Monthly Archives: November 2025

Rowe-led UTSA women rally late to stun Grand Canyon, 65-64

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Showcasing equal parts effort, poise and skill in the clutch, the UTSA women erased a 10-point deficit in the final 3:32 Wednesday afternoon to stun the Grand Canyon (Ariz.) Lopes, 65-64, in the Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Challenge.

“Oh, man,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said later. “That was crazy.”

Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA women's basketball beat Texas State 64-41 on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Cheyenne Rowe scored 10 of her career-high 20 points in the final two minutes as the UTSA Roadrunners came from behind to beat the Grand Canyon Lopes. – File photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA senior forward Cheyenne Rowe scored 10 of her team- and career-high 20 points in the last 2:06 as the Roadrunners came back on the Lopes and left Frisco’s Comerica Center with a split of two games in the multi-team event.

She knocked down two free throws with seven seconds left to account for the final score. On the other end, Grand Canyon forward Anisa Jeffries missed a shot from the paint as time expired.

On Monday, the Roadrunners played poorly in the opener, shot 29 percent from the field and turned it over 30 times, as the Auburn Tigers beat them easily, 59-42. Against Grand Canyon, they started fast and led the Lopes for most of the first three quarters.

In the fourth, the Lopes made a charge. Down by two to start the quarter, they hit three three-pointers and outscored the Roadrunners 19-7 in the first seven minutes. A triple by Julia LaMendola splashed with 3:32 remaining and boosted Grand Canyon into a 57-47 lead.

Undeterred, the Roadrunners made play after play in the clutch to pull it out. “I thought we established some leadership tonight,” Aston told Neal Raphael on the team’s postgame radio broadcast. “For the first time, I thought we rose up and kind of carried our young guys.

“Cheyenne and Ereauna Hardaway, they rose to the top as far as leadership, and we needed that. We needed to see who could do that. This was really good for us.”

Faced with the 10-point deficit, UTSA called on junior transfer Jayda Holiman, who was making her first start of the season. The younger sister of former UTSA men’s team guard Adante’ Holiman initiated the late uprising with a three.

After a Lopes turnover, the Roadrunners rebounded three of their own misses on one possession and turned it into two Rowe free throws. When Rowe hit two with 2:06 remaining, Grand Canyon’s lead had been trimmed to five.

Grand Canyon guard Chloe Mann made it a seven-point game at 59-52 when she drew a foul and hit two free throws. On the next possession, the Lopes had a chance to boost the spread back to 10, but LaMendola misfired on a three.

Jayda Holiman. UTSA women's basketball beat Incarnate Word 74-57 on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at UIW. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jayda Holiman earned her first start of the season and responded with 12 points and eight rebounds. – File photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA scored the next five points on a banked-in three by Rowe and two free throws by sophomore Emilia Dannebauer. In response, LaMendola dialed up another shot from long distance, and this one hit to put the Lopes up 62-57 with 49 seconds left.

Undaunted, the Roadrunners pushed it the other way and answered with a Damara Allen three, off an assist from Ereauna Hardaway.

Trailing by only two at that point, the Roadrunners didn’t need to foul, but they did, putting Ale’jah Douglas on the line. She hit two, boosting the Lopes into a 64-60 advantage with 36 seconds remaining.

UTSA answered again with – who else? – Rowe, who buried a three to bring UTSA to within one. After a couple of timeouts with 31 seconds left, the Lopes made their last costly mistake, as Jeffries turned it over on an errant pass.

The Roadrunners gained possession, put the ball in Rowe’s hands, and the 6-foot-2 native of Canada drew a foul from Holly Griffiths. Rowe sank both freebies with seven seconds left to give the Roadrunners the lead and, ultimately, their most satisfying victory of the season.

UTSA pulled off the comeback despite standout center Idara Udo fouling out with 6:49 remaining.

“It was kind of a chess match for awhile with Idara being in foul trouble,” Aston said. “And, just fatigue. You know, we’re not a very deep bunch. We kind of have to mix and match sometimes. You know, I thought they hung in there with it, and we went to the press late.

“Obviously we can’t do that the whole game. I told them when we do it, they got to sell out on it, and they did that.”

Records

Grand Canyon 1-6
UTSA 3-3

Coming up

UNLV at UTSA, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

Shuffling the starting lineup after a loss on Monday to the Auburn Tigers, the UTSA Roadrunners bounced out to a 28-23 lead at intermission against the Grand Canyon (Ariz.) Lopes at the Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Challenge.

On the last day of the multi-team event in Frisco, in the DFW area, the Roadrunners installed guard Jayda Holiman into the starting lineup, and Holiman responded with 12 points and eight rebounds. She knocked down four three pointers for her second straight game in double figures.

Damara Allen also contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Allen, a sophomore from Aurora, Colo., made two of UTSA’s season-high nine triples. In all, the Roadrunners made nine of 15 from beyond the arc to offset 10 threes by the Lopes.

