Texas St opens Sun Belt with 73-66 win Coastal Carolina

Mar 7, 2018, 07:58 pm

NEW ORLEANS -- Reserve Eric Terry scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and ninth-seeded Texas State ended a nine-game losing streak on Wednesday with a 73-66 win over eighth-seeded Coastal Carolina in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

Nijal Pearson led the Bobcats (15-17), who play top-seeded Louisiana on Friday, with 20 points. Tyler Blount added 14 points and Tre Nottingham 10.

Blount hit a 3-pointer and Pearson had a 3-point play in a late 8-0 run that helped Texas State take a 32-28 lead at the half. They followed that with a 16-2 run early in the second half with Nottingham's 3-pointer making it 48-32.

The lead was 54-40 after Terry's basket with 10:16 to play but Texas State didn't make another basket until Terry scored at the 2:23 mark. The Bobcats missed six shots and had three turnovers but they were also on their way to making 18 of 21 free throws in the second half, with two of the misses coming in the final minute.

Overall, Texas State went 22 of 26 from the line to 11 of 14 for Coastal Carolina.

Jaylen Shawl led the Chanticleers (14-18) with 27 points and Zac Cuthbertson had 19.