Monthly Archives: November 2024

UTSA to unveil banner commemorating last season’s trip to the WNIT

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Siena Guttadauro. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Siena Guttadauro scored eight points in 16 minutes off the bench in the team’s opener at Texas A&M. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Update: UTSA, in a pre-game ceremony, will unveil a banner commemorating the women’s basketball team’s trip to the WNIT last season. In addition, it appears that Roadrunners starting point guard Nina De Leon Negron won’t play today. She was wearing a walking boot on her right foot during warmups.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Karen Aston’s UTSA Roadrunners hope to find the winning formula today against the surprising UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros.

Looking for their first victory after losing their opener by four points Thursday at Texas A&M, the Roadrunners will host the Vaqueros, who registered a stunning upset in their first game.

Tipoff will be at 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Edinburg-based UTRGV won on the road Tuesday at the University of Houston, 70-68, to cap a dramatic sequence of events in the final seconds. First, the Vaqueros inbounded when they were down by one point. Junior forward Charlotte O’Keefe responded by draining a three from the top of the circle.

Next, Houston pushed the ball up the court, with Gia Cooke shooting and hitting a three that was waved off after a review. Officials looked at the monitors to determine that Cooke released the shot after the buzzer, giving the win to UTRGV.

It was the first victory for the UTRGV program over a team from a power conference since 2003. Two days later, UTSA opened its season in College Station looking for the program’s first power conference win since 2010.

The Roadrunners came close, but they fell 55-51 to the Aggies. Forward Jordyn Jenkins led UTSA with 18 points and 11 rebounds and Sidney Love scored 10. But the Roadrunners, in need of a complement to Jenkins, came up empty on a couple of possessions in the final minute.

Aston told the team’s radio broadcast that UTSA will keep working to find the right chemistry to pull out close games.

“You know, it’s a new team. New chemistry,” she said. “A lot of players are playing different roles on the team. We’ve got to be able to establish those and figure out who we can count on in different moments. That’s going to take some time, I think.”

Coming up

UTRGV 1-0
UTSA 0-1

Notable

UTRGV hit 12 of 27 from behind the 3-point arc at Houston. Kade Hackerott and Sophia Zufelt each connected on three apiece. O’Keefe was two for two.

The Vaqueros are opening a new chapter in athletics with their move into the Southland Conference. They finished 6-23 overall and 5-15 in 2023-24, their last season in the Western Athletic Conference. Their coach is Lane Lord, who is in his seventh season at the school.

The Vaqueros have at least two players with San Antonio connections, including Ja’Shelle Johnson, a sophomore from Johnson High School, and also senior guard/forward Faith Phillips, who played two years at St. Mary’s University before transferring to UTRGV in 2023.

The Roadrunners are coming off their best season in 15 years. They were 10-8 in the American Athletic Conference and took the No. 4 seed into the AAC tournament, where they were knocked out in the semifinals. Earning a berth in the WNIT, they won a game in a national tournament for the first time in school history They finished 18-15 overall.

The UTSA men were scheduled to play tonight following the women for a basketball doubleheader at the Convo. But the game was canceled, with their opponent, the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, citing travel and weather-related problems. It’s uncertain whether the game will be made up this season.

North Dakota at UTSA men’s basketball has been canceled

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A men’s basketball game scheduled for Saturday night at UTSA scheduled has been canceled because of weather and travel-related concerns for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

Whether the game can be rescheduled to later in the season is yet to be determined, according to a news release from UTSA.

The UT Rio Grande Valley at UTSA women will play Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center, as scheduled, a spokesman said.

The spokesman said the issue for the men’s game centered on North Dakota having flights canceled because of weather in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. Edinburg-based UTRGV shouldn’t have any travel concerns, the spokesman said.

San Antonio’s Sahara Jones boosts Texas A&M to victory, 55-51 over UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

San Antonio’s Sahara Jones scored five of her team-high 16 points in the last four minutes Thursday to lead the Texas A&M Aggies in their 55-51 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

In the Aggies’ second game of the season and the Roadrunners’ season opener, Jones, an A&M graduate senior from Veterans Memorial High School, hit five of 10 shots from the field and also played a solid floor game.

She had six rebounds, two assists and a steal for the Aggies, who won their first game of the season and improved to 1-1. In crunch time, Jones scored five of her points in the final 3:41 when the outcome of a tense struggle was hanging in the balance.

Jordyn Jenkins led UTSA with 18 points and 11 rebounds. But UTSA didn’t get too many other players involved as A&M did a good job defensively on the other scoring threats. In the end, the Aggies held the Roadrunners to 33.9 percent shooting from the field

UTSA had a particularly tough day behind the 3-point arc, hitting only 3 of 16 from long distance. For the Roadrunners, it was a heartbreaker that played out in front of 5,000 school kids in College Station, at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena.

Trailing by four points at intermission after a defensive struggle, the Roadrunners caught a spark in the third period. They opened the quarter with an 11-0 run. When Sidney Love hit a pull-up jumper with 5:56 left, UTSA held a 33-26 lead.

At that point, it looked like the Roadrunners might be able to beat a power conference opponent for the first time in 14 years.

But after having a three-seconds call go against UTSA, A&M guard Janae Kent hit a three to spark a 14-5 run to the end of the period. Jones scored seven points in the run for the Aggies, who took a 40-38 lead into the fourth quarter.

UTSA kept battling, and had multiple opportunities down the stretch. Two free throws by Jordyn Jenkins gave the Roadrunners a 44-42 lead with 5:34 remaining.

From there, A&M started to make all the big plays, with guard Taliyah Parker burying a three, lifting the Aggies into a one-point lead. They would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way.

