SAN MARCOS, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University men's basketball team (2-0) fell in an exhibition game at NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference member Texas State University by a score of 76-57 at Strahan Coliseum on Friday.
A turnover margin of 10-2 was the difference in the first half as Texas State outscored Texas Wesleyan 15-3 in points off of turnovers and led 39-27 at the break.
After the Bobcats scored the first 11 points of the game, the Rams settled down. Back-to-back threes from
Merv Lindsay cut the score to 13-8. The Rams got the margin all the way down to two, 27-25, with another triple from Lindsay late in the first half. The score was 29-27 with less than four minutes on the clock, when Texas State went on a 10-0 run to close the half.
The Rams battled hard early in the second half, but the Bobcats put together another run midway through the period. This time it was a 12-0 run spanning 3:34 that brought the score to 65-42 with 9:16 to play and all but put the game out of reach.
For the game, the Bobcats outshot the Rams 44%-38% from the field. The Rams won the battle-of-the-boards 38-36, but an 18-10 turnover margin led to a lopsided 27-11 count in points off of turnovers.
Sam Akano led the Rams with 16 points to go with six rebounds. Lindsay finished with 15 points and seven boards.
Chris Gracela grabbed 10 rebounds.
Four Bobcats reached double-figures in scoring led by Emani Grant's 16. JaMarcus Weatherspoon added 13, Wes Davis 11, and Ethan Montavalo 10 for Texas State.
The Rams will return to action Thursday and Friday at MidAmerica Nazarene's Jeff Uphaus Memorial Classic. They will take on Grand View College at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday in Olathe, KS. Friday's game is TBA.
Ramblings
- Texas Wesleyan's last win over an NCAA Division I opponent came in the 2011-12 season when they defeated Florida International University 72-68. The Rams have not played another Division I opponent since that season.
- The Rams are 3-6 all-time vs. Texas State.
- Next week's game against Grand View will be the first meeting between the two programs.
