Monthly Archives: January 2024

UTSA women take down another first-place team, beating North Texas, 75-67, in OT

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Idara Udo made a basket and was fouled 3:36 left in OT put UTSA up 60-59 and gave the Roadrunners the lead for good. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman Idara Udo shouts at the fans after she hits a basket that turned into a three-point play in overtime. As Udo finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, the Roadrunners stopped a seven-game winning streak by the North Texas Mean Green.- Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After a month of women’s basketball games in the American Athletic Conference, Coach Karen Aston’s UTSA Roadrunners have started to build sort of a dual identity.

On the road, they play with maddening inconsistency, sometimes on both ends of the floor. At times, their play results in blowout losses.

At home in the Convocation Center, they seem to take on a different personality altogether — hungry, focused, confident — even against the best teams in the AAC.

Kyleigh McGuire. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Kyleigh McGuire defends the basket as Madison Cockrell drops down to crowd a North Texas offensive player. The Roadrunners held the Mean Green to 28.9 percent shooting. North Texas came in shooting 47.6 percent. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners showed off their winning form in front of the home fans again on Wednesday night, knocking off the North Texas Mean Green 75-67 in overtime.

With the victory, they successfully defended home court in conference play, running their record to 4-0 at the Convocation Center in AAC games.

Moreover, two of those victories have come against teams that were in first place in conference when they arrived in San Antonio — Charlotte, and now North Texas.

“Obviously, our team likes playing at home,” Aston said. “We like the confines of the Convocation Center, and we like playing in front of our fans.

“Just super proud of our defensive effort tonight, just our resilience.

“It was one of those games where nothing was perfect and everything didn’t go our way all the time, but I loved our attitude — particularly in overtime. It was just a very focused group tonight. Very proud of ’em.”

Two freshman helped UTSA win the game in the five-minute extra period. Aysia Proctor scored seven points and Idara Udo had five.

The Roadrunners surged late in the overtime behind Proctor, Udo and others.

Undeterred, the Mean Green made a game of it, cutting down a nine point lead to four when Jaauckland Moore drained a long three with 25 seconds left.

Sidney Love. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sent to the bench in foul trouble early, Sidney Love rebounded to finish with 13 points and six boards. Love is a sophomore from San Antonio area Steele High School. — Photo by Joe Alexander

On UTSA’s next possession, the Roadrunners stayed solid against the Mean Green’s pressure and got the ball to Proctor, who hit two free throws at 0:11 to put it out of reach.

UTSA’s defense was the story.

The Mean Green entered the game averaging 75 points per outing, with their two post starters — DesiRay Kernal and Tommisha Lampkin — averaging 32 points between them.

In the end, the two weren’t much of a factor, combining for only 12 points and 3 of 23 shooting from the field. Kernal, a Player of the Year candidate, was 0 for 9 and scored only three points.

Asked how it happened, Aston said, “Honestly, just some determination (by) our entire team. I thought we had special moments where we helped each other. But just the determination of our post players to beat them to spots and make their shots tough.

“They’re really, really good. I think we knew that and respected that and we played like we respected it.”

On Jan. 14, Udo played a major role in UTSA’s 81-80 double-overtime victory against Charlotte. Not only did she score a career-high 26 points, but she also hit the game winning shot with 2.3 seconds remaining.

Udo’s presence again was a factor in an overtime game against a contender, as she rebounded her own miss, followed it with a layup and drew a foul with 3:36 remaining against North Texas.

Alexis Parker. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore Alexis Parker from San Antonio’s Brandeis High School had a solid game with six points and four rebounds in 17 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After a UTSA home crowd announced at 942 stopped screaming, she knocked down the free throw to give the Roadrunners a two-point lead.

“Just doing what I can to get stops, get rebounds, putbacks,” Udo said. “Whatever I can.”

Clearly in the running for an all-freshman team designation in the AAC, Udo led the Roadrunners in scoring with 14 points on five of nine shooting. She also had a team-leading 12 rebounds, with six of them on the offensive end. From the backcourt, Sidney Love scored 13 and Proctor had 11, while 6-foot-3 center Elyssa Coleman was a steady force throughout, notching nine points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

Coleman, UTSA’s all-time leader in blocks with 129, seemed to save her rejections for the most opportune times for the Roadrunners. She had one near the end of the second quarter, one at the end of the third and another right at the start of the overtime period.

“Since I’m the last line of defense, in my head, it’s a dire need to get a stop,” Coleman said, in discussing what it’s like to swat away a shot. “I’m pretty lanky, and I time things pretty well. I’ve been getting away from that these past two games, but I think I’m back.”

Records

North Texas 17-4, 7-2
UTSA 11-9, 5-4

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Sunday, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA coach Karen Aston went deep into her bench in the second quarter and it paid off with solid performances from Alexis Parker, Kyleigh McGuire, Cheyenne Rowe and others. When it was over, the Roadrunners were leading at halftime, 35-28.

Parker came alive with five points in the period, including a drive that turned into a three-point play with about a minute remaining. Rowe and McGuire played well on the defensive end and Rowe, at one point drove it into the teeth of the Mean Green defense and scored.

In the last five minutes of the half, the Roadrunners dominated the top team in the conference, running off on a 15-4 run to the buzzer. UTSA his six of seven shots from the field in the sequence.


