Columbia women rally late to beat UTSA, 70-65, in New York City

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The defending Ivy League champion Columbia Lions erased a six-point deficit in the final three minutes and defeated the UTSA Roadrunners 70-65 on Saturday afternoon in New York City.

In a women’s college basketball game that was hotly contested from the opening tip, the Lions outscored the Roadrunners 11-0 in the last three minutes to win on their home court.

The emotions boiled over in the final seconds as UTSA coach Karen Aston was hit with a technical foul for having words with one of the referees.

“I thought we played really hard,” Aston said on the team’s radio broadcast. “We probably had some fatigue mistakes there late in the game, and there’s nothing we can do about that.

“You know, the turnovers we had late were probably from fatigue, to be honest with you. They’re just going to have to learn how to handle that.”

The game seemed to turn inexorably in the Lions’ favor with less than 40 seconds remaining when UTSA guard Ereauna Hardaway drove to the basket, trying break to a tie score.

Columbia guard Fliss Henderson blocked the shot and sent the action the other way.

On the attack, Columbia’s Perri Page passed to Henderson, who sank a layup, giving the Lions a two-point advantage at 67-65 with five seconds left.

During the ensuing timeout, Aston was hit with a technical foul.

Columbia was awarded free throws, and Riley Weiss made one of two for a three point spread.

The Lions were also awarded possession, which resulted in Weiss going to the line again to make both for the game’s final points.

Guard Marija Avlijas scored 21 to lead five Columbia players in double figures. Weiss added 16 for the Lions, who improved to 8-4 on the season.

The Roadrunners had a two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 5-6. For UTSA, the loss was a heartbreaker.

Playing without starting forward Idara Udo, the Roadrunners built an eight-point halftime lead and had a chance to beat a team that has played in the last two NCAA tournaments.

They had a chance to record a signature victory against a team listed at No. 70 in the NET rankings. But, in the end, they couldn’t hold on.

Guard Ereauna Hardaway led the Roadrunners with 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds. It was her fourth straight game in double figures.

Forward Cheyenne Rowe hit seven of 11 from the field and scored 15 among four players in double figures. Guards Damara Allen scored 12 and Jayda Holiman 10.

Records

UTSA 5-6
Columbia 8-4

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Dec. 30, 1 p.m.
(American Conference opener)

First half

Playing without injured starting forward Idara Udo, the UTSA Roadrunners fell behind by nine points early and then rallied at the end for a 30-23 lead at halftime.

UTSA won the first 20 minutes with a defensive effort that resulted in 29 percent shooting and 14 turnovers by Columbia.

On the other end, senior guard Ereauna Hardaway led the way with eight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers to cap an 8-0 run in the final one minute and 30 seconds.

The Roadrunners shot 40 percent from the field and 28 percent from three, knocking down four of 14 shots from behind the arc.

Notable

Idara Udo‘s absence from the lineup was announced prior to tipoff when starting lineups were posted.

Emilia Dannebauer started on the front line for UTSA along with Cheyenne Rowe. The starting guards were Ereauna Hardaway, Damara Allen and Jayda Holiman.

Broadcasters on ESPN+ said the nature of Udo’s injury was undisclosed, but the television broadcast showed her on the bench with a walking boot.

The 6-foot junior from Plano was wearing the boot on Dec. 15 after she played in a home game against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Without Udo, UTSA showed up at Columbia’s Levien Gym with nine players, and with only eight on scholarship.

UTSA women hoping for a signature victory today in New York City

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

On a trip to New York during the holidays, the UTSA women will get more than a chance to see the sights in the big city.

Coach Karen Aston. UTSA women's basketball lost to UNLV 66-39 on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Karen Aston leads the Roadrunners into New York today to play the defending Ivy League champion Columbia Lions. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The defending champions in the American Conference have one last opportunity to produce a signature victory and boost their standing in the NCAA rankings before league play commences.

With tipoff set for noon today Central time, the defending Ivy League champion Columbia Lions will be waiting at Levien Gymnasium to test the Roadrunners.

UTSA coach Karen Aston said her players will need to be “on task” against a very good team.

“We’ll have to have a competitive mindset for 40 minutes,” she said.

Columbia finished 24-7 last season and made school history by winning its first NCAA tournament game.

