First-place UTSA women hit ‘the final stretch’ in American Athletic Conference title race

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

In long-distance races in track and field, an official rings a bell with one lap to go as runners churn for the finish.

The leader of the pack has an advantage, but everyone with a competitive heart believes they can still win.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins leads the AAC in scoring at 18.5 points per game. She also ranks fourth in field goal percentage at 47.2. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Well, the bell is ringing, so to speak, for the UTSA women’s basketball team and everyone chasing them in the race for the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.

The first-place Roadrunners (22-3 overall, 13-1 AAC) lead in the standings by one game over the South Florida Bulls and by two over the North Texas Mean Green with four to play.

Of UTSA’s last remaining games, three are on the road, including one this afternoon in Houston against the Rice Owls.

Even though a regular-season title doesn’t guarantee a coveted NCAA berth, UTSA forward Idara Udo says it’s “really important” for the Roadrunners to win it.

“That was one of our goals for the season,” she said. “So I think that with four games left, it’s kind of like the final stretch, like, the last lap in the race.”

Both South Florida (19-8, 12-2) and North Texas (19-7, 11-3) have two at home and two on the road remaining.

South Florida has won eight in a row leading into today’s home game against Memphis, while North Texas has won three straight going into a road test today at East Carolina.

UTSA coach Karen Aston was asked during her weekly session with the media on Monday how she liked her team’s chances to finish first.

Hailey Adams. UTSA women's basketball beat Rice 67-58 in American Athletic Conference action at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Hailey Adams, a Rice sophomore from San Antonio Clark High School wearing No. 22, averages 7.0 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Owls. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“Well, we control our own destiny at this point, as far as the fact that we are one game up right now,” Aston said. “But there’s just a lot of basketball to play. Take the road games that are never easy. So we just have to take the standard approach that we’ve made since Day 1, which is one game at a time.

“Rice is the next opponent and there’s really not much to worry about other than Rice right now.”

The Roadrunners had a tough time with the Owls before beating them 67-58 in San Antonio on Jan. 8. Rice led by nine in the second quarter and by six with 7:54 remaining, only to see UTSA explode past them in the final minutes.

Records

UTSA 22-3, 13-1
Rice 13-13, 6-8

Coming up

UTSA at Rice, Saturday, 4 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
FAU at UTSA, Saturday, March 1, noon
UTSA at East Carolina, Tuesday, March 4, 5 p.m.

Updated list: San Antonio-area baseball players in NCAA Division I

Editor’s note: Please see The JB Replay’s updated list of athletes from San Antonio-area high schools on NCAA Division I baseball rosters. The list, an annual research project of this news outlet, is likely not inclusive of all San Antonio area players. It will be updated when new information comes to light.

Baylor

Andrew Petrowski, redshirt senior from Clark High School and San Jacinto College
Brytton Clements, freshman infielder from Laredo Alexander

Duke

Edward Hart, junior pitcher from Alamo Heights High School

Houston

David Stich, redshirt junior pitcher from Boerne, San Antonio Cornerstone Christian

Houston Christian

Levin Castilleja, junior catcher from Churchill High School, Wharton County College

Incarnate Word

Isaiah Zavala, grad student pitcher from Southwest High School
EJ Garcia, sophomore pitcher from New Braunfels Canyon
AJ Herrera, freshman catcher from Central Catholic
Edward Mendoza, senior pitcher from Eagle Pass
Rey Mendoza, grad student outfielder from Eagle Pass
Julio Riggs, grad student infielder from Boerne High School

Lamar

Coleson Abel, junior pitcher from Kerrville Tivy, Lubbock Christian
Aiden Baumann, junior outfielder from New Braunfels High School, UTSA

Prairie View A&M

Michael Burroughs, junior outfielder from Judson High School

Sam Houston State

Connor Zaruba, sophomore pitcher from Yoakum High School; McLennan College

Stephen F. Austin

Dylan Hummel, junior infielder from Madison High School and Coastal Bend Community College

Tarleton State

Jack Burcham, senior pitcher from Reagan High School
Ryan Beaird, senior pitcher from Reagan High School, UTSA

Texas

Jalin Flores, junior infielder from Brandeis High School
Ruger Riojas, junior pitcher from Wimberley High School and UTSA

TCU

Anthony Silva, junior infielder from Clark High School
Cohen Feser, redshirt junior pitcher from Reagan High School
Mason Bixby, sophomore pitcher from Johnson High School
Jacob Silva, freshman catcher from Clark High School

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Chad Pantuso, freshman utility player from Johnson High School
Chance Reisdorph, senior catcher from New Braunfels Canyon High School
Zach Garcia, senior pitcher from New Braunfels High School
Alberto Santos IV, freshman pitcher from San Marcos High School

Texas Southern

Jason Lazo, infielder from Veterans Memorial High School, Johnson County Community College
Jesse Herrera III, senior utility player from Churchill High School, New Mexico Junior College

Texas State

Cole Tabor, junior infielder from Reagan, transfer from Temple JC
Ryne Farber, sophomore infielder from Johnson High School
Matthew Tippie, senior pitcher from Wimberley, Angelina College
Rocco Garza-Gongora, junior outfielder-infielder from Laredo Alexander, Oklahoma
Jackson Teer, redshirt senior pitcher from Johnson
Carson Laws, junior pitcher from Clark High School, Midland College
Rashawn Galloway, junior catcher from Boerne High School
Zachary Gingrich, freshman outfielder from Smithson Valley High School
Tyler Walton, freshman pitcher from San Antonio Johnson High School
Kutter Webb, freshman infielder from San Marcos High School

UTSA

Jordan Ballin, freshman infielder from Boerne Champion High School
Josh Vaughn, junior infielder from Clark High School
Whitt Joyce, sophomore catcher from Lytle, Medina Valley High School
Ryan Jester, redshirt freshman pitcher from Bracken Christian

UT Rio Grande Valley

Austin Stracener, redshirt junior infielder from New Braunfels Canyon; Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas State
Evan Janner, sophomore outfielder from New Braunfels Canyon
Francisco Hernandez, redshirt senior pitcher from Laredo Alexander
Arturo Garcia, freshman pitcher from Laredo United South High School
Emir Encalada, junior pitcher from Laredo Alexander High School

Vanderbilt

Tristan Bristow, freshman pitcher from Harlan High School

Virginia

Will Broderick, freshman catcher/outfielder from Alamo Heights

Wichita State

Camden Johnson, sophomore infielder from Boerne High School

South Florida stages huge second-half rally to down UTSA, 78-73

Damari Monsanto. South Florida beat UTSA 78-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Damari Monsanto scored 22 points and made seven 3-pointers for UTSA, but it wasn’t enough as South Florida rallied from 20 points down to win 78-73. — Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Trailing by 20 points with nine minutes remaining, the South Florida Bulls staged a dramatic rally to beat the UTSA Roadrunners 78-73 Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.

The Bulls found themselves down 65-45 with 9:05 remaining when things started to unravel for the Roadrunners.

Austin Claunch. South Florida beat UTSA 78-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Austin Claunch’s UTSA Roadrunners fell to 10-16 on the season and 4-10 in the American Athletic Conference. UTSA leads Rice and Charlotte, both 3-11 in the AAC and tied for last in the 13-team league. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Jimmie Williams hit two consecutive three-point baskets to start the comeback, and it didn’t end until South Florida had outscored UTSA 33-8 in the last 8:49 of the game.

With the win, the Bulls (13-14, 6-8) snapped a three-game losing streak and handed the Roadrunners their season-high fifth straight loss.

The setback may prove costly for the Roadrunners (10-16, 4-10) as they now face the possibility of finishing 12th or 13th in the American Athletic Conference, which would force them to play on opening day of the AAC tournament.

If that is the case, UTSA would need to win five games in five days to win the title.

Such a streak of success seems almost unimaginable at the moment, with the Roadrunners having lost four home games in AAC play since early January after holding leads of nine or more points in the second half.

The Roadrunners’ four-game trail of tears started on Jan. 7 with an 82-77 setback to Tulsa. Their frustrations continued with one-point losses to Tulane on Feb. 5 and to East Carolina on Feb. 8.

UTSA led by 16 with 17 minutes left against Tulsa. In the other two, they suffered excruciating collapses in the final few minutes.

East Carolina pulled it out in the last 48 seconds, forcing a couple of turnovers and claiming an 80-79 victory on a CJ Walker free-throw line jumper with four ticks on the clock to play.

In the latest UTSA heartbreak, Williams, a 6-5 redshirt sophomore from Solon, Ohio, led the charge for South Florida. He scored 12 of his team-high 16 points in the last nine minutes.

South Florida coach Ben Fletcher. South Florida beat UTSA 78-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

South Florida interim head coach Ben Fletcher watched as his team rallied from 20 points down to win for the team’s biggest comeback of the season. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Capping his outburst, Williams sank an acrobatic runner from 12 feet that tied the game 71-all with 49.6 seconds left.

Roadrunners coach Austin Claunch, addressing the media afterward, expressed frustration at another game that he thought his team should have won.

Once again, his attacking offense became stagnant, tentative and mistake-prone with turnovers, and then his defense, under pressure, failed to make stops at key moments.

Another major factor that helped South Florida was an injury that sidelined senior forward Raekwon Horton, who didn’t play after averaging 17 points and shooting better than 50 percent from the field over the past five games.

“As a head coach, man, I got to find a way to help our guys finish the games,” Claunch said. “You know, that’s our fourth loss, I think, where we’ve had at least a nine-point lead or something at home. Obviously this was our biggest one.

“I haven’t watched it yet (on film). It’s still fresh. But we’ve got to find a way obviously to slow their run at the end of the game and just manufacture a few baskets.”

During Claunch’s session with the media, the 35-year-old, first-year UTSA coach paused the self-analysis for a moment and congratulated the Bulls, who have worked their way back from a real-life tragedy to find hope for success on the court leading into the last few weeks.

Marcus Millender. South Florida beat UTSA 78-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

USA guard Marcus Millender produced 11 points, four assists and four steals for the Roadrunners. — Photo by Joe Alexander

In late October, the Bulls were stunned when their head coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, died after suffering complications from a medical procedure. The coach of the Bulls’ 2023-24 AAC regular-season champions was 43.

“(I want to) touch on Coach Abdur-Rahim and what he’s meant to this league and this basketball community,” Claunch said. “To see them still fighting and playing the way they’re playing, certainly says a lot about the culture that he instilled — not just as a coach but as a man and as a leader.

“So, again, my condolences to their family again and their entire community. We’re thinking about them at UTSA.”

South Florida interim coach Ben Fletcher said outside the visitors’ dressing room that the comeback victory “was huge” for his coaching staff and his players.

“We’re getting closer to March,” he said. “Both teams have been struggling. They’re playing in some really close games. (This) just gives you confidence, especially when you can come on the road and get one against a really good UTSA team.”

The 20-point comeback to victory was the biggest that the Bulls have executed this season.

“You know, our guys needed some confidence,” Fletcher said. “We’d been playing in some close games and we let a few get away that we thought we should have won. So it’s always big to kind of bounce back.”

Primo Spears. South Florida beat UTSA 78-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Primo Spears connected on three 3-point shots and scored 18 points. He finished with five of 18 shooting from the field. — Photo by Joe Alexander

Fletcher agreed with Claunch’s analysis, that the victory underscored the type of culture that had been established by Abdur-Rahim.

“Absolutely,” Fletcher said. “It’s crazy. The way it happened today, it basically happened like that last year, too. They had gotten up on us a few points in that second half. Very similar. I don’t think it was 20, but they did a really good job.

“They shot the ball well to start the second half and then we went small (with our lineup) kind of the same way (we did tonight).”

The UTSA offense and a few individuals had their moments, for sure. Guard Damari Monsanto scored a game-high 22 points. Monsanto, from Pembroke Pines, Fla., knocked down seven of the Roadrunners’ 15 three-point field goals.

In addition, guard Primo Spears had 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. He also had two steals. Marcus Millender had 11 points, four assists and four steals. Monsanto, Spears and Millender all played 38 minutes.

Tai’Reon Joseph, inserted in the starting lineup when it became known that Horton would need to sit out, also scored 11.

For South Florida, Williams led the way with 16 points on six of nine shooting, including two threes. Jamille Reynolds and Kobe Knox each scored 13 apiece. Guard Brandon Stroud scored 11 and pulled down 17 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. He also had four blocks and five steals.

Records

South Florida 13-14, 6-8
UTSA 10-16, 4-10

Coming up

UTSA at East Carolina, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Rice at UTSA, Sunday, March 2, 5 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Tuesday, March 4, 6 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Sunday, March 9, 3 p.m.

First half

After playing lackluster basketball in the first half last weekend at Tulsa, UTSA came out with a more focused performance against South Florida.

South Florida assistant coach Griffin McHone. South Florida beat UTSA 78-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

South Florida assistant coach Griffin McHone played basketball locally at Boerne High School. He is the son of Boerne coach Kimble McHone and the grandson of former Spurs assistant and head coach Morris McHone. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Monsanto knocked down three of UTSA’s eight made three pointers before intermission as the Roadrunners took a 40-29 lead on the Bulls at intermission.

The Roadrunners hit eight of 19 from behind the arc in the half, with Spears and Millender helping out by making two apiece.

By consistently making shots from the perimeter, the Roadrunners hiked the lead to as many as 12 three times before Baboucarr Njie hit a free throw with 26 seconds left to make it 40-27.

South Florida center Jamille Reynolds followed in a shot with three seconds remaining for the final basket of the half. Reynolds led the Bulls with nine points.

For the Roadrunners, Spears scored 10 and Monsanto nine, while Joseph and Millender both had eight.

UTSA men looking for answers as they prepare to host South Florida

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

For the UTSA Roadrunners, it’s time to turn the page on a four-game losing streak. With five games left in the regular season, they know they need to start playing with more urgency as the American Athletic Conference tournament looms next month.

Austin Claunch. UTSA beat North Dakota 80-76 in non-conference men's basketball on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Austin Claunch’s UTSA Roadrunners will host the South Florida Bulls tonight at 7 at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners kick off the stretch run with a home game tonight against the South Florida Bulls, and UTSA coach Austin Claunch doesn’t want a repeat of their last game, when they lost concentration and allowed the Tulsa Golden Hurricane to run up a big lead before halftime.

UTSA rallied in the second half and nearly pulled out a victory, but the effort just wasn’t enough.

It came too late to prevent an 0-2 record on the road trip through Wichita State and Tulsa. Now, the Roadrunners (4-9 in the AAC) find themselves in 11th place in the AAC standings, a game behind Tulsa and South Florida (both 5-8).

“We had guys come in this morning, worked hard, shot well,” Claunch said on his Monday media session. “Certainly we wish we had more wins. That goes without saying. I thought the first half against Tulsa was the first time we’d sleep walked through a game in a long, long time. I don’t mean to say that, we weren’t playing hard, or whatever the case may be.

“But there were just some mental mistakes and just some lapses that we haven’t made in awhile. By a few of our older, better guys that have been playing a lot of minutes for us. Guys that should know better.

“So again, just a really bad start to the game. Haven’t had one of those (since) I would say against FAU (on Jan. 29, on the road) we got off to sort of a snoozer of a start. This one was kind of similar.

“But we’re always looking forward, whether it’s win or lose. At the end of the day, if we had won both games, we (still) wouldn’t be where we want to be. There’s a lot of work to be done. There’s still a lot to play for in these last five games to try to build some momentum as we go to Fort Worth.”

Records

South Florida 12-14, 5-8
UTSA 10-15, 4-9

Coming up

South Florida at UTSA, tonight at 7
UTSA at East Carolina, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Rice at UTSA, Sunday, March 2, 5 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Tuesday, March 4, 6 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Sunday, March 9, 3 p.m.

AAC men’s tournament

March 12 – At the Super Pit, in Denton (first round).
March 13-16 – At Dickies Arena, in Fort Worth (second round, quarterfinals, semis and finals)

Honoring Amir Abdur-Rahim

UTSA coach Austin Claunch paid tribute to the late Amir Abdur-Rahim this week, talking about the 43-year-old South Florida basketball coach who passed away last fall, a few weeks before the opening of the college basketball season.

In January, the American Athletic Conference announced that it would create a postseason sportsmanship award in the coach’s name:

“The Amir Abdur-Rahim Sportsmanship Award will be presented annually to the men’s basketball student-athlete who, as determined by the league’s head coaches, best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, fair play and leadership,” according to a news release from the conference.

Claunch said he honestly hasn’t given much thought to who on the Roadrunners he might nominate for it, but supports the idea wholeheartedly.

“This season is about Amir,” Claunch said. “It’s incredible the season they had last year, right? But again, when you hear people speak about him, certainly, that’s something I hope one day people speak about me in the same light. He was clearly an incredible leader, someone that just carried himself with incredible class and dignity.

“When I think about the award, there’s plenty of guys (deserving of it). But I haven’t thought too much about that. Again, this season is to honor Amir. Whoever wins that award certainly should feel that, it’s an award you shouldn’t take lightly. Something that you should understand … is named after an incredible man, and it means something.”

McHone’s homecoming

Second-year South Florida assistant coach Griffin McHone played his high school basketball for the Boerne Greyhounds. He played at Boerne under his father, Greyhounds coach Kimble McHone. Griffin is the grandson of longtime college and pro basketball coach Morris McHone, formerly the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

Baylor baseball shuts down UTSA on a cold day in Waco

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Enzo Apodaca smashed a two-run homer on a cold and windy afternoon in Waco on Tuesday, backing an eight-hit performance by five pitchers and lifting the undefeated Baylor Bears to a 5-0 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Carson Bailey, Caleb Bunch, Caleb Jameson, RJ Ruaix and Gabe Craig combined to strike out 12 and hold the Roadrunners to seven singles and a double. As a result, Baylor improved to 4-0 on the season as Bailey started and pitched three innings to earn the victory.

In addition, the Bears beat the Roadrunners for the first time since 2022 and snapped a two-game losing streak in the series. UTSA starting pitcher James Hubbard worked two innings, yielded one run and took the loss.

UTSA had won games in Waco each of the last two years coming into the game, which was played with wind blowing in on the hitters and temperatures in the 40s. The loss left the Roadrunners at 1-3 on the season, with all of the games played on the road.

Last weekend, the Roadrunners dropped two straight to open the season and then won the finale, 6-3, on the road Sunday against the UT Arlington Mavericks.

Scoring and hitting with runners on base have been a problem, as the Roadrunners have been held to 10 runs in four games and have been shut out twice. They left 11 on base against the Bears, including runners at second and third to end the game.

Coming up

Long Island at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Long Island at UTSA, doubleheader, noon
Long Island at UTSA, Sunday, 11 a.m.

Records

UTSA 1-3
Baylor 4-0

Notable

The UTSA brother duo of Ty and Nathan Hodge from College Station started and played shortstop and third base, respectively. Ty had two hits on the day and both committed errors in the field.

Mason Lytle, the preseason Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, finished two for five on the day and struck out twice.

Roadrunners right fielder James Taussig sat out the Baylor game with a hamstring injury. Taussig batted three for six in the series at UT Arlington.

A UTSA freshman makes the most of his last at bat in Arlington

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners will close out a stretch of four straight road games to start the season today in Waco against the Baylor Bears.

They’re expected to face freshman lefthander Carson Bailey, who throws heat with velocity in the mid-90s, so the Roadrunners will need to be on top of their game. First pitch is at 3 p.m..

Reporters had a chance to chat on Monday’s media zoom call with Roadrunners coach Pat Hallmark, whose team lost its first two at UT Arlington last weekend before rebounding to win 6-3 on Sunday afternoon. A highlight of the Roadrunners’ first victory of the season came in the top of the eighth inning.

Down 3-2, they scored four runs to take the lead, with the big blow coming off the bat of a freshman playing in only his third college game.

Who is this freshman? Caden Miller is his name. A small-town guy, he attended high school in East Texas in the town of Madisonville, with a population of a little more than 13,000. Madisonville High School, about 90 miles north of Houston, has about 650 students total in grades 9-12.

Competing at the Class 4A level, the 6-foot-2 Miller honed his skills, showing enough ability with the bat to play his way into some high-level summer programs.

Hallmark said Miller’s summer ball team was one of the best in the state. “He’s facing some of the best pitching, playing in the top tournaments nationally,” the coach said, “so he’s seen good pitching.”

Miller’s arrival at UTSA in the fall was an unexpected pleasant surprise for the UTSA coaches.

“He’s a terrific player and a good get for us,” Hallmark said. “He was actually going to (Houston Christian University), I think, with the relationship (he had) with Lance Berkman. When Lance resigned (as coach) last summer, Caden opened his recruiting back up, and we were able to get him over here.

“So he was a fairly big recruit, certainly a big recruit for us. Happy to have him. He has some hitting talent. He has more raw hitting talent than most of the recruits we get.”

Miller, who sets up with an open stance from the left side, suffered through a bit of a rocky start at the plate in his first two games for the Roadrunners.

Batting leadoff, he went hitless in his first seven appearances and struck out three times combined in 5-0 and 7-4 losses on Friday and Saturday.

“He was a little antsy,” Hallmark said. “You probably saw (it), he was hitting in the leadoff spot Friday and Saturday (and) he was just antsy, a little jumpy up there, and he wasn’t getting real good looks at pitches.

“He was chasing more pitches than he ever chases. That’s one thing he does really well, which is why I hit him in the leadoff spot. He controls the strike zone terrifically, especially for a freshman. But, anyway, he settled down Sunday.”

Batting seventh in the series finale against the Mavericks, he walked in his first appearance in the second inning and then lined a grounder to first, which was turned into a double play, in the fourth. When Miller returned to the dugout, Hallmark told his young charge that his swing looked good.

He told him to stay with it. In the sixth inning, his approach paid dividends, and he singled through the right side. Coming up again in the eighth, UTSA had tied the game 3-3 on a Tye Odom RBI single, and Andrew Stucky had just flied out deep into the outfield, pushing Roadrunners on the bases to second and third.

In a lefty on lefty confrontation, Miller barreled a Kyle Winkler pitch high and deep to center. Ultimately, it caromed off the batters’ eye for a three-run homer. A jolt of energy surged through a visitors dugout that had not had much luck to that point.

“I thought he had a good at-bat on the groundout to first,” Hallmark said. “Kind of ironic, I told him after that at bat, just stay where you’re at. You’re swinging the bat good. The three-run homer came later.”

Just in time to save the Roadrunners’ opening weekend.

Coming up

UTSA at Baylor, today, 3 p.m.
Long Island at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Long Island at UTSA, doubleheader, noon
Long Island at UTSA, Sunday, 11 a.m.

Records

UTSA 1-2
Baylor 3-0

UTSA women win to clinch a top-four seed, double bye in American conference tournament

Idara Udo. UTSA beat Memphis 80-61 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Idara Udo produced 14 points and 13 rebounds in an 80-61 victory over the Memphis Tigers. Udo, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Plano, has notched three double doubles with points and rebounds in the last four games. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners broke away in the second half on Saturday to rout the Memphis Tigers, 80-61, winning their 22nd game of the season, extending their school-record homecourt winning streak to 15 and clinching a double bye in the American Athletic Conference tournament.

With the double bye, UTSA will bypass the first two days and start the tournament in the quarterfinals on March 10 in Fort Worth, needing only three wins in three days to win the title.

“First of all, I just want to say thanks to everyone that came out today,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “That’s what we’ve been saying repeatedly the last few home games. But it took the cake today. I thought they were really, really good and loud and excited about being here.”

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Memphis 80-61 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Karen Aston applauded the marketing team and administrators for their work in helping to bring out a crowd of 1,523. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Officials announced the crowd at 1,523, the largest of the season.

“They’re still out there getting autographs,” Aston said in the postgame media session. “So, just kudos to everyone who is making that happen. Our marketing group. Our administration. I mean, there’s been a lot of effort in getting the community to pay attention to our team.”

Naturally, the resurgence in women’s basketball at UTSA can be traced most directly to the work of the coaches and the players, who have won more games than all but two other teams in the 44-year history of the program.

Their efforts have pushed the pace since Day 1 last summer. As a result, the first-place Roadrunners (22-3, 13-1) will have a chance in the last few weeks to win a conference regular-season title, even though the second-place South Florida Bulls (18-8, 11-2) seem determined to take it down to the wire.

UTSA plays three of its last four on the road, starting with a road game at Rice next Saturday. A regular-season crown doesn’t guarantee a berth in the NCAA tournament, which is the team’s ultimate goal, but it is something that the Roadrunners would like to accomplish.

“It’s really important,” UTSA center Idara Udo said. “That was one of our goals for the season. So I think that with four games left, it’s kind of like the final stretch, like, the last lap in the race.

Nina De Leon Negron. UTSA beat Memphis 80-61 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Nina De Leon Negron led the Roadrunners in scoring with 16 points. She also snared five rebounds and passed for six assists against only one turnover. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Now more than ever, we’re just honed in on trying to get a ring from the conference, but also keeping our minds on the American tournament and the NCAA tournament.

“I think our team is always thinking one step ahead,” Udo continued. “So, I think we have our minds set, still locked in, in the moment, but our minds are on what’s ahead, as well.”

Trailing by 12 points at one juncture in the second quarter, the Roadrunners started to play better defense and pulled to within two at halftime. Clamping down further on the Tigers’ shooters in the second half, they turned it into a run-away.

On a day when Jordyn Jenkins spent much of her afternoon on the bench in foul trouble, guard Nina De Leon Negron led the Roadrunners with 16 points. Guard Aysia Proctor hit some big shots in the second half and finished with 15.

Udo contributed a double double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Guard Tanyuel Welch led the Tigers with 16 points and nine rebounds. Backcourt mate Tilly Boler scored 12 but was limited to five of 19 shooting from the field. Alasia Smith had 10 points and seven rebounds.

First half

Playing at a fast pace, the Memphis Tigers built a 12-point lead in the second quarter and withstood a UTSA rally in the last six minutes to take a 40-38 lead into the dressing room at intermission.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Memphis 80-61 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA star Jordyn Jenkins scored eight points on a day when she picked up four fouls in 15 minutes. Jenkins played only six minutes in the second half when the Roadrunners blew out the Tigers, 42-21. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After the home team Roadrunners played even with the visitors in the first quarter, the Tigers broke from a 19-19 tie and forged a 14-2 run over a four-minute span.

Memphis scored nine straight points, a streak capped by a three pointer from forward Tamya Smith, to build a 33-21 advantage.

With Jordyn Jenkins on the bench in foul trouble, the Roadrunners came back. They authored a 17-4 run, highlighted by eight points from guard Aysia Proctor.

A Cheyenne Rowe layup tied the game 38-all with 43 seconds remaining. Tanyuel Welch hit a couple of free throws with 12.3 seconds left for the final points of the half.

Welch had 11 points and Tilly Boler 10 to lead the Tigers. Nina De Leon Negron had nine points and Proctor eight for the Roadrunners.

Records

Memphis 6-18, 4-9
UTSA 22-3, 13-1

Coming up

UTSA at Rice, Saturday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m.
Florida Atlantic at UTSA, Saturday, March 1, noon.
UTSA at East Carolina, Tuesday, March 4, 5 p.m.
(End of regular season)

AAC tournament
At Dickies Arena, Fort Worth

March 8 – First round (at Denton): Game One, 13 seed vs. 12 seed, noon
(All remaining games at Dickies Arena, in Fort Worth)
March 9 – Second round: Game Two, 9 seed vs. 8 at noon; Game Three, 13 or 12 vs. 5 at 2 p.m.; Game Four, 10 vs. 7 at 6 p.m.; Game Five, 11 vs. 6 at 8 p.m.
March 10 — Quarterfinals: Game Six, Game Two winner vs. No. 1 seed, noon; Game Seven, Game Three winner vs. No. 4 seed, 2 p.m.; Game Eight, Game Four winner vs. No. 2 seed, 6 p.m.; Game Nine, Game Five winner vs. No. 3 seed, 8 p.m.
March 11 — Semifinals: Game 10, Game Six winner vs. Game Seven winner, 6 p.m.; Game 11, Game Eight winner vs. Game Nine winner, 8 p.m.
March 12 — Finals: Game 12, Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 6 p.m.

Aysia Proctor. UTSA beat Memphis 80-61 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Aysia Proctor, a UTSA sophomore from Clemens, matched the speed of the Memphis Tigers’ guards and scored 15 points off the bench. She scored eight in the second quarter to spark a rally. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Tulsa wins at home, 80-76, to hand the UTSA men their fourth straight loss

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Close losses are getting old for the UTSA men’s basketball team.

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane won a duel between teams battling for 10th place in the American Athletic Conference standings, building a 19-point lead late in the first half before holding on at the end for an 80-76 victory.

It was UTSA’s second straight loss on a two-game AAC road trip and its fourth overall, all by five points or less.

“In (the) last five games we’re going to really push ourselves and test ourselves,” first-year UTSA coach Austin Claunch told Andy Everett on the team’s postgame radio broadcast. “Obviously, we’ve had a tough little stretch. We’re close.

“And so, we’re frustrated obviously. We’ve been close, but that’s part of what this is all about. We’re going to keep fighting.”

With the win, the Golden Hurricane (5-8, 11-15) swept two games against the Roadrunners (4-9, 10-15) in the season series and seized control of ninth place in the AAC standings.

UTSA fell to 11th place, two games in the loss column behind Wichita State (14-10, 4-7). The Roadrunners have five games remaining, with the next one coming up Wednesday at home against South Florida.

Tulsa won the game in the first half when it held UTSA to 23 points on five for 25 shooting. While the Roadrunners were struggling, the Golden Hurricane were sizzling, shooting 60.7 percent en route to a 40-21 lead late.

The Hurricane entered halftime up 40-23.

In the second half, the Roadrunners made a good push, outscoring the Golden Hurricane 26-14 in the first nine minutes.

A three pointer by Primo Spears with 11:14 remaining brought the Roadrunners to within five at 54-49.

UTSA kept coming at Tulsa late, reducing the deficit to four twice, the last time at 8:41 when forward Horton, running off a Jo Smith defensive rebound, took a pass from Spears and sank a driving layup to make it 58-54.

From there, the Golden Hurricane pushed back, going off on a 9-2 run. At the end of the run, Dwon Odom sank a couple of free throws for Tulsa. Suddenly, the Golden Hurricane were in charge again, leading 67-56.

UTSA kept battling to the end, reducing an eight-point deficit to only three in the last minute. Spears hit a three to give the Roadrunners life, down 77-74, with 16 seconds left.

Willis, a guard who once played in San Antonio at the University of the Incarnate Word, hit three of four free throws down the stretch to seal it.

For Tulsa, Willis led in scoring with 19 points, including 11 in the second half, all on free throws. Forward Isaiah Barnes scored 18, contributing 10 in the first half on four of seven shooting, including a couple of threes. Odom and Jared Garcia scored 16 each.

Raekowon Horton had 20 points and five rebounds to lead the Roadrunners. Millender, one of the hottest offensive players in the conference through the end of last week, scored 19 but was limited to seven of 21 shooting.

The 5-foot-11 guard from Houston knocked down four three pointers, reaching four long-distance makes for the fourth time since Jan. 11. Spears scored 18 points, coming on strong in the second half with 15. Spears, the team’s leading scorer, finished three of seven from three.

Records

UTSA 10-15, 4-9
Tulsa 11-15, 5-8

Coming up

South Florida at UTSA, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
UTSA at East Carolina, Sunday, Feb. 23, 1 p.m.

UTSA women playing for high stakes today at home against Memphis

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Temple 70-61 on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston’s American Athletic Conference-leading UTSA Roadrunners will shoot for their 15th straight win at home today. Tipoff against Memphis is at 2 p.m.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Coach Karen Aston’s UTSA Roadrunners have always dreamed of playing in the NCAA tournament, but not until this season have they won enough games through the middle of February to be regarded as the favorite in their own conference to claim a coveted bid.

In the last two years, the Roadrunners have made enough noise to this point in the season that they entered the NCAA discussion. But never have they achieved so much with five games remaining in the regular season to claim status as the team to beat.

UTSA hopes to burnish its reputation even further today.

Winners of 21 of 24 games on the season and 14 of their last 15 overall, the first-place Roadrunners host the Memphis Tigers at 2 p.m., wondering in the back of their minds what it would really feel like to see the name of their school in the 68-team NCAA bracket next month.

On one hand, they are faced with the here and now. The Roadrunners nearly lost at Memphis last month, winning 70-68 with a frantic fourth-quarter rally, so they know how hard it will be to beat a team like this for the second time in 32 days.

Then again, as far as the rest of the world in NCAA Division I women’s basketball is concerned, UTSA is in the driver’s seat in the American Athletic Conference. According to ESPN, the Roadrunners are favored to claim the AAC’s automatic bid into the 68-team field.

But here’s where it gets complicated. There are two avenues into the NCAA bracket, the automatic and the at large bid. For UTSA, the automatic is the one avenue upon which it can go about its usual business and control its own destiny.

If they stay hot and keep winning, and they win the AAC tournament in Fort Worth next month, they get the auto bid and the ticket to the Big Dance. Anything less than that, however, it’s a slippery slope toward being left out.

For instance, if the Roadrunners win the regular season title, claim the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament and then lose in the finals, their fate will be in the hands of an NCAA committee to decide if they are deserving of an at-large bid.

At the moment, if the ESPN analysis is correct, it appears the second-place South Florida Bulls might be the conference’s only hope of snagging one of the at-large spots. The Bulls are the only team in the American on a list of teams ranked just outside the field of 68. They’re ranked 73rd.

Earlier this week, Aston was asked if she was coaching her team as if she believed it needed to sweep to the AAC postseason title to earn its way into the NCAA tournament, and she declined to comment directly, implying that she might have something to say on that front in about 10 days.

So, stay tuned.

Records

Memphis 6-17, 4-8
UTSA 21-3, 12-1

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, today, 2 p.m.
UTSA at Rice, Saturday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m.
Florida Atlantic at UTSA, Saturday, March 1, noon.
UTSA at East Carolina, Tuesday, March 4, 5 p.m.
(End of regular season)

AAC standings
(Women’s basketball)

UTSA 12-1, 21-3
South Florida 10-2, 17-8
North Texas 10-3, 18-7
Tulane 8-4, 15-8
Temple 8-5, 14-10
Tulsa 6-6, 12-12
UAB 6-7, 15-10
Rice 5-7, 12-12
East Carolina 5-8, 13-12
Memphis 4-8, 6-17
Charlotte 3-9, 8-15
FAU 2-10, 10-15
Wichita State 2-11, 8-18

Saturday’s games

Charlotte at East Carolina, 1 p.m.
South Florida at FAU, 1 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, 2 p.m.
North Texas at Tulsa, 2 p.m.
Rice at Wichita State, 2 p.m.
Temple at Tulane, 3 p.m.

Top-ranked Texas A&M wins, Texas loses on college baseball’s opening day

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The top-ranked Texas A&M Aggies rallied to win in the debut of head coach Michael Earley, downing the North Carolina-based Elon University Phoenix, 4-2, in College Station.

Trailing 2-0, A&M scored three times in the bottom of the sixth on two singles, three walks and a wild pitch by the Elon bullpen. Sophomore Blake Binderup hit a solo home run in the eighth for the Aggies. A&M starter Ryan Prager pitched a one hitter over five scoreless innings.

Meanwhile, the Louisville Cardinals also rallied from a two-run deficit in downing the 19th-ranked Texas Longhorns, 4-3, in 10 innings at Arlington’s Globe Life Field. The Cardinals won it with two outs in the bottom of the 10th when Lucas Moore hit an RBI single off Longhorns reliever Andre Duplantier Jr.

It was the first game at Texas for coach Jim Schlossnagle, who was head coach at A&M last year and led the Aggies to the College World Series finals.

It was also the UT debut of former UTSA standout Ruger Riojas, who was the first relief pitcher out of the bullpen for the Longhorns. Riojas, a junior from Wimberley who won 10 games last year for the Roadrunners, worked 2 and 2/3 innings and struck out four. In a position to earn the save in the bottom of the ninth, he gave up two hits and was charged with two runs that tied the game.

Other results

(6) North Carolina beats Texas Tech, 5-1 and 8-3, at Chapel Hill, N.C.
(20) Dallas Baptist beats North Dakota State, 11-6, at Dallas
(23) TCU beats San Diego, 5-4, in 10 innings, at San Diego
UT Arlington beats UTSA, 5-0, at Arlington
Incarnate Word beats Saint Peter’s N.J., 12-2, at San Antonio
Texas State beats Binghamton, N.Y., 4-1, at San Marcos
Kansas beats Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 8-5, in Corpus Christi
George Mason beats East Carolina, 7-3, in Greenville, N.C.
East Carolina beats George Mason, 4-3, in Greenville, N.C.