The Roadrunners had a chance going into the final three and a half minutes but couldn’t pull it off. Jenkins grabbed an offensive rebound off a free-throw miss and put it back to tie the game. Her bucket knotted the score 48-48 with 3:23 remaining.

On the other end, Jones hit a driving layup for A&M.

UTSA responded by setting up in the offense but couldn’t get a good shot, with Idara Udo missing from the perimeter. Parker, in turn, responded with a couple of free throws as the Aggies pushed the lead to four.

UTSA had perhaps its last breath of life when Siena Guttadauro drilled a three off an assist from Jenkins. As Guttadauro’s shot hit the bottom of the net, A&M’s lead had been trimmed to 52-51 with 1:53 remaining.

Once again, however, Jones answered for the Aggies

Her driving layup boosted A&M into a 54-51 lead. The Roadrunners, who missed a couple of free throws that could have made it a one-point game with 15 seconds left, never got any closer.

For the Aggies, who play in the Southeastern Conference, one of four power conferences in NCAA Division I, it was a bounce-back win after losing at home Monday to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. UTSA, picked to finish fifth in the American Athletic Conference, will return home to play UT Rio Grande Valley on Saturday.

Records

UTSA 0-1
Texas A&M 1-1

Coming up

UT Rio Grande Valley at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners had a chance but fell short, extending their losing streak against power conference programs to 24 games. Coach Karen Aston, in her fourth season, is now 0-8 against teams from the NCAA Division I conferences that generate the most revenue. UTSA hasn’t won a game against a power program since Dec. 16, 2010, when they beat the Big 12’s Kansas State Wildcats, 72-55, at home in the Convocation Center.

Quotable

“I thought we played hard,” Aston said on the team’s radio broadcast. “I don’t think it was that we didn’t play hard or didn’t want to win. So I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed for the kids. But they just executed some things better down the stretch than we did.”

Speaking to UTSA radio voice Neal Raphael, Aston continued: “(They) got to the free-throw line more than we did. It hurt us in the first half. Got out-rebounded. That’s not normal for our team. Free throws ended up being a little bit closer, but we just didn’t shoot the ball great today.

“They were just a little bit, I don’t want to say tougher … But in some moments, they were just a little bit tougher at getting where they wanted to get on the floor than we were.”

Aston acknowledged that A&M’s defense made it difficult for players other than Jenkins to find a rhythm.

“For sure, and we’ll find that,” she said. “You know, it’s a new team. New chemistry … A lot of players are playing different roles on the team. We’ve got to be able to establish those and figure out who we can count on in different moments. That’s going to take some time, I think.”

The Aggies out-rebounded the Roadrunners, 40-37. Offensive rebounds were tied, 15-15. But it seemed that the Aggies made the most of opportunities at critical times.

For instance, when A&M’s Sole’ Williams misfired on a jumper with a little less than five minutes remaining, Parker snared the offensive board. The play led to 6-foot-5 center Lauren Ware’s put back for a two-point A&M lead.

“I just thought they did a better job down the stretch,” Aston said.

Individuals

UTSA — Jenkins, the team’s starting power forward, scored 18 points on seven of 15 shooting. Guard Sidney Love added 10 points and Siena Guttadauro eight. Idara Udo, Cheyenne Rowe and 6-foot-4 newcomer Nyayongah Gony all had tough nights offensively. Combined, they were 1 for 12 from the floor and scored three points. Point guard Nina De Leon Negron had four points and one assist. Playing 20 minutes, De Leon Negron suffered an injury late in the third quarter. She was lifted with a minute remaining in the third and didn’t play in the fourth.

Texas A&M – Jones scored 16 points on five of 10 shooting, including one of three from long distance. She made five of eight at the line. Returning all SEC second-team player Aicha Coulibaly was held to eight points on three of nine shooting, but she had seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Forward Jada Malone had six points and six boards, while center Lauren Ware had five points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Jordyn Jenkins will lead UTSA into season opener at Texas A&M

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners will open their season on Thursday morning in College Station with heightened expectations, hoping to get things rolling with a victory over the Texas A&M Aggies, a Power 4 team from the Southeastern Conference.

Jordyn Jenkins. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Jordyn Jenkins scored 23 points on 10 of 11 shooting in an exhibition game against the St. Mary’s Rattlers. – File photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins isn’t shying away from talking about the hype surrounding the Roadrunners, who have been mentioned as a potential dark horse candidate to win the American Athletic Conference. Asked recently about the challenges that come with expectations to win, Jenkins offered a philosophical reply:

“I think (the challenges) are just within ourselves,” she said. “…If anything it’s going to be us that (will) hold us back. We have a lot of talent and some newcomers that really get our chemistry going. I think we’re going to do really well. Whatever happens, it’s up to us.”

Today, the Roadrunners will meet the Aggies at 11 a.m. at Reed Arena.

Both teams will bring star power to the floor. A&M (19-13 last season) is led by Africa native and 6-foot guard Aicha Coulibaly, who has played one season for the Aggies and the previous three with the Auburn Tigers. UTSA (18-15 last year) counters with Jenkins, a 6-0 power forward from Kent, Wash.

In 2021-22, Jenkins’ sophomore season with the Southern Cal Trojans, she started making headlines up and down the West Coast. She averaged 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Trojans and made first-team all conference in the Pac 12. In the offseason, she elected to hit the transfer portal in order to find a new direction.

She found it at UTSA, where she immediately was noticed in summer 2022 as a dynamic scorer. Jenkins always seemed to be on balance in the early workouts, capable of explosive bursts to the hoop or hard-to-handle, mid-range jumpers.