The Lions defeated the Big Ten’s Washington Huskies in the Round of 68 before getting knocked out in the next round by the Big 12’s West Virginia Mountaineers.

This season, the Lions return six players from the NCAA squad, including their two leading scorers, guards Riley Weiss and Perri Page.

Columbia (7-4) has played a rigorous non-conference schedule and has been prone to inconsistency, but has won a few games against high major competition.

On opening night, the Lions won on the road, beating Butler of the Big East in Indianapolis.

Eleven days ago, they defeated another Big East team, the Seton Hall Pirates, on the road in South Orange, N.J.

Page hit the game-winning basket on a driving layup with one second remaining.

As a result, the Lions are 70th in the NET rankings of 363 NCAA Division I programs, with the Roadrunners (5-5) coming in at No. 148.

UTSA finished 26-5 last season and won the American at 17-1.

But this year has served as a challenge with a few stars playing out their eligibility, a few others transferring to other programs and more than a few talented athletes sitting out with injuries.

On top of all that, the Roadrunners have played four games, dropping all four, against power conference opponents.

The team’s best wins have come on a neutral site (in Frisco) against Grand Canyon Lopes of the Mountain West and at home against the Sun Belt’s Texas State Bobcats.

UTSA enters today’s game coming off home victories over Prairie View A&M and NCAA Division II Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Records

UTSA 5-5
Columbia 7-4

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Dec. 30, 1 p.m.

USC men rally to hand UTSA its fourth straight loss, 97-70

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Out-hustled for most of the first half, the USC Trojans responded Wednesday night by scoring the last 13 points before intermission, on their way to an easy 97-70 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

USC (11-1) of the Big Ten Conference shot 59 percent from the field and outscored the visiting team from Texas 57-39 in the second half en route to its third straight win.

Senior forward Ezra Ausar led the Trojans with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Chad Baker-Mazara, who played in the Final Four last year with Auburn, had 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

USC entered the week receiving votes, just behind the Top 25, in the Associated Press poll. The Trojans entered Wednesday night’s game at the Galen Center 39th in the NET rankings.

Playing without starting guard Austin Nunez, UTSA (4-7) lost its fourth straight despite the efforts of Jamir Simpson, Brett Moss and Kaidon Rayfield. Simpson and Moss scored 16 points each and Rayfield 14.

The Roadrunners started off the game well, crashing the boards and creating a few turnovers, but they failed to slow down the pace when the momentum turned.

As a result, their losing streak has reached four games, with all of the scoring margins by 24 points or more.

UTSA will now return home to San Antonio with one home game remaining (Monday against Seattle) before the start of conference play in the American.

The Roadrunners’ last win came on Nov. 25 in Jacksonville, Fla., when they beat the Georgia Southern Eagles, 77-64.

In the losing streak, they started it off with the South Alabama Jaguars, who beat the ‘Runners 82-58 at the Convocation Center.

Subsequently, they took to the road for three straight against power conference opponents and dropped all three, falling to nationally-ranked Alabama, 97-55; to Colorado, 88-64 and now to USC.

Against the Trojans, they played well enough to win for the first 17 minutes and then went flat. The Roadrunners finished by shooting 34.9 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from three.

UTSA hit seven of 27 from behind the arc.

In the USC camp, the Trojans announced on game day that high-scoring guard Rodney Rice would be lost for the season.

On the other hand, it was reported that freshman guard Alijah Arenas could be getting ready to play after sitting out the first 12 games.

It didn’t seem to matter either way for the Trojans, who blew out the Roadrunners and led by as many as 29 points late in the game.

Records

UTSA 4-7
USC 11-1

Coming up

Seattle at UTSA, Monday, 2 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners finished their non-conference run against power conference teams at 0-3 this season, extending the program’s losing streak against the majors to 31 games.

UTSA hasn’t won against a power conference team (Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC or Pac 12) since beating Iowa on the road in November of 2009.

With Nunez out, Moss started in his place on a guard line that included Dorian Hayes and Simpson. Daniel Akitoby started along with Kaidon Rayfield on the front line.

Akitoby finished with four points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes. Freshman Matheo Coffi, a frontcourt starter most of the season, came off the bench. He finished with zero points and four rebounds.

