February 26 2014

VOLUME 103, ISSUE 61

www.UniversityStar.com

WEDNESDAY

FEBRUARY 26, 2014

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

VIDEO | UniversityStar.com

SPORTS | Page 5

TRACS begging: Students discussed pros and cons of the TRACS mail tool.

Postseason possibility: Women’s basketball will play Western Kentucky at home Wednesday in the teams’ second matchup this season.

WEATHER

ELECTIONS

Campaign sign removal spurs discussion

Allison Brouillette | Staff Photographer

By Kelsey Bradshaw

Senior News Reporter

vided a total of $10,000 worth of Wal-Mart, The Home Depot and Lowe’s gift cards to those affected in an effort to help residents replace lost or damaged property, said Kathy McNeil, Salvation Army Service Center director.

In the midst of local primaries, the recent removal of candidates’ signs from campus sparked discussion about Texas State’s electioneering guidelines.

According to guidelines from the Dean of Students Office, individuals are designated locations near polling areas where they may place campaign signs. Signs must be stamped for approval by Campus Activities & Student Organizations employees and be placed at least 100 feet from the outside door of a polling place. Campaign signs may be placed in the LBJ Student Center Mall, the LBJ Student Center Bus Loop and The Quad.

Planet K manager Joe Ptak, who is electioneering for four campaigns, said CASO-approved candidate campaign signs were removed from campus Feb. 19 without warning. University Police Department officers removed signs that were placed in a “perfectly legal area” in the LBJ bus loop, he said.

“I have (removed) eight signs of (District Attorney candidate) Lynn Peach’s that are clearly stamped by CASO and have the name and phone number of College Republicans on it,” Ptak said.

After the signs were removed, Ptak said he approached CASO employees and UPD officers to discuss the incident. UPD officers said they did not remove any campaign signs from campus, Ptak said.

“I knew that to be false,” Ptak said.

“I have eye witnesses who saw them take signs out.”

Ptak said he spoke with UPD Captain Daniel Benitez, showing him a photo

See FLOOD, Page 2

See SIGNS, Page 2

Austin Humphreys | Photo Editor Buses remain damaged at Don’s Fish Camp outside of San Marcos after Oct. 31, 2013 flooding. The tubing destination plans to open for spring break.

Residents, county recovering from flood

By Traynor Swanson News Reporter

N

early four months after the Halloween flooding, many residents are still recovering from damages to their homes and businesses caused by the rainfall.

Kharley Smith, emergency management coordinator for Hays County, estimates the Halloween floods caused about $400,000 in damage to public roadways. FEMA will reimburse Hays County an estimated $3 million for various reconstruction efforts.

“The reconstruction process includes repairing or replacing public facilities like roads, bridges and schools,” Smith said.

“Because this was a presidentially declared national disaster, the state and local governments will

be reimbursed by FEMA for the response and recovery effort.”

However, FEMA will not reimburse individuals and businesses for flood damage, Smith said. The level of damage and number of people affected by the floods did not meet FEMA’s requirements for residential reimbursement, Smith said.

“Instead, people can apply for low-interest federal disaster relief loans to help them fix their property or their business,” Smith said.

Craig Coleman, owner of Don’s Fish Camp, said his business incurred significant damage from the floods. The tube rental business, located a few miles from San Marcos in Martindale, sustained about $100,000 in property damage, he said.

“Most of the damage was to the buses, so we’re working on replac-

SMFD

Department announces new leadership positions Former Battalion Chief Richard Rowell has been named the San Marcos Fire Department’s assistant chief of Operations and Training. Assistant Chief Karl Kuhlman will now oversee administration and personnel. Both jobs belonged to Len Nored before his Jan. 31 retirement.

Rowell was appointed Feb. 15, according to a press release from the city.

Rowell will manage day-today operations of the SMFD’s

emergency services and coordinate training for all personnel.

He will work with trainers to acquire hazmat certifications and water rescue courses for the department. Rowell served as battalion chief of SMFD for six years and has more than 27 years of fire service experience, according to the release.

—Compiled by Taylor Tompkins, news editor

CONSTRUCTION Construction on Hunter Road will begin March 3, causing occasional traffic stops but no closures.

Construction will include the addition of shoulders and a center turn lane between the intersections of Centerpoint and Posey Roads, according to a press release from Hays County. Some trees in the area will have to be removed for the additions.

