Monthly Archives: January 2026

East Carolina rallies in the second half to down the UTSA women, 65-58

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Keanna Rembert. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina forward Keanna Rembert (left) scored six of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA coach Karen Aston had told her players coming into Tuesday night that if they could hold the East Carolina Lady Pirates to less than 70 points, then they would have a chance to beat the highest-scoring team in the American Conference.

As it turned out, the high-flying Pirates failed to hit 70 but played better defense than the defense-minded Roadrunners, claiming a 65-58 victory at the Convocation Center in a battle between contenders in the American.

“We had too many turnovers and we gave up too many offensive rebounds,” Aston said. “That’s just the story of the game.”

The other story centered on a plague of injuries that has hurt UTSA all season. The problem was exacerbated against the Pirates when Cheyenne Rowe had to sit out with an illness.

Damara Allen. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Damara Allen scored 12 points on three of nine shooting. She also had three rebounds and three assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

As a result, Rowe missed her first game of the season, joining six other players on the roster who have been out of action with assorted injuries.

Without Rowe and injured Idara Udo on the floor, the Roadrunners were extremely thin on the inside, playing sophomore Emilia Dannebauer 31 minutes and freshman Sanaa Bean 18, much more than their season averages.

East Carolina took full advantage, winning the battle of the boards, 32-26, including 17-8 on the offensive end. In the beginning, the Roadrunners shot the ball well and took an early eight-point lead.

But as the Pirates continued to trap and press, the Roadrunners turned it over 29 times, leading to 27 points for the visitors. It was just too much for the home team to overcome.

“I thought UT San Antonio had a good game plan, and that was to take the paint away from us,” East Carolina coach Kim McNeill said. “They did a really good job of that. We weren’t as clean as we normally are on offense.

“You got to credit that to the (UTSA) defense. I think we made some gutsy plays down the stretch. Down on the defensive end we got some stops when we needed … and we made some baskets when we needed them, too.”

East Carolina rallied behind forward Keanna Rembert, who scored six of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by 12 points midway through the fourth, the Roadrunners made it interesting, cutting the lead to seven with three minutes left.

In response, Rembert answered with a follow shot with 2:54 remaining to boost the advantage to nine. UTSA couldn’t get closer than six the rest of the way.

Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen scored 12 points apiece to lead the Roadrunners. Guard Ereauna Hardaway, the team’s second-leading scorer, was held to eight points on one for five shooting.

Mia Hammonds. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Mia Hammonds notched 12 points, six rebounds, one block and a steal. – Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina’s primary threat in the backcourt had an off night, as well. Kennedy Fauntleroy, who had averaged 23 points in three previous games, was held to two points on two free throws.

The Arizona State transfer also committed seven turnovers and eventually fouled out. But in Fauntleroy’s case, her teammates in the backcourt picked up the slack to win in one of the toughest places to play in the American.

Guards Savannah Brooks and Jayla Hearp both hurt the Roadrunners. Brooks had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Brooks also recorded three steals. Hearp scored 10 and pulled down five rebounds — all of them on the offensive end.

Also, Pirates guard Taylor Barner came off the bench and made an impact in defending UTSA’s Hardaway.

Records

East Carolina 14-6, 6-1
UTSA 9-8, 4-2

Coming up

UTSA at Memphis, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Third quarter

Jayla Hearp scored nine points and Savannah Brooks added six in the third period as the Lady Pirates came from a one-point halftime deficit and surged into a a 50-41 lead.

Sanaa Bean. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman forward Sanaa Bean produced four points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Pirates also played stifling defense, forcing the Roadrunners into eight turnovers as they won the period, 25-15.

When the Roadrunners did get a clean look at the hoop, they shot only three of 10 from the field.

First half

Despite making 15 turnovers in the half and playing without Rowe, the UTSA Roadrunners ran into the dressing room with a 26-25 lead on the East Carolina Lady Pirates.

Damara Allen led the Roadrunners with 10 points, including two of their four 3-pointers. Three-point shooting was a key for the ‘Runners as they hit four of five in the half. They also shot nine of 16 from the field.

Another promising sign for UTSA was its defense on guard Fauntleroy, who was held scoreless after averaging 23 points a game over her last three. Fauntleroy shot zero for two from the field and made five turnovers.

East Carolina’s best weapon was its full-court press, which forced UTSA into nine second-quarter turnovers.

Trailing by eight early in the game, the Pirates used the press to flip the momentum. They took a 17-16 lead on a Rembert jumper with 6:01 left in the half.

UTSA immediately regained the lead when the Roadrunners beat pressure and fed Allen, who hit a three out of the corner.

Jayda Holiman made another trey a few minutes later, expanding UTSA’s advantage to 25-21. Rembert knocked down a triple with 41 seconds left to tie the score. UTSA center Emilia Dannebauer hit a free throw with 10 seconds left for the final point.

Notable

UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe sat out the game with an illness. She is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds. Rowe had started and played all 16 games for the Roadrunners.

Idara Udo. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Idara Udo has been out for seven games with a lower leg injury but went through some shooting drills Tuesday afternoon before the team warmups. – Photo Joe Alexander.

The Roadrunners had six other players sitting out, five of whom haven’t played this season. Idara Udo, who has been out for the past seven games, played the first 10 and averaged 8.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Before pre-game warmups, Udo was on the floor shooting the ball, a positive sign for the team.

Maya Linton, Nyayongah Gony, Saher Alizada, Sema Udo and Taylor Ross are the others who have not played this season.

Gony, Sema Udo and Ross are out for the season, while Idara Udo, Linton and Alizada were listed as out for the game, according to the official availability report.

Cheyenne Rowe’s availability in question for East Carolina

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Update: UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe is listed as questionable to play against East Carolina, according to the player availability report. A spokesman said Rowe is ill. She is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds. Rowe has started and played all 16 games for the Roadrunners.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

In the 2022-23 season, the East Carolina Lady Pirates were picked for the cellar in the American Conference women’s basketball race, and coach Kim McNeill proceeded to lead them to the NCAA tournament.

Last fall, coaches in the American pegged them in a preseason poll for a seventh-place finish.

Don’t look now, but the Lady Pirates are tied for second and challenging for the lead coming into a showdown Tuesday night in the Convocation Center against the defending conference champion UTSA Roadrunners.

Moreover, they’re incoming with one of the hottest players in the American, point guard Kennedy Fauntleroy. An Arizona State transfer, Fauntleroy is averaging 23 points and 7.7 assists in her last three games.

“They’re the leading scoring team in the conference,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said on a media zoom conference Monday. “So, start right there. They have a plethora of people that can score the basketball (and) they have a tremendous point guard (in Fauntleroy).”

Aston said the Lady Pirates are always well prepared under McNeill and also may have some intangibles working for them this season.

“I can’t speak for her by any means,” Aston said, “but they look like they have really good chemistry, and they look like they’re having fun playing the game. So, you have to start with that. We’re going to have to be really, really good on our home court.

“We’re going to have to have a sense of urgency with how we play. But, it’s not going to be easy. They turn you over and they score the ball really well. They’re one of the better teams in the conference regardless of what they were chosen.”

East Carolina averages an American-best 73.7 points and shoots 40 percent from the field. The Pirates also force 20 turnovers per game and register a league-best plus 5.68 turnover margin.

UTSA is expected to counter with the conference’s best defense, both in points and field goal percentage allowed (57.9 points and 36.8 percent).

Records

East Carolina 13-6, 5-1
UTSA 9-7, 4-1

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Memphis, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

The Rice Owls lead the American women’s basketball race with a 5-0 record, followed by East Carolina and South Florida at 5-1. Tulsa and UTSA are next at 4-1.

The Lady Pirates, playing at home last week, played well in defeating Tulsa 79-48 and Temple 81-65. In the Temple game, East Carolina led by two going into the fourth quarter when the 5-foot-7 Fauntleroy exploded for 13 of her 27 points.

The native of Upper Marlboro, Md., also finished with eight assists, three steals and two blocks. Fauntleroy, who averages 13.8 a game, has exploded 21, 21 and 27 points in her last three games, respectively.

The Roadrunners traveled to play two in Florida last week. They were humbled in Tampa by the South Florida Bulls, 70-53, after trailing by 25 at halftime. In response, they routed the Florida Atlantic Owls, 79-42.

Aston said the development of sophomore forward Emilia Dannebauer has been “incredible” to watch.

After playing only 22 minutes in eight games last year, she’s already played 276 minutes in all 16 games thus far, averaging 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. She scored a season-high 13 points last week at South Florida.

Aston said even though Dannebauer didn’t play much last season, the 6-foot-4 native of Germany learned about the pace and physicality of the game and what she needed to do to prepare herself.

She overcame an injury last summer, got herself ready to play in the fall and then stepped in to a starter’s role when Idara Udo was hurt after 10 games.

“It’s been fun to watch her develop and gain confidence,” Aston said.

Memphis rolls in the second half to deal UTSA its 11th straight loss

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Playing with underwhelming intensity in front of their bewildered fans early, the Memphis Tigers eventually made some adjustments and pulled away for a 95-69 victory Sunday night at the FedEx Forum, dealing the UTSA Roadrunners a program record-tying 11th straight loss.

Even though the Roadrunners competed on almost even terms for the first 19 minutes of the game, they eventually broke down in the second half. As a result, they tied the program’s record for consecutive losses set in the spring of the 2022-23 season.

Guards Dug McDaniel and Sincere Parker led the Tigers. Parker hit seven of 10 shots from the floor and scored 22 points. McDaniel, a 5-foot-11 transfer from Kansas State, ran the show with 18 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Not only did McDaniel rule in the floor game and on the boards, he also supplied long-distance shooting, hitting four of the Tigers’ 11 three pointers.

Fast-improving freshman Dorian Hayes pace the Roadrunners with 17 points. Hayes, from Houston-area Ridge Point High School, knocked down five 3-point shots. Walkon LJ Brown emerged as a surprise contributor with 14 points to match Jamir Simpson. Austin Nunez had 13 points and three assists.

Baboucarr Njie had six rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots in 34 minutes. The 6-foot-6 sophomore from Dayton, Ohio, scored six points on two of nine shooting.

UTSA coach Austin Claunch said the game started to slip away at the end of the half. It happened when a couple of empty offensive possessions led to five straight Memphis points and a 10-point Memphis lead at intermission.

“The last minute of the half, a little 5-0 spurt, just changes the feeling of the game,” Claunch said. “It goes from five to 10. We come out in the second half and we battled for awhile … It was 14 at the under 12 (timeout).

“Listen, when you’re playing catch up at the end against a team like that, it’s going to get away from you. If you have to run around and try to trap, they’re going to score at will, which is why the score ended up being what it was.”

Records

UTSA 4-14, 0-6
Memphis 9-8, 4-1

Coming up

UTSA at North Texas, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Notable

Both Dorian Hayes and LJ Brown are the sons of former NBA players. Hayes is the son of Chuck Hayes, who played 11 season in the NBA, including for the Houston Rockets, the Sacramento Kings and the Toronto Raptors. Brown’s father is Devin Brown, who played in high school in San Antonio at West Campus High School and in college for four years at UTSA. He spent eight years in the NBA, including 2005 with the Spurs when they won a title.

The Roadrunners played again without 7-foot center Stanley Borden, who has been out the past 15 games with a hand injury. The Duke transfer played limited minutes in only the first three games of the season. Four days ago, it appeared he might play in a UTSA home game against Rice. On game day, he was listed as questionable, and then he suited up and went through pre-game warmups. But, ultimately, he did not play against the Owls or on Saturday against the Tigers in Memphis … Seven-foot-one center Aaron Bradshaw, who has started nine of 15 games for Memphis, did not play against UTSA. Bradshaw, a transfer from Ohio State, is averaging 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds.

First half

The Tigers outscored the Roadrunners 5-0 in the last 49 seconds before intermission to take a 43-33 lead.

But even though the Tigers held the advantage, their fans weren’t thrilled, as they never were able to pull away from the last-place team in the American Conference.

Some of that came as a result of sloppy play by the Tigers, who turned it over eight times and sometimes couldn’t stop the Roadrunners.