Aysia Proctor, a freshman from San Antonio-area Clemens, drills a three that puts UTSA ahead by nine points with 1:24 left in overtime. Proctor had seven points in the extra period. – Video by Jerry Briggs

First-place Mean Green to test Roadrunners’ homecourt magic

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Kyra White. UTSA beat Abilene Christian 76-70 on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2022, at the Convocation Center in the Roadrunners' first women's basketball home game of the season. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Senior Kyra White has stepped up the intensity in her last six games, averaging 12.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists during that stretch. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The race for the women’s basketball title in the American Athletic Conference has been turned upside down, in a sense, thanks to the efforts of the North Texas Mean Green.

Pegged for a 12th-place finish out of 14 teams in the AAC’s preseason poll, the Mean Green have surged into the lead nearing the halfway point of the regular season.

The UTSA Roadrunners will try to add their own special twist to the narrative when they host the Mean Green on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.

“They play a lot of people and everyone they have that comes in (the game) has high motor,” UTSA guard Kyra White said Tuesday afternoon. “They defend. They run their offense well. They push it in transition and they rebound. They’re a very tough, competitive team, and we’re going to have to bring it … to compete with them.”

Led by first-year coach Jason Burton and transfer DesiRay Kernal, who has been touted as a conference Player of the Year candidate, the Mean Green (17-3, 7-1) have won seven in a row and have registered a record of 15-2 since Nov. 16.

The Roadrunners (10-9, 4-4) had been pretty hot themselves, winning four straight, including wins over Charlotte and South Florida. But then they stumbled in their last two, both on the road, falling to the UAB Blazers and the SMU Mustangs.

SMU poured it on UTSA late in the game last Saturday afternoon in Dallas, running away for a 78-55 victory.

“Your confidence always wavers a little bit when you lose,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “There’s no question about that. It’s higher when you’re winning.

“But I do think we like playing at home … We’ve enjoyed the home crowd. I’d like to think we’re going to show up and compete against a really good team tomorrow.”

UTSA played two of its best games of the season in its last two at at the Convocation Center.

Against Charlotte, on Jan. 14, the Roadrunners went into double overtime and downed the 49ers 81-80 behind freshman Idara Udo and her career-high 26 points and nine rebounds. It was Charlotte’s first conference loss. Two days later, the Roadrunners held the defending regular-season champion South Florida Bulls to 21 percent shooting and romped to a decisive 65-42 victory.

UTSA is undefeated at 3-0 at home in conference this year and 5-2 overall.

Records

North Texas 17-3, 7-1
UTSA 10-9, 4-4

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Sunday, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins practiced five-on-five, full court, with contact on Tuesday, a sign that she is getting healthier. Jenkins, the 2022-23 Conference USA Player of the Year, didn’t appear to be at full speed but she did play on the scout team. The 6-foot forward hasn’t played in a game yet this season after injuring a knee in the offseason, last April. No decision has been made on whether she will try to play in games this spring.

Former Judson High School standout Kyra White has been on quite a run over the last six games, a stretch in which she has produced 76 points, 52 rebounds and 41 assists.

Freshman Aysia Proctor has emerged as one of the most pleasant surprises of the season for the Roadrunners, averaging 10.1 points on 47.6 percent shooting from the field. The former Clemens High School athlete has notched eight double-figure scoring games, including a season-high 20 at Oregon and 19 at home against South Florida. Proctor scored nine points at UAB and four against SMU …

North Texas hasn’t won a conference title in women’s basketball since 1986, which was also the last time that that it reached the NCAA tournament.

Burton worked for nine seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce before taking the North Texas job. He previously served as an assistant at Texas State. Kernal also played last year in A&M-Commerce’s first season in NCAA Division I as a member of the Southland Conference.

Shooting 54.6 percent from the field, the 6-foot forward is averaging 17 points and 7.9 rebounds with the Mean Green. Six-foot-two Tommisha Lampkin (15 points, 7.2 boards) and guard Jaaucklyn Moore (10 points) are also major players for the Mean Green. Moore once played at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

Damaged playing surface at Roadrunner Field forces first official practices off campus

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA baseball team opened practices off campus for three days last weekend as work progressed on a project to upgrade Roadrunner Field.

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark. UTSA scored four runs in the seventh inning to rally past Rice 9-7 in Conference USA baseball on Friday, May 5, 2023, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark says his team held its first official practices last weekend off campus after Roadrunner Field was damaged in efforts to lay underground cable. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The project includes a new press box and a new grandstand behind home plate that will include chair-back seating. Dugouts also are being expanded.

Fifth-year coach Pat Hallmark said in an interview on Monday morning that recent work to lay underground cable for television went awry and left the field unplayable in different areas.

“They did something under the ground,” Hallmark said. “… and they damaged the field in multiple places. So that’s got us practicing somewhere else.”

Explaining the situation, Hallmark said “a drill powered by air and water” was in use, “and somehow it backed up, and everything came up,” leaving the field wet and mushy in parts of the infield and the outfield.

“It was like a water bed when you walked on it,” the coach said.

The portion of the infield that had been soggy is now dried and just needs “patching up,” Hallmark said, but the outfield area in shallow center remains an issue.

“It’s more of a mess,” the coach said. “I guess there’s more moisture under there. I don’t know exactly (why). But it’s not even dry yet (and) we’ve had three good days of dry (weather). Anyway, I don’t know even all the details. I just know we can’t play a game on our field.”

After off-campus workouts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, players had Monday off. Come Tuesday, the plan called for them to work at Roadrunner Field because there is no intrasquad game scheduled. “You can control practice better when there’s no intrasquad game,” the coach explained.