First half

The Trojans picked up the intensity in the final minutes of the half, overcoming a four-point deficit to take a 40-31 lead at intermission.

For the first 17 minutes in the half, the Roadrunners used a strong performance on the boards to play the Trojans mostly on even terms.

Moss hit a jumper and Jamir Simpson added two free throws to lift UTSA into a 31-27 advantage with less than four minutes remaining.

From there, the Trojans retaliated with their best effort of the night.

Forcing the pace with their defense on one end, they hit five of eight shots on the other.

The Trojans capped the run in the final minute with a 6-0 streak. Chad Baker-Mazara started it by picking up a steal. Later, he snared an offensive rebound and followed it in.

After a miss by Akitoby, junior guard Jordan Marsh responded on the other end with a three-pointer.

USC’s defense stepped up again as Ryan Cornish got a steal off UTSA’s Jamir Simpson, which led to a driving layup by Marsh with 27 seconds left.

UTSA turned it over again on its last possession, but USC’s Terrence Williams II missed a three at the buzzer.

UTSA men to take on USC in Los Angeles tonight

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA men will face a third straight road test against an opponent from a power conference Wednesday night in Los Angeles, taking on the USC Trojans at 8 p.m. at the Galen Center.

The Roadrunners have lost three straight, losing by 24 points or more to South Alabama at home, and then on the road at 12th-ranked Alabama and Colorado.

After returning from the trip, UTSA will play Seattle at home on Monday in the final non-conference game on the schedule. UTSA opens play in the American on Dec. 31 at Florida Atlantic.

Eric Musselman-coached USC is receiving votes in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Trojans, averaging 87.5 points, are 39th in Wednesday’s NET rankings.

UTSA is No. 308 out of 365 teams in Division I. In their last game, the Roadrunners played on even terms with the Buffaloes for a half, trailing by three before losing 88-64.

In the second half, Colorado started to click, hitting 62 percent from the field and ultimately matching its scoring average for the season.

USC has its own prolific offense that will present problems for UTSA. The Trojans shoot 48 percent from the field and 37 percent from three.

Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara averages 21.6 points to lead the Trojans. Baker-Mazara, a 6-7 forward who grew up in the Dominican Republic, is a 38-percent three-point shooter.

USC is in transition with its personnel after star guard Rodney Rice went out with an injury in late November. He hasn’t played since. Rice was averaging 20.3 points through six games.

Records

UTSA 4-6
USC 10-1

Coming up

Seattle at UTSA, Monday, 2 p.m.

UTSA women ignite a ‘6-7’ cheer from young fans as they win their second straight

Posted on by
Reply
Ereauna Hardaway, Dec. 15, 2025

Guard Ereauna Hardaway produced 15 points and eight assists Monday as the UTSA Roadrunners overwhelmed the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas, 82-40. – Photo by Antonio Moreno, from UTSA athletics

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Hundreds of giddy elementary school students on Monday afternoon playfully ushered the “6-7” phenomenon into the halls of higher education at UTSA.

On a day billed as “Rowdy’s Fast Break Field Trip,” school kids in attendance at a Roadrunners’ women’s basketball game waited patiently for an opportunity to celebrate the latest pre-teen fad.

Their chance came two minutes into the fourth quarter at the Convocation Center when UTSA forward Sanaa Bean tossed a pass out of the post. Her teammate, Adriana Robles, caught it and calmly swished a three pointer.

As soon as the scoreboard flashed to 67-31, in favor of the Roadrunners, kids seated on the east side of the Convo’s lower section of seats erupted in cheers.

Remarkably, the celebration lasted pretty much to the end of UTSA’s 82-40 victory over the Division II Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas, their second win in three days.

UTSA players rekindled the positive vibes afterward, taking a few minutes after the school song to walk as a group to an area right in front of their new fans.

Mia Hammonds, a sophomore from San Antonio-area Steele High School, led an impromptu cheer, thanking them for coming out. She said later that she likes playing in front of kids.

“I just love the energy,” Hammonds said. “Like, that’s our best crowd … kids full of energy. I think they were really into the game, and I think that really helped us, especially with our 6-7.

“We all had a good time when we hit 67.”

According to published reports, the nationwide fad among young people apparently started with a rap song by Skrilla, entitled, “Doot Doot (6-7),” with it gaining viral attention via TikTok.