Opening 2022-23, her first season with the Roadrunners, she exploded, averaging 20.6 points and 7.5 rebounds. Displaying impressive speed for a power forward, she often beat her opponents down the floor and finished averaging 49 percent shooting.

Conference USA Player of the Year? It was an easy pick. It was Jenkins. But just as she seemed to be reaching her potential, the Roadrunners’ season ended in the semifinals of the C-USA tournament. And about a month later, adversity struck when she suffered a knee injury in a workout on campus.

After a torn anterior cruciate ligament that required knee surgery, she had to regroup, going through rehabilitation and strengthening workouts just to be able to start to shoot the ball during summer drills. She didn’t start contact work in practice until mid-way through the 2023-24 season.

Stepping up for the team, she played the Roadrunners’ last 12 games, averaging 17.1 points in 22 minutes. Her contribution was crucial to UTSA reaching the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament and then, later, the second round of the WNIT.

This past summer, Coach Karen Aston told her star forward that she wanted her to work on conditioning, setting as a goal trying to hit peak conditioning by the season opener.

“I’ve been working hard in trying to (be ready to) play a 40-minute game,” Jenkins said. “I know that’s what coach is expecting of me. Being a fifth-year senior, I should have my conditioning up. I know I need to be in the game, and getting in the extra conditioning, whether it’s after weights, during my rehab, just whatever I can do to stay on the court (is important).”

Her goal is to play in the WNBA, eventually. But she also has some unfinished business with the Roadrunners leading into her final season. Jenkins scored 23 points on Nov. 1 as the Roadrunners stormed to a 90-38 exhibition victory over Division II St. Mary’s University.

“I’ve definitely tried to bump up my leadership,” she said. “(I) just have a way more grateful attitude towards this because it’s my last year, especially after seeing my teammates grow. I see in them (as) myself when I was younger.

“Just to kind of lead them as positively as I can, I feel like that will help my mental game, as well as my physical game.”

Against the Aggies, who are 0-1 this season after Monday’s home loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the Roadrunners will bring a new look with a raft of speed and long-armed players. Two of the most intriguing new faces include speedy point guard Nina De Leon Negron and Nyayongah Gony.

Immediately, Jenkins hit it off in summer conditioning with De Leon Negron. The 5-6 UIW transfer does a good job running the offense, driving and finding players in the paint with touch passes. Gony, 6-4, who transferred from Mississippi State, defends the basket and runs the floor with long, loping strides.

Gony even leads the fast break, bringing it up court on the dribble.

“She’s very versatile,” Jenkins said. “You know, I’ve actually witnessed her getting down the court in about four dribbles. Jumping from the wing, with her Euro step. She’s really good and adds a whole new dimension to our team, especially offensively. I hope it’ll be really tough (for opponents) to guard a really big lineup with our team.”

UTSA’s rise to respectability after years of lackluster play has caught the attention of the home fans. A core of supporters has been with the program since Aston’s first season. They turn out for preseason meet-and-greet sessions with the team and showed up a few hundred strong for the St. Mary’s exhibition.

The increased attention at UTSA coincides with a national trend, with spikes in popularity at both the NCAA and WNBA levels.

“With all the viewership that’s getting bigger, I think San Antonio will have a really good time watching us,” Jenkins said. “Because, like you said, women’s sports are getting bigger – and so is this team. I think it’s going to be great for us this year.”

Aston calls Jenkins “a very unique talent” and compares her to one of her former players with the Texas Longhorns, Ariel Atkins.

“I think that she’s a very unique talent in a sense of efficiency,” Aston said. “Her production and the efficiency that she plays the game with (are) as good as I’ve ever seen. I have another (former) player, Ariel Atkins of the Washington Mystics, she was just so efficient you just got lost in that.

“They don’t over-exert their energy. They’re very efficient basketball players. Their percentages are normally high. I think that if she can just stay the course … It’s her last year, and I think she understands that. She’s anxious to get on the floor and have a full season again.”

Records

UTSA 0-0
Texas A&M 0-1

Coming up

UTSA at Texas A&M, Thursday, 11 a.m.
UT Rio Grande Valley at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

Texas A&M guard Aicha Coulibaly had a career game in the SEC tournament against top-ranked South Carolina last season. Coulibaly scored 32 points against the Gamecocks, who beat the Aggies 79-68 and went on to win the national championship. The Aggies lost 61-59 to Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA tournament…

The Roadrunners have a long losing streak going against teams from the power conferences. A check of the records indicates that the UTSA women have lost 23 straight against teams from leagues that generate the most revenue in NCAA Division I. The Roadrunners haven’t won a game against a power program since Dec. 16, 2010, when they beat the Big 12’s Kansas State Wildcats, 72-55, at home in the Convocation Center.

Even though UTSA coach Karen Aston is 0-7 against power conference foes in her previous three seasons, the Roadrunners have been competitive in those games lately, losing by five points on the road at Texas Tech, by two at home against Houston and by 13 on the road at Oregon. In 2022-23, UTSA played one power team on its schedule and lost on the road at TCU by seven. In Aston’s first season with the Roadrunners, in the fall of 2021, UTSA lost by 29 at Minnesota, by 24 at Arizona State and by 26 at Texas A&M.

The Power 4 this season consists of the Southeastern Conference, the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Previous to this season, the Power 5 consisted of teams from the four conferences listed above, plus the Pac 12. The Pac 12 mostly dissolved this season during realignment…

Aston said sophomore guard Aysia Proctor “has taken a step away” from the UTSA program. “She’s going to take care of some off-court challenges,” the coach said. “I do not have a timetable on her return to play.”