Hallmark acknowledged that the uncertainty with the playing surface on the team’s home field is “a little bit” of a distraction with the regular-season opener looming on Feb. 16.

“Some of these high schools and their (baseball) programs have been very gracious, to let us on their fields,” he said, noting that the team has practiced at Antonian, Central Catholic and Cornerstone.

Added Hallmark, “We’re getting our work in. Like I said, we’ve played 23 innings, which is what we had planned, whether it was here or (elsewhere). So, (we) adapt and move on.”

Hallmark is in the initial stages of preparing to build on back-to-back 38-win seasons. Last spring, the Roadrunners started out sizzling with a 28-8 record, soaring into the national top 25 for most of April and May.

After a few key players suffered injuries, their momentum was slowed significantly.

Even then, the Roadrunners still had a chance to win the Conference USA title going into their last home series.

But in the end, the Dallas Baptist Patriots swept three straight games at Roadrunner Field to clinch the regular-season title. UTSA finished in second place and bowed out of the C-USA tournament in two straight games.

Transitioning into the American Athletic Conference this season, UTSA has been picked to finish third even though standouts such as Simon Miller, Luke Malone, Antonio Valdez, Taylor Smith, Leyton Barry and Josh Killeen have moved on in their careers.

Hallmark, speaking to a reporter in his office at the Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence on Monday morning, shrugged off the AAC preseason poll by saying that it doesn’t mean much.

“It doesn’t matter, to be honest,” he said. “Whether we were first, third or last, we still got to go out there and play good ball. Throw strikes. Play defense. Fight at the plate. That’s what I’m hoping we do.”

Notable

UTSA opens with a home series against UT-Arlington on Feb. 16.

Top returning position players for the Roadrunners include Matt King, who has moved from shortstop to play third base, outfielder Caleb Hill and infielder/outfielder Isaiah Walker. King has been named to the preseason all-AAC team. UTSA’s most productive returning pitchers would include Ulises Quiroga and Ruger Riojas.

Righthander Braylon Owens, who went 3-2 in 2022 but struggled last year, pitched well last weekend as the team played 23 innings intrasquad.

A couple of newcomers to watch are fleet outfielder Mason Lytle, a transfer from Oregon, and freshman pitcher Robert Orloski.

Lytle sat out most of last season with the Ducks with an injury, but in previous years he was .339 hitter in his career at San Jacinto College. Lytle played in high school at Pearland in the Houston area. Orloski, an Idaho native who completed high school last spring, was drafted in the 20th round in July by the Boston Red Sox. He did not sign and elected to play for the Roadrunners.

Simon Miller, a righthanded reliever, is expected to report to training camp with the Cincinnati Reds in coming weeks.

South Florida hits 18 triples and rolls past UTSA, 89-72

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Coming off a dramatic, one-point victory at home, the UTSA Roadrunners couldn’t conjure up the necessary magic to win on the road Saturday afternoon.

The South Florida Bulls romped to a 14-point halftime lead and then followed through with a convincing 89-72 victory at Tampa, Fla.

South Florida beat UTSA at its own game, using the 3-point shot to win going away. The Bulls hit 18 from long distance. Averaging 10 made triples per game for the season, UTSA was limited to 10 of 29 from beyond the arc.

Even then, the total was misleading because Roadrunners made three of them in the last four minutes when the game was already out of reach.

Kobe Knox, Chris Youngblood and Jose Placer did most of the damage for the Bulls, hitting four threes apiece. As a result, South Florida won its fifth straight game and improved its record to 11-1 overall since Dec. 9.

On the scoring chart, Knox had 18 points and Placer had 16. Youngblood and Selton Miguel had 15 apiece. For the game, the Bulls hit 32 of 60 from the field and 18 of 33 from 3-point territory.

The Bulls entered the game as one of only four teams with one loss in the American Athletic Conference, so they will keep pace with the leaders. The Roadrunners, meanwhile, continued their struggle to find consistency, falling to 3-9 in their last 12 games.

UTSA had lost some close ones during the skid, including a couple of them in overtime against nationally-ranked teams, one on the road at Memphis and another at home against Florida Atlantic. On the other hand, the Roadrunners also have lost twice by lopsided margins on the road.

They fell by 29 at Tulsa and now by 17 at South Florida.

“This game and the Tulsa game are going to be the ones that are really going to stick with us for awhile,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s radio broadcast on KTKR AM-760. “We just didn’t compete hard enough.

“February is a monthy where if we play well and stay together, stay healthy, get Adante’ (Holiman) back at some point, I still think we can make some noise in February.”

Holiman, a sophomore guard, has missed seven games in a row with an ankle sprain.

Against South Florida, guard Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with 23 points on 8 of 16 shooting. He made 5 of 9 from long distance.

In a three-game stretch this week, Ivy-Curry scored a career-high 38 in a 112-103 overtime loss to Florida Atlantic, hit the winning bucket with 2.3 seconds left in an 89-88 victory over Tulane and then kept UTSA in the game against a South Florida team playing like a contender.

Carlton Linguard Jr., who exploded for a career-high 31 against Tulane, couldn’t find the range against South Florida. He was limted to 2 of 7 from the field and 1 of 4 from three. PJ Carter scored nine points, and Christian Tucker and Massal Diouf had eight each.

Tucker, the assists leader in the American, had six against the Bulls.

