SAN MARCOS, Texas _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears opened both halves slowly Wednesday night and it cost them in a 94-63 loss to the Texas State Bobcats in Southland Conference action at Strahan Coliseum.
The Bobcats (9-14, 2-8) broke their six-game losing streak and the Bears (7-15, 2-8) extended their slide to six games. The 94 points was the most for the league’s top scoring team in SLC play this season, surpassing a 79-point effort the Bobcats had against league-leader UT Arlington.
For the second straight game, the Bears had to overcome a big early deficit just to stay in the game, this time trailing 11-0 through the first four minutes. Mark Rutledge made a free throw to finally get the Bears on the board at the 15:53 mark. UCA, behind the aggressive play of junior forward Jarvis Garner, cut the deficit to seven points once and nine points a couple of times before the Bobcats outscored the Bears 8-2 in the final 2:30 to grab a 47-32 halftime lead.
Garner had 12 points and 9 rebounds in the first half to lead the Bears, who missed their first six field goal attempts of the game.
“We didn’t come out focused early in the game and they took it right to us,’ said UCA head coach Corliss Williamson. “They took us completely out of the game mentally. It seemed like we had no fight tonight, and I’m not sure where that came from.
“I was very disappointed to see how we started this game, and how we played through the course of it.’
The home team then came out of the locker room at halftime with a pair of three-pointers by senior guard Brooks Ybarra to quickly push its lead to 19 points in the first three minutes. An 8-0 run put the Bobcats up 63-38 with 13:50 remaining before Reid Koenen and Travis Jones made back-to-back three-pointers for a 30-point margin.
Texas State shot 62.1 percent from the field in the second half and made 5 of 8 from three-point range. UCA shot 41.7 percent in the second half but just 36.2 percent for the game. UCA also turned the ball over 18 times, with Texas State scoring 30 points off those miscues. UCA was 1 of 8 from three-point range after halftime. The Bobcats’ lead reached as much as 36 points in the second half.
“There’s the game right there, turnovers,’ said Williamson. “We preach it every day, we have to find a way to take care of the basketball. You can’t turn the ball over. It’s hard enough when you’re at home and turn the ball over, but when you’re on the road, that’s when you definitely have to take care of the basketball.
“You have to keep them out of their rhythm and keep their crowd out of it. We didn’t do that, and they didn’t even pressure us. That’s the frustrating part about it.’
Garner, a sophomore from Conway, finished with 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season. Junior Robert Crawford was the only other UCA player in double figures with 12 points, including a pair of threes. Ybarra led the Bobcats with 21 points, hitting 7 of 11 overall and 5 of 6 from beyond the arc.
“Jarvis played well tonight,’ said Williamson. “He was able to hit some shots offensively and he stayed on the boards throughout the game. That’s the one thing I’ve challenged him with, to come in and be a better rebounder for us. Jarvis fought, he fought the entire game. But that’s pretty much our only bright spot tonight.
The Bears return home to face the McNeese State Cowboys at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Farris Center.
