Texas State men’s basketball extended its win streak to seven games Thursday, gutting out a 90-82 overtime win over South Alabama to stay alive in the race for the Sun Belt’s regular-season title.
With the Bobcats leading by five, Jaguars forward Adam Olsen nailed a 3-pointer to close the deficit to 74-72 with 37 seconds left in regulation. They quickly fouled Texas State guard Mark Drone, who missed one of two free throws. South Alabama guard Jalen Cooper tied the game with nine seconds left on another 3-pointer, and after breaking up Texas State’s final offensive possession, the game went into OT.
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However, the Bobcats remained calm and leaped out to a five-point lead. When South Alabama closed to 82-79 with 1:45 left, Texas State guard Franck Emmou responded with a 3-pointer. After a dunk by center Stephen Williams made it 85-81, Texas State forward DJ Hall iced the game with 26 seconds left on a mid-range jumper.
Texas State will take on Louisiana Saturday before returning to San Marcos for the regular season finale against Appalachian State. Here are some takeaways from Texas State’s win.
Franck Emmou, DJ Hall lead the way
A bottle’s worth of ink has been spilled about Hall’s exploits as a freshman. His ascendance continued Thursday night, as he led Texas State with 24 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-16 shooting.
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Emmou, meanwhile, has been a wildcard for the Bobcats. He began the year in the starting lineup, and it’s easy to see why. He’s the team’s best shooter and has a deep bag of moves he loves to dive into. The problem for him has been playing within the flow of the offense, as he attempted to figure out the difference between a shot he should take and a shot he can take.
The Jaguars made 9-of-21 attempts from three, but Emmou responded by making 5-of-8 of his 3-point attempts. In a game where guards Kaden Gumbs and Mark Drone had inefficient shooting nights, Emmou’s offensive punch proved invaluable.
Texas State Bobcats guard Franck Emmou (2) drives to the hoop past Texas A&M San Antonio Jaguars forward Fotis Hristopoulos (33) during the second half as the Bobcats play the Jaguars at Strahan Arena in San Marcos, Nov. 5, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Robert Fields’ relentlessness
Texas State center Robert Fields isn’t the most polished player; that much is clear. What the freshman is, is relentless, and his effort on both ends of the floor led to a career-high 15 points along with eight boards.
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Fields often looks like a flail of limbs when he’s going up for an offensive rebound. Yet he always seems to come down with it, leaving teams with no choice but to hack at him to avoid an easy basket. Fields made 7-of-10 free throws against South Alabama and has scored double-digit points in two consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Tay Knox still offers more as a defensive rim deterrent thanks to his veteran experience and athleticism. But Fields’ unyielding energy has been a key weapon for Texas State’s rotation.
Dominating the interior
The Jaguars shot 55% from the field to 48% by the Bobcats. Texas State led South Alabama in defensive rebounding, but only by a slim margin — 26-to-24. The key difference was the Bobcats’ offensive rebounds, as they won that battle 11-to-2 and recorded nine second-chance points while the Jaguars had none.
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South Alabama could not stop Hall, Fields or Knox from controlling the glass. They fouled the Bobcats 23 times, while Hall and Fields recorded eight offensive rebounds and shot 20 free throws combined.