Four Texan starters score in double figures in win over Chicago State

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STEPHENVILLE – The Texans remain undefeated at Wisdom Gym this season, capping off their non-conference schedule with a 73-63 win over Chicago State on Wednesday.

With the win, the Texans finish non-conference play with a winning record for the first time since becoming a Division I program.

“Great win for us,” said head coach Billy Gillispie. “Chicago State is a good team, has played against very good teams and had real chances against them.”

Tarleton (9-8, 2-2 WAC) got off to a hot start against Chicago State (4-15), picking up the first 10 points of the game. The Texans held the Cougars scoreless over the first three minutes of play and quickly built up a 15-3 lead.

The Texans’ defensive pressure to start the game put a drain on the Cougars’ ability to score. Chicago State didn’t pick up their 10th point until 10 minutes had passed. They shot 8-of-26 (.308) from the field in the first half, including 3-of-12 (.250) from beyond the arc. 

The Texans built their lead to as high as 17 points before a small run by the Cougars finished the half with Tarleton leading 37-24.

“Our swarming defense created by our ever-present effort made them not look great in the first half,” added Gillispie.

Tarleton returned to the court with the same intensity they began the game with, starting with an 11-4 run over the first five minutes which grew their lead to 20 points. 

“We played extremely hard and were very efficient on both ends – that was the real story of the game,” said Gillispie.

Both teams traded buckets for a large portion of the second half as Tarleton maintained a 20-point lead. As Tarleton earned their largest lead of the game at 58-36, the Cougars responded with a 14-2 run comprised of four straight three-pointers.

With the shift in momentum, Chicago State were nine points behind with only one minute remaining in the game. The Texans physicality in the paint earned them four trips to the charity stripe, wiping any sort of momentum the Cougars had built up. 

“It makes you proud as a coach that no matter what challenges you face, these guys always give their all,” said Gillispie.

Tarleton was led in scoring by KiAndre Gaddy with 15 points (5-7 FG), tying his season-high performance against Huston-Tillotson in December. He also grabbed seven boards and blocked three shots, including the last shot of the game by the Cougars, to put a stamp on the commanding Texan victory.

The Fireside District Player of the Game, Shamir Bogues, picked up 13 points (6-9 FG), a team-high eight rebounds and three assists. Texans Lue Williams and Shakur Daniel also picked up 13 points for the game with Daniel securing seven rebounds, all on the defensive side of the court. 

Noah McDavid picked up six points and Javontae Hopkins earned five points with two rebounds to boot. 

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