The project is expected to be complete by fall 2014. The county will not have to match the funds provided for the project by the Texas Department of Transportation.

ing them and getting a new fleet running,” Coleman said. “But I’d say we’re about three-quarters of the way done in the recovery process. We should be ready to open as soon as it’s warmer—hopefully by spring break.”

you why it’s a bad idea.”

Coleman is making changes to his business to prevent future damage from floods. The camp’s main offices have moved further uphill from the San Marcos River.

The Salvation Army has pro-

The Salvation Army practically gave me Christmas.”

—Liza Astran, San Marcos resident and flood victim

Coleman has experienced six floods at Don’s Fish Camp, but the October storms were the worst he’s seen.

“Two of those six got near our building, but none of them posed any threat,” he said. “It just goes to show as soon as you underestimate Mother Nature, she’ll show

ORGANIZATIONS

Student conservation group expands across state, achieves non-profit status

By Nicole Barrios

Assistant News Editor

In an effort to expand community service and environmental conservation efforts, the Human Environmental Animal Team (H.E.A.T.) recently became classified as a non-profit and is implementing chapters at other schools across the state.

H.E.A.T. was founded in 2010 at Texas State with the vision of providing community service, humanitarian work, environmental conservation and animal welfare to the student body, according to the organization’s mission statement.

The organization became a nonprofit Jan. 17 when it received official approval from the Texas Secretary of State office. With the new non-profit status, H.E.A.T. will now be a tax-exempt organization and donors can write off their gifts, said Ian Smith, H.E.A.T. co-founder and Texas State alumnus.

H.E.A.T. will grow to include a total of 10 chapters at different Texas universities and high schools by the end of the semester, Smith said.

“We wanted to start off just doing service work and volunteer work,” Smith said. “As the years went by, we started more chapters and de-

Courtesy of Ian Smith

fined our niche a little better.”

Currently, there are H.E.A.T. chapters at Texas A&M University, Southwestern University and Austin College in addition to the original at Texas State, Smith said. The organization has one chapter at a Houston-area high school and hopes to implement two more at other high schools in the upcoming months. The University of Texas is in the process of creating a H.E.A.T. chapter and will have official organization status next semester, Smith said.

Members of the organization consulted with lawyers for more than a year to file appropriate paperwork needed to become a non-profit, Smith said.

To qualify as a non-profit, an organization must have three members serving on a board of directors, write a mission statement or purpose and pay a $25 filing fee, said Natalie Berko, H.E.A.T. co-founder and Texas State alumna.

With non-profit status now grant-

See H.E.A.T., Page 2

2 | The University Star | News | Wednesday February 26, 2014

H.E.A.T., continued from front ed, H.E.A.T. members are in the process of establishing a larger board of directors and creating bylaws to fill out tax-exempt forms for the IRS, Berko said.

Courtney Eberhard, environmental studies sophomore and Environmental Committee director, said H.E.A.T.’s new non-profit status will have a significant impact on the community.

“If whoever you are approaching thinks you are just some group of kids, maybe they’ll help you,” Smith said.

“If they realize you’re a group of kids who have been devoted enough to turn a small club idea into a start-up company or non-profit organization, there’s a whole other aspect of credibility earned.”

H.E.A.T.’s funding currently comes from member dues and donations from students, friends, family and local leaders, Smith said. Members are discussing ways to fund the organization’s operations in the future under the non-profit status. Smith said he hopes to eventually be able to pay student leaders of H.E.A.T. for their services.

Co-founders Smith and Berko both graduated from Texas State last May, but are still focused on expanding the chapters to more universities, Smith said.

“My goal for H.E.A.T. is to become a company, and we want the organization to actually become an entity that can really sell activities to students,” Smith said.

Flooding Oct. 31, 2013 caused nearly $100,000 in damages to Don’s Fish Camp. Buses that were unable to be salvaged remain filled with mud and debris.

FLOOD, continued from front

SIGNS, continued from front of the signs that had been placed in a pile in front of the student center. UPD officers never made an attempt to contact any of the candidates before removing the signs, Ptak said.

“When I showed him (Benitez), he said, ‘Those signs were put there illegally and we have every right to take them down,’” Ptak said.

Benitez did not return multiple calls for comment.

Ptak arranged a meeting later in the day Feb. 19 with Margarita Arellano, dean of students, and UPD officers to discuss the removal of the campaign signs.