In media interviews after the game, Hammonds was asked about it and tried to explain what it was all about, with coach Karen Aston and guard Ereauna Hardaway seated next to her and listening in.

“As a young adult and as children,” Hammonds said, “that 6-7 is such an important number to us. I don’t know how we got here. But we love it, and we cheered for it. Right coach?”

Replied Aston, “I can’t tell you what it is. I don’t even know how it originated. But it’s a craze right now, so we just went along with it.”

The UTSA women started the season with their toughest schedule in years, playing four Power Four conference opponents among six games away from home out of their first eight.

Returning home to play twice in the past three days against teams they should beat, they took full advantage of the situation, rolling to two easy victories and evening their record at 5-5.

After powering past the Division I Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers 86-40 on Saturday, they played a game against the Javelinas that was similar in some respects.

Like the Lady Panthers on Saturday, the Javelinas hit a few shots early and started fast but soon gave way to the Roadrunners, who dominated with their size and quickness over the last three quarters to win easily.

Hardaway produced 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds to lead the Roadrunners. Cheyenne Rowe and Hammonds scored 12 apiece, and Damara Allen had 10.

For the third straight game, Hardaway, a senior transfer from North Texas, scored in double figures.

In that stretch, she’s scored 40 points combined against Baylor, Prairie View and Kingsville, while nailing 16 of 33 from the field and five of seven from three.

Records

Texas A&M-Kingsville 0-7
UTSA 5-5
x-The game counts on UTSA’s record but not on Kingsville’s.

Coming up

UTSA at Columbia (N.Y.), Dec. 20, 1 p.m.
x-Tulane at UTSA, 1 p.m., Dec. 30, 1 p.m.
x-American Conference opener

Freshman guard Adriana Robles hit a three in the fourth quarter to give UTSA 67 points, prompting a cheer from fans who have taken to a social media fueled ‘6-7’ fad among children. – Photo by Antonio Moreno, from UTSA athletics

A one-point quarter

The Javelinas had problems on the offensive end of the floor long before they showed up at the Convocation Center. They were averaging 47 points a game in an 0-7 start.

The Roadrunners added to the visitors’ woes by building a 38-17 halftime lead.

As they won the second quarter, 14-1, they held the Javelinas to zero for eight from the field.

Kingsville was held without a point for more than nine minutes before Landri Richey was fouled and hit the second of two free throws with 16 seconds left.

The Roadrunners also struggled offensively, especially early, though they warmed up to finish with more than 80 points for the second straight game.

In the end, UTSA shot 41.7 percent from the field and 48 percent (12 of 25) from three. Defensively, the Roadrunners dominated, forcing 30 turnovers that led to 34 points.

UTSA sophomore guard Mia Hammonds scored 12 points, including nine in the second half on three of three shooting. – Photo by Antonio Moreno, UTSA athletics

Notable

Six scholarship players out of 15 on the UTSA roster have not played this season.

Five of them regularly attend all home games, including forwards Taylor Ross and Sema Udo, plus guards Maya Linton, Siena Guttadauro and Saher Alizada.

Another, Nyayongah Gony, hasn’t been seen in warmups or on the bench at home games this season.

UTSA has said that Ross and Udo have suffered season-ending injuries, while Guttadauro gave birth to a son in July. The others are presumed to be dealing with injury rehabilitation or other unspecified issues.

It’s uncertain if any among the six will be available to play in the Roadrunners’ 18-game conference schedule, which commences on Dec. 30 against Tulane.

Linton emerged last season as one of the best defensive players in the American Conference for the Roadrunners, who won the league title at 17-1.

UTSA women run away from Prairie View A&M, 86-40

Posted on by
Reply

UTSA junior forward Idara Udo produced 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Roadrunners snapped a two-game losing streak with a blowout victory. – Photo by Vashaun Newman, UTSA athletics

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Coach Karen Aston is always wary of the first game after final exams, and so she was relieved to see her players come out and compete with energy and efficiency Saturday afternoon.

In pounding the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers, 86-40, Aston was also pleased to see the UTSA Roadrunners put five losses — including four against Power 4 competition — behind them.

“I think it was good to get back to the Convocation Center,” she said, “and … play again after we get through a tough stretch and, in particular, (after we get) through finals.

