Monthly Archives: December 2023

UTSA announces that Ivy-Curry and Reyna are eligible to play

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA basketball players Jordan Ivy-Curry and Juan Reyna are eligible to play for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, starting with a road game set for Sunday at Oregon State University, according to an athletic department news release.

“Based on the latest guidance from the NCAA and the preliminary injunction regarding the residency requirement for multi-time transfers, UTSA men’s basketball athletes Jordan Ivy-Curry and Juan Reyna are now eligible to compete for the remainder of the 2023-24 season,” the release said. “They will be available for competition beginning with Sunday’s game at Oregon State.”

Furthermore, UTSA coach Steve Henson said in the release, “We are very happy for our kids. These young men really wanted to be Roadrunners. Now they have the opportunity to suit up and help our program, immediately. They have both been practicing extremely well and they are very excited to compete.”

After a court case played out this week in West Virginia, all multiple-time transfers in NCAA sports became eligible through the spring. The three multi-time transfers for UTSA men’s basketball were Ivy-Curry, Reyna and Justin Thomas.

While Ivy-Curry and Reyna wanted to take the chance to play immediately, Thomas elected to sit out the remainder of the season, Henson said.

Making such a decision will allow the 6-foot-7 forward to have two years of eligibility with the Roadrunners — in the 2024-25 season and ’25-26.

Henson said that the Ivy-Curry and Reyna will have the remainder of this season and all of ’24-25 to complete their UTSA eligibility.

Court action could clear pathway for UTSA’s Jordan Ivy-Curry and Justin Thomas to play

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Jordan Ivy-Curry. A&M-Corpus Christi beat UTSA 77-58 on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Developments in a West Virginia court case could crack open an opportunity for guard Jordan Ivy-Curry and forward for Justin Thomas both to play this season for the UTSA Roadrunners. As it is, both are sitting out under NCAA transfer rules, which are now being contested legally. Ivy-Curry is shown here in a photo from 2021-22. – File Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
News analysis for The JB Replay

Will UTSA basketball players Jordan Ivy-Curry and Justin Thomas be allowed to play this year? Will they perhaps make the road trip to play at Oregon State on Sunday afternoon? An athletics department spokesman says in a text that he can’t confirm the members of the traveling party.

Meanwhile, UTSA coach Steve Henson could not immediately be reached for comment.

Justin Thomas. UTSA men's basketball practice on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Justin Thomas averaged 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds last season for a 22-win team at Milwaukee, of the Horizon League. – Photo by Joe Alexander

But after a motion in a West Virginia-based court case was filed Friday to request an injunction allowing for multi-time transfers to compete in games through the end of the season, I suspect that the wheels might be in motion for the Roadrunners to suit up both athletes.

If it’s not this weekend, then it might not be long afterward.

Over the past few years, NCAA rules on transfers have changed. First-time transfers were given the chance to play immediately. But it was announced this summer that athletes transferring for a second time or more had to sit out a year in residence. In response, seven states including West Virginia have challenged the multiple-time rule.

The initial decision by Judge John Preston Bailey on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order allowing multi-time transfers to play within a 14-day window. In the past few days, the states and the NCAA agreed to pursue an injunction that would extend the protections for athletes hoping to play while the case was being decided.

The NCAA said in a statement issued to ESPN and other media outlets Friday saying that, “given the unprecedented decision by the courts earlier this week, the NCAA has reached an agreement with the states to convert the temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction through the remainder of the 2023-24 NCAA championship season.”

Apparently, the judge has not signed off on the request yet. But if it indeed happens, it could be a huge development for the Roadrunners. UTSA (5-5) is scheduled to play at Oregon State (6-3) on Sunday and at home against Army and Prairie View A&M by the end of the calendar year.

The program’s first season in the American Athletic Conference begins Jan. 2 at home against the UAB Blazers.

Ivy-Curry, who played at UTSA for two seasons from 2020-22 before transferring to the University of the Pacific last season, is a 6-foot-3 guard from La Marque. He’s an offensive firebrand who can hit the three and can slash to the bucket. He averaged double figures in scoring each of his last two seasons, one at UTSA and then another at Pacific in California.

The 6-foot-7 Thomas is a versatile player who averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season for a 22-win team at Milwaukee, in the Horizon League. The Baton Rouge, La., native hit 42.9 percent from three. He looks like he could play shooting guard, but he is apparently being viewed as a small forward or power forward at UTSA.

Multi-time transfers for the Roadrunners include Ivy-Curry (who has played at UTSA, Pacific, and UTSA again), Thomas (Division II Queens University, N.C., Milwaukee, Wis., and UTSA) and guard Juan Reyna (Alabama State, Campbell, S.C., and UTSA).

I do not think that Reyna, formerly of Antonian High School, will play at UTSA this season. He apparently enrolled with a plan to redshirt in 2023-24 to further some long-range academic goals, so he apparently will continue to practice with the team as a walk on, with a plan to start his Roadrunners playing career in 2024-25.

As for Ivy-Curry and Thomas, they both probably would have been on the floor this season had it not been for the NCAA rule that is now being contested. But when both arrived at UTSA this summer, they knew the only way they could get into games right away would be if they received a waiver.

Ivy-Curry applied for one but reportedly had it rejected by the NCAA a few weeks ago. Now, because of the lawsuit filed by seven states on behalf of some other college athletes, Ivy-Curry and Thomas now both could be in a position to resume their careers soon if everything falls just right.

The story broke on Wednesday afternoon that Bailey had granted a restraining order. UTSA coaches and players were already in Little Rock, Ark., when the news stories started to be published on social media.

That night, the Roadrunners built a 14-point lead in the first half and then faded, eventually losing to the Trojans, 93-84.

Naturally, since Ivy-Curry and Thomas weren’t eligible when the team left town, they weren’t on the trip. In addition, guard Adante’ Holiman wasn’t there, either. He stayed home because of concussion symptoms.

But the fact remains that the Roadrunners, who had won three straight, simply ran out of steam and lost a game they could have won.

Another unsettling issue as they returned home on Thursday centered on the restraining order and what it would all mean. Coaches and players around the nation were all left wondering.

Initially, there was both confusion and trepidation about what would happen if teams played athletes affected by the ruling. For instance, Little Rock apparently had one player who had been sitting out like Ivy-Curry and Thomas, and he was on site. But the Trojans, only hours after the judge issued the restraining order, did not use him.

Adante' Holiman. UTSA beat McMurry 125-84 in a men's basketball exhibition game on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore guard Adante’ Holiman has been out the last two games because of concussion symptoms. His status for Sunday’s game at Oregon State is uncertain. But he did work out on his own late Thursday night. – Photo by Joe Alexander

It might have had something to do with rumblings from the NCAA that athletes who played games during the 14-day period might face a loss of a year’s eligibility if the decision was reversed. The thought was that the court might reverse itself in a hearing that had been set for Dec. 27.

Now, with the request for the injunction, athletes approved to play nationally will have 20 games or so to compete, plus postseason tournament games It’s apparently uncertain whether the Dec. 27 hearing will even be held.

“This action provides clarity for student-athletes and member schools for the remainder of the academic year — any multiple-time transfer student-athlete who competes this season will be subject to the same eligibility and use of a season of competition rules as all other student-athletes,” the NCAA said in its statement published in Metro News of West Virginia.

The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels were among the first schools to take advantage of the reprieve.

UNLV played forward Keylan Boone, a multi-time transfer, in his first game of the season on Wednesday night shortly after the TRO was issued. Boone, whose twin brother is also on the squad, produced 10 points and six rebounds in the Rebels’ 79-64 victory over the eighth-ranked Creighton Blue Jays.

In the past few days, more teams including West Virginia have announced that previously ineligible players would become eligible to suit up for games.

As for UTSA, it’s not entirely clear what is going on in the Roadrunners’ camp. Apparently the call on Ivy-Curry and Thomas will be made collectively, decided by administrators, by the coaches and by the players and their families.

For Ivy-Curry and Thomas, the decision also needs to come fairly quickly. Because if conference play starts and a few weeks pass and their situations remain unsettled, then the two of them could be better off just waiting and starting over with a full slate of games in 2024-25.

I hope to learn more after a Saturday morning team practice.

Houston races to a 22-point lead and then holds off UTSA, 66-64

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The Houston Cougars edged past the UTSA Roadrunners and freshman guard Aysia Proctor, who scored seven of her team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter. – Photo by Tony Morano, courtesy of UTSA athletics

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Other than playing an error-filled first half, the UTSA Roadrunners did just about everything that a team needed to do to win a basketball game. They showed hustle. They grappled on the floor with the Houston Cougars for loose balls.

They decisively won the battle under the back boards against a Power 5 opponent.

UTSA center Elyssa Coleman (left) battles Houston’s Djessira Diawara for possession. Coleman snared eight rebounds as the Roadrunners won the battle of the boards, 47-33. – Photo by Tony Morano, courtesy of UTSA athletics

On the offensive end, the Roadrunners knocked down clutch shots in the third and fourth quarters. In the end, though, it wasn’t quite enough as the Cougars built a 22-point lead in the first half and then somehow escaped with a 66-64 road victory at the Convocation Center.

“The obvious elephant in the room is that we got off to a tough start and just (made) too many turnovers … ,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “We talked about it at halftime. You know, our defense was fairly solid. I think we gave them some timely offensive rebounds and a couple of threes. But … they had 19 points in the half off turnovers.”

More specifically, Houston forced 16 first-half turnovers and outscored UTSA by a resounding 19-0 margin off the errors over the first two quarters. As a result, the Cougars juiced the lead to as many as 22 points three times. At intermission, it was a 20-point game.

Not to worry. In the second half, a Roadrunners team that has erased deficits of 11 and 15 points to win this year made a spirited run to get back in the game. At the end, they were looking at an eight-point deficit with 3:44 remaining — and still nearly pulled it out.

First, freshman guard Aysia Proctor and junior forward Elyssa Coleman made baskets to get the fans up on their feet. Kyra White’s elbow jumper with 50 seconds left turned the volume another notch higher.

UTSA guard Kyra White (right) faced intense defensive pressure and still produced 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. – Photo by Tony Morano, courtesy of UTSA athletics

Then, finally, Sidney Love splashed a three with 18 seconds left for one of the best moments in memory in the Convocation Center, with people standing, cheering and throwing their arms in the air. UTSA was down by just two. The program’s first victory over a P5 opponent in 13 years seemed within reach.

“I just felt like we were in the game,” said Proctor, who led the Roadrunners with 19 points on nine of 11 shooting from the field. “I just felt like we could win it. Our team was hyped. We were locked in.”

For the Roadrunners, it wasn’t meant to be.

On Houston’s next possession, three UTSA players were trapping and had a Cougars player cornered on the boundary and the halfcourt stripe. Cougars coach Ronald Hughey called time out, just in time, because it appeared that the Coogs’ ball handler was about to be whistled for traveling.

Ultimately, Houston inbounded again with seven seconds left, made a few passes and then ran out the clock. UTSA could have fouled at least the last Cougars player with the ball but didn’t, for some reason.

Sidney Love (right, with the ball) takes it to the rim with the left hand. She finished with 13 points. – Photo by Tony Morano, courtesy UTSA athletics

In trying to recall the moments that stood out for her at the end, Aston pinpointed a missed shot from close range by the Roadrunners and then a play on the other end when her team failed to box out, allowing the Cougars to snare an offensive rebound that led to a couple of Laila Blair free throws.

“We have players that understand that block outs are important,” Aston said. “I don’t have to go back and say you should have blocked out. But I do think that not fouling there at the very end…like, we didn’t have a grasp that we had to foul. We need to be better at that, for sure.”

Once-beaten Houston, ranked 69th in the nation in the NET computer rankings, is due a large amount of credit for hanging on when the game seemed to be slipping away. Particularly, the two free throws by Blair were momentous for Houston’s cause. Both Blair and N’Yah Boyd finished with 14 points apiece.

UTSA players also deserve credit for showing fortitude after such a poor first-half. Proctor’s nine for 11 shooting was one individual highlight. Another was the overall hustle and grit of White, who finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Love was another player in double figures with 13 points.

The Roadrunners entered the game 138th in the nation in the NET. Despite the loss, they might have helped their cause in the rankings because they held the Cougars to 20 points below their average. They also dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Coogs, 47-33.

Notable

A school spokesman said that if UTSA had won the game, it would have been the largest comeback in program history. On another historical note, UTSA hasn’t won a game against a Power 5 team since 2010 in a victory over Kansas State. The Roadrunners have lost 22 in a row in that span against teams from the five major revenue-producing conferences. The Cougars became a P5 program just this season when they started play in the Big 12.

First half

Pressing at every opportunity and forcing 16 turnovers, the Houston Cougars dominated the first half. They led by 10 points at the quarter and by 20 at intermission.

N’Yah Boyd scored all of her 11 first-half points in the second quarter as the Cougars opened a wide lead on the Roadrunners.

When UTSA pulled to within 11 at one juncture in the period, the Cougars sprinted away on a 12-1 run to open the first of three 22-point leads. Boyd capped the run with a driving layup and a three-point bucket.

Records

Houston 8-1
UTSA 5-4

Coming up

UTSA at Oregon, Sunday, 2 p.m.

JB’s video replay

Kyra White passes to Sidney Love, who hits a three with 12 seconds left to pull UTSA within two. Houston hung on to win 66-64 after leading by as many as 22 points in the first half.

After taking a cross-court pass from Sidney Love, freshman Aysia Proctor dribbles into the paint and sinks a 12 footer.

Kyra White finds open space and hits a three-pointer during first-half action against Houston.

Freshman Idara Udo takes it to the basket and scores for UTSA late in the second quarter.

UTSA’s McGuire applauds Houston’s toughness, says she expects a ‘battle on the boards’

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Kyleigh Aguirre. UTSA beat UTEP 90-66 in women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Kyleigh Aguirre didn’t give up on UTSA even when the program was down. She made the transition to the current coaching staff, and now is thoroughly enjoying the feeling of playing for a winning program and playing in games that matter, like tonight’s home contest against the Big 12’s Houston Cougars. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Women’s basketball practice at UTSA on Wednesday was not unlike many other sessions from the summer or from early in the fall, when the prospect of playing in actual games seemed not like months away, but years. Conditioning drills on warm and muggy mornings outside. Weight-room sessions. On-court scrimmaging.

When would it all end? Are we there yet? Take, for instance, one sequence in the Roadrunners’ last on-court workout in advance of tonight’s home game against the Houston Cougars. Coach Karen Aston had the players running up and down at top speed. Non stop. Back and forth. A few of the male practice players became particularly assertive.

If one of Aston’s posts tried to make a move to shoot a 6-footer in the paint, one of the biggest and tallest of the male players would swat it away. One or two of the men looked like they were new to the practices. Perhaps they were. Maybe the UTSA women had worn out some of the previous crew, so the newbies seemed fresh on this day.

It probably won’t last, if the UTSA women continue their tried-and-true, blue-collar workouts through the end of this month and into January, February and March. Ah, March. The month will arrive soon enough. Tonight, with Houston (7-1) coming into the Convocation Center with a team that looks and plays a lot like an NCAA tournament team, UTSA (5-3) will need to be ready.

UTSA’s Kyleigh McGuire said on the eve of the game with the Cougars of the Big 12 Conference that UTSA players have been looking forward to this moment for the past week. The Roadrunners haven’t played since Dec. 3. They’ve had a break to complete fall-semester academics. Now that they’ve taken care of that business, it’s on to the fun stuff.

The games. The prospect of a gymnasium full of supportive fans. The opportunity for UTSA to win a game against a Power 5 opponent for the first time since the players were in grade school. It’s here. McGuire and the others can’t wait for the opening tip at 6 tonight.

“We’ve been preparing for them for them for the (past) week, and we’re really excited,” she said.

McGuire forecasts a competitive contest because both teams rebound so well. “It’s going to be a battle on the boards,” she added.

It’ll also be a battle for the history books. The Roadrunners’ women haven’t won a game against a Power 5 opponent since they beat the Big 12’s Kansas State Wildcats in 2010. UTSA has lost 21 in a row to P5s since then. Regardless, the opportunity to make a statement in that way is not the only driving force for the them.

Last year, they had a chance to beat the Cougars in Houston, and after a determined effort to dig themselves out of a 21-point deficit, they let it slip away. In the end, they fell 93-89 in overtime.

“I remember that they were really tough,” McGuire said. “They’re a pretty scrappy team … One thing about them is toughness. They’re going to give you all that they have for 40 minutes. I feel like they’re a really good matchup for us.”

Records

Houston 7-1
UTSA 5-3

Coming up

Houston at UTSA, tonight at 6.

Little Rock rallies to beat UTSA 93-84 with 59 percent shooting in the second half

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If the Little Rock (Ark.) Trojans were rattled by the UTSA Roadrunners’ 3-point shooting early in the game, they shook it off in due course, coming alive in the second half on their home court to register a 93-84 victory on Wednesday night.

In the end, the Little Rock guard duo of Jamir Chaplin and Bradley Douglas took down UTSA and its three-game winning streak.

Chaplin, a 6-foot-5 transfer from South Florida, led the Trojans with 22 points. The 6-1 Douglas sizzled at the end of the game, scoring 11 of his 20 in the final five minutes.

Guard Christian Tucker led UTSA with 23 points. Adante’ Holiman, Tucker’s backcourt mate, sat out his second straight game as he recovers from concussion symptoms.

Once again, the Roadrunners shot it well from the perimeter. After making a school-record 19 three-point shots at home on Sunday against Division II Arkansas-Fort Smith, the Roadrunners knocked down 14 of 34 from the arc.

UTSA was particularly effective early, making nine triples in the first half. But after surging to a 35-21 lead, the Roadrunners failed to hang on. By late in the half, the Trojans had taken the lead. UTSA got a bucket by Massal Diouf in the final minute to move back ahead by 43-42 at intermission.

In the second half, the Trojans started guarding the shooters better and began to crank their own offense. They hit 16 of 27 from the field for 59.3 percent.

Records

UTSA 5-5
Little Rock 5-6

Coming up

UTSA at Oregon State, 2 p.m.

Notable

Isaiah Wyatt tried to rally UTSA, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. Wyatt also finished with a team-high nine rebounds. Guard PJ Carter and Dre Fuller produced 12 points apiece and Carlton Linguard Jr. had 10. With the loss, UTSA fell to 1-4 on the road.

It’s too early to tell if a federal district judge’s ruling on Wednesday will allow the Roadrunners to play some of their players sitting out as transfers in the next two weeks.

Judge John P. Bailey granted a 14-day temporary restraining order during a hearing in his West Virginia court room, giving college athletes who have transferred more than once in their careers immediate eligibility at least for the next 14 days, according to a story by Ross Dellenger in Yahoo Sports.

“As a result of today’s decision impacting Division I student-athletes, the association will not enforce the year in residency requirement for multiple-time transfers and will begin notifying member schools,” the NCAA said in a statement released to Dellenger.

Multiple-time transfers for UTSA include Jordan Ivy-Curry, Justin Thomas and Juan Reyna. Ivy-Curry and Thomas are scholarship players and Reyna is a walk-on who has been practicing well.

By the letter of the ruling, it appears that the three theoretically could be deemed eligible to play in at least two games — against Oregon State on Sunday and against Army at home on Dec. 21. The judge is expected to address the issue again on Dec. 27.

Quotable

UTSA coach Steve Henson didn’t talk about the judge’s ruling or the statement by the NCAA during his post-game radio comments.

He did say that he felt like the Roadrunners were in “pretty good shape” in the middle of the first half when the Trojans made their big run to intermission.

“Defense in the second half was disappointing,” Henson told Andy Everett, the team’s radio voice. The coach went on to say that the Trojans “just won a lot of individual battles, just kind of went right at us, scored right in our face. Got to compete to get that stop.”

UTSA is in Arkansas to play the Little Rock Trojans

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Game Day report

UTSA men (5-4)
at Little Rock (4-6)
Tonight at 6:30

Coming off four wins in its last five games and three in a row, the UTSA men’s basketball team is on the road today, scheduled to play in Arkansas against the Little Rock Trojans. The Roadrunners (5-4) will take on the Darrell Walker-coached Trojans (4-6).

The game will pit former NBA guards who are now NCAA Division I coaches. Darrell Walker, in his sixth year at Little Rock, played in 720 games across 11 seasons in the NBA through 1993. Steve Henson, in his eighth year at UTSA, played 238 games in parts of seven NBA seasons through 1999.

The Roadrunners are coming off wins at home against Incarnate Word, Lamar and Division II Arkansas-Fort Smith. Despite the winning streak, they are listed at No. 300 out of 362 Division I teams in the NCAA’s latest NET computer rankings. The Roadrunners are transitioning this season into the American Athletic Conference.

Little Rock is ranked No. 251 in the NET. The Trojans of the Sun Belt Conference are 4-2 at home, including a win against Tulsa of the AAC. The Trojans beat the Golden Hurricane 84-82 in overtime on Nov. 25.

Notable

Let the record show that Darrell Walker helped to spoil the UTSA Roadrunners’ inaugural game of men’s basketball.

On Nov. 30, 1981, the University of Arkansas guard scored 14 points to tie for team-high honors in leading the Razorbacks to a 71-42 victory over the Roadrunners at HemisFair Arena. Walker was four for five from the field and six for 10 at the line in the game played in downtown San Antonio. Walker will coach the Little Rock Trojans tonight in Arkansas against UTSA.

UTSA steps up intensity in second half and routs Arkansas-Fort Smith, 93-60

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Carlton Linguard Jr. UTSA men's basketball beat Arkansas-Fort Smith 93-60 on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Carlton Linguard Jr. scored a career-high 21 points Sunday afternoon. He hit eight of 13 shots from the field, including five of eight from three-point distance, in UTSA’s first game after a nine-day break for final exams. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Bouncing back from a sub-par, first-half performance, the UTSA Roadrunners hit 13 of their school-record 19 three pointers after intermission on Sunday and rolled to a season-high in points in a 93-60 victory over the NCAA Division II Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions.

Center Carlton Linguard scored a career-high 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds as UTSA (5-4) won its third straight game. Guard Isaiah Wyatt added 20 — his second straight with 20 or more — in UTSA’s first game after a nine-day break for final exams.

Steve Henson. UTSA men's basketball beat Arkansas-Fort Smith 93-60 on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Steve Henson’s Roadrunners won their third straight game and improved to 5-4 on the season. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The game was an exhibition for Arkansas-Fort Smith (1-8) and did not count on the team’s win-loss record. Guard Roland McCoy scored 13 for the Lions, who had lost five straight coming into San Antonio, including a 75-62 setback on Saturday in Odessa against UT-Permian Basin.

Given the travel schedule and the quick turnaround for the Lions, a noon start on Sunday in South Texas, it was something of a surprise to see them within single digits of the Division I Roadrunners for most of the first half.

In fact, in the final 15 minutes of the opening period, Arkansas-Fort Smith outscored UTSA, 24-19. As a result, the Roadrunners led by only seven at halftime.

“I didn’t know they played yesterday,” Linguard said. “That was big. They came out with some energy. Kind of got us off (our game) a little bit.”

Isaiah Wyatt. UTSA men's basketball beat Arkansas-Fort Smith 93-60 on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Roadrunners newcomer Isaiah Wyatt hit five three-point shots en route to 20 points against the Lions from the Division II Lone Star Conference. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Lions even made it interesting in the early going following intermission, pulling to within three after two minutes of play. From there, the Roadrunners decided that enough was enough, outscoring the Lions 56-26 the rest of the way.

“Second half was a lot better than the first,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “I thought we were getting quality shots the entire game. I mean, it was obvious the way they were guarding our spacing, the shots were going to be available. I didn’t have any issue with that, early on.

“Early in the half in a timeout, I said this could be a game where we could get another single-digit turnover night. Then the rest of the half, we did not do a very good job of taking care of the basketball. So that was a little disappointing, in the first half, our value of the basketball.”

In the second half, the Roadrunners did much better in that area, turning it over only three times in one of their better stretches of the season. After intermission, they connected on 21 of 39 shots from the field, including a sizzling 13 of 24 from the 3-point arc.

Perhaps fittingly, the 19 triples broke a three-year-old school record. The previous high was 18 made against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Jan. 9, 2020. The 47 attempts also went into the school records as the most in a game since the Roadrunners shot 44 long balls at Southern Miss on Jan. 6, 2018.

“We started knocking down shots,” said Wyatt, who has scored 27 and 20 in his last two games. “That’s the big (difference, from the first half). I hit some down the stretch. We started finding each other. Tuck (Christian Tucker) started finding open players. Dre hit a big one out of the corner. Just really, everyone getting in a rhythm.”

Records

Arkansas Fort-Smith 1-8
UTSA 5-4

Coming up

UTSA at Little Rock, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Oregon State, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA played without starting guard Adante’ Holiman, who was sidelined with concussion symptoms. Holiman, one of UTSA’s leading scorers and a three-point threat, was hurt in practice last Thursday. With Holiman out, it raised some eyebrows that UTSA finished with 19 threes on a startling 47 attempts from deep. Linguard and Wyatt both hit five three-pointers and Christian Tucker had four of them.

Christian Tucker. UTSA men's basketball beat Arkansas-Fort Smith 93-60 on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

With Adante’ Holiman out, Christian Tucker played well, producing 17 points, six assists and three steals. Tucker, a career 39.7 percent shooter, made five of nine from the field including four threes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s offense is averaging 89.7 points in its last three outings, wins over Incarnate Word, Lamar and Arkansas-Fort Smith. Holiman’s status for UTSA’s next game at Little Rock on Wednesday is uncertain. Little Rock (4-6) plays in the Division I Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans lost at home on Sunday, falling to the Winthrop (S.C.) Eagles.

Last year, Japhet Medor and John Buggs III played in the same backcourt for the UTSA Roadrunners. In the offseason, Medor transferred to play for the Fordham University Rams of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Buggs also moved on, taking his game to Denton to play for the North Texas Mean Green. On Sunday in New York City, they played each other, with Medor and Fordham beating Buggs and North Texas, 60-59. Medor had eight points and four assists for the Rams (5-5). Buggs produced eight points and four rebounds for the Mean Green (5-4).

PJ Carter. UTSA men's basketball beat Arkansas-Fort Smith 93-60 on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard PJ Carter helped fuel UTSA’s second-half outburst with 10 points and two threes. He finished the game with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After eight games, UTSA’s Henson sees ‘so much room for improvement’

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Christian Tucker. UTSA defeated Incarnate Word (UIW) 90-80 in a non-conference men's basketball game at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Christian Tucker, a junior from Chandler, Ariz., averages team-bests of 12.5 points and six assists for the UTSA Roadrunners. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Winners of two straight games and three in their last four, the UTSA Roadrunners have plowed through final exam week, and now they’re looking ahead to a home game on Sunday at noon against the Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions.

It’ll be the first outing for the Roadrunners (4-4) since they rallied in the second half on Nov. 30 to score an 86-83 home win in men’s college basketball against the Lamar Cardinals.

Since then, the emphasis off the floor has been on finals for the fall semester. On the floor, the Roadrunners have been through five practices, and they’ll work out one more time on Saturday afternoon before hosting the Lions of the Lone Star Conference on Sunday.

“We’re trying to get more activity defensively,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said following a Friday afternoon workout. “I feel like our defensive numbers should be better. Not bad breakdowns. Just feel like there’s opportunities to be more active. More deflections. Covering more ground. Ball pressure and deflections, primarily.”

At one stage of the workout, Henson stressed the importance of his players getting out to the shooters at the three-point line — without fouling.

“Yeah, all of that,” he said. “Ball pressure. Activity off the ball. Getting to the shooters and exaggerating the contests. The difference between a good contest and a great contest helps your field goal percentage. Just do a little more. A little more on each possession.”

Trying to mesh a massive influx of newcomers to the team since June, the Roadrunners started off the regular season slowly, losing three of their first four games. All three of the losses were on the road, at Minnesota, Lamar and Texas State.

They’ve since won three of four, including recent home wins against Incarnate Word (90-80) and Lamar (86-83). In both games, UTSA fell behind but cranked up the offense enough to win.

Fueled by two three-point buckets from center Carlton Linguard, Jr., the Roadrunners went on a 12-0 run late in the second half to take down the Lamar Cardinals.

Regardless, the losses to Lamar on the road and another loss to Jacksonville State (Ala.) at home did not sit well with Henson and his coaches. In both of those games, extra effort could have made a difference in the outcome.

“We should have a better record right now,” Henson said. “We should have done some things to give ourselves a chance to win a couple of those ball games that we didn’t. Disappointed with that. Obviously, (there’s) no panic from a players’ standpoint. We feel like there’s just so much room for improvement.

“We’re seeing improvement in certain areas. We need drastic improvement in other areas. I think players are taking a pretty mature approach to it. They understand that we got to do things better. I think they’re a little more comfortable with each other … We’re learning more about each other.”

The learning process continued this week, with only one glitch. Starting point guard Adante’ Holiman was hurt at practice on Thursday and had to sit out Friday’s workout with concussion symptoms, the coach said. His status for Sunday is uncertain.

Other than Holiman’s mishap, the week went pretty well as far as the coaches were concerned. Competition at practice on Friday was fierce at times between athletes who have been playing consistent minutes in the first eight games going against others who, for a variety of reasons, are not in the rotation at the moment.

One of those players who stood out was Blessing Adesipe, a 6-foot-6 power forward from Alief-Hastings in the Houston area, who played the last two seasons at Miles College in Montana. Last year, Adesipe averaged 21.6 points and 9.9 rebounds to earn honorable mention junior college All America honors.

In his first season with the Roadrunners, he hasn’t played yet after starting the season rehabilitating a minor knee injury.

On Friday afternoon, however, Adesipe made his mark on a few plays, in particular. Once, he flashed inside and went airborne to rebound a ball in traffic among taller players. On another possession, he pulled up and drained a three from about three feet behind the arc.

Blessing Adesipe at UTSA men's basketball practice on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Power forward Blessing Adesipe hasn’t played yet this season, but he had a strong workout Friday afternoon at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Others who had good days were Justin Thomas, Juan Reyna and Jordan Ivy-Curry — all of them out this season because of NCAA transfer rules.

“The second unit, guys that are trying to simulate the opponent, they’re doing a good job,” Henson said. “It’s a good talent level. You know, Juan does a heck of a job in a lot of areas. Juice (Ivy-Curry) obviously can score the basketball, and he’s a handful. Justin is so natural (of a talent), and Blessing’s getting some of his explosiveness back. Massal (Diouf) is feeling good again.”

Henson said he has had conversations with Adesipe (pronounced A-Day-sha-Pay) about whether he would be open to sitting out as a redshirt. “We’ve had conversations about it,” the coach said. “I think he could help us. It’s just a matter of, is he going to get enough minutes? We’ve had open conversations about it.”

On one hand, Adesipe is a good player. He has talent. But since part of the season has already been played and since UTSA has assembled significant depth at the power forward position, sitting out to save eligibility could be helpful to him in the long term.

“Blessing is a guy who really seems to enjoy being here,” Henson said. “I don’t think he’s got any real resistance to it. Most guys, when it’s all said and done, typically are glad when they do redshirt. Rarely have we had someone redshirt and said they wish they hadn’t.

“A lot of guys, you talk to them and they say they don’t want to do it, and then when their career is over, they say they wish they had (redshirted). So, it’s an ongoing conversation.”

Coming up

Arkansas-Fort Smith at UTSA, Sunday at noon.

Records

Arkansas-Fort Smith 1-7
UTSA 4-4

December schedule

12 — Arkansas-Fort Smith at UTSS, noon
13 — UTSA at Little Rock, 6:30 p.m.
17 — UTSA at Oregon State, 2 p.m.
21 — Army West Point at UTSA, 7 p.m.
28 — Prairie View A&M at UTSA, 7 p.m.

Notable

UTSA plays its first American Athletic Conference game on Jan. 2 when it hosts the UAB Blazers at the Convocation Center. The first AAC road game is Jan. 6 in Houston against the Rice Owls.

Coleman scores 23 as UTSA rolls past the UTEP Miners, 90-66

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Elyssa Coleman. UTSA beat UTEP 90-66 in women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. - Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners improved to 5-3 on the season after Elyssa Coleman produced a career-high 23 points, while also snaring eight rebounds, in a 24-point victory over the UTEP Miners Sunday afternoon.- Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Elyssa Coleman and the UTSA Roadrunners hated the feeling that they had a few days ago after losing at home to the Texas State Bobcats.

They made amends on Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center, rolling to a season-high in points with a 90-66 victory over the UTEP Miners.

As Coleman poured in a career-high 23, the Roadrunners shot 58.3 percent from the field and routed the Miners in front of an announced crowd of 926. Coleman also pulled down eight rebounds in perhaps her best game in three years at UTSA.

Siena Guttadauro. UTSA beat UTEP 90-66 in women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Siena Guttadauro scored 12 points on four-of-five shooting from 3-point distance. Over her last two games, the sharpshooter from California has scored 23 points on seven threes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Last Thursday night, UTSA tipped off against the Bobcats after returning home from a four-game road swing. The result wasn’t what the Roadrunners wanted, a 65-57 loss in overtime.

Coleman said the outcome stung the players, who were still angry about it when they left the arena.

“(We) knew that wasn’t our 100 percent (best) effort,” she said. “That’s what we came out here and did today. We showed 100 percent effort.”

Against UTEP, UTSA attacked early and never slowed down. The Roadrunners led 26-13 at the end of one quarter, by 48-31 at intermission and by as many as 29 points late in the game.

Coleman paced the Roadrunners with 11 of 13 shooting from the field, including nine for 10 in the first half when she scored 19 points.

Five of her first-half field goals were from the perimeter, including one from the corner that counted as a three-pointer just before intermission.

“I got lucky,” she said. “I been praying a lot, and it’s Sunday. It’s God’s day. So that’s what I’m (attributing) it to.”

Coleman said UTSA players also found inspiration in a post-game event for Mia Perez, a 10-year-old cancer patient. The Roadrunners had a signing ceremony of sorts to welcome her to the team.

Actually, the players have known Perez since the beginning of last season.

“She’s here almost every home game,” Coleman said. “We’ve seen her at some football games when our whole team goes. We’ll have little events for her when we have time. In the preseason, we probably hang out with her more, probably once every two weeks.”

Sidney Love. UTSA beat UTEP 90-66 in women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Point guard Sidney Love had another solid game with 16 points and seven assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Coleman said Perez’s presence on Sunday gave the Roadrunners a lift.

“Mia’s perseverance in her journey is nothing that we would ever come close to on the court,” Coleman said. “So I feel like, if she can do that, then what is basketball? It shouldn’t be that hard.”

Several other Roadrunners played well against the Miners, notably point guard Sidney Love, who had 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Kyra White, another starter, had 12 points and seven assists. Siena Guttadauro, playing the role of spark plug off the bench, also pumped in 12 points and hit four of five from the 3-point arc.

As a team, UTSA sank 44.4 percent from three (eight of 18) and 80 percent from the free-throw line (12 of 15).

A player that caught UTSA coach Karen Aston’s eye was 6-foot-4 center Nissa Sam-Grant, who had four points, three rebounds and three blocked shots in 14 minutes.

“I thought she was pretty decent tonight,” the coach said.

Last season, Sam-Grant was in school and practicing with the team, but she did not play in games. Working out in those practice sessions last season, the Canada native first raised eyebrows with her potential.

Nissa Sam-Grant. UTSA beat UTEP 90-66 in women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Nissa Sam-Grant posted career highs of 14 minutes and three blocked shots. – Photo by Joe Alexander

But as this season started, she has has not played much — only in five games, in which she has averaged five minutes.

“We kind of expected more at the beginning (of this season), than what she was giving us,” Aston said, “but I think some of that is, she just sat out for a long time. It’s taken her awhile to get into game mode and really kind of push herself.

“Kids get kind of stagnant when they sit out for awhile. I think we’re starting to see some glimpses of what I thought she could do for our team. Hopefully this gives her some confidence.”

Guard Aaliyah Stanton led UTEP with 17 points, three assists and three steals.

Records

UTSA 5-3
UTEP 4-5

Coming up

Houston at UTSA, Dec. 14, 6 p.m.

Kyleigh Aguirre. UTSA beat UTEP 90-66 in women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Senior Kyleigh McGuire had four points and four rebounds in seven minutes – Photo by Joe Alexander

Notable

UTSA women’s basketball is finally starting to string together some consistent winning over a period of months. Since Jan. 28 of last season, the Roadrunners have fashioned a record of 14-7.

Last spring, they went 9-4 to the end of the season. This season, they have tacked on a 5-3 record. Two of the losses were on the road at Power 5 programs (Arizona State and Texas Tech).

Jordyn Jenkins, who led UTSA with 20.6 points a game last year, still has not played this season as she attempts to come back from a knee injury. Before games, Jenkins has been engaged in some light shooting drills with a coach but does not participate in warmups with her teammates. UTSA coach Karen Aston said “we’re still a little bit away” from her return to practice or games.

“She’s looking real good but we’re not going to rush her,” the coach said. “Too many people rush kids back, and that’s not our intention with her. There’s no timeline right now.”

UTSA senior Hailey Atwood was honored last summer with a Teammate of the Year award by Team Impact for her efforts in befriending Mia Perez. Team Impact is a nonprofit that pairs collegiate athletes with kids with disabilities or severe illnesses. Both Atwood and Perez traveled to Boston last June to be recognized.

The Roadrunners’ scoring total against the Miners was the program’s highest since 2017. UTSA hadn’t hit the 90-point mark in a game since Nov. 10, 2017. On that day, the Roadrunners downed Division III Sul Ross, 97-47. In the previous season, on Feb. 25, 2017, the Roadrunners won at home against a Division I opponent, the FAU Owls, by a score of 97-66.

JB’s video replay