January 20th, 2011
White double-doubles in Bobcat win

STAFF REPORT

Ryan White scored 22 points and made 11 assists Wednesday night as the Texas State men’s basketball team beat Sam Houston State, 95-91.

A Strahan Coliseum crowd of 2,150 saw the Bobcats battle uphill to prevail in a tight struggle. Texas State improved to 7-10 overall and 2-1 in the Southland Conference, while Sam Houston dropped to 9-8 and 2-2.

Sam Houston held an 18-7 lead six minutes into the game and the Bobcats chipped away very gradually, at last tying the game at 51-51 two minutes into the second half. The lead changed four times in the next four minutes before Sam Houston stayed slightly ahead for almost all of the following ten minutes.

But once Travis Jones made a three-point shot for the Bobcats with 3:48 remaining, they were finally ahead again, and Sam Houston would never again take the lead. Down the stretch, the Bobcats led by as much as 92-86.

Two free throws by Josten Crow brought the Bearkats within 93-91 with 14 seconds left, but White responded with two free throws after a quick foul. Sam Houston missed two cracks at a three-pointer on a final trip down the court before time expired.

White, a 38-percent field goal shooter this year, took only seven shots in his 28 minutes. But he made four of those (including two three-pointers). Better still, he went to the free throw line and dished the ball around. He made 12 of 14 free throws and helped five Bobcats reach double figures.

J.B. Conley scored 19 points for the Bobcats, followed by Jones with 15, Cameron Johnson with 14 and Uriel Segura with 12. Conley, Johnson, White and Tony Bishop all had five rebounds.

Gilberto Clavell of Sam Houston State led all scorers with 26 points, followed by Crow with 23.

The Bobcats will play again Saturday at Texas-San Antonio (7 p.m.).