EDINBURG, Texas- Texas-Pan American guard Brandon Provost scored a team-high 17 points, but the Broncs could not find consistent offense, as they shot just 31% from the field in a 76-63 loss to the Texas State Bobcats Saturday night at the UTPA Fieldhouse.

Saturday's game was a physical one that saw 50 combined fouls called. The Broncs (1-4) had a lot of trouble dealing with the physical play of Texas State. The Bobcats (2-1) forced 20 UTPA turnovers, which they converted into 23 points. The Broncs shooting struggles began in the first half as they shot just 23% from the field

The Broncs fought to keep within striking distance of the Bobcats. After falling behind by nine points at 24-15 on Tony Bishop's lay-up at the 7:27 mark of the first half; the Broncs followed with a 10-4 run capped off by a Provost three-point shot as the Broncs trailed by only three at 28-25. The Bobcats answered back with a 7-0 run, as Rios closed out the half with a lay-in that gave the Bobcats a 35-25 halftime advantage.

At halftime, legendary former Bronc Head Coach Sam Williams was honored, as the Sam Williams Court Floor was re-dedicated in his honor. Several members of the 1963 NAIA Pan American College National Championship team were on hand to present Coach Williams with the original banner than hung in the Fieldhouse rafters. Coach Williams was also bestowed the honor of Head Coach Emeritus, an honor held at UTPA by only one other person, former baseball coach Al Ogletree.

In the second half, Travis Jones hit a Bobcat three-pointer with 11:59 remaining in the game, to run the Texas State lead to 52-34, an 18-point advantage, and their largest lead of the game. The Bronc chipped away at the lead to pull within 11 with 2:30 remaining on a Jared Maree three-pointer at 71-60. That's as close as UTPA would get as they dropped their second straight home contest.

Provost also hauled in a team-high eight rebounds, to go along with his 17 points to lead for the Broncs. Aaron Urbanus scored 12 points and tallied three steals defensively for UTPA. Ruben Cabrera chipped in with nine points and six boards.

The Bobcats' Eddie Rios led Texas State in scoring with 20 points off the bench. Tony Bishop finished a pair of rebounds shy of a double-double scoring 15 points. A.J. Stewart scored nine points and hauled in nine boards, while Cameron Johnson scored nine with seven boards. The Bobcats won the rebounding battle 51-37 on Saturday.

The Broncs continue their four-game home stand on Tuesday night when they host Lamar. Tip-off at the UTPA Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7:00 PM