“We’ve had several games where we just don’t do a good job defending the three,” Henson said. “A lot of these were results of drive and kick, whether off penetration or zoom action turning the corner … They were kicking it for pretty good looks.

“A couple of ’em early were by guys who don’t shoot ’em great. But, man, when they started going, they were all knocking ’em in. Just not enough resistance on the defensive end.”

Records

UTSA 8-13, 2-6
South Florida 13-5, 6-1

Coming up

Rice at UTSA, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2 p.m.

SMU women rally from eight down to blow out UTSA, 75-58

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With SMU leading by only three points at intermission, point guard Tiara Young directed most of the traffic on offense and scored a few buckets down the stretch, as well, leading the Mustangs to a 75-58 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Young scored six points and passed for four second-half assists as SMU (10-10 overall, and 4-5 in the American Athletic Conference) won at home, turning back a young and error-prone UTSA squad. For the game, Young finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Pushing out to an eight-point lead in the first quarter, the Roadrunners (10-9, 4-4) couldn’t sustain it later as they hit only 8 of 29 shots from the field in the second half. They also committed 15 turnovers after intermission in losing their second straight in the American after four wins in a row.

It was the second game in a row that UTSA’s youth may have been a factor in allowing a first-half lead to slip away on the road. The Roadrunners also had an early lead in Birmingham last weekend, only to give it up at the end in a 54-53 loss.

SMU entered the game on a high note, having played well last weekend in a close loss at home to kept the East Carolina Pirates and then defeating the Temple Owls. They played with confidence against UTSA, getting several players involved offensively.

Reagan Bradley was 7 of 13 from the field and Chantae Embry 6 of 14 for the Mustangs, and they each scored 18 points. Center Amirah Abdur-Rahim also had a big day, producing a double double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

For UTSA, guard Kyra White had nine points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Sidney Love, Idara Udo and Elyssa Coleman scored 11 points apiece.

First half

Trailing by eight points late in the first quarter, the SMU Mustangs rallied behind Reagan Bradley for a 40-37 lead on the Roadrunners going into intermission.

Bradley, a fifth-year SMU senior from Little Rock, knocked down four of five shots from the field and scored 10 of her team-high 12 points in the second period.

The Roadrunners played well from the outset, surging behind guard Kyra White into a 15-7 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, they kept up the pressure, pushing out again to a seven-point advantage. A three from the corner by freshman Emma Lucio made it 30-23.

From there, the Mustangs responded with an 8-0 run to get back into it. In the second quarter, SMU hit 11 of 16 from the field and 5 of 7 from three.

Records

UTSA 10-9, 4-4
SMU 10-10, 4-5

Coming up

North Texas at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Karen Aston’s Roadrunners to play the SMU Mustangs in Dallas

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Karen Aston. UTSA beat Charlotte 81-80 in double overtime in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston will lead the UTSA Roadrunners into Dallas today to face the SMU Mustangs. UTSA is 10-8 on the season and 4-3 in the American Athletic Conference. – File photo by Joe Alexander.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Karen Aston appreciates the progress her team is making. Every time her UTSA Roadrunners play well and win, she talks about how proud she is of her players for making it happen. At the same time, the coach isn’t content. Not by any means.

She wants more. Locked in a tie for sixth place in the American Athletic Conference standings and coming off a one-point loss, the Roadrunners will try to regain the momentum today when they play on the road against the SMU Mustangs.

At the turn of the new calendar year, the Roadrunners hit their stride. They knocked off Wichita State, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte and South Florida in succession.

Charlotte was undefeated in conference when UTSA registered an 81-80 victory in double overtime. South Florida came to San Antonio with the best program in the AAC over the last decade and it, too, went down to defeat.

The Roadrunners crushed the defending AAC regular-season champs, 65-42.

Last weekend, UTSA nearly made it five wins in a row. The Roadrunners traveled to Alabama and led most of the way against the UAB Blazers, only to give up the lead in the fourth quarter. UAB nipped UTSA, 54-53.

As a result, UTSA will hit the court today at Moody Coliseum, hoping to make strides in the other direction. With the Mustangs, the Roadrunners will face a team that is probably better than its record would indicate.

In their last two games, the Mustangs have displayed competitive fire. A week ago today, they traveled to face the East Carolina Pirates, an NCAA tournament team last year and this year’s conference favorite in the preseason poll.

The Pirates, who pounded the Roadrunners by 28 on Jan. 2, struggled against the Mustangs. Eventually, the Mustangs fell 68-61 even though they had neutralized most of the Pirates’ best scoring threats.

On Wednesday night, the contending Temple Owls tipped off against the Mustangs in Dallas. Temple was a team that out-muscled and out-played UTSA at Philadelphia. The Mustangs took care of the Wildcats, 68-66.

Records

AAC women’s basketball:
UTSA 10-8, 4-3; SMU 9-10, 3-5

Notable

The UTSA men are also on the road today. Steve Henson’s Roadrunners, coming off an 89-88 victory at home over the Tulane Green Wave, will be in Tampa, Fla.

They’ll tip off at 3 p.m. against the South Florida Bulls. Within the past few weeks, the Roadrunners have had a chance to win twice against Top 25 competition in the AAC, but they lost both games in overtime.

In their last outing, they won in dramatic fashion.

