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Ceaser, Morgan fuel Texas State's 67-47 win over Lamar

Texas State Men's Basketball
Thursday, December 16, 2021

You get what you emphasize.

That’s what Suzanne Fox, Texas State’s former head women’s basketball coach and current ESPN+ analyst, told head men’s basketball coach Terrence Johnson after the Bobcats’ road win over Rice on Nov. 30. It’s a quote that stood out to Johnson after a night in which the maroon and gold had to get back to their identity to complete a 12-point comeback in the second half.

Texas State has emphasized being a defensive-first team for the better part of a decade. The Bobcats flexed their defensive muscles again on Wednesday, holding Lamar to 35.8% shooting and forcing 15 turnovers in a 67-47 win inside Strahan Arena.

“I'm elated, to be honest with you,” Johnson said. “That's what we take pride in, that's what we work on.”

According to KenPom, Texas State (8-2) allowed 100.8 points per 100 possessions last season, ranking 141st in the NCAA, and forced a turnover on 22.7% of its opponent’s possessions, ranking 15 in the country. 

The Bobcats have been even better through 10 games this year, Johnson’s second as head coach, allowing 99.4 points per 100 possessions and earning turnovers 25.5% of the time, well above the current Division I averages.

For senior and junior forwards Nighael Ceaser and Tyrel Morgan, respectively, Johnson emphasizes bringing energy off the bench. The pair did so against the Cardinals (2-9) after Texas State came out flat. The Bobcats trailed Lamar 8-3 after four minutes of play, making just one of their four shots and coughing up the ball three times.

Johnson called timeout and inserted the Ceaser and Morgan into the lineup. The hosts dug in for long defensive possessions, causing two shot-clock violations. Lamar had to chuck the ball up from the halfcourt logo to avoid a third. Led by Ceaser and Morgan, the team went on a 20-2 run, taking a 23-10 lead, and never trailed again. The visitors shot 1-11 from the field during the stretch

“Buying in on defense comes from the culture standpoint setting the standard,” Ceaser said. “So every day we come into practice setting the standard of hard work. And our first thing is defense.”

Morgan’s been a perfect fit for Texas State since transferring from Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa in the offseason — a stocky 6-foot-5 forward who guards multiple positions and goes hard after rebounds. Johnson called him a “huge recruit” for the coaching staff, needing him to fill the minutes left behind by former forward Quentin Scott, who transferred to Tulane.

He did all sorts of little things to help the Bobcats regain control of the game on Wednesday. With the hosts up 12-8, Morgan trapped his man in the right corner and pressured him into making a bad pass that was intercepted by senior guard Mason Harrell. Morgan beat everybody down the floor in transition receiving a lob pass from Harrell at the other end for an alley-oop dunk.

“What brought me here is the culture. You know, first thing Coach (Johnson) talked to me about was just nothing but culture — how we are a team, how we're together,” Morgan said. “We all just, like, clicked real fast. We play fast ball, but then again we play smart.”

Morgan finished the game with a season-high 12 points to go along with 5 rebounds. Ceaser added 10 points and five rebounds. Senior guard Shelby Adams led the team with 14 points.

Texas State will play in its final non-conference home game on Saturday looking to extend its seven-game winning streak, taking on Paul Quinn (7-4) at 4 p.m.

“Culture wins,” Johnson said. “You know, the most connected team wins, the teams that don't care who gets the credit. You know, tonight or tomorrow may not be Tyrel's night or Nighael's. But if we play like we played today, every night can be our night.”

San Marcos Record

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