The Shorthorn - Men's basketball prepared for aggressive play Saturday against Bobcats

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Men's basketball prepared for aggressive play Saturday against Bobcats

Written by Clint Utley, The Shorthorn sports editor

Thursday, 28 January 2010 08:59 PM

Senior Guard Tommy Moffitt drives the ball to the baseline during practice on Thursday afternoon. The men�s basketball game will be in San Marcos this Saturday at 2:00pm. (The Shorthorn: Will LaVoncher)

After the last game against Texas State University, the men’s basketball team knows the Bobcats have a tendency to play dirty.

“You just got to be ready to keep your composure,” senior guard Marquez Haynes said after practice. “Last game, a couple of their guys took a couple of cheap shots on our guys.”

The Mavericks, 9-9 and 1-4 in Southland Conference play, will play Texas State in San Marcos on Saturday. When the two teams played on Jan. 9, they combined for a total of 59 fouls and 56 turnovers.

Head coach Scott Cross said he has already informed the officiating crew of the teams’ previous matchup for this weekend’s game.

“Texas State is going to play the way they play, which is really tough and aggressive,” he said. “We’ve got to match their intensity but not get carried away, not lose our head.”

Texas State’s leading scorer and rebounder, junior forward Cameron Johnson, grabbed 10 rebounds but was held to seven points at Texas Hall earlier this season.

Cross said the key to defending Johnson is to keep him away from the glass.

“The big key with him is to keep him off the boards and not give him anything easy,” Cross said.

Senior guard Brandon Long scored 25 points Monday night against Houston Baptist University.

It was a notable improvement from his previous two games in which he totaled 19 points. Long said he’s feeling confident before the game against the Bobcats.

“I’ve just got to repeat the process of getting focused before the game,” he said. “I’m focused and ready for the game.”