“You never know how you’re team’s going to react coming out of finals.”

Facing a team coached by San Antonio native Tai Dillard, who once was one of the city’s greatest female basketball players, Aston also knew that Prairie View would be ready to play.

And they were, if only for a quarter. In the last three periods, the Roadrunners rolled — 21-9 in the second, 20-6 in the third and 26-9 in the fourth.

“I think there was part of the team that looked like it had been through a long week mentally,” Aston said, “but I thought that as the game went along, we connected a little bit better.

“The thing I’m most proud about today is our assist-turnover ratio (24-12). I mean, we’ve had a struggle with that, and I thought we were pretty intentional today with making extra passes, sharing the ball.

“It’s fun to watch when you play like that.”

The Roadrunners took complete control in the second and third periods, turning the fourth into garbage time. Leading by 31 going into the fourth, they kept pouring it on and led by 40 with three minutes to play.

All day, graduate senior guard Ereauna Hardaway was the facilitator, passing for seven assists against three turnovers. It was a point guard’s dream, as everyone seemed to be open.

“Just seeing my teammates, getting in the windows, what we’ve been working on in practice,” she said. “Just gettin’ downhill and making plays with ’em.”

In all, five UTSA players reached double figures in scoring, with sophomore Mia Hammonds leading with 17. Damara Allen had 14, Idara Udo 12, Jayda Holiman 11 and Hardaway 10.

Udo, who had fouled out in three of her last six games, pulled down 10 rebounds to complete her third double double of the season and her first since Nov. 19.

She said her bounce-back game centered on making adjustments.

“I talked a lot with coach this week, coach Cam (Miles),” she said, “just watching the film and seeing what I can do in applying those adjustments to changes in the game, and then, being more disciplined on defense.”

UTSA may have needed a game like this one.

A week ago, the Roadrunners fell 66-39 to UNLV and had their 17-game homecourt winning streak snapped. Then they followed with a road test at 14th-ranked Baylor that also didn’t go their way.

While they played well for a half against the Lady Bears, they dropped a 73-55 decision, giving them as many losses (five) as they had all last season.

UTSA (4-5) plays again on Monday at 11 a.m. against Division II Texas A&M-Kingsville. Prairie View (2-7) lost its third straight under Dillard, who was an all state player at Sam Houston High School.

Dillard also played for the Texas Longhorns and in the WNBA for the San Antonio Silver Stars.

After her playing career, she worked in high schools in the city for a few years before UTSA coaches approached her about joining the Roadrunners’ staff.

She worked at UTSA from 2007-12, assisting Head Coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair with NCAA tournament teams in 2008 and 2009.

Before the game, Dillard engaged in a 10-minute conversation on the court with current UTSA assistant Amber Gregg, one of her players on UTSA women’s basketball’s only two NCAA entries.

“Amber and her crew, they made a lot of memories and did a lot while they were here,” Dillard told The JB Replay before the game. “I was just blessed to be in their lives while they were at UTSA.”

First half

Hammonds connected on three of four from the field in the second quarter as the UTSA Roadrunners opened a 40-25 halftime lead.

Responding after an inconsistent first period, UTSA shot nine of 16 and outscored Prairie View 20-9 in the second.

Hammonds scored the last six points of the half on a 15-footer, a baseline drive and a layup.

Records

Prairie View A&M 2-7
UTSA 4-5

Coming up

Texas A&M-Kingsville at UTSA, Monday, 11 a.m.

Notable

Crystal Schultz led the Lady Panthers with 20 points on eight of 19 shooting from the field. The rest of the team didn’t fare so well, making only seven of 43. Altogether, the Roadrunners held the Panthers to 24.2 percent.

UTSA, on the other hand, shot 44 percent from the field and 39 percent from three. The Roadrunners made nine of 22 shots from behind the arc.

Free throw shooting was a problem for UTSA early, as the Roadrunners made only six of 14 in the half. UTSA made nine of nine after intermission and finished 15 of 23 at the line.

Colorado men ride second-half surge, wallop UTSA, 88-64

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Point guard Barrington Hargress scored 10 of his 23 points in the first six minutes of the second half Saturday in Boulder, allowing the Big 12’s Colorado Buffaloes to pull away from the UTSA Roadrunners in an 88-64 victory.