Jordan Ivy-Curry hit a three with 2.3 seconds left, boosting the Roadrunners to an 89-88 victory over the Tulane Green Wave. With Ivy-Curry in the lineup, UTSA all of a sudden has the look of one of the most dangerous teams in the conference. He is averaging 18.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Another player who raised eyebrows against the Green Wave was 7-foot center Carlton Linguard Jr., who scored a career-high 31 points.

For UTSA, South Florida will provide another tough test. The Bulls, who have won 10 of their last 11 overall, have moved into title contention in the AAC. They’re tied in the loss column with the leaders and only a half game out of first place.

Records

AAC men’s basketball:
UTSA 8-12, 2-5; USF 12-5, 5-1

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

Seven-foot center Carlton Linguard Jr. has hit 32 of 88 shots from 3-point distance this season. His 3-point percentage of 36.4 ranks as one of the best among big men in the AAC. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Ivy-Curry sinks game-winning shot as UTSA edges Tulane, 89-88

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UTSA’s Jordan Ivy-Curry inbounds to Christian Tucker, who brings it up court. After a handoff, Ivy-Curry launches the game-winning, three-pointer with two seconds remaining. – Video by Joe Alexander.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Three days after scoring 38 points on the 23rd-ranked team in the nation, UTSA guard Jordan Ivy-Curry struggled to get anything going Wednesday night against the Tulane Green Wave. “Throughout the whole game, I couldn’t hit a shot,” Ivy-Curry said. “I just had to stay confident.”

In the game’s final, frantic moments, Ivy-Curry’s calm demeanor paid off. He took a hand off from Christian Tucker and sank a three-pointer from the right wing of the arc with two seconds left, lifting the Roadrunners to a pulsating 89-88 victory over the Green Wave.

Carlton Linguard Jr. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Carlton Linguard Jr. (No. 2) scored a career-high 31 points on 10 of 16 shooting from the field and six of 10 from three-point range. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I just knew it was going in when I shot it,” Ivy-Curry said. “I had put a lot of work in, (so) I knew the game was going to come back to me.”

After Ivy-Curry hit the mark on his shot, Tulane had one last chance with 2.3 seconds left. An announced crowd of 1,281 at the Convocation Center erupted in cheers as UTSA intercepted a three quarters, length-of-the-court pass.

It was over. The Roadrunners (8-12, 2-5) had snapped a troublesome four-game losing streak with their most prominent victory of the year, thanks in large part to the play of center Carlton Linguard Jr., who carried his team offensively and defensively for most of the night.

The 7-foot-1 center from Stevens High School notched a double double with a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds. He also had three blocks. The Green Wave (12-7, 3-4) had no answer for Linguard, who scored 20 in the second half.

Linguard hit 10 of 16 shots from the field and six of 10 from three.

“Carl showed up big-time for us,” Ivy-Curry said. “Without him, we wouldn’t have won. He kept us in the game. He hit some tough shots. He rebounded for us. He blocked a lot of shots for us today. I appreciate Carl.”

Tulane carried swagger into the game. Last year, the Green Wave broke through with a 20-11 season and a 12-6 record in the American Athletic Conference. It was the second straight winning record in conference for the Wave under coach Ron Hunter. The Wave also brought some momentum in, having knocked off 10th-ranked Memphis, 81-79, on Sunday in New Orleans.

As the game got underway, some of that good energy carried over as the Wave’s matchup zone defense created problems. It held UTSA to 1 for 17 shooting from the 3-point line in the first half. At one juncture, the visitors led by nine with six minutes left.

In the end, it wasn’t quite enough to beat UTSA, though guard Jaylen Forbes and forward Kevin Cross were a problem all night. Forbes sank five triples, while Cross was a constant nuisance, hitting eight of 15 from the field. Both scored a team-high 23 points.

Chandler Cuthrell. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Chandler Cuthrell pulled down a team-leading 11 rebounds as UTSA beat Tulane on the boards, 48-33. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners arrived at the arena with a businesslike attitude, intent on making amends for a 2-8 stretch in which they lost four close games to quality opponents, including overtime losses to Top 25 teams Memphis (107-101) and Florida Atlantic (112-103).

“We needed this one bad,” Linguard said. “We’ve had a lot of close games. We just had to figure out a way to win. We came together today and fought to get the (victory) … Coach kept talking about it. He’s telling us, ‘It’s going to happen. Just believe. Just keep coming to practice. Just keep fighting’ and come with the right mindset.”

UTSA coach Steve Henson was beaming in his postgame news conference, talking about how he enjoyed the night for his players, who have been through some tough times already this season.

“Really happy for our guys,” Henson said. “They’ve been fighting, hanging in there. Attitudes have been terrific. Kept their confidence as a group. We’ve been in several close games. Close games against good teams.

“I mean, Tulane’s a very good team … I think their conference record is a little bit deceiving. They’re a terrific offensive team, (and) what they do on the defensive end creates a lot of stress.”

For the Roadrunners, forward Trey Edmonds finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Forward Chandler Cuthrell came off the bench for 11 rebounds and nine points in a little more than 13 minutes. Not to be outdone, Ivy-Curry, totaled nine points, five assists and five rebounds. He finished 3 for 13 from the field and 1 for 7 from three.

Good thing for UTSA his only three-point make was the last one of the night.

First half

Following an officials review after the teams left the floor for halftime, the Roadrunners were awarded two additional points.

