Hilburn, Texas State clash with Tech tonight

Former Clovis High standout Aimee Hilburn and her Texas State Bobcats will be in Lubbock tonight to face Texas Tech in a second-round game of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

Hilburn posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday as Texas State (21-10) advanced with a come-from behind 84-83 victory over Prairie View in San Marcos, Texas.

“I had a pretty good game last night, one of my better games,” the 6-foot-1 sophomore forward said Friday as the team prepared for the hour-long flight to Lubbock. “We played pretty well.”

The Bobcats rallied from an 82-76 deficit in the final 43 seconds, with Southland Conference MVP Joyce Ekworomadu hitting the game-winner, a fadeaway 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left.

“It was pretty intense,” said Hilburn, who has started all 30 games she’s played this season. “It was a pretty good game.

“There were a lot of people who stepped up. I’m sure the crowd got what it paid for.”

It was the first postseason win for Texas State since the Bobcats moved to NCAA Division I prior to the 1987-88 season.

Hilburn, who is averaging 7.2 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game this season, said she’s looking forward to seeing family and friends at today’s 7 p.m. (CDT) tipoff against the Lady Raiders (16-15) at United Spirit Arena.

A four-year starter at Clovis, Hilburn was an integral part of the Lady Wildcats’ unbeaten Class 5A state championship team in 2005. She also helped the Lady Cats reach the 5A title game in 2004.

Tech handled Texas State pretty easily last season in Lubbock, but Hilburn is hoping for a different story this time.

“We still like to run up and down,” she said of the Bobcats’ style of play. “I feel we’re a better team than we were last year.”