Colorado (9-1) led by three points at intermission and then unleashed Hargress, a transfer from UC Riverside, to kick-start its high-scoring offense.

UTSA (4-6) couldn’t keep pace as the 6-foot-1 guard opened the second half with a three-pointer and then added a jumper and another three, all in the first three minutes.

Hargress followed with a layup, pushing Colorado’s lead to 14 points at the 14:01 mark. The Buffaloes led by as many as 27 points late in the game.

For the Roadrunners, guard Jamir Simpson produced another strong game with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Brent Moss and Daniel Akitoby supplied spark off the bench, with Moss scoring 11 and Akitoby 10.

UTSA has now lost three straight, all by more than 20 points. On the last day of November, the South Alabama Jaguars played zone defense primarily and won 82-58 at the Convocation Center.

Alabama, the 12th-ranked team in the nation, soundly defeated UTSA 97-55 last weekend in Tuscaloosa. Now, Colorado has piled on, using 62.2 percent shooting in the second half to win going away.

Coming in shooting 52 percent from the field and 41 percent from three, the Buffaloes nearly reached those numbers. They shot 49 percent for the game and 39 percent (9 of 22) behind the arc.

In areas of improvement, the Roadrunners played well defensively in the first half, holding a team that averages 88 a game to 35 points. In addition, they shot the ball better, hitting 39 percent and getting substantive contributions off the bench.

But it wasn’t enough to stop the program’s long losing streak against power conference competition. The loss was UTSA’s 30th straight against teams from the biggest revenue-producing conferences in the nation.

The Roadrunners haven’t won against a team from one of the financial majors since November of 2009 when they claimed a victory in Iowa City against the Big Ten’s Iowa Hawkeyes.

Records

UTSA 4-6
Colorado 9-1

Coming up

UTSA at Southern Cal, Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Notable

UTSA coach Austin Claunch said on the team’s radio broadcast that the game got away from his team early in the second half primarily because of some empty offensive possessions.

“Against good teams, if you take bad shots, and you don’t move (the ball), or you’re stagnant, they’re going to punish you on the other end, and that’s what happened,” Claunch said.

In the first eight minutes of the game, the Roadrunners held a surprising 13-12 lead. They were within one of two possessions for the remainder of the half.

“First 20 minutes, probably the best we’ve played this year,” Claunch said, “and the second 20, we got to figure out why that happened.”

UTSA’s Aston set to coach against ‘a San Antonio legend’

Posted on by
Reply

Prairie View A&M head coach Tai Dillard (left) visits with UTSA assistant Amber Gregg Saturday at the Convocation Center. Dillard worked on the coaching staff and Gregg played for UTSA teams that reached the NCAA tournament in 2008 and 2009. – Photo by Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Tai Dillard returns home to San Antonio on Saturday, with the first-year head coach of the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers leading her team into the Convocation Center to take on the UTSA Roadrunners.

Tipoff is at 1 p.m.

Dillard is a San Antonio native who played for the powerhouse Sam Houston High School teams in the late 1990s and for the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA from 2003-05.

After high school, she moved on to the University of Texas, where she learned the game under head coach Jody Conradt and a UT assistant by the name of Karen Aston.

Aston, now the fifth-year head coach of the Roadrunners, recruited Dillard and another former Sam Houston player, Annissa (Hastings) Jackson, to Texas.

Jackson is the head coach at San Antonio’s Wagner High School.

Dillard, meanwhile, is in her first season as a head coach in college basketball after working for almost two decades as an assistant, including 2007-12 at UTSA under Rae Rippetoe-Blair.

“Just two of the most competitive players and two of the best people that I’ve ever coached in my lifetime,” Aston said. “I mean, (Tai)’s a treasure. She was just one of those players who put on her hard hat every day, as I’m sure she’s done as a coach.

“She was an absolute pleasure to coach. She’s got a wonderful family. She’s a San Antonio legend, in my opinion. I use her as a story a lot when I have young players who struggle, because, as a freshman she didn’t get to play very much.

“And then, right at the end of her freshman year, right before the conference tournament, I remember this so vividly, it was like the light came on, and she never really looked back once that happened.”

Dillard played in high school at Sam Houston under coach Charlotte Jones, earning all-state honors as a junior and senior, as the team compiled a record of 60-14.