Tulane coach Ron Hunter. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Tulane coach Ron Hunter enjoyed a 20-11 season with a 12-6 record in the American Athletic Conference last year. His team was picked third earlier this fall in the 2023-24 preseason poll, and it had just defeated 10th-ranked Memphis on Sunday. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Initially, officials decided that a tip-in by Linguard in the last minute was interference inside the cylinder. After the review, Linguard was awarded the basket and the two points.

As a result, the Tulane Green Wave had a 41-40 lead on the Roadrunners at the break.

Flummoxed from the beginning by Tulane’s matchup zone, UTSA couldn’t get anything going from the 3-point arc. The amoeba-like defense covered up all the primary shooting areas behind the arc, leaving UTSA to shoot only 1 for 17 from distance.

At the same time, the Roadrunners did some things well, such as get themselves to the free-throw line. From there, they knocked down 11 of 13 and used their accuracy to stay within striking distance throughout the half.

Tulane had a 38-29 lead with 3:30 remaining when Kevin Cross knocked down a jumper from the side. Cross turned to face the UTSA players on the bench and ran downcourt. If he said something to the Roadrunners, it may have lit a fire.

UTSA promptly went on an 11-3 run to the intermission buzzer.

Records

Tulane 12-7, 3-4
UTSA 8-12, 2-5

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Trey Edmonds. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Trey Edmonds dunks two-handed and takes a blow from an opponent. from behind. No foul was called. Edmonds finished with 11 points and eight rebounds as the Roadrunners beat the Tulane Green Wave by one. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Steve Henson: It’s time to suit up in the fight against cancer

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Steve Henson. UTSA lost to 23rd-ranked Florida Atlantic 112-103 in overtime in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson says he remains committed to the cause of raising cancer awareness. His Roadrunners host the Tulane Green Wave tonight. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Earlier this week, UTSA coach Steve Henson delivered a poignant message on the importance of “Coaches vs. Cancer – Suits and Sneakers Week.”

It’s a week when basketball coaches nationwide join together to promote the importance of raising awareness and generating funds for research into the nature of a disease that still does not have a cure.

I have always admired the coaching fraternity for doing this.

But, somehow, the effort rings with a little more clarity for me going into tonight’s UTSA home game against the Tulane Green Wave.

In the past few years, cancer has taken so many people close to me, it’s been almost like a bad dream.

My mom. My friend, Ken Burmeister, the former head basketball coach at UTSA and the University of the Incarnate Word. Also, a few close allies from my days at the downtown newspaper.

All of that is why coach Henson’s message on video sort of slapped me out of my comfort zone and made me think.

“This week,” Henson said in his message, “I suit up for my dad. My father’s overcome several types of cancer in his lifetime, and he’s cancer-free today. But we still have a lot of work to do.”

On Tuesday afternoon, I asked the coach about the video. He responded by relating how the National Association of Basketball Coaches remains committed to the effort after 30 years.

“Suits and Sneakers weekend, it’s been a big deal for the NABC and Coaches vs. Cancer for years,” Henson said. “(We’ve) raised a lot of money, raised a lot of awareness. Covid affected it. Coaches stopped wearing suits during Covid, (and) a lot of coaches haven’t gone back to it.

“We just didn’t want to let it lose its significance, because it’s such an important cause. So the (UTSA) coaches will wear suits and ties with our sneakers and hopefully will give it as much media attention and social media attention as we can, and keep fighting for a cure.”

Henson’s dad is a special guy, by all estimations. Mike Henson was a longtime high school basketball coach in Kansas. He was also Steve Henson’s coach, at McPherson High School.

“He was a freshman coach when I was growing up,” the coach said. “As soon as he got out of college, he got the freshman coaching job. There was a legendary high school coach there at the time, Jay Frazier, and they had won a bunch of state championships.

“So, I grew up watching my dad coach the freshman team. Every single game. I’d walk from grade school to the junior high … The year that I became a freshman, he moved up to the JV spot, so I didn’t play for him as a freshman.

“He got the (varsity) job my sophomore year, so I played for him for three years.”

Henson noted that his father “enjoyed a ton of success,” but he added with a wry grin that, “I didn’t help him much.”

“He won three state titles or four state titles after I left. My brother (Brian) was a part of three of those,” Henson said. “(My dad) had a great, great career there. He’s in the Hall of Fame in Kansas. Just a really good coach.”

For the record, Mike Henson was inducted into the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009, the same year, incidentally, that Steve Henson went into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

After playing for his father, Steve starred four years at Kansas State and later played in the NBA. Henson has been UTSA’s head coach for eight seasons.

“The town I grew up in was a really good basketball town,” Henson said. “When we were growing up, we heard about the state championships. Coach Jay Frazier won three state titles in the ’70s. We’d see those guys around town.

“On Wednesday nights, we’d go to McPherson College and play pick up, and those guys would come in and just tear us up, talk trash. We had pretty good records my three years (at McPherson). We didn’t win it. But my dad and my brother, they both won a bunch of ’em.”

Asked about playing for his father in high school, Henson paused and said simply, “It was a dream come true for both of us.”

Mike Henson has been cancer-free for several years now, his son said.

Tonight, Steve will be thinking about him again prior to UTSA’s 7 p.m. tipoff against Tulane. Also, the coach of the Roadrunners, who also serves on the national council of Coaches vs. Cancer, will be reminding anyone who will listen to be more aware.

To get tested.

“One of the things that happened during Covid is, people stopped getting screened, and cancer rates skyrocketed,” Henson said.