Claunch wins in UTSA debut, 103-77, as his Roadrunners roll past Trinity in second half

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Guard Primo Spears hit four straight shots, including three jumpers in a row, as UTSA pulled away down the stretch to register a 26-point victory over Trinity. Spears finished with a team-high 27 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The first regular-season game in Austin Claunch’s career as UTSA’s men’s basketball coach was definitely not an easy victory over a cupcake, as the final score might suggest.

For one thing, the Trinity Tigers weren’t a cupcake at all. They played a sweet offensive style that kept them in the contest well into the second half.

For another, it took all of the Roadrunners’ will and resilience to claim a 103-77 victory on Monday night at the Convocation Center.

Austin Claunch. The UTSA men's basketball team beat Trinity 103-77 on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Austin Claunch coached his first game at UTSA and got the win but said later that his team has plenty of things to correct. -Photo by Joe Alexander


Guard Primo Spears and small forward Raekwon Horton ignited a late 17-2 run by UTSA to salt the game away.

“Anytime you win, it’s good,” Claunch said. “I tell these guys all the time, I want to win every game, (by) one point, 10, whatever it is. You got to find a way to win. Give Trinity a lot of credit. They do a hell of a job. Jimmy (Smith) is an excellent coach.

“There’s a reason they’re top ten in the country (in D-III). They got a real chance to compete for a championship.”

In the first half, Trinity sophomore Christian Green and junior Ty Williams started off as hot shooters, pacing the Tigers to an early five-point lead. After a turnover, Williams drove for a layup and a 12-7 advantage five minutes into the half.

A little more than 10 minutes in, Green popped a 10-footer off the side, and Carter Ruck followed with a three to make it 25-23 in favor of the visiting Tigers, a non-scholarship program located off Hildebrand Ave. and IH 37 in central San Antonio.

In the second half, playing against the city’s major Division I program on the northwest side, the Tigers kept hanging around. With 14:42 remaining, Jacob Harvey hit a long three from the top of the circle. The shot put Trinity up by one point, and Harvey celebrated the moment by pausing to make a face at some of the UTSA fans.

A few minutes later, Trinity was still in the game. Will Brunson hit a step-back jumper, pulling the Tigers to within one with 12:14 left.

Around that time, Spears took charge. He sliced his way through the Trinity zone to find open spaces and scored eight points over the next few minutes, allowing UTSA to expand its lead to 81-65 with 6:16 left. Trinity never got closer than 14 the rest of the way.

Trinity's Christian Green. The UTSA men's basketball team beat Trinity 103-77 on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Trinity’s Christian Green is a sophomore from Veterans Memorial High School. He finished with 15 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Just attacking,” said Spears, a 6-foot-3 transfer from Florida State in his first game at UTSA. “You know, I try to get to the paint as much as I can. Not only for myself, but for others. I thought we shot the ball well at the end of the game. I opened up the floor and got to the paint and, you know, got to my spots.”

Horton helped ignite the rally, as well with a couple of steals that led to baskets. On one play, the 6-6 James Madison transfer stole an inbounds pass and hit a layup to help break the Tigers’ spirit.

“I was in his ear every huddle, every media (timeout), just saying, it starts with him,” Spears said. “He had a tough night in the paint but that’s not like him. I just wanted to emphasize that he’s a big part of this team, and he showed it. He got four or five steals in the second half, and I’m proud of him.”

Before the game started, there was a tension in the UTSA camp. Claunch went out for a two-mile afternoon run to clear his head. The players, all except Naz Mahmoud playing for the first time at home for the Roadrunners, might have been a little tight.

“Probably nerves but good nerves,” Horton said. “Everybody was excited to play. Amped up. I think it was just nerves at the beginning of the game. Like I said, we had to just settle in.”

Records

UTSA 1-0
Trinity 0-0
The game counted as an exhibition for Trinity

Individuals

Trinity – Jacob Harvey, scored 17 points and hit five of nine from three. Christian Green, had 15 points and five rebounds. He knocked down six of 10 from the field.

UTSA – Primo Spears scored 27 points, including 19 in the second half. Marcus “Smurf’ Millender had 19 points and seven assists. The two starting guards combined on 15 of 27 shooting from the field. Center Jaquan Scott produced 16 points and six rebounds. Damari Monsanto, 12 points on four of 10 shooting from three. Jonnivius Smith came off the bench for nine points, 10 rebounds and four steals.

Notable

UTSA shot 52.4 percent from the field in the second half. For the game, the Roadrunners shot 47.4 percent, had 21 steals and forced the Tigers into 28 turnovers. UTSA outrebounded Trinity 37-35 but dominated on the offensive glass with 17 boards.

The Roadrunners played without two key players, guard Tai’Reon Joseph and 6-foot-11 center Mo Njie. Joseph is ineligible over what is believed to be academic issues. It’s uncertain how many games he will need to sit out. Njie, with a groin injury, did not suit up. Guard Paul Lewis missed some practice last week but rallied to play 12 minutes.

Coming up

North Dakota at UTSA, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Halftime

The UTSA Roadrunners arrived at the Convocation Center ready to run for first-year Coach Austin Claunch. Surprisingly, the Tigers were more than up to the task. Trinity held its own for the first 20 minutes of the game before the Roadrunners forged a 43-41 lead at intermission.

Scott, Spears and Millender carried the load offensively for the Roadrunners. Scott, a 6-8 forward, made five of six from the field and scored 12 points. Spears had nine points and Millender eight. Millender passed for five assists and Spears three.

Green led the Tigers with 10 points. He hit four of eight from the field for the Tigers, who shot 48 percent from the field and 60 percent from three. In three-point shooting, Trinity was more effective and more efficient, hitting six of 10 to UTSA’s six of 19.

UTSA center Jaquan Scott works inside for a basket late in the first half. Scott led the Roadrunners with 12 points at intermission. – Video by The JB Replay

Austin Claunch set to coach his first regular-season game for UTSA tonight

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Austin Claunch. The UTSA men's basketball team on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

First-year UTSA coach Austin Claunch spent last season working for the Final Four-bound Alabama Crimson Tide. Previously, he worked five seasons as head coach of the Nicholls State Colonels. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The introductory press conference is now old news. The first summer conditioning session has been completed. Preseason fall camp? It’s been relegated to the history books.

Austin Claunch will make his regular-season debut as coach of the UTSA Roadrunners tonight when they host the Division III Trinity University Tigers.

Tipoff is set for 7 o’clock at the Convocation Center for what will be the opener of the 44th season of men’s college basketball at UTSA.

“Seems like just yesterday I was here for the (first) press conference,” Claunch said in a Zoom call Monday morning. “It’s certainly flown by. Exciting time for our guys who have been battling and competing against each other for the last couple of months. It’s good it’s here. (Tipoff) can’t come fast enough.”

Claunch arrived on campus in April after helping the Alabama Crimson Tide reach last year’s NCAA Final Four. In a nearly complete roster overhaul, most of the players from last year’s team hit the transfer portal to play for other schools.

As one of the youngest coaches in the nation at age 34, Claunch didn’t flinch at the challenge. He responded by signing 12 transfers to scholarships over the summer. Most said the reason they picked UTSA was the coaching staff.

“He’s like one of those coaches I can relate to,” UTSA small forward Raekwon Horton said. “You go ride around (with him). Get a bite (to eat). Just chat. We’re always talking, inter-acting. (He’s) very cool.”

Observers have noted an amped-up competitive spirit among the coaches and players. One practice recently had players rolling on the floor battling for loose balls and knocking each other out of bounds while going for rebounds.

The Roadrunners’ plan calls for them to play a physical style defensively, with the idea that the stops will lead to a fast-paced offensive attack.

“Pace,” senior guard Primo Spears said. “That’s just what we’ve been preaching all summer and all offseason, just playing with pace. We’re definitely going to shoot a lot of threes. And we’re going to defend at a high level.

“Our offense is going to be there because of our defense and how we guard. If we can get stops and get out on transition, we’re going to be hard to deal with.”

Center Mo Njie also said he likes the idea that the Roadrunners will attack with players who have a variety of skills.

“We have a lot of versatility and depth on this team,” Njie said. “I think that’s a lot of strength that we have, you know, that we can go anywhere and play all 40 minutes with different guys, different lineups.
And, just, our ability to come out and compete every time. Like, that’s our competitive edge.”

The Roadrunners will need the depth to come through as they are scheduled to play tonight without high-flying guard Tai’Reon Joseph, a transfer from Southern University. Joseph is sitting out for an undetermined number of games for unspecified reasons, though coaches feel confident he will be available before conference play starts.

In addition, Njie, a 6-11 center, is regarded as questionable for the Trinity game with a groin injury. Guard Paul Lewis, who had been limited in practice recently with a sore foot, is expected to play.

Njie came out of a scrimmage in Houston against McNeese State hobbling. He hasn’t practiced much since. Claunch said he “looks much better” lately. “He did some non-contact stuff yesterday,” the coach said.

Claunch didn’t announce his starters for tonight, but he could go with 6-8 Jaquan Scott and 6-9 Jo Smith in the post, flanked by Damari Monsanto on the wing, with Spears and Marcus Millender at guard.

The reserves might include David Hermes in the post, with both Horton and Skylar Wicks, a transfer from Incarnate Word, on the wing. Horton, one of the team’s best athletes, is expected to play heavy minutes this season.

Coming up

North Dakota at UTSA men, 6 p.m.

Notable

For Trinity, the game is an exhibition and won’t count on the Tigers’ record. Trinity finished 23-4 last year and lost in the first round of the NCAC Division III playoffs. The San Antonio-based Tigers are led by fifth-year coach Jimmy Smith.

UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston said sophomore guard Aysia Proctor “has taken a step away from the program. “She’s going to take care of some off-court challenges,” the coach said. “I do not have a timetable on her return to play.” Aston’s Roadrunners will open the season Thursday in College Station against the Texas A&M Aggies.

San Antonio-area talent fills NCAA Division I women’s basketball rosters

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Tulane Amira Mabry

Amira Mabry, a Tulane University junior from Judson High School, is one of at least 25 San Antonio-area athletes on NCAA Division I women’s basketball rosters. She averaged 11.4 points and six rebounds last year for the Green Wave. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

On the eve of a new season starting Monday, I’m sorting through NCAA Division I women’s college basketball rosters, and I’m detecting a wave of talent from the San Antonio area — at least 25 players who grew up in this area — now playing at the highest level.

There are many more local athletes in Division II and Division III programs.

But the influx of players from the local area in Division I women’s college hoops is undeniable. Nine of the players are competing in high major programs, in the so-called power conferences, according to my annual research project.

Of those nine, the most accomplished returning to the college game this season would include Deja Kelly at Oregon, Sahara Jones at Texas A&M, Aaliyah Roberson (TCU) and Carleigh Wenzel (Virginia Tech).

Sidney Love. UTSA beat Northern Colorado 80-62 in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sidney Love, a UTSA junior from Steele High School, is one of five players on the Roadrunners’ roster from the San Antonio area. Love has started for UTSA coach Karen Aston since she was a freshman. – File photo by Joe Alexander

In high school, Kelly played briefly at Johnson before moving on to Duncanville. Jones came out of Veterans Memorial while Roberson prepped at Clark and Wenzel at both O’Connor and Antonian.