Sam Houston reached the state semifinals in both years, falling to Bay City in 1998 and to Dallas Lincoln in 1999.

Records

Prairie View A&M 2-6
UTSA 3-5

Coming up

Prairie View A&M at UTSA, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notable

After opening the season by playing a schedule that included four Power Four conference teams, plus the UNLV Lady Rebels, the Roadrunners emerged with five losses.

But Coach Karen Aston hopes the experience gave the players a perspective on what it will take to compete in the upcoming American Conference race.

“The schedule obviously didn’t do this young team any favors, if you look at it just from a win-loss perspective,” Aston said.

“But,” she added, “if you look at it from a perspective that they didn’t need to have a false sense of who they were going into conference play — they needed to understand what it takes to compete against a good basketball team.

“They needed to understand what their weaknesses were. For lack of better words, they needed to become a team. This is a new group that wasn’t — and still isn’t — where they need to be from a team perspective.”

She said the team still needs to grow because of so many new players in the system and because of others who have taken on expanded roles.

“We’re growing,” she said, “but are we going to be exactly where we need to be when we open up against Tulane (on Dec. 30). Probably not. But I think we’re getting closer every day, if they just … continue to work on the things it’s going to take to win close games.”

UTSA men look for keys to unlock offensive potential

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Four days after his team journeyed out on the road and lost by 42 points to the 12th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, UTSA coach Austin Claunch paused on Thursday morning to review the experience for what it was.

Simply put, a vastly more talented team overwhelmed his Roadrunners in the first half en route to an easy win.

Austin Claunch. Southern Illinois Edwardsville (SIUE) beat UTSA 77-60 in men's basketball on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch leads his team into road games Saturday at Colorado and next Wednesday at Southern Cal. – File photo by Joe Alexander

With the Crimson Tide crashing the offensive glass and forcing turnovers, the point differential quickly reached double figures in the opening minutes and expanded to 39 by intermission.

But then, all of a sudden, the Roadrunners took a different tack to give the second half an entirely different feel.

UTSA’s offense loosened up and played well. The Roadrunners scored 38 points in the final 20 minutes while knocking down six shots from behind the arc, including three by freshman Dorian Hayes.

“We sort of just kept it simple and played with a little bit more pace,” Claunch said in a zoom conference. “I wouldn’t say (with) more freedom … But kind of just letting our hair down and going to the hoop.”

Still searching for the keys to unlock their offensive potential, the Roadrunners will continue the toughest stretch of road games on their schedule on Saturday afternoon against the high-scoring Colorado Buffaloes.

Records

UTSA 4-5
Colorado 8-1

Coming up

UTSA at Colorado, Saturday, 3 p.m.
UTSA at Southern Cal, Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Seattle at UTSA, Monday, Dec. 22, 2 p.m.
x-UTSA at FAU, Wednesday, Dec. 31, noon
x-American Conference opener

Offensive woes

To date, UTSA’s offense has been nothing less than streaky.

Last month, it seemed to be rounding into form when the Roadrunners scored 84 points in a road win at Denver. In their next game, they followed with a 103-70 victory at home against Southwestern Christian.

On a subsequent trip to Florida, they stumbled a bit in the opener of the Jacksonville Classic, losing 61-50 to Abilene Christian, only rise up and play well again the next day against Georgia Southern.

The Roadrunners revved the offense to hit 51 percent from the field in the second half of a 77-64 victory over the Eagles. Since then, though, they’ve struggled to score.

In consecutive losses to South Alabama (at home) and Alabama, the Roadrunners have averaged only 56.5 points on a combined 29.2 percent from the floor.

Their effort includes two halves in which they shot 25 percent or less. During the two-game stretch, only in the second half against the Crimson Tide did the Roadrunners reach the 40-percent level.

“It’s more on me,” Claunch said. “I’ve got to simplify this thing for our guys. Sometimes that’s the best thing you can do, is go back to your foundation.

“It’s better to be really good at one or two things than be OK at 10 things.

“We’ve got to identify who we are, the shots that we want to take and just get really, really good at things that get us those looks.”

Help apparently is on the way. TCU transfer Vasean Allette, considered the team’s top offseason pickup in the transfer portal, has returned to workouts.