There were campaign signs posted that had no identified owner or location, Arellano said. Signs were placed in the Bobcat Trail area in front of the Undergraduate Academic Center and by the UPD building, she said. The signs on Bobcat Trail were removed.

“I think by mistake, some of the signs in the bus loop were removed,” Arellano said. “But they should have

been replaced the day after.”

Jason Montgomery, political science senior, worked with Ptak to ensure his electioneering rights were not infringed upon and that everyone “plays within the scopes of their parameters.” “(Electioneers are) playing by the rules,” Montgomery said. “If you’re playing by the rules, law enforcement shouldn’t bother you. If they come and bother you, then they’re wrong.”

UPD officers apologized during the meeting with Arellano and said they were wrong in removing the signs, Ptak said.

“I hope this event between the university and the city can come about with a little more transparency about what they want to be able to sponsor and not sponsor,” Montgomery said. “Making sure that everyone has a fair chance of being a citizen and be heard without having the law come around and snatching up their signs.”

Austin Humphreys | Photo Editor

Liza Astran, San Marcos resident, said The Salvation Army has provided much-needed resources for her family.

“The Salvation Army practically gave me Christmas,” Astran said.

“They’ve been there the whole time for everyone affected in Martindale, too.

They gave me new furniture and they helped me get into my new apartment.”

Astran, who lost her car and her job at IHOP in the aftermath of the flood, moved from San Marcos to San Antonio last week.

“I’m back in San Antonio for school,

and it helps because I have family there who can help me watch my kids,” Astran said. “My 4-year-old finally stopped having nightmares about the flood a month ago.”

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The University Star | Wednesday February 26, 2014 | 3

TRENDS

UniversityStar.com

Arcade-style gaming café opens downtown ‘Frisbee’ Dan Barry

By Ashley Garcia

Special to the Star

S

pending time at Sewell Park almost guarantees a run-in with one of Texas State’s best-known campus icons. Known as Frisbee Dan, 54-year-old Dan Barry has been throwing a Frisbee around the park since 1990. He is easily spotted nearly every day in the mid-afternoon sun wearing multicolored shorts and jumping in the air demonstrating complicated Frisbee tricks, often joined by several Texas State students.

CR: How long have you been in San Marcos?

DB: I was in Tangram Rehab (in Ohio) for four years as a client with a head injury. My head Madelynne Scales | Assistant Photo Editor injury was so severe that I was in a coma for 10 days. I graduThey see me at the grocery ated from rehab and then they DB: I did train myself over and over store. They know me. They again. The only way you get hired me as a staff member, and see me. I’m really good with good at Frisbee is when you I was on staff for eight years. In the people that I hire and the don’t think about the Frisbee ’98 I left the facility and started customers that I work with, and so much as about your body my own landscaping business in I’m really good with people in position and about your release, San Marcos. general. I don’t do well with like basketball.

You shoot a basCR: What got you into Frisbee? people that are negative. ketball quick, and you aim for DB: I played Frisbee back east before the rim—same for throwing a CR: You mentioned how you like my injury. I used to play all Frisbee. Don’t think about the to live your life with as little the time with my brother, and amount of negativity as posFrisbee. You aim where you we’d play back together in Ohio. sible. Why do you have that want it to go, and you toss it to So when I got here, I just got philosophy? that location. For me to throw it more summer hours to throw, the way I did, I looked at where DB: I’m real positive with the people so I was already into it. You my partner is, have my body in around me. I’ll be friendly with may have a hard time realizing the right position, just rifle as the people out here—I just don’t this, but I have zero peripheral hard as I can and follow where like to get too far into people’s vision on the right side of my I want it to end up at because personal lives. I don’t do much head. But even so, you can see the Frisbee isn’t going to listen crossover. People know me, who my hand-eye coordination is to me. It’s only going to do what I am. They used to say some pretty intense. I have increased my body gives it direction to do. pretty negative things about hand-eye coordination because me, but people that watched me CR: A

re you aware of how much of I’ve had to learn to compensate play Frisbee now that have seen an icon you’ve become around for the loss of vision. me for quite a few years have the university? Are you comfortCR: How did you get to the level of backed off on the negativity able with it? skill you have now? Did you because they know I’m pretty serious about the way I throw. teach yourself?

DB: Well, a lot of people know me.

By Lindsey Bedford Trends Reporter

Video games have always been an impor tant par t of Pete Thompson’s life.

Growing up, Thompson spent hours playing gaming consoles like Nintendo and Sega Genesis with his friends.

“We said it would be great if we didn’t have to leave the house for food,” Thompson said.

Thompson made his childhood fantasy into a reality Feb. 12 by opening Hungry Gamer with his wife Megan, an arcaderestaurant hybrid in downtown San Marcos funded partially by an online Kickstarter campaign and the Texas State Small Business Development Center.

fare such as deluxe sandwiches and hors d’oeuvre options like hummus. The Hungry Gamer menu offers vegetarian deluxe sandwiches, which appeal to nonmeat-eating clients, said Megan Thompson.

In addition to receiving public funding on Kickstarter, the Texas State Small Business Development Center helped guide Pete and Megan Thompsons’ goal for Hungry Gamer by providing information and resources to succeed.

“We helped Pete get a business plan and financials together for PeopleFund and helped the business launch and grow,” said Lisha Garcia, certified business advisor for the Small Business Development Center.

While a majority of the gaming

Sonja Burton | Staff Photographer Pete and Megan Thompson founded Hungry Gamer, an arcade-style café with a theater room and gaming consoles for patrons to play while having a meal.

Hungry Gamer features a theater room, televisions and a party room for groups to play games together. In the theater room, patrons can use the projector to play video games, making the characters so large they appear to be life-sized, Thompson said.

Hungry Gamer customers are invited to bring their own game disks to play on the PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii U and Xbox 360 consoles onsite. In addition to the video games, classic board games will soon be available to cater to the more “old school” guests.

The restaurant portion of the establishment offers typical café

clientele at Hungry Gamer are women around 25 years old, many guests are younger and looking for a fun activity that does not involve drinking, Pete Thompson said. Despite the fun nature of the establishment, Hungry Gamer has a set of rules in place.

“One house rule is that anyone under 17 has to have an adult over 25 (present) because of game ratings,” Pete Thompson said.

Although Hungry Gamer has only been open for a few weeks, the owners are hoping to expand both the food menu and gaming opportunities to appeal to a wider audience.

4 | The University Star | Wednesday February 26, 2014

OPINIONS

UniversityStar.com

In honor of Black History Month, the opinions section will spotlight a column written by one of The University Star’s black staff members in each issue. The University Star hopes to showcase a variety of perspectives in the new series dedicated to bringing issues in the black community to light.

February

Black History Column Series

Implications of white privilege need recognition

Brandon Sams Ryan Jeanes | Star Illustrator

THE MAIN POINT

I

Athletic marketing at Texas State severely lacking

mproving the visibility of the Texas State athletics department is a conundrum. Much like effort of the university as a whole to improve its status and recognition, raising the standards and quality of Bobcat athletics will take time and patience. In the meantime, one of the most basic and important branches of the athletics department must be refined—marketing.

Texas State apparel should be on hangers and shelves statewide next to merchandise from other major universities.

Some say the teams need to win more games if fans are expected to attend. Others say a culture shift that encourages more school pride and tradition must happen before the athletic department can grow, regardless of team performance. One thing even casual observers can agree on, though, is the marketing and promotion of Texas State athletics is by no means at the level a Division I university should be. Even worse, the changes needing to be made are glaringly obvious, a fact that only compounds the issue.

As the supposed “Rising Star of Texas,” it is unnerving that university athletics are not even on the radar of many residents of the Lone Star State. Much of the blame can be placed on the fact that people living outside of San Marcos would be hard-pressed to find Texas State merchandise at retailers like Academy Sports + Outdoors or Lids. While UT-Austin and Texas A&M apparel can be found in Wal-Marts across the state, finding a Texas State T-shirt in Houston, an area dense with Bobcat alumni, is a seemingly imposs­ible task.

To make matters worse, Texas State merchandise is easily lost among the sea of burnt orange, red and competing maroon, even at local retailers.

For instance, there is markedly less Texas State apparel offered at the San Marcos Academy in comparison to UT, A&M and Texas Tech merchandise.

According to the athletics department website, Texas State is licensed under the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), the nation’s “leading

collegiate trademark licensing and marketing company.” If this is the case, the “leading” college marketing company should be able to push Texas State apparel and merchandise outside of just San Marcos. Increasing the volume and availability of Texas State merchandise must be improved for Bobcat athletics to receive the fan base and exposure it desperately needs.