Kelly is turning the page on her career this season, playing for the Ducks after four seasons as a key member of the North Carolina Tar Heels. At Carolina, she bagged three straight, first-team, all-conference honors.

Jones, meanwhile, is returning for a fifth season with the Aggies. In the past two seasons, she has played 55 games and started 51, including 32 starts last year.

Roberson, whose younger sister Arianna is highly-touted freshman at Duke, sitting out the season with a knee injury, has quietly started to build an impressive record with the Horned Frogs.

Last season, as a sophomore, she averaged a career-high 10.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks and started at center for the team’s final 17 games.

Wenzel, meanwhile, established herself at Virginia Tech, playing 33 games as a redshirt freshman and coming on strong in the NCAA tournament. In an NCAA first-round victory, she came off the bench to produce 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two blocks.

A strong class of freshman includes Duke’s Arianna Roberson (from Clark), Southern Cal’s Rian Forrestier (Brandeis), along with the UTSA duo of Taylor Ross (Brennan) and Mia Hammonds (Steele).

Arianna Roberson will miss the upcoming season after sustaining a knee injury while competing at the 2024 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, according to an announcement by Duke athletics on Sept. 5. Roberson arrived at Duke as a five-star recruit and the 19th-rated prospect in the 2024 class.

Locally, UTSA has tapped into the local talent base with five players from the San Antonio area, which is believed to be the most of any team in the nation. The five include Sidney Love (Steele), Alexis Parker (Brandeis), Aysia Proctor (Clemens), Hammonds and Ross.

Note: Here’s my list. It’s likely not complete. But, it’s just my best attempt to keep track of the city’s best players that have gone off to college. I’ll update it as soon as any new information comes to light.

San Antonio area athletes in NCAA Division I

Women’s basketball

Averi Aaron, Louisiana Tech, 6-1 freshman forward from Boerne

Hailey Adams, Rice, 6-1 redshirt sophomore guard from Clark

Kendall Beck, Houston Baptist, 6-2 freshman forward from San Marcos Panthers home school (hometown San Antonio)

Myra Bell, Incarnate Word, 5-10 grad student guard from Taft

Rian Forestier, Southern Cal, 5-11 freshman guard from Brandeis

Jaylin Foster, Texas State, 6-0 senior forward from Steele

Mia Hammonds, UTSA, 6-3 freshman guard from Steele

Natalie Huff, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 5-7 freshman guard from Clark

Christeen Iwuala, Ole Miss, 6-3 junior forward from Reagan; transfer from UCLA

Vivian Iwuchukwu, Southern Cal, 6-3 freshman forward from Cole, also Montverde, Fla.

Sahara Jones, Texas A&M, 6-0 grad student guard from Veterans Memorial

Ja’Shelle Johnson, UT Rio Grande Valley, 5-4 sophomore guard from Johnson

Deja Kelly, Oregon, 5-8 grad student guard from Johnson, Duncanville; transfer from North Carolina

Sidney Love, UTSA, 5-8 junior guard from Steele

Amira Mabry, Tulane, 6-0 junior forward from Judson

Bird Martin, Texas Tech, 6-2 freshman guard from Providence

Alexis Parker, UTSA, 5-9 junior guard from Brandeis

Faith Phillips, UT Rio Grande Valley, 5-11 guard from San Marcos; transfer from St. Mary’s

Brenna Perez, Incarnate Word, 6-0 grad student forward from Veterans Memorial

Aysia Proctor, UTSA, 5-8 sophomore guard from Clemens

Arianna Roberson, Duke, 6-4 freshman center from Clark

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

Taylor Ross, UTSA, 6-0 freshman forward from Brennan

Tiffany Tullis, Houston Christian, 5-11 senior forward from Cornerstone; transfer from Texas State, also Blinn JC

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

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

NCAA men’s basketball: Former San Antonio standouts find new homes in Division I

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With the regular season opening Monday, here’s an early look at The JB Replay’s annual list of athletes from the San Antonio area who are playing NCAA Division I men’s basketball.

Notable changes from this time last season include: 6-7 forward Micah Peavy, who will play at Georgetown after leaving TCU; 6-8 guard Brendan Wenzel, who’ll play for TCU after starting the past two years at Wyoming; also, 6-8 Jaylen Crocker-Johnson will suit up for Colorado State after a solid freshman season at Arkansas-Little Rock; most intriguing, perhaps, 7-1 center Vincent Iwuchukwu will try to get untracked with the St. John’s Red Storm and coach Rick Pitino after two years at Southern Cal.

Micah Peavy is a Cibolo native and the son of Alamo Heights High School grad David Peavy, now the head coach at Duncanville High School. Micah Peavy graduated from Duncanville, spent one year at Texas Tech and then the next three at TCU, where he played under coach Jamie Dixon. Micah started all 34 games for TCU last season, averaging 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists, en route to honorable mention All Big 12 honors and an appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Brendan Wenzel emerged as an all state player when he came out of O’Connor High School in 2019, and he redshirted in his first year at the University of Utah. After playing only a couple of games for the Utes in 2019-20, he transferred to Wyoming, where he sat out the next season on the transfer rule. He spent the last three seasons as a fixture in Laramie, playing in 89 games. As a senior in 2023-24, he averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds. With TCU, Wenzel hit a three in the last minute Friday night to spark TCU to a victory over Arkansas in a charity exhibition.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson Came out of Warren High School in 2023 as the school’s all-time scoring and rebounding leader. As a freshman at Arkansas-Little Rock last season, he started 32 of 33 games and averaged 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds. As a result, he was named Freshman of the Year in the Ohio Valley Conference. Crocker-Johnson is considered a key offseason pickup for Colorado State coach Niko Medved.

Vincent Iwuchukwu In San Antonio, the 7-footer known as “Baby Shaq’ led the Cole Cougars to a 3A state finals berth in 2020. After a few seasons in prep school, he reported as a five-star freshman to Southern Cal in the summer of 2022, only to suffer a cardiac arrest at practice. After the health scare, Iwuchukwu never reached his potential with the Trojans, suffering a back injury that same season and playing only 14 games.

In 2023-24, he played another 31, averaging 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds. Despite the lackluster showing, coaches continued to recruit him. New USC coach Eric Musselman and SMU coach Andy Enfield both wanted him. Hoping for a fresh start, he elected to head east and go with Pitino at St. John’s in New York City.

Note: The following list most likely doesn’t include everyone from San Antonio in Division I, but I do feel like it’s fairly complete after keeping track of this from year to year. I’ll update the list as soon as new information comes to light.

San Antonio area athletes in NCAA Division I

Men’s basketball

Adam Benhayoune, LSU, a 6-5 senior guard from O’Connor HS

L.J. Brown, UTSA, a 6-3 sophomore guard from Johnson HS

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Colorado State, a 6-8 sophomore forward from Warren HS, a transfer from Arkansas-Little Rock

Kendrick De Luna, Cal State-Fullerton, a 6-10 sophomore forward from TMI Episcopal

Damarion Dennis, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a 6-1 freshman guard from Veterans Memorial High School

Marques Gates, Houston Christian, a 5-11 junior guard from Clemens HS

Kaden Gumbs, Texas State, a 6-2 sophomore guard from San Marcos High School

Kalon Hargrove, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a 5-10 freshman guard from Harlan High School

Vincent Iwuchukwu, St. John’s, a 7-1 junior center, formerly of Cole HS, La Lumiere, Ind., Montverde Academy, Fla., Southern California Academy, a transfer from Southern Cal

Ja’Sean Jackson, Lamar, a 6-0 senior guard from Wagner, previously from Abilene Christian

Carlton Linguard Jr., San Francisco, a 7-foot graduate student center from Stevens High School, a transfer from UTSA, previously from Kansas State

Langston Love, Baylor, a 6-5 redshirt junior guard from Steele HS, Montverde Academy, Fla.

Jordan Mason, Illinois-Chicago, a 6-4 junior guard from Clark HS, a transfer from Texas State

Austin Nunez, Arizona State, a 6-2 junior guard from Wagner HS, transfer from Mississippi, previously at Arizona State

Ze’Rik Onyema, Texas, a 6-9 senior forward from Jay HS, previously from UTEP.

Malik Presley, Texas, a 6-6 sophomore guard-forward from San Marcos HS, a transfer from Vanderbilt.

Juan Reyna, Jackson State, a 6-3 graduate senior guard from Antonian; also Duncanville HS; a transfer from UTSA; also, formerly of Alabama State University and Campbell University.

Aidan Richard, Holy Cross, a 6-6 freshman forward from Reagan HS.

Brendan Wenzel, TCU, a 6-8 senior guard from O’Connor HS; transfer from Wyoming, formerly of Utah.

Athletes from San Antonio who played in high school out of the area

Zach Clemence, Kansas, a 6-11 redshirt junior forward, San Antonio native, from Sunrise Christian (Kan.)

Micah Peavy, Georgetown, a 6-7 graduate student forward, from Cibolo, Duncanville HS; a transfer from TCU, formerly of Texas Tech.

For real? Roadrunners storm past the St. Mary’s Rattlers, 90-38

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Jordyn Jenkins. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins scored 23 points on 10 of 11 shooting from the field to lead the UTSA Roadrunners to an easy exhibition victory. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA women’s basketball fans on Friday night arrived at the Convocation Center, eager to catch their first glimpse of a team with high expectations for the new season.

They apparently liked what they saw.

Showing off talent up and down the roster, the Roadrunners stormed to a 90-38 exhibition victory over the NCAA Division II St. Mary’s Rattlers.

Cheyenne Rowe. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Cheyenne Rowe came off the bench to score 17 points on six of seven shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Forwards Jordyn Jenkins scored 23 points and Cheyenne Rowe 17 for UTSA, a team that rode an 18-15 record all the way to the second round of the WNIT last March.

Coach Karen Aston was pleased with the effort to kick off the new year.

“Just happy to be playing again,” Aston said. “I think that’s the consensus probably for everyone, just excited to be back on the court again, to be back in the Convo. The players were ready to play someone else, for sure.”

Not only was Jenkins as good as advertised, but big performances off the bench from three post players — Rowe, freshman Taylor Ross and transfer Nyayongah Gony — left fans with the impression that the Roadrunners might be better than ever in Aston’s fourth season as coach.

“I think people are excited about our team,” Aston said. “I think they’re looking forward to the season starting. I hear it all the time. The fans that stuck around last year and came to the WNIT game, I think they were looking forward to our team this year, and I think the fans probably feel the same way we do, like it’s going to be a fun ride.”

Playing against smaller players in the paint, the UTSA posts enjoyed a big night. Particularly Jenkins, who hit 10 of 11 shots from the field to lead the Roadrunners to a 51.5 percent shooting performance. Rowe also was efficient by hitting six of seven afield.

Taylor Ross. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Taylor Ross had 15 points and 10 rebounds in her first college game.– Photo by Joe Alexander.

Ross, from San Antonio’s Brennan High School, emerged with a double-double in her first college game, producing 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Shooting the ball well, she muscled inside to hit four of five from the floor. Rebounding with a purpose, she also pulled down five of her boards off the offensive glass.

Gony, a transfer from Mississippi State who has also played at Miami, showed a wide variety of skills and produced 10 points, five rebounds and a blocked shot.

Standing 6-feet-4 and moving well on quick feet, she had the crowd buzzing a few times in the first half with eye-opening sequences.

On one play, she made a catch on a long pass and scored well in front of retreating defenders. On a few others, she’d either grab a rebound or force a turnover and then start dribbling up the floor.

It’s not something that UTSA fans have seen very often, if at all, someone that tall who can make a defensive stop on one end and then take off on a few dribbles to the other end of the court.

Overall, the Roadrunners just kept sending waves of long and talented athletes at the Rattlers.

Sidney Love. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA junior Sidney Love produced six points, five assists and three rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“We’ve talked about playing with more length and more active bodies that we could throw at teams for an entire game or for a majority of the game, which I think could be a positive for a lot of reasons,” Aston said.

She likes the concept because, she said, more players get to play and get involved in the game. Also, because the pressure can wear down an opponent.

“I love teams that can do that,” Aston said. “We haven’t had that here until this year. I think if everybody stays healthy and we stay on the same page, we can probably try to implement this more and more as the season goes along.”

For St. Mary’s, guard Charli Graziano came off the bench to score eight points, including a couple of three-point buckets. For the most part, UTSA’s defense stifled St. Mary’s, limiting the Rattlers to 11 field goals and 27.5 percent shooting.

UTSA will play at Texas A&M next Thursday to open the regular season.

Notable

UTSA center Idara Udo came out of the game late in the first quarter when she took contact and fell to the floor. She left the court limping and later sat on the bench with an ice bag on her knee.

In all, the Roadrunners played 14 players and 11 of them scored. Sophomore guard Aysia Proctor was the only one on the roster not to get into the game.

Guard Nina De Leon Negron, a newcomer and a transfer from Incarnate Word, started and produced four points and four assists.

Nyayongah Gony. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Six-foot-four forward Nyayongah Gony raised eyebrows with a variety of skills, including the ability to bring the ball up court on the dribble. The Mississippi State transfer had 10 points and five rebounds and a blocked shot. – Photo by Joe Alexander

A ‘long, hard summer’ is over as UTSA women’s basketball prepares for exhibition play

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Sidney Love. Temple defeated UTSA 56-48 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Junior guard Sidney Love is a returning two-year starter for the UTSA Roadrunners, who finished 18-15 and reached the second round of the WNIT last season. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Finally, the UTSA women’s basketball team on Friday night will welcome fans and players from another university into the Convocation Center.

The Roadrunners will host the St. Mary’s University Rattlers in an exhibition starting at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

“It’s been a long, hard summer,” UTSA guard Sidney Love said. “We’ve been grinding since June, so we’re ready to make our hard work pay off.”

Coming off an 18-15 run to the second round of the WNIT for their best season in 15 years, the Roadrunners will take the floor tonight with high expectations.

In the Rattlers, the Roadrunners likely will get their first test of an underdog opponent who will play with passion, trying to knock them off.

When they face a more talented team, as they will next Thursday at Texas A&M in the regular-season opener, they’ll be confronted with foes that will lock in mentally, knowing that UTSA might have the talent to spring a surprise. Even on the road, against the nation’s power elite.

Basically, everyone they play will be in upset mode, on high motor, high alert, or a combination of all of the above.

“Every year I’ve been here, we’ve been doing better each season,” UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins said. “You know, I think the challenges are just whatever we have within ourselves. You know (I think) it’s going to be us that’s going to hold us back. We have a lot of talent. We have some newcomers that really get our chemistry going.”

Notable

The game will mark the fans’ first chance to see the fourth edition of Coach Karen Aston’s Roadrunners in action against an opponent. A program that won two games in the season before Aston’s arrival won 18 games last year for the most in a season since 2008-09. The basketball program is in its 44th season overall and its second in the American Athletic Conference.

UTSA roster

Siena Guttadauro, 5-6 guard, junior from San Jose, Calif.
Alexis Parker, 5-9 guard, junior from San Antonio (Brandeis High School)
Emma Lucio, 5-9 guard, sophomore from Edinburg (Vela High School)
Damara Allen, 5-10 guard, freshman from Aurora, Colo.
Mia Hammonds, 6-3 guard, freshman from Cibolo (Steele High School)
Nyayongah Gony, 6-4 forward, redshirt senior from Lincoln, Neb., transfer from Mississippi State, also formerly of the University of Miami
Nina De Leon Negron, 5-6 guard, graduate senior from San Juan, Puerto Rico, transfer from the University of the Incarnate Word, also formerly of Austin Peay
Sidney Love, 5-8 guard, junior from Cibolo (Steele High School)
Aysia Proctor, 5-8 guard, sophomore from Schertz (Clemens High School)
Taylor Ross, 6-1 forward, freshman from San Antonio (Brennan High School)
Maya Linton, 5-11 forward, junior from Duncanville
Cheyenne Rowe, 6-2 forward, junior from Ajax, Ontario, Canada; played for UTSA last season as a transfer from James Madison
Idara Udo, 6-1 center-forward, sophomore from Plano
Jordyn Jenkins, 6-0 forward, redshirt senior from Kent, Wash., played the past two seasons at UTSA, transfer from Southern Cal
Emilia Dannebauer, 6-4 forward-center, freshman from Berlin, Germany