State senior forward Da’Nasia Hood charted a game-high 33 points and the sixth-seeded Bobcats led wire-to-wire in an 80-66 victory against 11th-seeded South Alabama on Wednesday in the third game of the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at the Pensacola Bay Center. 

Hood recorded the first double-double of this year’s tournament, also finishing with a game-high 13 rebounds in 35 minutes of action for Texas State (15-13).  It marked Hood’s eighth double-dip of the year. 

The Bobcats advance to the quarterfinal round to face third-seeded Louisiana. Tip-off is slated for Friday at 5 p.m. CT at the Pensacola Bay Center and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

Texas State featured a balanced attack in Wednesday’s victory as six players scored six or more points apiece. Senior guard Kennedy Taylor also scored in double figures with 13 points to complement a game-high eight assists. Taylor reached the 1,000-point mark for her career in the game.

For the game, Texas State shot 50.8 percent (31-of-61) from the field, while South Alabama connected on 50 percent of its shots (25-of-50). The Bobcats out-rebounded the Jaguars 35-27. 

South Alabama (8-18) was led by graduate forward Jaylin Powell’s team-high 19 points, which moved her past 1,000 for her career. Dee Haymer (11) and Mahogany Vaught (10) also scored in double figures.