“Now,” he added, “one of the big things we’ve talked about for the last few years, there’s a lot of people who need treatment that don’t have rides. Think about that. How can that be?

“The treatment is there but people aren’t getting it because rides aren’t there?”

At that, the coach arched his eyebrows. I could see the passion in his expression. I could sense his fervor for the cause. Maybe, after hearing from the coach, it’s time we all suited up.

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
UTSA at South Florida, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Records

Tulane 12-6, 3-3
UTSA 7-12, 1-5

Notable

Forward Kevin Cross and guards Jaylen Forbes and Sion James will lead Tulane into tonight’s game at the Convocation Center.

James had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists Sunday in an 81-79 victory over No. 10 Memphis. In Tulane’s first victory over a top ten program since 1983, Cross had 21 points for his eighth 20-point game of the season. The Green Wave is coached by Ron Hunter, in his fifth year at the helm.

UTSA is coming off a 112-103 home loss in overtime Sunday against the 23rd-ranked Florida Atlantic University Owls. Of the Roadrunners’ four straight losses, two have come to nationally-ranked teams in overtime. The other was a 107-101 setback at then 13th-ranked Memphis on Jan. 10.

Against FAU, UTSA guard Jordan Ivy-Curry lit it up for a career-high 38 points. UTSA leads the American Athletic Conference in threes per game (10) and attempts per game (29.1). The Roadrunners rank 10th in the nation in long-distance attempts and 16th in makes.

Beltre’s Hall of Fame election marks a ‘special day’ for the San Antonio Missions

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Calling it “a special day” for the franchise, San Antonio Missions president Burl Yarbrough on Tuesday afternoon hailed third baseman Adrian Beltre’s first-ballot election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Beltre spent part of one season in San Antonio in 1998 and then went on to play 21 in the big leagues, rapping out 3,166 hits. With his election, he becomes the 10th former Missions player to reach Cooperstown.

“It’s great,” Yarbrough said. “Obviously we’ve followed his career since he played here in San Antonio. He went right from here to the big leagues. I think we knew when he arrived … that he was a special prospect.

“We’ve seen a lot of those come and go over the years. But he was one that really played well as a teenager in the Texas League.”

In his third season as a professional, Beltre, from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, moved up to the Double-A Texas League and reported for duty at age 19.

With the Missions, who were a Dodgers affiliate at the time, he hit for a .321 average and launched 13 home runs in 64 games. Additionally, his run production was solid as he had 56 RBIs.

Beltre also clubbed 21 doubles.

“Back when he played here,” Yarbrough said, “there weren’t a bunch of kids in Double-A. There were some grown men, and he came in as a teenager and held his own. You could just see the talent there.”

Yarbrough said it was his understanding that Beltre knew “very little” English when he arrived in San Antonio.

“I know (former Missions broadcaster) Brian Anderson probably spent quite a bit of time with him and got to know him,” Yarbrough said. “What was great about the Dodgers was that we always had several players from the Caribbean, from the Dominican. (Also) having Spanish-speaking folks in San Antonio, (it) probably (all) made it a little easier (for him).”

Beltre’s tenure in San Antonio didn’t last long, about two months.

By June 24, he played his first game in the major leagues with the Dodgers. Yarbrough said there was a feeling at the time that the Dodgers might send him back down to the minors, but they never did.

In all, he hit for a .286 average in 21 major league seasons with the Dodgers, the Seattle Mariners, the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. He also slammed 477 home runs and totaled 1,707 RBIs.

“You know, this is a special day for our franchise, and one that we’ve been waiting for, for the last five years, knowing that he’d be eligible this year,” Yarbrough said.

In the majors, Beltre spent seven seasons with the Dodgers, breaking out for 48 home runs and 121 RBIs in 2004, his last year in the National League.

He played the next five seasons with the Seattle Mariners, and then one with the Boston Red Sox, before becoming a member of the Texas Rangers. With the Rangers, he played eight years through the end of his career in 2018.

Beltre’s most memorable year in Arlington may have been his first, in 2011, when the Rangers won the American League pennant and then lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, four games to three, in the World Series.

He also played on Rangers playoff teams in 2012, 2015 and 2016.

Notable

Here is a list of former San Antonio Missions players in the Baseball Hall of Fame, according to a Missions news release:

Outfielder Ross Youngs
Infielder Brooks Robinson
Outfielder Billy Williams
Infielder Joe Morgan
Pitcher Dennis Eckersley
Outfielder Willard Brown
Infielder Ron Santo
Pitcher Pedro Martinez
Catcher Mike Piazza
Third baseman Adrian Beltre

One last thing. In researching the topic, I found three members of the Hall of Fame who once played professionally in San Antonio, whose entire careers played out before integration of the major leagues in the late 1940s. Can’t overlook the contributions of these men, all native Texans, who were among the greatest players of all time — here they are:

Infielder Willie Wells
Catcher Raleigh ‘Biz’ Mackey
Pitcher ‘Smokey’ Joe Williams

No. 23 FAU rallies behind Davis to beat UTSA 112-103 in OT

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Jordan Ivy-Curry. UTSA lost to 23rd-ranked Florida Atlantic 112-103 in overtime in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Jordan Ivy-Curry scored a career-high 38 points in front of the home crowd Sunday afternoon, but Florida Atlantic withstood the barrage and defeated the Roadrunners by nine in overtime. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Johnell Davis scored 34 points Saturday afternoon as the 23rd-ranked Florida Atlantic University Owls rallied from a 16-point deficit in the first half to down the UTSA Roadrunners, 112-103 in overtime, at the Convocation Center.

