Sun Belt foes will lock horns when the Texas State Bobcats (10-12) take on the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (13-12) at Strahan Coliseum. The game begins at 8:30 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Bobcats come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, just getting past Appalachian State 69-68 in their last matchup. With 26 points and 12 rebounds, Emani Gant recorded his fifth double-double of the season. The Warhawks are coming off a 78-73 win against Arkansas State in their last outing. Majok Deng was the game’s top scorer, recording 27 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Warhawks winning the first matchup 72-59. Nick Coppola was a standout player in the game, producing 26 points, three rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three three-pointers.
The Bobcats are hoping to improve on their records of 10-12 Straight Up (SU) and 7-9 Against The Spread (ATS). The Bobcats have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 77.8 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 65.8 points per game. Turning to the defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Bobcats. The 63.9 points that Texas State’s defense allows per game makes them the 17th-ranked defense in the country. Texas State’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game.
Over on the other bench, Louisiana-Monroe has a SU record of 13-12 and an ATS record of 11-10. During the last 10 games, they averaged 64.0 PPG, below their 73.4 PPG season average.
With the Warhawks’ last win against Texas State, the two teams’ head-to-head record is now an even 5-5 SU in their most recent games. The Bobcats lead the matchup ATS with a record of 3-2. In these last five matchups, Texas State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice, with Louisiana-Monroe controlling all three of these areas one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – TxSt, ATS Winner – TxSt
Notes
Louisiana-Monroe averages 73.4 points per game, placing the team just 141st in the nation. Texas State ranks 17th in points allowed, giving up 63.9 points per game.
The Texas State Bobcats have a defensive rating of 98.3 (ranked 66th), while the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks have an offensive rating of 108.0 (ranked 122nd).
Louisiana-Monroe has an average field goal percentage of 45.6%. Texas State is an underachieving 3-10 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Texas State Bobcats and the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Texas State is 309th and 272nd in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Louisiana-Monroe ranks 136th and 101st in these categories.
On average, Texas State makes 6.6 steals per game. Louisiana-Monroe is a poor 4-7 when it gives up at least 6 steals.