On a positive note, Nelligan Sports Marketing, Texas State’s marketing representative, was recently acquired

by Learfield Sports. Plano-based Learfield Sports currently represents Alabama, A&M, Stanford and Indiana, among other programs, which are all major athletic institutions recognized across the country. It is not yet clear what Learfield’s acquisition of Nelligan means for Texas State, but it will hopefully help elevate the Bobcats to a level comparable to the company’s other clients.

The athletics department, CLC and Learfield should make an effort to better utilize San Marcos’ ideal location between two major markets, Austin and San Antonio. One could argue the Austin market is already oversaturated with burnt orange.

However, Texas State’s goal should not be to convert UT fans or compete with them, but rather to build upon its own brand. Additionally, increasing Texas State’s presence in the San Antonio market would help grow healthy competition with rival UTSA and give the city more than one collegiate team to support.

Increasing the volume and availability of Texas State merchandise must be improved for Bobcat athletics to receive the support and exposure it desperately needs.

Texas State apparel should be on hangers and shelves statewide next to merchandise from other major universities. The university and the athletics marketing departments desperately need to work together to find a way to put the Bobcat brand on the map, or, at the very least, make more university merchandise available in San Marcos retail stores.

The Main Point is the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. Columns are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full staff, Texas State University Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University.

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Editor-in-Chief.................................................Caitlin Clark, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor..........................Liza Winkler, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters..................................................................................starletters@txstate.edu News Editor............................................Taylor Tompkins, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor.............................................Amanda Ross, startrends@txstate.edu Opinions Editor..................................Savannah Wingo, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor.......................................Austin Humphreys, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor.......................................Odus Evbagharu, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief................................Lesley Warren, starcopychief@txstate.edu Design Editor.................................................Lee Moran, stardesign@txstate.edu

Opinions Columnist Public relations freshman

hite privilege is an unseen force W silently holding back minority groups and deserves more attention within

our society.

The term white privilege refers to the often unspoken advantages that white people may not recognize they have.

Much like male privilege, it seems white people innately do not notice the upper hand they have in life. Unlike overt prejudice, discrimination or racism, privilege refers to the inherent advantages dominant groups have over others.

Many white people I have encountered seem to be under the impression that the term white privilege means white people are treated like royalty and do not have to work hard to get what they have. This is not at all what the term means. Suggesting such is a gross oversimplification, reducing the actual argument of white privilege into an easily discredited straw man fallacy.

Being able to do well without being called a “credit to your race” is white privilege. Buying “flesh colored” BandAids and having it more or less match your actual flesh is white privilege. Going to a hair salon and having anyone be able to work with your hair is white privilege.

Not being asked, “So what do your people think?” in an academic setting is white privilege. Not having to scour aisles for magazines or toys that represent people of your race is white privilege.

These incidents are just some of the more superficial examples. White privilege can manifest itself in more sinister ways. According to a Sept. 17, 2013 Huffington Post article, a larger percentage of whites have used illegal drugs than blacks, yet black people are three times more likely on average to be arrested in the U.S. for drug possession. According to a June 4, 2013 USA Today article, blacks are 10 to 30 times more likely to be arrested

for marijuana possession than whites in some counties. These statistics perfectly illustrate one of the more insidious effects of white privilege.

By bringing up these issues, I am not aiming to demonize white people. I am simply attacking the privilege certain people possess at the detriment of others.

People strive to act in the best interest of themselves or their own. Of course a country created by racist white men in powdered wigs is going to breed institutions and systems that are unfairly beneficial to white people. Even knowing of one’s own advantages in life, not many people would willingly give up their privilege even if it were for the greater good of the society. Because of this, knowledge of white privilege is a burden on white people.

Once they are aware of their own privilege, they must make a decision. Do they bring everyone else up to their level, hurting themselves in the process, or do they choose to be willfully ignorant, oppressing others as they do so?

The privilege white people experience on a daily basis is something that everyone should be afforded in an egalitarian society. One does not have to be racist in order to benefit from white privilege, and yet, by choosing to ignore one’s privilege, the covert oppression of minority groups continues.

When every positive interaction with black people is seen as extraordinary, there is a problem. When everything an individual feels and expresses is seen not as a representation of the person, but instead as a representation of a whole race, there is a problem. White privilege affords white people the right to be individuals and to be nuanced in everything they say and do.