In many ways, point guard Ereauna Hardaway was the glue, producing seven points, four assists and three rebounds in 32 minutes.

Once again, though, Cheyenne Rowe led the Roadrunners with an all-around performance.

She had seven rebounds, a block and a steal in 38 minutes. Hitting five of 12 from the field and two of three from distance, she also sank all eight of her free throws. Notably, she was only nine of 17 at the line coming into the game.

Julia LaMendola connected on five triples and led the Lopes with 21 points. Anisa Jeffries scored 12 and Chloe Mann and Ale’jah Douglas had 11 apiece.

The loss was the Lopes’ sixth of the season, but their 1-6 record is deceiving, in that they’ve dropped games to powers South Carolina and Oregon on the road and to Atlantic Coast Conference entry Cal on a neutral site. South Carolina is the No. 2 team in the nation.

Last year, Grand Canyon finished 32-3 and lost to Baylor in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Records

Grand Canyon 1-6
UTSA 3-3

Coming up

UNLV at UTSA, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m.

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UTSA men rally to topple Georgia Southern at Jacksonville

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Jamir Simpson scored 22 points and Brent Moss added 19 off the bench Tuesday night as the UTSA Roadrunners rallied for a 77-64 victory over the Georgia Southern Eagles to close out play in the Jacksonville Classic.

After losing to Abilene Christian 61-50 on Monday, UTSA fell behind early against Georgia Southern, trailing by 13 midway through the first half.

The Roadrunners continued to struggle and found themselves down by 11 after intermission. Down the stretch, UTSA kept playing hard, and the bench — led by Moss, a guard, and forwards Daniel Akitoby and Macaleab Rich — spearheaded the comeback.

Simpson, a 6-foot-6 lefthander from Lima, Ohio, scored at least 20 for the fourth time in his last five games.

“We have a young team,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch told Andy Everett on the team’s postgame radio broadcast. “We’re still growing and getting a lot better. But this is a huge win coming off last night and responding quick. Really, really proud.”

Moss, a native of the Bahamas, enjoyed a solid all around game with 19 points and eight rebounds. He had 15 of his points in the second half.

Rich, from East St. Louis, Ill., had 11 points and eight boards. In addition, Akitoby, from Fairfax, Va., supplied nine points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes.

As a result, UTSA came away from the two-day event in Florida with a split and a 4-3 record for the season.

Georgia Southern, meanwhile, lost its second straight in Jacksonville and fell to 3-5. Forward Alden Applewhite led the Eagles with 18 points, followed by guards Tyren Moore with 16 and Taverus Webb with 14.

First half

For the second straight night at the Jacksonville Classic, the Roadrunners suffered through a poor start to the game, falling behind the Eagles by 13 points with eight minutes left in the half.

With some of their reserves leading the way, they battled back to tie the game late, only to watch as the Eagles made a few more plays in the last few minutes to take a 33-29 lead into intermission.

Records

UTSA 4-3
Georgia Southern 3-5

Coming up

South Alabama at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Notable

In keeping with their Jekyll and Hyde persona on offense, the Roadrunners shot 25.8 percent from the field in the first half and 51.7 percent after intermission. Defensively, they proved much more consistent by holding the Eagles to 35 percent in the first half and 25 percent in the second.

The Roadrunners are 2-0 this season against sub-NCAA programs, meaning that their record against NCAA Division I opponents stands at 2-3.

Strength of schedule notwithstanding, UTSA’s confidence seems to be growing with its gritty play away from San Antonio. UTSA owns Division I wins against the Denver Pioneers (on the road) and now against the Georgia Southern Eagles (on the neutral site court at Jacksonville).

Jamir Simpson, in his last five games, has scored 22 points at Texas State, 20 at Denver, 21 at home against Southwestern Christian, 18 in the opener of the Jacksonville Classic against Abilene Christian and 22 against Georgia Southern.

South Alabama coach Richie Riley and UTSA coach Austin Claunch worked together for two years at Nicholls State University, with Riley as a head coach and Claunch as an assistant from 2016-18. Claunch took over as the Nicholls head coach when Riley took the South Alabama job.

Riley’s South Alabama team is 6-1 after starting the season with six straight wins. The Jaguars finally lost last Friday at UAB, falling 80-72, on the road in Birmingham.

Abilene Christian men down UTSA 61-50 in Jacksonville

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Burly guard Bradyn Hubbard produced 21 points and eight rebounds Monday night as the Abilene Christian University Wildcats opened the Jacksonville Classic in Florida with a 61-50 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Trailing by 13 at halftime, the Roadrunners pulled to within four a few times in the second half before the Wildcats took control down the stretch.

At one point, the Roadrunners went scoreless for more than five minutes.

The Wildcats (4-2) snapped a two-game losing streak while also putting a stop to a two-game winning streak by the Roadrunners (3-3).

UTSA did some things well, holding ACU to 34 percent shooting and forcing 15 turnovers.

But, in the end, ACU won the game on the boards, outrebounding UTSA by a 44-32 margin, including 19-9 on the offensive glass.

UTSA also hurt itself with sub-par shooting from the field (36.4 percent) and from the free-throw line (55.6 percent). The Roadrunners hit only 15 of 27 on free throws.

Jamir Simpson had 18 points and five rebounds to lead UTSA, which will close out its stay in Florida when it takes on Georgia Southern Tuesday night.

First half

Opening play on Day One in the Jacksonville Classic, the Wildcats out-rebounded the Roadrunners in the first half en route to a 39-26 lead at intermission.

ACU constructed a 22-12 lead on the boards, including 10-2 on the offensive end.

In the first few minutes of the game, the Wildcats built a 14-2 lead. In the last one minute and nine seconds of the half, the Wildcats did it again, outscoring the Roadrunners 9-1.

Christian Alston kicked off the closing surge when he knocked down a three pointer.

After UTSA’s Austin Nunez made one of two free throws, Bradyn Hubbard took it to the rim, hit the shot and drew a foul. He made the freebie with 28 seconds left to boost ACU into a 10-point advantage.

After Joseph Venzant made a steal off UTSA’s Baboucarr Njie, Yaniel Rivera followed with a three pointer with three seconds left for the final points.

ACU knocked down six of 12 from behind the three-point arc in the half.

Records

UTSA 3-3
Abilene Christian 4-2

Coming up

UTSA vs. Georgia Southern, at Jacksonville, Tuesday, 8 p.m.

Notable

The loss dropped UTSA’s record to 1-3 against NCAA Division I programs.

While the Roadrunners have registered victories against the sub-NCAA College of Biblical Studies (Tx.) and Southwestern Christian (Okla.), they’ve registered their only D-I victory over Denver. They’ve lost D-I games to SIU Edwardsville, Texas State and now to ACU.

UTSA played annually against Georgia Southern when the two schools were a part of the Trans America Athletic Conference in the late 1980s and early ’90s.

In 1988, the Roadrunners qualified for their first NCAA tournament when they beat the Eagles 76-69 in overtime at Daytona Beach, Fla., to win the TAAC postseason title.

Defense boosts Auburn women to a 59-42 victory over UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA coach Karen Aston said coming into the Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Challenge that the length and athleticism of the Auburn Tigers would be a concern.

Aston was right, as the Tigers from the Southeastern Conference forced 30 turnovers and converted them into 25 points in a 59-42 victory over the Roadrunners in the opener of the three-day, multi-team event at the Comerica Center in Frisco.

The Roadrunners felt good coming into Frisco after winning back-to-back games against regional rivals Texas State and Incarnate Word. But the defending champions in the American Conference were no match for the Tigers.

The Tigers just had too much quickness for the Roadrunners, who never seemed to be able to string together a run because of ball-handling miscues. As a result, they were held to their season low in total points.

Guard Kaitlyn Duhon had four steals and two blocks to spark Auburn on the defensive end. Offensively, guard Mya Petticord scored 14 points. Guard A’riel Jackson added 12 and forward Khady Leye 10 for the Tigers, who won easily despite shooting 39.7 percent.

Guard Jayda Holiman came off the bench to lead the Roadrunners with 14 points. Forward Cheyenne Rowe added 13 points and seven rebounds. Rowe, who entered shooting 54 percent from the field, finished six of 13.

As a team, UTSA was held to 29.2 percent on 14 of 48 shooting. Outside of Rowe, UTSA’s starters were all held down below their averages. Damara Allen had six points and Ereauna Hardaway and Idara Udo two apiece. Mia Hammonds was scoreless.

First half

The Tigers forced nine turnovers in the first half and converted them into 14 points as they took a 33-24 lead.

Records

Auburn 7-0
UTSA 2-3

Coming up

UTSA vs. Grand Canyon, Ariz., Wednesday, 4 p.m., at Frisco

Notable

With the loss, UTSA extended a long losing streak against opponents from power conferences. The Roadrunners have dropped 28 in a row against the majors, including 12 in a row under Aston.

UTSA hasn’t won a game against a power conference foe since 2010 when the Roadrunners beat the Kansas State Wildcats in San Antonio.

Auburn is now 2-0 against UTSA in the all-time series. In the only other meeting between the schools, the Tigers defeated the Roadrunners 73-50 on Dec. 30, 2001 in San Diego.

Quotable

“There’s things we consistently do in practice, that, I’ve been telling them, it’s not going to translate,” UTSA coach Karen Aston told Neal Raphael on the team’s radio broadcast. “You know, it’s not going to translate against good competition, and we continue to do it. Until we can take care of the ball better and slow down a little offensively, and handle the ball and do the tough things, then I think we’re going to get the same results.”

UTSA teams preparing for holiday week hoops on neutral sites

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UTSA women’s and men’s basketball will open play in multi-team events on Monday at neutral sites, with the women in Frisco against the Auburn Tigers and the men in Jacksonville, Fla., against the Abilene Christian University Wildcats.

UTSA women (2-2)
At Frisco
Monday — Vs. Auburn (6-0), 4 p.m.
Wednesday — Vs. Grand Canyon, Ariz. (1-4), 4 p.m.

UTSA men (3-2)
At Jacksonville, Fla.
Monday – Vs. Abilene Christian (3-2), 8 p.m.
Tuesday – Vs. Georgia Southern (3-3), 8 p.m.

UTSA women block out the noise and roll past Incarnate Word

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Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA women's basketball beat Incarnate Word 74-57 on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at UIW. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Cheyenne Rowe reached a career-high in scoring for the second straight game, producing 17 points in a 74-57 victory over Incarnate Word. She hit seven for 11 from the field, hiking her shooting percentage to a team-leading 54 percent. — Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

For the players and coaches on both benches, and for all the late-arriving fans walking into the McDermott Convocation Center on Wednesday night, the first thing that came to mind was the noise.

The University of the Incarnate Word band, rocking and rolling in the north west corner of the gymnasium, was loud. On top of that, the piped-in sound booming through the speakers hiked the decibel level a few more notches.

Then, when the 1,138 fans started to feel the emotion of a fast start by the home-team Cardinals, their voices only added to the cacophony.

Idara Udo. UTSA women's basketball beat Incarnate Word 74-57 on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at UIW. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Junior center Idara Udo, wearing jersey No. 25, finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds. She grabbed six boards off the offensive glass. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The visiting UTSA Roadrunners, to their credit, kept their cool.

Steadying themselves after the Cardinals drained three 3-point baskets in the first three minutes, the Roadrunners gradually imposed their will on the proceedings and rolled to a 74-57 victory.

“I was really proud of our players,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “I thought it was a great atmosphere. I thought they did a great job of getting people in the stands. The band was good. It was a really good basketball atmosphere.”

For the Roadrunners, it was their second straight lopsided victory after winning at home last week by 64-41 against the I-35 rival Texas State Bobcats.

“Our players are learning kind of on the job right now,” Aston said. “I thought they handled it really well. Really well. I thought we played hard. We’ve got lots to work on, but that’s what we’re doing this week.”

Amped with emotion to play the defending champions in the American Conference, the Cardinals (1-3) kept the game close for one quarter until the Roadrunners (2-2) started to play with a little more aggression on the defensive end.

UTSA led 21-20 going into the second period and then blitzed UIW 20-9 in the next 10 minutes behind a scoring and rebounding binge from starting frontcourt players Cheyenne Rowe and Idara Udo.

Up by 12 at halftime, the Roadrunners never allowed the Cardinals to get closer than nine the rest of the way.

Jhasmin Player. UTSA women's basketball beat Incarnate Word 74-57 on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at UIW. - Photo by Joe Alexander

First-year UIW coach Jhasmin Player said it was an “incredible’ feeling to work against one of her long-time confidants, veteran UTSA head coach Karen Aston. – Photo by Joe Alexander

First-year UIW coach Jhasmin Player was still emotional after the game, talking about how it felt “incredible” to go up against one of her long-time basketball mentors.

As a high school standout in Bay City some 20 years ago, Player met Aston as a University of Texas assistant who was trying to recruit her to play for the Longhorns.

Though Player eventually signed with Baylor, their paths crossed a few years later when Aston joined head coach Kim Mulkey’s staff in Waco for one season.

The Lady Bears went 26-9 and reached the NCAA tournament that year. Player said it was incredible to work her fourth game as a college head coach against Aston, who has won 351 games in a little more than 17 seasons.

“Coaching against Karen was just one of the most incredible things,” Player said. “She is one of my favorite coaches ever. She was one of my favorite assistants (when I played). Now, as a head coach, she’s one I follow really closely because I always had such a high respect for her.

“I thought the atmosphere in here was great tonight. I think this is exactly what it needs to be all the time. I’m glad our kids at least gave us one really great quarter of competitive basketball. That first quarter was fun.”

A number of UTSA players made it extremely tough for UIW to sustain any momentum.

Adriana Robles. UTSA women's basketball beat Incarnate Word 74-57 on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at UIW. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Adriana Robles scored 11 points off the bench on four of five shooting from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Rowe, who along with Udo was playing with foul trouble much of the second half, led the Roadrunners with a career-high 17 points. The ball often found her as the shot clock was winding down, but she almost always answered, hitting seven of 11 from the field.

Udo, for her part, produced 11 points and 13 rebounds. Senior guard Ereauna Hardaway, a UTSA newcomer, had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in her best performance for the Roadrunners.

Not to be outdone, freshman guard Adriana Robles had 11 points and four assists. She hit four of five from the field.

Hardaway said it felt great to get a win.

“I felt like it was a great atmosphere,” she said. “It reminded me of when I was in high school. It’s not a big gym but the fans made it seem like there were a lot of people here. So it was a great atmosphere, a cross-town rivalry.”

In winning decisively, the Roadrunners reached their season-high in points. They out-rebounded the Cardinals 43-22 and pounded the ball into a zone defense to draw contact, which yielded 19 points at the line in 26 attempts.

“We’re building our chemistry,” Hardaway said. “As we continue to play, we’re learning to play with each other, building chemistry and gaining confidence in each other.”

Further underscoring the improvement of the offense, UTSA shot a season-high 52.1 percent from the field. If the Roadrunners could have cut down on a few of their 18 turnovers, they could have easily scored in the 80s.

“It’s practice translating into games,” Hardaway said. “It’s putting the work in, in practice and executing on the offensive end and trusting in our teammates to know what to do.”

Guard Destiny Whitaker led the Cardinals with 18 points and six rebounds. She hit three 3-pointers, all in the first quarter, including one from halfcourt at the first period buzzer. Jorja Elliott had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Records

UTSA 2-2
UIW 1-3

Coming up

UTSA vs. Auburn, Monday, at Frisco, 4 p.m.
UTSA vs. Grand Canyon, Wednesday, at Frisco, 4 p.m.

Notable

Cardinals guard Madison Cockrell, a former player with the Roadrunners, did not dress out. She sat out with an injury after starting for UIW in its first three games.

UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe has hit career highs in scoring in each of her last two games. She scored 16 against Texas State and added 17 against UIW. In her third season with the Roadrunners, Rowe is shooting 54 percent from the field.

Roadrunners coach Karen Aston said earlier this week that Rowe’s work in the summer always pays dividends

“One of my favorite things to talk about is … the time that they use in the summer, it all comes to light in the winter time,” Aston said, “and I think she’s a reflection of that. She always takes advantage of summer to make sure that her shooting is consistent, and her confidence is consistent with that.”

Recruiting

UTSA on Wednesday announced the signing guard Rihyana Kinsey from Waco La Vega. Previously, the Roadrunners signed forward-center Amaya McDonald from Braswell High School in Aubrey. McDonald’s hometown is Shreveport, La. Both are expected to join the team for the 2026-27 season.

Ereauna Hardaway. UTSA women's basketball beat Incarnate Word 74-57 on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at UIW. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Newcomer Ereauna Hardaway, a transfer from North Texas, played her best game for the Roadrunners with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women will see a few familiar faces tonight at UIW

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Six days after the UTSA women’s basketball team defeated one regional rival, it’ll play another tonight, traveling into the central sector of San Antonio to face the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Florida Atlantic 60-52 on Senior Day to clinch the American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center.

Fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston says it’s important to schedule against UIW, the only other NCAA Division I women’s program in the city. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners and the Cardinals (both 1-2) will play at the McDermott Convocation Center on the UIW campus. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

Coming off last week’s 64-41 victory at home over the San Marcos-based Texas State Bobcats, the Roadrunners will see a few familiar faces when they face the Cardinals for the sixth time in the series between San Antonio’s two NCAA Division I women’s programs.

Cardinals guard Madison Cockrell played two years at UTSA to start her college career before entering the transfer portal after the 2023-24 season. After playing 27 games at UIW last year, the Dallas native has started all three games this season as a senior for first-year Cardinals head coach Jhasmin Player.

Player was a four-year standout at Baylor University, where she played as a sophomore in 2006-07 under a Kim Mulkey-led coaching staff that included Karen Aston, who is now the head coach in her fifth year with the Roadrunners.

“It’s crazy,” Aston said on her Monday teleconference call. “I’ve kind of forgot about that. She seems like such a (coaching) peer to me. You know, she’s been in the profession for quite some time. And she handles her coaching abilities just like she did when she was a player.

“I recruited her (as an assistant at Texas) and then had the privilege … to coach her for one year (at Baylor). She was a delight. She was a delight to coach. A delight to be around. A very positive light on our profession. And someone I think has a very, very bright future as a head coach.”

The Roadrunners and Cardinals started women’s basketball programs in the early 1980s.

While UIW opened in 1980 in the NAIA, the Roadrunners debuted in 1981 as an NCAA Division I independent. In their 45th season, they’ve established themselves as one of the top teams in the American Conference, having played in two straight national postseason tournaments.

They won the American’s regular-season title last season.

UIW, meanwhile, played initially in the NAIA before moving up to NCAA Division II in the 1990s. In 2012, the Cardinals accepted an invitation to NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference, becoming eligible for national and SLC tournaments in 2017-18.

Head to head, the Cardinals and the Roadrunners have played five times, with UTSA winning three and UIW two.

Both are undefeated at home against the other. In December of 2022, Aston’s Roadrunners led by 11 points in the third quarter and by eight entering the fourth on the home floor of the Cardinals, only to get beat, 56-53.

Madison Cockrell. Texas State beat UTSA 65-57 in overtime in women's basketball on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Dallas native Madison Cockrell, formerly of UTSA, is now a starter for the UIW Cardinals. Cockrell played two seasons at UTSA before entering the transfer portal in 2024. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“I know that it’s going to be a very challenging game at UIW,” Aston said. “It’s a rivalry-type game … We’ve experienced not so good things on the road (at UIW) before. So we’ll try to jog our players’ memory if they were there. If they weren’t, we’ll try to let ‘em know, it’s not an easy place to play. And then we’ll take another deep breath and get ready for the two games in Dallas.”

The Roadrunners will play in DFW-area Frisco next week. They’ll take on Auburn on Monday and Grand Canyon (Ariz.) on Wednesday at the Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Challenge. As for the matchup against UIW, Aston said it’s important to play the only other Division I program in the city.

“I think the (games) are natural, for us to play each other and benefit from high attendance … from community support,” Aston said. “I think that both Jhasmin and I are both trying to gain community support for our programs and really, to be honest with you, to gain support for women’s basketball in the city.”

Records

UTSA 1-2
UIW 1-2

Coming up

UTSA vs. Auburn, Monday, at Frisco, 4 p.m.
UTSA vs. Grand Canyon, Wednesday, at Frisco, 4 p.m.

UTSA men fend off a challenge, deliver late and win by 33

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Kaido Rayfield. UTSA men's basketball beat Southwestern Christian 103-70 on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 18, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Kaidon Rayfield dunks with force en route to his his second double double of the season (10 points and 10 rebounds), as UTSA soundly defeats Southwestern Christian, 103-70, on Tuesday afternoon at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The NAIA Southwestern Christian Eagles presented themselves Tuesday afternoon as the team that just wouldn’t go away.

Trailing by as many as 23 points shortly after halftime and by 21 with 13 minutes remaining, the undersized Eagles kept playing.

They kept shooting, and at one juncture, they found themselves down by only 15 with 10 minutes left.

In response, UTSA coach Austin Claunch issued a terse message to his players.

“Coach says, whoever gets the most stops … those five stay on the floor,” Roadrunners freshman forward Kaidon Rayfield said.

Jamir Simpson. UTSA men's basketball beat Southwestern Christian 103-70 on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 18, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jamir Simpson scored 21 points and pulled down six rebounds. He’s averaging 18.4 points to lead the team. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA players took the coaching seriously. They responded by allowing only four field goals the rest of the way en route to a decisive 103-70 victory.

Afterward, Claunch expressed mixed feelings about the game. He liked the team’s offense, with 20 assists on 41 made field goals and 53.2 percent shooting.

He was happy with the start of the game and most of the first half. Also, the finish, when the Roadrunners held the Eagles to four of 19 from the field in the last 10 minutes.

But as for the start of the second half, he knows it’s not the type of effort that will win too many games in the NCAA Division I American Conference.

“The first 12 minutes of the second half was unacceptable,” Claunch said. “We have to come out with a much better mentality.”

Claunch paused in his assessment of the day’s events to note that his team, through five games, is still trying to figure things out as a unit.

“We have a new team,” UTSA’s second-year coach said. “We have a young team, and at the end of the day, I think every team in the country goes through (it) … You know, growing, guys playing new roles, young players getting first-time experience.

“So for us to get a road win (against the Denver Pioneers on Saturday) and (then) come home and win going into a big week coming up, it was really important.”

Guard Jamir Simpson scored 21 points to lead five UTSA players in double figures.

Austin Claunch. UTSA men's basketball beat Southwestern Christian 103-70 on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 18, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch’s team passed for 20 assists on 41 field goals and shot 53.2 percent from the field as the offense continues to improve. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The team’s leading scorer for the season with 18.4 points per game produced another solid performance by hitting eight of 15 shots from the floor, including two three pointers.

Simpson also pulled down six rebounds and passed for three assists, making good on his preseason vow to stay aggressive during his last season in college.

“I’ve always had that mindset,” said Simpson, who grew up in Lima, Ohio, and then advanced through stops in the NAIA, NCAA Division II and most recently at Division I Southern Utah. “Coach just tells me to stay ready, ‘you got the green light, so be confident in shooting it.’ Every shot, I feel it’s going to be good.”

Added Claunch, “He’s playing at a really, really high level.”

Point guard Austin Nunez is also coming along, contributing 18 points, five assists and four rebounds for the Roadrunners, while Brent Moss and Rayfield notched double doubles.

Moss, a 6-6 junior transfer, came off the bench for 13 points and 10 rebounds. Rayfield, a 6-8 freshman, had 10 points and 10 boards for his second double double of the season.

Macaleab Rich added 10 points in 14 minutes off the bench.

Guards Jalen Goar and Michal Wooldridge led the feisty Eagles. Goar knocked down four three pointers on his way to a 16-point performance. Wooldridge scored 15 on seven for 11 shooting from the field for Southwestern Christian, from Bethany, Okla., and the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference.

Halftime

Nunez started fast with 11 of his 13 first-half points in the game’s initial 10 minutes.

Simpson heated up after that, scoring eight of his 14 in the final four minutes as the Roadrunners surged behind the two guards to a 53-33 halftime lead.

Records

Southwestern Christian 2-2
UTSA 3-2

Coming up

UTSA vs. Abilene Christian, Monday, at Jacksonville, Fla.
UTSA vs. Georgia Southern, Tuesday, at Jacksonville, Fla.

Notable

After some ups and downs to start the season, the Roadrunners’ offense is getting more and more cohesive. UTSA has hit 50 percent from the field in two straight games.

Against Denver last Saturday in Colorado, the Roadrunners made 29 of 56 from the field and 11 of 23 from three. Against Southwestern Christian, they hit 41 of 77 and 10 of 21, respectively.

Guard Vasean Allette has yet to play in a game this season and, once again, was not in the bench area as the Roadrunners played the Eagles.

Claunch said Allette is out for “a few different” reasons.

“We’ll keep most of that in house,” Claunch said. “He’s obviously been injured. But there’s a few different things that, we’re getting him all the way back and making sure. I’m not bringing him back until he’s 100 percent.”

Guard Pierce Spencer and center Stanley Borden were with the team in the arena but were in sweats and not dressed out to play.

Austin Nunez. UTSA men's basketball beat Southwestern Christian 103-70 on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 18, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Austin Nunez scored 18 points against Southwestern Christian to follow his 16-point effort on Saturday at Denver. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men hope to build on improvements against Southwestern Christian

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Though the win-loss record may not show it, the UTSA men have made steady progress on the offensive end going into Game 5 on their regular-season schedule, an 11 a.m. contest set for Tuesday in the Convocation Center against the Southwestern Christian University Eagles.

Jamir Simpson. Southern Illinois Edwardsville (SIUE) beat UTSA 77-60 in men's basketball on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Jamir Simpson averages a team-leading 17.8 points while hitting 42.4 percent from three-point range. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The Eagles, from Bethany, Okla., are affiliated with both the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association. They play in the Sooner Athletic Conference.

It’s the second game of the season against an NCCAA program for the Roadrunners, who play in the American Conference, considered as one of the upper-tier leagues in NCAA Division I. UTSA will enter the game with its offense starting to find a rhythm.

In its season opener, UTSA blew out the NCCAA-affiliated College of Biblical Studies, 97-30. The outcome proved to be a bit misleading in the wake of Game 2, when the Roadrunners hosted the NCAA D-I SIU Edwardsville Cougars and played poorly, losing 77-60.

The inconsistency continued last week in San Marcos, where UTSA stumbled again, at least in the first half. The Texas State Bobcats raced to a 43-26 lead at intermission. Buckling down, UTSA played one of its better halves of the season, trimming the lead to six three times, before falling 80-69.

Last Saturday, UTSA finally found an offensive groove for 40 minutes, winning on the road against the Denver Pioneers, 84-79. So, while the Roadrunners’ record against NCAA D-I teams stands at a modest 1-2, their offense is starting to click.

After shooting 28.2 percent against SIUE and 39 percent against Texas State, the Roadrunners hit 51 percent from the floor against the Pioneers.

Roadrunners coach Austin Claunch attributed the rise in efficiency to better “clarity” presented by coaches to the players in terms of opponents’ defensive style. Also, in how to attack those styles.

“On Saturday, I thought we were much better in our early offense,” Claunch said. “The second half against Texas State, as well. Early offense. Getting stops. Running. Getting into something quick. On Saturday, what we did a great job on, was getting something quick and (also) executing something later in the possession.”

Six-foot-five sophomore Baboucarr Njie, coming off the bench, enjoyed a career game with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Shooting guard Jamir Simpson scored 20, while playmaker Austin Nunez broke out of a shooting slump and scored 16.

“I just thought we had much better organization throughout the 30 seconds of our possessions,” Claunch said. “We scored early. We scored late. We got to the free-throw line, and then obviously we shot it well from three.”

Records

Southwestern Christian (Okla.) 2-2
UTSA 2-2

Coming up

Southwestern Christian at UTSA, 11 a.m., Tuesday.
UTSA vs. Abilene Christian, Nov. 24, at Jacksonville, Fla.
UTSA vs. Georgia Southern, Nov. 25, at Jacksonville, Fla.

Notable

UTSA on Monday announced the signing of guard Nasir “Naz” Price from Houston-area Seven Lakes High School. Price is expected to join the team for the 2026-27 season.

Coach Austin Claunch said reserve point guard Pierce Spencer, suffering from a sore shoulder, will not play against Southwestern Christian.

The game, with the early tipoff, is a new initiative of the athletic department in opening the doors of the school’s basketball arena to elementary school students in the greater San Antonio area, giving them a first-hand look at intercollegiate athletics and higher education.

For just $5 per student, UTSA Athletics is welcoming elementary students to a men’s basketball game twice this season, once on Tuesday and again on Monday, Dec. 15, for a women’s game. Chaperones of the students will receive free admission.

Chandler Cuthrell. UTSA beat Western Illinois 78-68 in overtime in men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Chandler Cuthrell, shown here playing for the UTSA Roadrunners in the 2023-24 season, now averages 24.5 points as the sixth-leading scorer in the nation at Elon (N.C.). – File photo by Joe Alexander

Former UTSA forward Chandler Cuthrell is sixth in the nation in scoring, averaging 24.5 a game for the Elon (N.C.) Phoenix.

Cuthrell played one season for the Roadrunners, in 2023-24 — Coach Steve Henson‘s last at UTSA — when he averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in a reserve role. The Baltimore native played for Purdue-Fort Wayne in ’24-25.

Guards Adante’ Holiman and P.J. Carter are two players from UTSA’s ’23-24 squad who have made it onto rosters of high major programs. Holiman plays for the Arizona State Sun Devils and Carter for the LSU Tigers.

Holiman’s sister, Jayda Holiman, plays on this year’s UTSA women’s squad.

Njie-led UTSA men crank the offense and beat Denver, 84-79

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Sophomore Baboucarr Njie enjoyed a career day as the UTSA Roadrunners won their first game of the season against NCAA Division I competition, turning back the Denver Pioneers, 84-79.

Baboucarr Njie. UTSA men's basketball beat the College of Biblical Studies 97-30 in the Roadrunners' season opener on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Baboucarr Njie led UTSA to its first win of the season against NCAA Division I competition with 23 points and 12 rebounds. – File photo by Joe Alexander

It was also UTSA’s first road win of the season, which played out on the home court of the Pioneers, from The Summit League. Njie scored a double double with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Roadrunners.

Jamir Simpson scored 20 points and Austin Nunez added 16. As a result, UTSA improved to 2-2 on the season, snapping a two-game losing streak that raised questions about the team’s offensive capabilities.

UTSA put some of those concerns to rest against the Pioneers, hitting 51.8 percent from the field and 47.8 from three-point distance. Denver also played well offensively, hitting 45 percent afield, including 54.5 percent in the hectic second half.

Guard Carson Johnson erupted for 29 points and forward Jeremiah Burke added 23 for the Pioneers, who fell to 1-3. After intermission, Johnson scored 15 points in a row for the Pioneers.

A Zane Nelson three-pointer erased what had been an eight-point halftime deficit and tied the game, 46-46, with 15:49 remaining. From there, it was a one or two possession battle the rest of the way.

In the last two minutes, Nunez carried the Roadrunners home, producing six of the team’s last eight points. After the Pioneers pulled to within two, the former San Antonio schoolboy from Wagner drove into the lane and was fouled, hitting both free throws.

Later, he added a floater from close range with 31 seconds remaining and two game-clinching free throws with nine seconds left. Nunez finished five of 11 from the field, two of six from three and four of five at the line.

It was a welcome sign for the Roadrunners after the Arizona State transfer had struggled with two of 23 shooting combined in losses to SIU Edwardsville at home and against Texas State on the road.

In the offseason, Njie made major improvements in his game. He was coming off a freshman season in which he averaged only 2.4 points and 2.7 rebounds.

This year, Njie is a different player, ranking second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points, while shooting 54.3 percent. He’s also second on the team in rebounding at 7.5.

His scoring and rebounding totals against Denver both ranked as career highs. Offensively, Njie hit nine of 17 shots from the field, including two first-half dunks. On the boards, he pulled down three off the offensive glass.

Records

UTSA 2-2
Denver 1-3

Coming up

Southwestern Christian at UTSA, Tuesday, 11 a.m.

Notable

After defeating the non-NCAA College of Biblical Studies 97-30 in their opener, the Roadrunners stepped into Division I competition with a home game against the SIU Edwardsville Cougars and a road contest at the Texas State Bobcats. The Roadrunners lost 77-60 to the Cougars and 80-69 to the Bobcats.

In the two games, the team shot a combined 43 of 130 from the field. They also hit only 14 of 55 from three. Playing out of state for the first time this season, the Roadrunners found the range against the Pioneers, hitting 29 of 56 afield and 11 of 23 from beyond the arc.