Dec. 15, 2005
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JuShay Rockett's last-minute bucket and a strong defensive stand by the Bobcats allowed Texas State to capture its first victory of the season by a 58-57 margin against The University of Texas-Pan American at the UTPA Fieldhouse on Thursday (Dec. 15).
With less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Bobcats took over the lead at 56-55 following a free throw by Jeremy Johnson. It was the first time since the 6:21 mark in the first half that Texas State held an advantage over the Broncs on the scoreboard.
The Broncs were able to recapture the lead on the following possession as Kano Edwards (Bridgeport, CT/Western Nebraska C.C.) was fouled by Trevor Cook and went to the free throw line for a pair of shots. Edwards was able to connect on both charity attempts, which gave the Broncs a 57-56 lead with 59 seconds remaining in the game.
Texas State wasted about half the time needed on the shot clock to retake the lead as Rockett received a pass from Chris Langhorne on the baseline and hit a quick jumper over the heads of Edwards and Derrick East (Binger, OK/Lookeba-Sickles H.S.) to give the Bobcats a 58-57 lead with 39 seconds remaining in the game.
With 13 seconds left in the game, the Bobcats were able to force a turnover by Danny Puente (McAllen, TX/McAllen Memorial H.S.), but couldn't convert on the other end of the court as Cook stepped out of bounds before attempting a lay-in to insure the lead for Texas State. However - there was to be no miracle for the Broncs as a half-court shot by Puente as time expired bounced off the back of the rim.
"Our guys have to learn how to play to win instead of playing not to lose," said head coach Robert Davenport. "This is probably the most painful loss that I've ever had in my career. I need to do a better job of making the guys accountable in order for them to be successful."
The Broncs had an opportunity to shut the door on the Bobcats early in the second half as UTPA took a 12-point lead at 45-33 when sophomore Dexter Shankle (Katy, TX/James E. Taylor H.S.) converted on one of two free throws. However - the lead was squandered as the Broncs committed 11 turnovers in the final 15:01, which allowed the Bobcats ample opportunities to get back into the game.
Trevor Cook and Jeremy Johnson combined to lead the Bobcats with 17 and 16 points, respectively, and played a major role in Texas State's 25-12 run at the end of the game to seal the victory. Cook also added 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and one steal in 35 minutes of action.
As a team, Texas State shot 45.7 percent (21-46) from the field, including eight three-pointers in the contest. Despite shooting a dismal 57.1 percent (8-14) from the free throw line, the Bobcats were able to pull out their first victory of the season.
Shankle finished with a team-high 14 points while Johnathan Chatman (Chicago, IL/Sheridan College) and Edwards added 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Broncs. Puente also added a career-high seven points, three steals and one assists in 25 minutes of work.
The Bobcats improved their record to 1-7 on the season while the Broncs dropped their sixth straight game - which matches their longest losing streak of last season - and fell to 2-8 on the season.
The Broncs will be back in action on Tuesday (Dec. 20) at Stephen F. Austin with game time set for 7:00 p.m.
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