(Photo courtesy of TXST MBB)
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Led by junior guard Dimp Pernell with 19 points, he provided a spark for the Bobcats giving the ‘Cats extra fire power on offense that led the way to Texas State's victory on Wednesday night. 

“I feel very, very comfortable with the ball in his hands, I feel very, very comfortable with him playing without the ball,” Texas State Men’s Basketball Head Coach Terrence Johnson said. “He makes us better, his ability to get to his spots and make sound decisions.”

Pernell was joined by four other teammates in scoring double digits as Freshmen forward DJ Hall, Sophomore guard Franck Emmou, Junior guard Kaden Gumbs, and Senior center Makai Willis scored 11 points each.

Gumbs was the initial spark, scoring four early points to lead the charge for the 9-0 start for the ‘Cats’.

The entirety of the game the Bobcats led, even extending their lead as much as 17 points, making it challenging for UTSA to overcome.

The Roadrunners would still put up a fight, making a defensive adjustment around the eight-minute mark in the first half, switching to a 1-3-1 zone.

The zone stifled the ‘Cats momentum and allowed the ‘Runners to go on a 6-0 run and narrowed the lead to, 23-14.

However, it didn't take long for the 'Cats to figure out the zone to regain the offensive momentum.

“It was about getting the ball into the middle and attacking the gaps,” coach Johnson said. “When DJ (Hall) got in, we were able to hit the short corners and exploit the backside.”

A critical stat leading to the victory for the ‘Cats was the ability to hit the glass consistently and out rebound UTSA 47-33 despite the ‘Runner's size advantage.

“We know it was going to be hard to out-jump them, so it was about position rebounding,” coach Johnson said. “It's about being physical and carving out space.”

The Bobcats added two wins, one in their regular season record (2-2) and another in the rivalry series, closing the gap to 37-27 all time.

With four straight home games in the 11 days, the ‘Cats look to defend home court before heading to Vegas and participate in the Resorts World Classic.