Monthly Archives: February 2022

Tapia says UTSA pitching could be ‘the heart of the team’

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Fifth-year UTSA senior Jonathan Tapia is projected to start in center field tonight at Tarleton State but also is also expected to play this season in the infield. — File photo by Joe Alexander

Jonathan Tapia, a fifth-year UTSA senior from O’Connor High School, will lead the Roadrunners into Stephenville tonight as they open the college baseball season on the road against the Tarleton State Texans. Tapia, a preseason pick on the all-Conference USA team, has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and is working on his master’s in business. I met Tapia earlier this week for an interview at Roadrunner Field.

How do you think the team looks?

The team looks good. It’s the first weekend, and, you know, we’re going to see how the first weekend goes. We’re going to look to sweep. But Tarleton is a good team. So, they’re going to come out and give us (their) best shot.

What about for the long term? What do you think is this team’s potential?

I really think our (pitching) staff is going to be good. The heart of the team. We’re going to have guys coming out of the pen. Four or five guys coming out of the pen. So, we’re going to have that. Hitting’s going to come along, too. Hitting comes and goes. You got to have pitching to win games.

What about the pitching staff makes you so optimistic?

We got a lot of new guys. New faces. Guys with good stuff. Guys with velo.

What about from your vantage point. You’re starting in center on Friday night. What do you see in terms of the defense up the middle?

Defense is going to be solid. That’s going to be one of our strong points. Our infield coach emphasizes that defense wins games. I really think that’s going to be our emphasis this year.

Shortstop Kody Darcy is a new face. What do you see from Kody?

I love Kody. Kody’s a good guy. He’s going to be in our lineup every day. He brings a good (skills at) shortstop and a good bat as well.

I see from watching this practice today that he’s got a lot of range.

Yeah, we need that up the middle.

Are you going to be all over the place this year, defensively? I saw you played center today. A little at third. A little at second?

Per usual. I’m going to be utility. I like that. You got to keep the mind guessing. Is what I like to say.

A friend of mine says he saw you shifted from third base to second in one inning last year.

I think it was in the Rice series I did that. I was at third, and then when a lefty (hitter) would come up, I’d go to second. It’s interesting in the scorebook, because (a ground ball to second) will be a 5-3 putout in the book.

Do you like having that multi-faceted role with the team?

I enjoy it. I think it brings versatility to our team and also to me. I’m pretty confident, wherever I play. Coach asks me where I want to play. I say, I just want to play. I just want to help the team, honestly.

What do you remember most about last season?

Last season? Last season was kind of a blur, honestly. As a team, I really think we swung the bat really well. And I think this year’s going to be the same thing. Like I said, hitting comes and goes. We might struggle, but in the next game, it’ll come back.

You went to C-USA tournament in Ruston last year and lost two games in extra innings. Two one-run games in extra innings. How long did it take you to get over that?

Yea, man, it was tough. Obviously, we played a good LA Tech team. Losing to them by one run in extra innings. We played them the week before and lost to them in extra innings, as well. It just shows that we can hang with the big dogs up there.

How do you feel about this being your last ride with the Roadrunners?

I’m going to go out there and give it all I got, like I’ve done all four years. Just going out with the guys and having fun. I mean, that’s all you can do. It’s just a game. I mean, you got to have fun playing baseball.

What about your academics? You’ve been honored by the conference a few times. Do you want to brag about your academics a little?

I don’t really like to brag about myself. I mean, I just … school’s hard, as it is. That’s why I’m going to school. Playing baseball and going to school, my family and everybody just keep me on top of everything. Especially our advisor. Beth Noteware. She always helps us with everything that we need.

You study kinesiology, right. Have you graduated already?

I’ve already graduated. I’m doing my master’s in business right now. I’m doing that right now. I’ll finish that up next fall.

What do you hope to do with kinesiology, plus business?

Evidently, I want to open up my own business. A baseball-related business. Kind of like the D-1s that you see in Boerne. All of that stuff. I kind of want to do that. There’s a lot of things I could do right now with a masters in business degree. That’s kind of what I want to do.

Are you going to try to play some pro ball next year?

Yes sir. That’s the No. 1 goal right now, (although, and) I forgot who told me this. But, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t go play pro ball. I gave it all I got all five years (here). That’s all I can ask for.

Play ball! New season dawns for San Antonio area talent

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Jace Jung, a Texas Tech sophomore from San Antonio MacArthur High School, headlines our list of players from the local area in NCAA Division I baseball. — Photo, courtesy of Texas Tech athletics, by Elise Bressler

Good morning, all.

With the college baseball season opening today, I tried to track down the names of everyone from the San Antonio area that I could find on Division I rosters.