Coming off a Final Four season, the Owls didn’t flinch when they fell behind 36-20 in the first half. They kept plugging away and tied the game in regulation, escaping a loss when UTSA’s Carlton Linguard Jr. missed a wide-open three at the buzzer.

In the overtime, FAU called on Alijah Martin, who scored nine of his 26 points in the extra five minutes.

Johnell Davis. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 112-103 in overtime in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Johnell Davis scored 34 points — 13 in the first half, 17 in the second half and four in overtime — for the FAU Owls. Davis, from Gary, Ind., has hit 30 or more points in two of his last three games and in three of his last eight – Photo by Joe Alexander

Martin also contributed momentum-turning plays with a key steal and an offensive rebound off a missed FAU free throw as the Owls improved their record to 15-4 overall and 5-1 in the American Athletic Conference.

With the loss, the Roadrunners fell to 7-12 and 1-5, including a pair of agonizing losses in the AAC to Top 25 teams — both in overtime. On Jan. 10, the Roadrunners played on the road and took 13th-ranked Memphis to OT before falling 107-101.

This time, guard Jordan Ivy-Curry electrified the home crowd with a career-high of 38 points. Ivy-Curry was on his game, hitting 10 of 20 from the field, four of eight from three-point distance and 14 of 17 at the free-throw line.

Guard Christian Tucker also played well, contributing 19 points and 12 assists. Tucker, a one-time, walk-on, is leading the conference in assists and is also one of the AAC’s best free-throw shooters.

The Roadrunners had it going early in the game, knocking down 12 of their first 17 shots. Eight of the 12 were 3-pointers, including four of them by Isaiah Wyatt. A triple by Linguard made it 36-20 in favor of the Roadrunners with 9:24 left in the first half.

From there, the Owls started getting hot themselves. Davis hit a three, a layup and another three to ignite the visitors on a 29-17 run to the end of the first half.

Christian Tucker. UTSA lost to 23rd-ranked Florida Atlantic 112-103 in overtime in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA point guard Christian Tucker finished with 19 points and 12 assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander.

After the Owls scored the first five points after intermission for a 54-53 advantage, the Roadrunners went on the attack again. The constructed an 11-3 run. When forward Massal Diouf hit a layup on an assist by Ivy-Curry, the Roadrunners had regained control, up by seven.

At that juncture, the Owls grinded it out through the end of regulation, outscoring the Roadrunners 34-27 in the last 14 minutes. They did it in large measure by running UTSA off the 3-point line.

Consequently, the Roadrunners made only one triple down the stretch. In the closing moments of regulation, UTSA had a three-point lead when Davis had the ball on the perimeter, looking for a chance to tie. As he rose to shoot, Wyatt fouled him, bumped him body-to-body.

Davis, a 6-foot-4 junior from Gary, Ind., went to the free-throw line and made all three attempts with 16.6 seconds left. His third make tied it 91-91. After that, UTSA had the ball and Ivy-Curry faced a double team.

Ivy-Curry may have had a chance to drive it but he elected to pass to the open man, and Linguard missed, sending the game into overtime.

Isaiah Wyatt. UTSA lost to 23rd-ranked Florida Atlantic 112-103 in overtime in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Isaiah Wyatt caught fire early, knocking down four 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes. He finished with 14 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Records

Florida Atlantic 15-4, 5-1
UTSA 7-12, 1-5

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Notable

In UTSA’s first season in the American, three of its first six conference games have lapsed into overtime. One was a win but two have been excruciating losses to Top 25 opponents.

The Roadrunners emerged with an 89-82 victory over Rice on Jan. 6 in Houston. Four nights later, they played at No. 13 Memphis and dropped a 107-101 decision to the Tigers. Finally, against 23rd-ranked FAU, they bolted to the large lead in front of a home crowd but couldn’t hold on.

“We have got to find a way to win those games,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said.

Dre Fuller Jr. UTSA lost to 23rd-ranked Florida Atlantic 112-103 in overtime in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

FAU center Vladislav Goldin (50) extends his length to defend against UTSA forward Dre Fuller Jr. Fuller, who attended FAU briefly last summer, finished with nine points and five rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In his postgame radio interview aired on KTKR AM-760, The Ticket, Henson bemoaned the lost opportunity to beat the Owls at the end of regulation.

On the play, Ivy-Curry was double-teamed on the perimeter and couldn’t get off a shot, electing to pass off to Linguard on the high right side of the three-point arc. The 7-foot center misfired, leaving the score tied 91-91 going into the OT.

“Juice (Ivy-Curry) had it going,” Henson said. “We needed to make sure he gets that shot and we didn’t do it.

“We should have just left everybody flat, just let Juice play straight in iso ball. We tried to get (FAU center Vladislav) Goldin out of the lane, so we could get down in there and attack.

“I mean, he causes some problems with his length down in there. We tried to pull him out … They just went and gave a little soft double on Juice. Juice’s only option would have been to back it up and then drive it at Goldin, which probably would have been successful.

“But he made the right play. You got to trust your teammates. Carlton made some baskets with the game on the line earlier in the season. It was the right play. But we would have loved to have Juice take that last shot.”

Alijah Martin. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 112-103 in overtime in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Alijah Martin hit two threes and scored nine of his 26 points in overtime. He also had a key steal and an offensive rebound in the extra five minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander