
Forward Idara Udo had 16 points and eight rebounds in UTSA’s last home game, Jan. 22, when the Roadrunners beat the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 64-53 for their 11th straight victory at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Trying to rebound after a loss for the first time since mid-December, UTSA coach Karen Aston pronounced her team ready to play for Saturday’s home game against the Temple Owls.
Asked about the mood in Friday’s practice, Aston said, “You know, you want to get right back on it. You got to look at it. You know, you can’t ignore it. You got to look and see where you went wrong and how to get better.

Jordyn Jenkins is listed as day to day for the Roadrunners. – File photo by Joe Alexander
“You sure don’t want to let one loss turn into two or whatever. You got to turn the page pretty quickly. I think we did that. We worked on some things we need to do better. Had a chance to look at film, and, yeah, ready to go.”
Tipoff in the American Athletic Conference contest between the Roadrunners (17-3, 8-1) and the Owls (12-8, 6-3) is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center.
UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins, the AAC’s leading scorer, is regarded as day to day leading into the Temple game.
Injured after she fell to the court on Jan. 22 at home against Tulsa, Jenkins sat out for the first time this season on Wednesday night in Tampa, Fla., where the Bulls won 75-63 to snap the Roadrunners’ 10-game winning streak.
Aston said Jenkins participated in a Friday afternoon workout. “She went through some stuff,” the coach said. “She’s been going through some stuff. She’s just day to day. We’re taking this as slow as we can, to make sure she’s good.”
If Jenkins can’t play, the Roadrunners will need to adjust. Not only is she the team’s leading scorer (18.9), she’s also its leading rebounder (7.3) and one of its best defenders.
Aston said her players responded well to the adversity, for the most part, against South Florida.
“When you look at the game the other night, we were in the game, the whole game,” she said. “I just thought we didn’t rebound great. When you ask people to step into different roles, some of that is doing some of the little things that they haven’t had to do.
“We just have to be better in some areas. We got to box out. We got to try to get some extra possessions ourselves and play some people that maybe we didn’t have an opportunity to play as many minutes … You know, it’s next man up.
“You got to be ready. It’s always an opportunity for someone else to step in and do their job. I mean, that’s why they’re here. That’s why they practice. That’s why they do what they do, is for opportunity.”
Records
Temple (12-8, 6-3)
UTSA (17-3, 8-1)
Coming up
Temple at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
North Texas at UTSA, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Notable
UTSA is 8-0 at the Convocation Center this season and is on an 11-game homecourt winning streak, tied for the longest in school history.
“I think we take a lot of pride in playing at home and winning at home,” Aston said. “But it’s getting to be nitty-gritty time now. Everybody’s digging for position and wanting to stay in the hunt. You just have to grit your teeth and get after it now.”
Previously, UTSA had an 11-game home winning streak that spanned two seasons, from Jan. 9, 2002 to Nov. 28, 2003.
Last season, the Owls won 20 games and forged a 13-5 record in the AAC to tie for the regular-season championship. They beat the Roadrunners twice last season, once in Philadelphia and once in San Antonio.
Temple, in fact, was the last team to beat UTSA in the Convo. The Owls did it on Feb. 22, 2004, when they won 56-48.
Aston said this year’s Temple team is “very similar” to last year.
“Almost a mirror image of the one we played last year, to be honest with you,” the coach said. “They defend really well. They turn you over. You can’t have a bunch of live ball turnovers against them. They rebound well.
“The point guard on their team last year (Aleah Nelson) was really, really good. Very experienced,” Aston said. “But the other guys have stepped into that role and filled it pretty well. I mean, they’re a good basketball team. Really solid team.”