“Vasean is back practicing,” Claunch said. “Hopefully we can have him as this thing gets nearer to conference play. I think he’s starting to approach being where he needs to be.”

Without saying exactly why Allette hasn’t played yet, Claunch confirmed that the 6-2 guard won’t be with the team at Colorado or USC, hinting that he could return on Dec. 22 at home against the Seattle Redhawks.

“We’re 100 percent behind him and continue to take the steps to get him back full go as we move closer to conference,” the coach said.

Notable

As the Roadrunners try to find answers on offense, the defense has held up fairly well, limiting opponents to 38.1 percent shooting from the field for the season.

Even though South Alabama and Alabama have totaled 179 points against UTSA over the past two games, the defensive base has been solid, limiting those two to a combined 41.4 percent shooting.

That number includes holding Alabama, one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, to 39 percent.

UTSA will need to be at its best defensively against the Buffaloes, who average 88.4 points on 52.1 percent shooting.

Coach Tad Boyle’s team is sixth in the nation from 3-point range, making 41 percent. Moreover, five players average between 11 and 15 points per game and four of them range from 6-feet-9 to 7-0.

Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson leads Colorado, averaging 15.3 points off the bench.

Women’s basketball: Freshman L.A. Sneed scores 16 in her first start at Utah

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

L.A. Sneed, a University of Utah freshman from Wagner High School, scored 16 points and passed for six assists last Thursday in a 70-58 road victory at Colorado State.

Her season high in scoring came in first career start for the Utes.

Sneed is one of at least 25 athletes from the San Antonio area this season in NCAA Division I women’s basketball. Moreover, at least 11 play for teams in power conferences.

San Antonio area women in NCAA Division I basketball:
2025-26 season

Averi Aaron, Louisiana Tech, 6-1 sophomore forward from Boerne HS

Hailey Adams, Rice, 6-1 redshirt junior guard from Clark HS

Rian Forestier, Southern Cal, 5-11 sophomore guard from Brandeis HS

Mia Hammonds, UTSA, 6-3 sophomore guard from Steele HS

A’Maya Holton, Oral Roberts, 6-0 freshman forward from East Central

Natalie Huff, Southeastern Louisiana, 5-7 redshirt freshman guard from Clark HS; transfer from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Madison Hurta, Houston Baptist, 5-9 sophomore guard from New Braunfels (homeschool)

Christeen Iwuala, Ole Miss, 6-3 senior forward from Reagan HS, also, Waco Midway; transfer from UCLA

Vivian Iwuchukwu, Southern Cal, 6-2 sophomore forward from Cole HS, also from Montverde, Fla.

Deja Jones, Texas State, 5-9 graduate student guard from East Central HS, transfer from Indiana State, previously at UTSA

Kayla King, Houston, 5-10 freshman guard from Judson HS

Sidney Love, Texas Tech, 5-8 senior guard from Steele HS, transfer from UTSA

Amira Mabry, Tulane, 6-0 senior forward from Judson HS

Kalysta ‘Bird’ Martin, Texas Tech, 6-2 sophomore guard from Providence Catholic School

Mia Ramos, Southeastern Louisiana, 5-7 freshman guard from Brandeis HS

Alexis Parker, Lamar, 5-9 senior guard from Brandeis HS; transfer from UTSA

Aysia Proctor, North Texas, 5-8 junior guard from Clemens HS; transfer from UTSA

Aaliyah Roberson, TCU, 6-2 junior forward from Clark HS

Arianna Roberson, Duke, 6-4 redshirt freshman from Clark HS

Taylor Ross, UTSA, 6-0 sophomore forward from Brennan HS

LA Sneed, Utah, 5-6 freshman guard from Wagner HS

Jordyn Weaver, Tulane, 5-11 graduate student forward from Wagner; transfer from Queens University (N.C.)

Sedelia Wilson-Larkin, Incarnate Word, freshman forward from Saint Mary’s Hall

Sammie Wagner, Oregon, 6-1 redshirt junior guard-forward from Reagan HS

Carleigh Wenzel, Virginia Tech, 6-0 redshirt junior guard from O’Connor HS and Antonian HS

Notable

With full disclosure, this list might not be complete with names of every women’s basketball player from the area in Division I. We might have missed a few. At the same time, we feel like we’ve identified most of them, while promising to add names as new information comes to light: