Sun Belt foes will lock horns when the Arkansas State Red Wolves (11-16) face the Texas State Bobcats (11-13) at Convocation Center. Action begins at 8:35 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 25 and can be seen on ES3.
The Red Wolves are hoping to rebound after their 69-61 loss to Georgia State in their last matchup. Anthony Livingston had a good outing, recording 17 points and eight rebounds for Arkansas State. The Bobcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 61-57 win against Louisiana-Lafayette in their last game. Emani Gant was the game’s top scorer, accounting for 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
It will be a showdown of conflicting tempos, as the up-and-down Red Wolves (ranked 35th in the nation in possessions per game) will look to push the slow-paced Bobcats (338th in possessions per game).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Bobcats winning the first matchup 78-68. Despite the loss, Sean Gardner had a standout performance with 26 points, one rebound, three assists, two steals, one block, and three three-pointers.
Notes
The Texas State Bobcats have a defensive rating of 98.9 (ranked 72nd), while the Arkansas State Red Wolves have an offensive rating of 101.3 (ranked 260th).
Arkansas State has an average field goal percentage of 41.8%. Texas State is a losing 5-12 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Arkansas State Red Wolves and the Texas State Bobcats both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Arkansas State is 306th and 284th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Texas State ranks 313th and 273rd in these categories.
Arkansas State, the 44th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.8 per game. Texas State does worse, ranked 160th with 3.5.
Texas State ranks 122nd in offensive rebounds, while Arkansas State ranks at third in defensive rebounds.
The Texas State defense has forced an average TO% of 22.6% this season (ranked 12th). In games where it gives up a TO% of 23% or greater, Arkansas State has a losing 1-4 record.