I’ve been working on the list for a few days now and, admittedly, might have overlooked a few guys. But I did my best and, for now, here it is. I’ll update through the season if more names come to light.

Special thanks to Matt Burkholder at Texas Tech University. Matt was kind enough to email photos of slugger Jace Jung, a Red Raiders sophomore from San Antonio’s MacArthur High School.

Jung was the Big 12 player of the year and earned All-American honors as a freshman last season. He hit .337 and led the conference with 21 homers.

Here are some other names to keep an eye on:

Coleson Abel, Texas Tech, LHP, freshman from Kerrville Tivy

Bryan Aguilar, Tarleton State, INF, senior from East Central, also Hill JC and Marshall University

Ian Bailey, UTSA, OF, grad senior from Stevens

Zane Badmaev, Tarleton State, RHP, sophomore from Boerne

Rody Barker, Texas A&M, OF-C, graduate transfer from Kerrville Tivy, New Mexico Junior College

Jalen Battles, Arkansas, SS, senior from Madison and McLennan Community College

Ryan Beaird, UTSA, RHP, freshman from Reagan

Brandon Beckel, Texas Tech, P, sophomore from Antonian

Luke Boyers, TCU, OF, sophomore from Boerne Champion

Garrett Brooks, UTSA, OF, freshman from Smithson Valley

Porter Brown, TCU, OF, redshirt sophomore from Reagan

Clayton Chadwick, Sam Houston State, UTL, sophomore from La Vernia

Josh Coleman, Houston, LHP, freshman from Johnson

Preston Dallmeyer, Stephen F. Austin, OF, sophomore from Poth and Ranger College

Zach DeLeon, UT Rio Grande Valley, RHP, senior from Hondo and UTSA

Nathan Dettmer, Texas A&M, P, sophomore from Johnson

Garrett Egli, Abilene Christian, RHP, grad transfer from Smithson Valley, Sam Houston State

Cohen Feser, TCU, P, freshman from Reagan

Ty Fontenot, Baylor, LHP, redshirt freshman from Brandeis

Douglas Hodo III, Texas, OF, redshirt sophomore from Boerne

Jace Jung, Texas Tech, 2B, sophomore from MacArthur

Josh Killeen, UTSA, C, redshirt sophomore from Reagan and Wichita State

Alex Magers, Texas A&M, P, sophomore from D’Hanis

Cal Martin, Stephen F. Austin, UTL, sophomore from Reagan

Zack May, Incarnate Word, RHP, grad student, from Smithson Valley, and McNeese State, Hill College

Matthew Nicholas, Texas State, RHP, New Braunfels Christian Academy

August Ramirez, Texas State, C, redshirt sophomore from O’Connor

Julio Riggs, Abilene Christian, INF-OF, sophomore, Boerne and Paris College

Dalton Shuffield, Texas State, INF, senior from Johnson

Travis Sthele, Texas, P, redshirt freshman from Reagan

Tristan Stivors, Texas State, P, senior from Medina Valley and New Mexico JC

Austin Stracener, Texas A&M, INF, freshman from New Braunfels Canyon

Jonathan Tapia, UTSA, INF/OF, senior from O’Connor

Jordan Thompson, Texas A&M, OF, junior from Boerne Champion, Incarnate Word, Grayson College

Sam Walbridge, Texas, P, redshirt sophomore from Saint Mary’s Hall

Ryan Ward, UTSA, RHP, sophomore from Clemens

Zac Vooletich, Texas Tech, INF/OF, junior from Brandeis and Navarro College

Isaiah Zavala, Incarnate Word, RHP, junior from Southwest

UTSA wins in overtime to snap a five-game losing streak

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Pass the pepperoni, please.

The UTSA Roadrunners planned to celebrate with a post-game pizza on Thursday night after they snapped a five-game losing streak with a rousing 98-79 victory in overtime at Southern Mississippi.

In the five-minute OT, UTSA hit an eye-opening eight-for-eight from the field and won going away with a 22-3 burst.

Guard Dhieu Deing produced 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Roadrunners, who extended the Golden Eagles’ losing streak to eight games.

UTSA walk-on Isaiah Addo-Ankrah added a career-high 21 points, including 9 of them on three, 3-point baskets in the overtime.

Jacob Germany and Erik Czumbel had 16 points apiece, and guard Darius McNeill added 14 points, five assists and two steals.

Both steals by McNeill ignited the Roadrunners on the defensive end in the extra period, while Addo-Ankrah and Deing sparked the offense.

Addo-Ankrah, once a practice player for the University of Houston women’s basketball team, hit three for three from long distance in overtime. Deing was two for two.

“I can’t believe this right now,” Addo-Ankrah told Andy Everett on the team’s radio broadcast. “It went to overtime and I’m like, ‘Oh, please, please God. Please.”

It was UTSA’s first win since Jan. 27, a victory at home over the FIU Panthers. It was their first win of the year on the road after losing their first 10 away from home.

During the radio interviews on KTKR 760, UTSA coach Steve Henson chuckled at the improbable sight on the box score of eight-for-eight shooting in an overtime period.

This, from a team that entered the game with a discouraging 38.6 percent field goal percentage for the season.

“That was pretty amazing,” Henson said. “Got the (opening) tip and got a bucket. Got a steal and got a bucket. Just like that, we were up five. Then we ran a play and got a three. Guys executed. Then when we got a lead, we ran the clock, and after running some clock, we converted.

“Heck of a job there in overtime, on both ends of the floor.”

For the game, the Roadrunners hit 35 of 75 shots for 46.7 percent from the field. They hit 46.9 percent from three, knocking down 15 of 32.

Defensively, they were good when they needed to be good, limiting the Golden Eagles to 1 for 5 shooting and four turnovers in overtime. Southern Miss shot 43 percent for the game.

First half

The Roadrunners hit seven three-point baskets and rallied from an 11-point deficit to forge a 38-38 tie against the Golden Eagles.

After the Roadrunners fell behind, 25-14, Deing, Czumbel and Addo-Ankrah led the comeback.

Deing hit three from long distance and led the Roadrunners in first-half scoring with 13 points. Czumbel and Addo-Ankrah hit two threes apiece. UTSA was 7 of 17 from the arc at intermission after entering the game shooting only 28 percent on treys.

Discovering the touch

UTSA’s shooting has been a problem for most of the season.

It started out that way against Southern Miss, with the Roadrunners making only two of their first 12 attempts from the field. But they warmed up just a bit to finish the first half at 35.9 percent. In the second half, they hit 46.4 percent. Then, they knocked down all eight of them for 100 percent in the overtime.

Juice’s return

The game marked the return of Jordan Ivy-Curry after he had missed UTSA’s last contest with a sprained ankle. Henson said Ivy-Curry hasn’t been able to practice much in the last 10 days, but he finally got some work in on Wednesday. The Roadrunners’ leading scorer came off the bench to play nine minutes. He was 0 for 3 from the field and passed for two assists.

Sending it to OT

The Golden Eagles tied the game on a somewhat controversial final play of regulation. Taking it to the basket, Tyler Stevenson collided with UTSA’s Jacob Germany as he was shooting, and he missed. It could have been called a charge, but there was no whistle. After that, Stevenson got the rebound, and missed an easy one at the rim. He grabbed the ball again and put it back at the buzzer, tying the score 76-76, and sending it to overtime.

Golden Eagles numbers

Guard Wayln Napper led Southern Miss in scoring with 21 points. Napper played on the same team with Deing last season at Dodge City Community College in Kansas. Stevenson finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. DeAndre Pinckney had 17 points and 11 boards. Also, Isaih Moore chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds and six blocked shots.

Notable

UTSA guard Erik Czumbel passed for a career-high 11 assists. In his last two games, against Western Kentucky and Southern Miss, he has 30 points and 15 assists … Deing produced his fifth 20-plus points game this season. Deing has had scoring games of 19, 8, 7, 9, 14, 3 and 26 in the seven games since he returned to the team, following a three-week absence in January.

Records

UTSA 9-18, 2-12
Southern Miss 6-19, 1-11

Coming up

Saturday — UTSA at Louisiana Tech, 6 p.m.

Cold weather for baseball? Just how the Roadrunners like it

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Leyton Barry and the UTSA Roadrunners open their season Friday night in Stephenville against the Tarleton State Texans. — File photo by Joe Alexander

Two weeks ago, Pat Hallmark emerged from the clubhouse and walked out to the field, bundled up in a coat to ward off the cold from a low 40s-type day in South Texas. Some of his players sensed an opening to have some fun. A few of them remarked, “Hey coach, it’s just how we like it.”

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark says he feels good about the improvement of his pitching. — File photo by Joe Alexander

It’s a refrain heard often around Roadrunner Field this time of year. It’s a mindset that Hallmark, UTSA’s third-year coach, always tries to instill in his players when they’re pushing through practices in late January and early February in preparation for the start of the college baseball season.

Some days, though, the cold just doesn’t allow for any type of workout. Such was the case a few weeks ago.

“That weekend, we didn’t (practice at all on Thursday) and we didn’t play intrasquad on Friday,” the coach said. “We basically got all the pitching in on Saturday and Sunday. We really didn’t miss anything. Just got pushed back a day.

“Last weekend, it sorted itself back out. (We played regularly-scheduled intrasquad games) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So we didn’t miss anything. It was just a little colder.”

The Roadrunners may need to break out the long sleeves again this weekend in Stephenville when they open their season with a three-game series against the Tarleton State Texans. Start times Friday and Saturday are at 6 p.m., with the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.

On Friday and Saturday night, temperatures at the Tarleton State Baseball Complex could dip into the 40s, according to the forecast online at weather.com. “Again, we’re prepared,” Hallmark said. “The guys are 100 percent ready.”

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Hallmark expressed optimism about his team’s prospects leading into the road trip to Tarleton, another game at TCU next Wednesday night and then the home-opening series starting Feb. 25. UTSA will host Seattle for four games from Feb. 25-27, followed by a matchup against Stanford on Feb. 28.

“You’re always hopeful and encouraged,” he said. “I think we’ll win some games here early. I think we’ll win some games throughout the year. But we’ve got to go do it, right. I would hope I would think that, (but) the pitching looks good.”

Last season, pitching problems haunted the Roadrunners as they finished 22-26 and got bounced out of the Conference USA tournament in two straight. Despite an offense that ranked as one of the best statistically in the nation, the pitching was among the least effective, with an earned run average of 5.92 and a WHIP of 1.62.

Sensing that the pitching would need an overhaul even before last season, Hallmark and his staff have added some talented young arms to mesh with some veterans who are throwing the ball better. “More days than not, the pitching seems to be winning,” Hallmark said. “It’s a good sign.”

On the first weekend, UTSA is expected to start senior righthander Jacob Jimenez on Friday, followed by lefty grad student Grant Miller on Saturday and freshman righty Braylon Owens on Sunday. The staff, as a whole, just seems to please the head coach.

“We’ve got a lot of new players on the mound,” Hallmark said. “And then, some of the returning players have improved. They just throw more quality pitches.”

Hallmark mentioned Owens, Ryan Beaird and Braden Davis as freshmen who have worked their way into the mix to pitch in games early this season for the Roadrunners. Also, junior college transfers Ulises Quiroga and Allen Smith have shown promise.

“At the end of the day, you just got to throw strikes and you got to create some hitting problems (for the opponent),” Hallmark said. “So we’ll be better able to do that this year, and some of it will be … you’ll see some plain ol’ new people out there.”

Hallmark, who started at UTSA in the 2020 season cut short by the Covid-19 crisis, is hopeful that his staff’s recruiting efforts will yield improved play on defense, as well.

“We’ve just tried to constantly improve the quality of the athlete on the defensive side of the ball,” he said. “It’s not always that easy. Because they got to hit. You might be able to find seven or eight fast athletic kids. But if they can’t hit, you know, you got to be able to score, too. So that’s always a challenge.”

Opening-day starters Friday night are expected to be:

Pitcher — Jacob Jimenez
Catcher — Josh Killeen
First base — Ryan Flores
Second base — Leyton Barry
Shortstop — Kody Darcy
Third base — Austin Ochoa
Right field — Chase Keng
Center field — Jonathan Tapia
Left field — Ian Bailey
Designated hitter — Garrett Poston

As for the hitting? Batting stars Nick Thornquist, Griffin Paxton and Dylan Rock have all played out their eligibility. But it’s expected that the Roadrunners will score some runs, because Hallmark’s teams usually do.

Last year, Barry and Keng both hit better than .300 and slugged at nearly .600 for the Roadrunners. Darcy, a transfer from Xavier in Cincinnati, came in with the reputation as a defensive player but has also started to hit and hit with power under the tutelage of assistant coach Ryan Aguayo.

Hallmark also likes Garrett Poston’s bat. Poston is expected to hit in the leadoff spot Friday night.

Western Kentucky downs UTSA, despite Germany’s 26 points

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Jacob Germany. UTSA lost to Western Kentucky 71-65 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA center Jacob Germany scored 26 points, but the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers escaped with a 71-65 road victory at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners entered a Saturday afternoon home game without the services of injured guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, their leading scorer.

Not a great sign for the team with the worst record in Conference USA.

Western Kentucky's Jamarion Sharp blocking a shot against UTSA in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Western Kentucky’s Jamarion Sharp, a 7-5 center, rises up to block a shot against UTSA. – Photo by Joe Alexander

But instead of allowing the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers to run away with an easy one, 6-foot-11 center Jacob Germany and friends played hard and stayed in contention to win until the end.

Getting big performances from guards Josh Anderson and Jairus Hamilton, who each scored 18 points, Western Kentucky fended off rallies by the Roadrunners in each half en route to a 71-65 victory at the UTSA Convocation Center.

Hilltoppers point guard Dayvion McKnight also made a big play down the stretch as the visitors escaped with their fourth straight win and their second in three days.

On the flip side, an inspired performance by Germany went for naught, with the Roadrunners losing their fifth game in a row.

Germany scored 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against the Hilltoppers and their 7-foot-5 center, Jamarion Sharp.

It was one of the best performances by a center this season against Sharp, the nation’s leading shot blocker.

Unofficially, seven of Germany’s 11 baskets came on jumpers or hooks hoisted from outside the paint.

“Let me tell you,” Western Kentucky coach Rick Stansbury said, “as you well know, I got a pretty good defender in there. I’ve never had a player go over him this year.

“We had one go through him, physically, but Germany’s the first guy that’s gone over the top of him. All year long. He was really good.”

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah. UTSA lost to Western Kentucky 71-65 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore Isaiah Addo-Ankrah started for the first time but struggled with his shot, hitting 2 of 9 from the field and scoring five points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Sharp finished with five points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

“You go on the road, it’s never easy,” Stansbury said. “We knew this was a much better team than their record. They’ve been in every game like this, and they just haven’t pulled out some games.

“I thought they had a little extra emotion playing without their point guard, but we felt like the other guys made their team better, and they did.”

Germany said it’s always been a challenge for him to play against Western Kentucky. Last year, he faced Charles Bassey, now with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

This year, it was Sharp, who is less of an offensive threat than his predecessor but quite the presence as a defender.

“I think Western Kentucky does a really good job developing bigs into really elite big men,” Germany said. “That’s why Bassey’s in the league right now. You know, (Sharp) will probably be in the league in a few years.”

Germany made a statement with his individual performance, but he said he doesn’t know if he necessarily proved a point.

“I just went out there and competed,” said Germany, who hit 11 of 19 from the field. “They were giving me the looks that I wanted.”

As for the team, Germany said he thinks the Roadrunners are close to turning the corner on a difficult season.

“Tonight, they started out like five or six from three,” he said. “We just need to get through that. We just need to take a good half and put another good half together.”

Records

Western Kentucky 14-11, 6-6
UTSA 8-18, 1-12

Coming up

Feb. 17 — UTSA at Southern Mississippi, 7 p.m.
Feb. 19 — UTSA at Louisiana Tech, 4 p.m.

Notable

Dragged down by Covid-19 issues and sundry other issues that have made game-to-game consistency nearly impossible, UTSA is 2-14 since mid-December. The Roadrunners’ 12 C-USA losses are the most in any of six seasons with Coach Steve Henson at the helm.

Steve Henson. UTSA lost to Western Kentucky 71-65 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson says his players have maintained a positive attitude during a two-month streak of misfortune. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Four of the losses have been by six points or less. Previously, the Roadrunners’ worst showing in the C-USA under Henson came in 2019-20, when they went 7-11. The year before Henson took over, UTSA finished 5-27 and 3-15.

It’s uncertain when Ivy-Curry, who leads the Roadrunners in scoring at 15.4 points per game, could make his return. Henson says his explosive wing player is making progress, but the coach says he isn’t close to being able to practice. The 6-foot-2 sophomore sprained his ankle at the end of a game Monday night at Middle Tennessee State.

Quotable

“There were a lot of positives, but with the game on the line, we just didn’t make the play that we needed to make,” Henson said.

Henson said the Roadrunners definitely missed Ivy-Curry, who has had to sit out seven games this season, including six in Covid-19 protocols.

Erik Czumbel. UTSA lost to Western Kentucky 71-65 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Erik Czumbel produced 14 points and four assists for the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“For sure, he does so much for us,” Henson said. “He’s our leading scorer and one of our better three-point shooters … We missed him. (But) I’m proud of the other guys that did step up.”

Henson mentioned guard Erik Czumbel, who scored 14 points.

“Darius (McNeill), in the first half, got in the middle of the zone and made some nice plays,” Henson said. “(Lachlan Bofinger’s) energy was great.”

Individuals

Western Kentucky — Anderson came off the bench for 18 points, including 12 in the first half. He also had six rebounds and two steals. Hamilton scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half. He also pulled down seven rebounds. McKnight posted up McNeill with 1:33 remaining and hit a shot that put the Hilltoppers in front, 68-63.

UTSA — Czumbel contributed 14 points and four assists. He hit a season-high four three-point shots. McNeill finished with six points, six assists and four rebounds. Starting for Ivy-Curry, Isaiah Addo-Ankrah scored five points. Meanwhile, Dhieu Deing was held to three. Together, Addo-Ankrah and Deing were a combined 2 of 13 from the the three-point line.

Video highlights

A moment to remember from the first half

One defensive gem deserves another

Shooting it from downtown

UTSA will face a 7-foot-5, shot-blocking force today

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UTSA coach Steve Henson issued a warning to fans who may have noticed that the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers lost five in a row in January.

Henson said the Hilltoppers have returned to their winning ways.

“They’ve been terrific (in) their last three,” he said.

Coming off three straight victories, including two on the road last week, the Hilltoppers will tip off against the Roadrunners today at 3 p.m. at the UTSA Convocation Center.

UTSA is expected to be without guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, its leading scorer who has an ankle injury and has not practiced this week.

Western Kentucky, anchored by 7-foot-5 center Jamarion Sharp, won on the road at Charlotte and Old Dominion last week and then knocked off the FAU Owls 76-69 Thursday night at home in Bowling Green.

“Their first five minutes of offense against Charlotte was as good as I’ve ever seen ’em, and this is our sixth year here,” Henson said. “I’ve never seen ’em have a stretch where they looked as precise as those possessions early.”

Henson said the Hilltoppers are mixing defensive schemes and playing with a shortened rotation.

“The ones playing all know their roles really well,” he said. “They’re hot, and they’re playing great basketball right now.”

Western Kentucky’s success on defense, and lately its offense, to a lesser degree, revolves around Sharp.

Sharp is 7-5 and 235 pounds and leads the nation in blocked shots, averaging 4.5 a game. He also averages 8.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. Sharp doesn’t shoot the ball much, but when he does, he makes most of them.

In fact, the native of Hopkinsville, Ky., shoots 73.4 percent from the field. He is 13 for 13 from the field in his last three games, including 7 for 7 in the victory over FAU two nights ago.

“He’s terrific,” Henson said. “He impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Just such a threat with his rolling at the rim. (They) throw it anywhere near the basket and he can go get it. He’s shooting 80 percent from the field because they’re all dunks.

“He moves pretty well, defensively, blocking a ton of shots. It’s not surprising with that length. But he’s not just standing and waiting … He moves around, gets after ball screens. He’s a good player.”

Records

UTSA 8-17, 1-11
Western Kentucky 13-11, 5-6

Coming up

Feb. 17 — UTSA at Southern Miss
Feb. 19 — UTSA at Louisiana Tech

UTSA’s Addo-Ankrah makes the most of an opportunity to play

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Isaiah Addo-Ankrah celebrates after grabbing the final rebound of the game. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah celebrates after grabbing the final rebound of the game as UTSA beat Florida International on Jan. 27. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Sharp-shooting guard Isaiah Addo-Ankrah has mixed emotions about how his sophomore year with the UTSA Roadrunners has unfolded.

On one hand, the losing hurts. His Roadrunners have dropped four in a row and have registered a 2-13 record since the middle of December.

He doesn’t like that feeling at all.

Then again, Addo-Ankrah gets a measure of personal satisfaction from the way he has proven over the past three weeks that he can play at this level — as a walk-on, no less.

“It’s kind of weird,” Addo-Ankrah said Friday. “I’m happy because I’m playing now. (But) with the losing, I’m not as happy. You know, I’m scoring and helping the team, but we’re still losing.

“So it’s like a 50-50 type of mood.”

The 6-foot-6 Houston native spelled out his feelings Friday on the eve of a Saturday afternoon home game against the powerful Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

“I feel like we had a good week of practice,” Addo-Ankrah said. “I feel like the spirits are still up, which is a good thing. We still have the faith that we’re going to turn this around and start winning games.”

At the start of the season, UTSA players had high hopes for team success despite projections that had them pegged to finish below the middle of the pack in Conference USA.

By mid-December, the Roadrunners were 6-4 and were just starting to get some kinks ironed out with their offense when adversity struck.

A few players entered Covid-19 protocols and couldn’t make the trip to Illinois State. Since then, the problems have multiplied, seemingly on a weekly basis.

Everything from Covid protocols, to an academic casualty and to an incident in which one player just decided to leave the team for a few weeks — it’s all plagued a proud program that has posted winning records in three of the last four seasons.

In Addo-Ankrah’s case, he’s doing what he can to help right the ship.

Stepping into a role as a backup wing player in the wake of a season-ending injury to forward Aleu Aleu, the former standout at Houston Second Baptist High School has averaged nearly 10 points over his last three games.

For the season, Addo-Ankrah has played in 15 games, more than doubling the six he played last year as a freshman. Moreover, he’s also nailed 17 of 38 three-point shots for a team-leading 44.7 percent.

The first indication that Addo-Ankrah might be able to contribute more than just as a practice player came on Jan. 20 at UTEP when he knocked down three 3-pointers.

A few weeks later, on a trip to Houston to play at Rice, he broke out with his season-high of 15 points on five of six shooting from three. Perfect timing, considering his family and friends were in attendance.

“I was just happy to be out there,” he said.

The emergence of Addo-Ankrah is clearly one of the bright spots for UTSA coach Steve Henson in the past few months.

“It’s awesome to watch it happen right before our eyes,” Henson said. “He does everything right, every single day. Unbelievable teammate. Guys love him. Comes in here and just fights and competes.”

When Addo-Ankrah left high school in 2019, he attempted to walk on at the University of Houston, and after failing to make the squad, he elected to stay in school and help out as a practice player for the women’s team.

By the spring, he started looking around, sending out communications to see if UTSA coaches were interested. They were.

“You know, he’s been on the scout squad every day for two years now,” Henson said. “Never, ever flipped over to the main group. We threw him in a game. He made some shots, and he’s taken it and has run with it.”

Coming up

Saturday — Western Kentucky (13-11, 5-6) at UTSA (8-17, 1-11), 3 p.m.
Feb. 17 — UTSA at Southern Miss
Feb. 19 — UTSA at Louisiana Tech

Notable

Injured UTSA guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, the team’s leading scorer, will not play against the Hilltoppers. He rolled an ankle at the end of UTSA’s game at Middle Tennessee Statte on Monday night and hasn’t practiced at all in the wake of the mishap.

Hot-shooting Middle Tennessee holds off UTSA, 84-75

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Just when the UTSA Roadrunners seem to have discovered a semblance of rhythm on offense, their defense has collapsed.

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders took advantage of it on their home court Monday night by shooting 64 percent in the second half en route to an 84-75 victory over the slumping Roadrunners.

Leading by six at intermission, Middle Tennessee started fast when it came out after the break, making seemingly everything from everywhere.

At one point, the Blue Raiders built a 19-point lead.

Plagued all season by inconsistent offense, the Roadrunners didn’t fold. They came from behind and pulled to within five down the stretch.

But with Middle Tennessee hitting clutch free throws in the final minute, that was as close as UTSA would get.

In the end, the Roadrunners lost their four straight game and their 13th out of 15 overall.

Records

UTSA 8-17, 1-11
Middle Tennessee 15-7, 6-3

Notable

UTSA finished 0-3 on its five-day road trip. The Roadrunners lost to Rice by 13. They lost to North Texas by 24. Now they’ve fallen to Middle Tennessee by nine. A common thread in all three games was a tendency to give up too many easy baskets. The Owls shot 62.3 percent in Houston. The Mean Green shot 54.8 percent in Denton. The Blue Raiders made 53.7 percent in Murfreesboro.

Quotable

“We’ve got to put it all together,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s radio broadcast. “We’ve got to defend. Rebound. Get quality shots.”

UTSA by the numbers

Jordan Ivy-Curry, plagued by poor shooting in the first two games of the trip, played much better on the offensive end against the Blue Raiders. He led the Roadrunners with 19 points on 7 of 17 shooting from the field. Jacob Germany bounced back from a six-point outing at North Texas to score 16. The 6-11 center made 8 of 11 shots. Dhieu Deing scored 14 off the bench and hit four 3-point shots, including three in the second half.

Shots start to fall

For UTSA, one of the worst shooting teams in the nation, the road trip wasn’t a complete disappointment. The Roadrunners hit 50 percent from the field against Rice. After making only 29.2 percent against North Texas, they bounced back and hit 42.9 percent against Middle Tennessee, including 47 percent in the second half. UTSA hit six of 17 from the 3-point arc after intermission.

Middle Tennessee

Blue Raiders forward DeAndre Dishman played the role of Roadrunners nuisance in the second half, as he rang up 12 of his 18 points after intermission. In addition, senior guard Josh Jefferson scored 18, senior Donovan Sims produced 14 and junior Eli Lawrence 11. While the Blue Raiders hit five of their seven 3-pointers in the first half, they morphed after intermission into drivers attacking the paint. A critical play came with 54 seconds left when Sims, a 6-1 guard, drove down the middle for a layup for an 80-72 lead.

Coming up

Feb. 12 — Western Kentucky at UTSA
Feb. 17 — UTSA at Southern Miss
Feb. 19 — UTSA at Louisiana Tech

UTSA hopes to snap out of its funk at Middle Tennessee

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The UTSA Roadrunners will play on the road tonight at Middle Tennessee State hoping to pull themselves out of a 2-12 tailspin that has spanned nearly two months.

Tipoff is at 6 p.m. at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The Conference USA game is a makeup of one scheduled for Dec. 30, when Covid issues in the Middle Tennessee program forced its postponement.

At the time, UTSA had lost two straight in non-conference but remained confident as the opener in C-USA play loomed. Since then, the Roadrunners’ problems have snowballed into nightmarish proportions.

UTSA is without a couple of key players who are lost for the season. Actually, the number of scholarship players lost for the season is three counting one that went down during camp practices in October.

Moreover, a couple of key players who missed time last month haven’t returned to form. All of which has promoted inconsistency that in turn has led to a dramatic fall — to 8-16 for the season and to 1-10 in the C-USA West Division.

On Saturday, the Roadrunners were humbled again. North Texas won 63-45, holding UTSA under 50 points for the second time this season.

Middle Tennessee has been much more stable, winning five in a row before its latest outing, a 97-75 loss Saturday in Alabama against UAB.

The Blue Raiders are 14-7 overall and 5-3 in the C-USA East. \

By the numbers

Middle Tennessee’s leading scorer is grad transfer guard Josh Jefferson, who averages 13.8 points and shoots 36.3 percent from three. Fifth-year senior guard Donovan Sims averages 11.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, with sophomore guard Eli Lawrence 10.1 and 4.2. Jefferson transferred from Wisconsin-Green Bay.

MT is averaging 74.7 points on 44.8 percent shooting from the field, including 31.6 from three. MT is also shooting 73.5 percent from the free throw line. Opponents, in turn, are averaging 67.7 points on 42.8, and 32.9 from three. Also, 73.0 from the line.

North Texas downs UTSA, 69-45, to win eighth straight

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Eight wins in a row? No problem. The North Texas Mean Green methodically built a 17-point halftime lead and then cruised to a 69-45 victory at home Saturday over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Playing at the Super Pit in Denton, the Mean Green won their season-high eighth straight game and improved to 14-1 since Thanksgiving by holding UTSA to 29.2 percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent in the first half.

Center Abou Ousmane had 17 points and six rebounds for the Mean Green, who shot 54.8 percent in a slow-down offense. Guard Tylor Perry came off the bench to score 16 points, while Mardrez McBride added 12.

Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 15 for the Roadrunners, who lost their third straight game and their 12th out of 14 overall.

UTSA coach Steve Henson credited the Mean Green, a team that is playing for a second-straight trip to the NCAA tournament.

“They really manhandled us,” Henson told the team’s radio broadcast, “kept us from running anything … Kept us from passing. Kept us from screening. They just totally dictated with their defense.”

A series of blows to the UTSA roster in January have proven costly.

The Roadrunners lost forwards Cedrick Alley, Jr., and Aleu Aleu for the season. Alley, who is academically ineligible, was a dogged defender who could also score in a complementary role.

Aleu, sidelined with a knee injury, was a multi-talented player who could shoot from distance, drive and defend. Without them, the Roadrunners don’t seem capable of standing up to many teams in Conference USA, let alone the C-USA’s best.

UTSA is 1-5 without Aleu and 1-7 since Alley played his last game.

Ivy-Curry and Dhieu Deing also sat out games last month, the former because of Covid protocols and the latter because he briefly considered turning professional.

Since their return, both of the Roadrunners’ most talented perimeter players have had a tough time finding a groove.

Against North Texas, Ivy-Curry hit 5 of 17 shots from the field, making him 8 of 34 in two games on the current road trip. In the same two games, at Rice and North Texas, Deing is a combined 5 of 18. Deing was limited to 2 of 10 shooting and nine points against the Mean Green.

Center Jacob Germany, UTSA’s other primary threat, led UTSA with 20 points at Rice. He was held to six points and four rebounds against North Texas.

Essentially, the Mean Green kept the ball out of the 6-foot-11 center’s hands. But even when Germany could get off a shot, it wasn’t falling. He finished 1 of 5 from the field.

First half

In the first half, North Texas showed precision in execution on both ends of the floor.

Unfortunately for the UTSA Roadrunners, they didn’t really counter any of it. As a result, the Mean Green emerged with a 34-17 lead at intermission.

Notable

UTSA’s field goal percentage was its third lowest of the season and its fourth below 30 percent. On the road against Oklahoma, the Roadrunners shot 22.7 percent. Also, at home against UT Rio Grande Valley (25.7), at North Texas (29.2) and at Charlotte (29.4).

The 45 points were the second fewest in a game this year, next to the 44 scored in the 96-44 loss at OU on Nov. 12, in the second game of the year. Against North Texas, UTSA almost hit the season’s low-scoring mark before Isaiah Addo-Ankrah sank a layup with two seconds left.

Records

UTSA 8-16, 1-10
North Texas 16-4, 9-1

Coming up

Monday — UTSA at Middle Tennessee.