Texas State men’s basketball’s run in the Sun Belt Championship ended Friday, as Southern Miss eliminated them, 81-77. The Bobcats finish their final season in the Sun Belt with a 19-13 overall record.

Texas State had won eight of its last nine games ahead of the tournament. But away from Strahan Arena, they could not muster the same momentum they had against Appalachian State. There were moments, like when the Bobcats tied the game at 64 with 5 minutes and 34 seconds, showing flickers of resistance. But the Golden Eagles responded with a 10-4 run that proved fatal.

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“Tonight, the tougher team won,” Texas State head coach Terrence Johnson said after the game.

Here are some takeaways from Texas State’s loss.

Getting to the line

Texas State’s physical defense has been a staple of its play, which held opposing offenses to 71 points per game in the regular season. But Southern Miss used that to its advantage, drawing 25 personal fouls and making 28-of-37 free throws. Texas State went 17-for-20 from the free-throw line.

Southern Miss forward Tylik Weeks is the Sun Belt’s leading scorer, which is buoyed by his ability to play through contact and draw fouls. He leads the conference in free throws, averaging eight per game.

Weeks recorded 32 points on 9-of-18 shooting, while also going 14-for-14 at the charity stripe. He did most of his damage in the second half, scoring 23 points and shooting 11 free throws.

“We ran up against a hot team. A team that understands the way the game is being called in today’s game, and does a really good job in exploiting that,” Johnson said.

DJ Hall makes history

Eight minutes into the game, Texas State forward DJ Hall put up a floater that Southern Miss forward Djahi Binet slammed off the glass. The referees quickly flagged it for goaltending, and with it, Hall set the program record for most points in a season by a freshman. Hall led the Bobcats with 25 points and 11 rebounds against the Golden Eagles, ending the season with 500 total points. 

 In this day of NIL, there’s no guarantee that he’ll stick around for next season like other Texas State greats. If he doesn’t, he’s already left his mark on the Bobcats. If he does, Texas State will have a building block on which to build its team in the Pac-12.

Ready for the Pac?

Johnson said after the game that he wished the Sun Belt got the notoriety and credit it deserves as a basketball league. Afterall, the parity showed in the seeding, as Texas State ended up as a fifth seed despite finishing in a six-way tie for second place.

He’ll face notoriety, and then some, in the Pac-12. The top of the conference is composed of a group of schools — Gonzaga, San Diego State, Utah State and Colorado State  — that are notorious for their success in men’s basketball. Johnson did not make light of how challenging the move up in competition will be.

"This is one of the largest leaps in modern-day realignment," Johnson said.

Even if Texas State's season didn't end on a bright note, the peak crowds at Strahan Arena showed that there can be an appetite for men's basketball in San Marcos. The pedigree of the teams the Bobcats will face could draw even more fans. To take advantage of the opportunity the Pac-12 offers, Johnson said investment in building the program must grow.

"I thought that we did the things we needed to do in this league to show that we're marketable," Johnson said. "Now we need to figure out a way to do things in the next league to show that it's sustainable."