What they can or cannot do is attributed to them as individuals and not their race.

The fact that this is not true among minority groups is white privilege—and that is the problem.

Essentially, white privilege is a driver cruising down a straight and smooth road without knowing it. When they end up going faster and farther than others, they think it is because they are just more adept drivers. The truth is everyone else has been driving on a gravel path full of potholes and other obstacles. Toni Morrison said it best, “this soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers.” If you are not a white gardenia, you have to work twice as hard to grow just as tall.

MEDIA

On-screen nudity should represent women of all sizes

Alexis Aguirre Opinions Columnist Journalism sophomore

he entertainment industry has chosen T a narrow, cookie-cutter version of beauty when displaying nude women on

screen—an ideal that needs to be changed so women of all shapes and sizes can be represented and embraced without criticism.

It is no secret that the entertainment industry has a hand in shaping the world’s view of what is beautiful and what is not.

Companies have created an unattainable idea of beauty by airbrushing and retouching drop-dead gorgeous women as if they were not beautiful enough already. This standard is impossible to live up to and can take a toll on a woman’s self-esteem.

In the HBO series “Girls,” writer and actress Lena Dunham is a woman of unconventional beauty. She is seen nude on more than one occasion throughout her show, but because she is not a size two, some people openly criticize her frequent on-screen nudity. Of course, this would not have been the case if an actress such as Scarlett Johansson was the main actor baring all for the audience to see.

Nudity is natural, but the bodies being portrayed in American media are not.

When shows or films stray from the norm,

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like “Girls” does when displaying Dunham nude time and again, they often receive criticism and backlash. This should not be the case. Shows and films featuring women of different sizes are merely displaying the truth. They are showing real women in real bodies that do not need to be Photoshopped. That is not to say slender women are not real, only that their overwhelming presence in media does not reflect the fact that most Americans do not conform to the beauty ideal they represent.

Women should not feel compelled to achieve the unattainable perfect bodies popularized by the entertainment industry.

Women should be okay with their bodies the way they are. In fact, they should be more than okay with them.

The entertainment industry has become stuck on one cookie-cutter ideal of beauty, but this just does not cut it for the average woman. Modern media outlets should be portraying reality, and part of that is including real women who are not airbrushed. By portraying and embracing the idea that real women, no matter the size, are beautiful, the entertainment industry can change perceptions.

If all the naked bodies seen in media are of smaller sized women, this helps mold the ideal body type in society, a fact that takes a toll on women who do not fit this expectation. If this standard is changed to include women of different sizes, it sends a message that everyone is beautiful. Thin is wonderful. Thick is wonderful.

The entertainment industry needs to realize its audience is not buying the narrow version of beauty it is selling. It is time women embrace how they are naturally.

Forget Photoshop—beauty should be redefined as being natural.

The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the spring and fall and every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

Copyright Wednesday, February 26, 2014. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor in chief.

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The University Star | Wednesday February 26, 2014 | 5

SPORTS

UniversityStar.com

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Bobcats have chance to clinch postseason spot with win

By Quixem Ramirez Sports Reporter @quixem

The Texas State women’s basketball team will play the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at home Wednesday in their second matchup this season.

The Bobcats scored 46 points in the second half of the teams’ last contest Feb. 1, securing the 72-63 victory. The Hilltoppers, who are 10-3 at home this season, have won three consecutive home games by an average of 27.3 points since the loss.

Western Kentucky is 9-5 in the Sun Belt Conference, tied with Texas State and Arkansas-Little Rock for second place. The Bobcats can clinch the season-series and the tiebreaker with a win against the Hilltoppers.

“The team understands they (the Hilltoppers) are even better than when we played them,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine. “They’ve returned basically everyone, except for one player. That’s a championship team. It’s taken awhile, and they’ve been rolling. They have their eye on postseason play, and we cannot afford to slip up. We need to stay sharp.”

Western Kentucky is second in defense and third in offense. It has outscored opposition by 8.5 points per game this season, ranking first in the conference.

Chastity Gooch, Wester n

Kentucky forward, is averaging 18 points, nine rebounds and 1.52 blocks per game this season.

Gooch, a preseason All-American candidate, is in the top five in points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage in the conference.

Gooch scored 6 points on 1 of 6 shooting in the second half against Texas State earlier this season, finishing with 15 points and seven rebounds. Western Kentucky made 29.6 percent of its shots in the half, down from a 43 percent average.

“We did a decent job defensively on Gooch,” Antoine said. “We did a good job contesting shots, making it difficult and rebounding. We were also pretty good offensively.

They threw some different looks at us, and we did a good job being patient, finding open seams and knocking down shots on the road, which is really hard to do.”

Texas State’s loss to Arkansas State Saturday completed a stretch of four games in seven nights, including three on the road. The Bobcats traveled approximately 3,476 miles.

“The team’s ability to rest is going to be important,” Antoine said. “I don’t know how many fans understand what this team has gone through, relative to our counterparts. There’s a lot that weighs into the overall fatigue of an athlete, mentally and physically.”

Ashley Ezeh, senior forward, averaged 12 points, 6.3 rebounds and 45.7 percent shooting during

SOFTBALL

Texas State to take on Incarnate Word at home

By Cameron Cutshall Sports Reporter @CameronCutshall

Texas State softball will put its 11-5 record to the test Wednesday when the team plays the Incarnate Word Cardinals at home.

The Bobcats are coming into the game after going 3-2 last weekend in the Texas Shootout tournament hosted by North Texas.

Kendall Wiley, sophomore first

baseman, said the energy for the Bobcats must be different than it was over the weekend for the team to be successful against the Cardinals.

“We’re going to look to stay in tune with each other through the whole game,” Wiley said. “A big key to our success is to have high energy. If our energy is low, we’ll have to pick it up if we (want) a shot at winning.”

This is Incarnate Word’s first

Allison Brouillette | Star File Photo Coach Zenarae Antoine and the Bobcats will take on Western Kentucky Feb. 26 at Strahan Coliseum. blocks and field goal percentage. this year. the seven-day stretch.

“Travel impacts a lot,” Ezeh said.

Ezeh scored a season-low 2 Four teams in the Sun Belt have “We’ve been traveling day after day, points against Western Kentucky winning streaks of two games or taking charter planes. I’ve never in the previous game. She had six longer. The gap between the second taken a charter plane. It takes a rebounds, but missed all six shots and sixth seed is three games. toll on your body, especially when and picked up her fifth foul with “I just take it as another game,” you are already having soreness, 6:29 remaining in the second half. Ezeh said. “Every game is importendonitis and stuff like that.”

The Bobcats trailed at halftime tant. It’s another key matchup.

Ezeh, one of three seniors, leads Feb. 1 against Western Kentucky. This one just happens to decide the team in points, rebounds, They have trailed in 14 of 25 games the second seed.”

season playing Division I softball. The Cardinals are coming into the game with an 8-7 overall record. The team started the season 8-1, but is currently on a six-game losing streak after going winless last weekend in the UT—El Paso Tournament.

Incarnate Word faced both New Mexico State and UTEP three times each in the tournament, and the Cardinals were outscored 62-14.

Rayn House, senior pitcher, is currently first in the Sun Belt Conference in innings pitched, strikeouts and wins. House has pitched four complete-game shutouts this season but is still looking to improve.

“We’re looking to get better each and every day,” House said.

“We’ll look to get better against Incarnate Word and get a jump start into the tournament this weekend in Mississippi.”

Alexandria Alonzo, Incarnate Word infielder, has started 14 of 15 games and is batting a .400 average. Alonzo has 9 runs, 16 hits, 2 homers and 13 RBI. Leading the Cardinals in pitching is freshman Mikaela Flores, who is 4-0 this season with 29 strikeouts and 13 walks.

Texas State is looking to win its third-straight Wednesday game.

The Bobcats defeated Houston Baptist in an extra inning walk-off win two weeks ago and run-ruled

UTSA 8-0 in five innings last week.

Leading the Bobcats in hitting is Wiley with a .375 batting average and 18 hits, 3 home runs and 13 RBI. Timishia North, senior center fielder, is hitting .346 with 18 hits, 9 runs and nine RBI. Kortney Koroll, junior designated player, is second on the team with a .463 on-base percentage and leads the team in walks with 12. Koroll has 11 hits and 3 home runs this season.

The Bobcats have won four of their last six games and are looking to add a 12th win, a feat Texas State did not reach until April 19 last season against New Mexico State.

6 | The University Star | Advertisement | Wednesday February 26, 2014