UTSA played well offensively at home last week against Rice, and that rhythm seemed to carry over in stretches of play against Memphis.

Slumping UTSA set to play at Memphis today

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The slumping UTSA Roadrunners made some strides with their offense in their last outing.

Today, they’ll try to rise up and stop their 10-game losing streak when they play on the road against the preseason American Conference favorite Memphis Tigers.

During an 89-73 loss to Rice at home on Wednesday night, the Roadrunners scored 40 points in the first half, and they rallied from a 19-point deficit to come within eight with 12 minutes remaining in the game.

Ultimately, they couldn’t sustain the momentum.

The challenge for the Roadrunners (4-13, 0-5) figures to be much tougher today against the Tigers (8-8, 3-1).

Even though Memphis likely isn’t the same team that won 29 games and reached the NCAA tournament last season, it is a group that has played an extremely tough schedule, and it’s also one that has started to play well and win lately.

The Tigers have won four out of their last five, with their only loss in that stretch on the road against the FAU Owls last Sunday.

In the non-conference phase of their schedule, the Tigers played five games against ranked teams and lost all five. They played nine games against Power Four opponents and went 1-8 in those contests.

Notable outcomes in those games include an 80-71 loss to then No. 1 Purdue in the Bahamas on Nov. 20 and also a 77-70 loss to then No. 13 Vanderbilt at home on Dec. 17. The Tigers defeated the Big 12’s Baylor Bears 78-71 at home on Dec. 6.

Records

UTSA 4-13, 0-5
Memphis 8-8, 3-1

Coming up

UTSA at North Texas, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Notable

UTSA’s Baboucarr Njie has come a long way since he arrived on campus as a walk on in the summer of 2024. Today he’s a scholarship player who produced 23 points and nine rebounds against Rice. It was his second 23-point game of the season.

Njie, the younger brother of UTSA center Mo Njie, is averaging 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Seven-foot-one Memphis center Aaron Bradshaw is out for today’s game, according to the player availability report. He suffered knee and ankle injuries in a 55-53 victory over Temple on Wednesday in Memphis. UTSA center Stanley Borden, suffering from a hand injury, also will not play.

The Tigers’ top player is 5-11 point guard Dug McDaniel, a Kansas State transfer who averages 13.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds.

UTSA losing streaks
Eight games or more

Year – consecutive losses – streak broken against – UTSA coach
2025-26 – 10 – TBA – Austin Claunch
2022-23 – 11 – Rice – Steve Henson
2015-16 – 9 – Southern Miss – Brooks Thompson
1985-86 – 8 – St. Mary’s – Don Eddy

Hardaway scores 20 as the UTSA women romp past FAU, 79-42

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After losing by 17 points in Tampa against the South Florida Bulls on Tuesday night, the UTSA Roadrunners wanted to make amends when they tipped off in Boca Raton against Florida Atlantic on Friday.

Ereauna Hardaway. UTSA beat Tulane 65-63 in their American Athletic Conference women's basketball opener on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Ereauna Hardaway scored a season-high 20 points on seven of 11 shooting from the field. She was four for five beyond the 3-point arc. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Ultimately, the UTSA women played more to their potential against the Owls in the second game of a two-game American Conference road trip, rolling to leads as large as 41 in the second half en route to an easy 79-42 victory.

UTSA’s winning margin of 37 points was the widest in a regular-season conference game or in any road game in Coach Karen Aston’s five years at the school. The Roadrunners beat Sam Houston State by 43 at home in a non-conference game on Dec. 7, 2024.

With the victory, the Roadrunners (9-7, 4-1) regained the swagger more befitting of the defending champions in the American.

“We had great energy just from the jump,” Aston told Neal Raphael on the team’s radio broadcast. “Our defense was really, really good in the first half. Not as good in the second, but I just thought we were very intentional with how we played the game today.”

The Owls (8-10, 2-4) entered the evening hoping to extend a two-game win streak in the American, but they never could figure out the Roadrunners on either end of the floor.

On the offensive end, UTSA played with a high level of efficiency, shooting a season-high 53.7 percent from the field. Ball movement was a key, with the Roadrunners scoring 29 field goals on 18 assists, with only 13 turnovers.

North Texas transfer Ereauna Hardaway scored 11 of her team- and season-high 20 points in the second quarter, when the Roadrunners blew the game open. The 5-8 senior hit seven of 11 shots from the field, including four of five from behind the 3-point arc.

Forward Cheyenne Rowe had 19 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

In addition, freshman guard Adriana Robles played one of her better games of the season with 10 points and four assists. When she took a charge on a drive in the first half, her teammates hailed her effort with a raucous cheer.

Mia Hammonds produced seven points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Damara Allen scored eight to go along with her team-high five assists. Nine UTSA players scored, notably, Siena Guttadauro with her first two points since returning to active status on Jan. 3.

Defensively, the Roadrunners smothered a smaller Owls team, not allowing much of anything within 15 feet of the basket. The Owls hit only five field goals in the first half for a 20-percent reading from the field.

A 40-percent shooting team for the season, they finished with 27 percent for the game, including three of 17 makes from three-point distance. Starting forward Vivian Onugha led the Owls with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Records

UTSA 9-7, 4-1
FAU 8-10, 2-4

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

Rice leads the conference with a 4-0 record, followed by East Carolina, South Florida, North Texas and UTSA, all at 4-1.

The Roadrunners entered the day ranked 129th in the nation among 363 teams in the NCAA Evaluation Tool metric, while Florida Atlantic came in at 217.

UTSA scored its third-most points in a game this season, behind only 86 against Prairie View A&M and 82 versus Texas A&M-Kingsville. UTSA’s 10 three-point baskets ranked second, behind only the 12 makes against Kingsville.

Florida Atlantic’s 42 points were the fourth fewest by a UTSA opponent, behind 40 by Prairie View and Kingsville and 41 by Texas State.

Injured UTSA athletes not playing include Idara Udo and Maya Linton, both of them starters on last year’s 26-5 team. Udo has played 10 games this year, but has sat out the last six with a lower leg injury. Linton has not played.

Neither one of them, however, are listed as out for the season in the conference’s availability reports.

First half

Hardaway led a dominant effort with 15 points as the Roadrunners pushed out to a 41-16 halftime lead. The 41 points tied a UTSA season-best in a half.

Hardaway scored 11 of her points in the second period, when the Roadrunners outscored the Owls, 23-7.

From the start, the Roadrunners completely throttled the Owls, who entered the night with two straight wins in the American.

FAU was held to three of 15 shooting in the first quarter and two of 12 in the second. In the half, the Owls scored only two two-point field goals.

Offensively, the Roadrunners moved the ball well and effectively looped passes inside against a smaller front line. The ploy worked, with UTSA shooting 59 percent in the half.

UTSA women set to tip off against FAU in Boca Raton

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Update: UTSA will apparently have 10 players available for the FAU game. Among six inactive players is junior Idara Udo, an all-conference performer who will sit out her sixth straight game, according to the player availability report. Sophomore Emilia Dannebauer likely will start in her place. For FAU, redshirt junior guard Haley Walker, the team’s leading rebounder, is listed as questionable. She has sat out the Owls’ last two games.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Coming off a double-digit loss at South Florida, the defending American Conference champion UTSA women hope to rebound Friday night in Boca Raton against the upstart Florida Atlantic University Owls.

The Roadrunners (8-7, 3-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped in Tampa on Tuesday night, giving up 49 points in the first half en route to a 70-53 loss to the Bulls.

Damara Allen produced a double double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The sophomore from Aurora, Colo., also had three steals. Another sophomore, center Emilia Dannebauer, scored 13 on five of six shooting.

The Owls (8-9, 2-3) were picked to finish last in the American’s preseason poll, but they have been surprising in their resilience under first-year coach LeAnn Freeland, winning two straight after an 0-3 start in conference.

First, they traveled and defeated the UAB Blazers 70-63 last Saturday, and then they returned home and turned it on offensively Tuesday night in an 88-64 victory over the Wichita State Shockers.

Against the Shockers, the Owls hit eight of their 11 three-point baskets in the first half and shot 51 percent from the field overall.

South Alabama transfer Michiyah Simmons led FAU in scoring with a season-high 17 points off the bench.

The Owls reached the NCAA tournament in 2005-06 but have struggled since, with only two winning seasons and one at .500 since then. They have suffered four straight losing seasons since they finished .500 in 2020-21.

The Roadrunners are 10-8 and have won four straight in the all-time series against the Owls. FAU’s last win came in January of 2023 in Boca Raton.

Records

Florida Atlantic 8-9, 2-3
UTSA 8-7, 3-1

Coming up

UTSA at Florida Atlantic, tonight at 6
East Carolina at UTSA, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Undaunted by a 10-game losing streak, UTSA’s Claunch reiterates his long-range goal — a title

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Austin Claunch. Rice beat UTSA 89-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch continues to exude confidence in the program’s future despite a 10-game losing streak, the second longest in school history. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Mired in the depths of a 10-game losing streak, the UTSA men have not lost their spirit. Buried in last place in the American Conference, the Roadrunners meet with the media after games, and they still express themselves with a spunky attitude.

They’re also in good form with their snark.

For example, a reporter wanted to know if Coach Austin Claunch had talked to his players about a change in format of the conference tournament, with the American inviting only 10 teams to the event this March in Birmingham.

Baboucarr Njie. Rice beat UTSA 89-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore forward Baboucarr Njie produced 23 points and nine rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Instead of inviting everyone, the conference is whittling down the field to eliminate three teams after the regular season. All of which means, the Roadrunners are in trouble now with an 0-5 league record and road games looming against Memphis and North Texas.

If the Roadrunners are feeling any pressure or an extra sense of urgency in that regard, it was hard to tell based on what Claunch had to say after his team was beaten on its home floor, 89-73, by the Rice Owls Wednesday night.

“No,” Claunch said, “we want to finish first. Not 10th.”

Expanding on his comment, the coach added, “You know, conference tournament is great and all that, but we want to hang a regular-season banner, and obviously we’re way behind with that right now. But the urgency is the same.

“Of course we want to make conference tournament. But, our goal is not to finish 10th and make the conference tournament. That’s not why (the players) came here and that’s not what we’re working toward.

“I think we’re all aware and that we’re working to keep winning. You know, it’s going to be tight. We’re down right now, but it’s going to be all there. I think we know that. But that’s not … our mentality is to become the best team in the league.

“That’s tomorrow, this year, next year, whatever. These guys are working to put UTSA on a different kind of map besides just making the conference tournament.”

Dorian Hayes. Rice beat UTSA 89-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Dorian Hayes scored 18 and hit four shots from beyond the three-point arc. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Owls started fast and built a 19-point lead late in the first half. The Roadrunners retaliated with a run after halftime, cutting the lead to eight at one point.

Despite the spirited rally, the Roadrunners couldn’t overcome the deficit and extended their losing streak to the second longest in school history.

The 2022-23 UTSA squad, under the direction of former coach Steve Henson, holds the dubious record with 11 straight.

Trae Broadnax scored 20 points to pace the Owls, who have won two straight games on the road in the American. Rice hit 16 three pointers, including 10 in the first half.

Baboucarr Njie, with his best game since November, produced 23 points and nine rebounds for the Roadrunners. Dorian Hayes added 18 and Austin Nunez produced 16 points and five boards.

Records

Rice 2-3, 8-10
UTSA 0-5, 4-13

Coming up

UTSA at Memphis, Sunday, 5 p.m.

First half

The Rice Owls shot 62 percent from the field and knocked down 10 three pointers in the first half, taking a 51-40 lead on UTSA into the break at intermission.

Austin Nunez. Rice beat UTSA 89-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA redshirt junior guard Austin Nunez had 16 points and five rebounds against . Rice to continue his inspired play. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Nick Anderson and Trae Broadnax scored 12 each for the Owls and Jalen Smith added 11. Combined, the three of them hit eight shots from behind the arc, over the Roadrunners zone defense.

The Owls led for the entire 20 minutes in the opening period and once kicked the lead up to 19 points. Cam Carroll’s three with 3:41 made it 46-27.

In response, the Roadrunners outscored the Owls 13-5 the rest of the way, with Njie scoring four of the points, including a drive to the rim for a layup at the buzzer.

Notable

After the Owls were beaten by 49 points at Tulsa in their conference opener on New Years Eve, they have fared much better, first returning home to lose by six to the Memphis Tigers.

After that, they traveled to Kansas and beat the Wichita State Shockers by two and then returned home and played Charlotte to the wire, falling by one. Now, after beating the Roadrunners on the road by 16, they’ve improved to 2-3 in conference with their second straight road win.

UTSA center Stanley Borden put on his uniform and went through pre-game warmups, but when the game started, he was on the bench in his sweat suit. Though Borden missed his 14th straight game with a hand injury, he may be getting close to a return based on the pre-game activity level.

His return would be a boost for the Roadrunners, who learned earlier this week that forward Macaleab Rich would be out for the season after surgery on a partially torn groin. Rich and two point guards — Vasean Allette and Pierce Spencer — are all out for the season.

UTSA men’s basketball losing streaks
Seven or more

Year – consecutive losses – streak broken against – UTSA coach
2025-26 – 10 – TBA – Austin Claunch
2023-24 – 7 – North Texas – Steve Henson
2022-23 – 11 – Rice – Steve Henson
2015-16 – 9 – Southern Miss – Brooks Thompson
2012-13 – 7 – Seattle – Brooks Thompson
2006-07 – 7 – UT Arlington – Brooks Thompson
2006-07 – 7 – Sam Houston – Brooks Thompson
1996-97 – 7 – NW State (La.) – Tim Carter
1985-86 – 8 – St. Mary’s – Don Eddy

Rice Trae Broadnax. Rice beat UTSA 89-73 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Rice guard Trae Broadnax had 20 points, seven assists and only one turnover to lead the Owls. Broadnax entered the game as one of only two players in the American leading his team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. The other is Tulane guard Rowan Brumbaugh, who scored 23 against UTSA last Saturday. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men hope to stop a losing streak against Rice

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA men’s basketball team will try to break a nine-game losing streak – tied for the second-longest in school history – when it hosts the Rice Owls tonight at the Convocation Center.

Tipoff for the American Conference matchup between Texas-based schools is at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

(Please see the information below on the program’s longest losing streaks.)

Records

Rice 1-3, 7-10
UTSA 0-4, 4-12

Coming up

Rice at UTSA, tonight, 7 p.m.
UTSA at Memphis, Sunday, 5 p.m.

Notable

UTSA forward Stanley Borden was has listed as questionable for the Rice game, an improvement from previous listings in the player availability reports.

In previous reports, starting with the Dec. 31 conference opener, Borden has been ruled out in each of the four games.

Borden, a 7-foot transfer from Duke, hasn’t played since Nov. 12 at Texas State. He has a hand injury and has sat out 13 games.

Borden was in uniform and on the floor warming up an hour before tipoff.

Players out for the season include Macaleab Rich, Vasean Allette and Pierce Spencer.

UTSA men’s basketball losing streaks
Seven or more

Year – consecutive losses – streak broken against – UTSA coach
2025-26 – 9 – TBA – Claunch
2023-24 – 7 – North Texas – Henson
2022-23 – 11 – Rice – Henson
2015-16 – 9 – Southern Miss – Thompson
2012-13 – 7 – Seattle – Thompson
2006-07 – 7 – UT Arlington – Thompson
2006-07 – 7 – Sam Houston – Thompson
1996-97 – 7 – NW State (La.) – Carter
1985-86 – 8 – St. Mary’s – Eddy

South Florida starts fast and cruises past the UTSA women

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners traveled into Florida with some momentum, having won three straight and five of their last six.

The Tampa-based South Florida Bulls put a stop to it, blazing to a 25-point halftime lead and then cruising to a 70-53 victory in American Conference women’s basketball.

With their fourth straight win, the Bulls (11-7, 4-1) claimed the first meeting of the season between rivals in the American, with the rematch scheduled Feb. 14 in San Antonio.

In the meantime, the defending regular-season champion Roadrunners (8-7, 3-1) will move on to finish a two-game trip to the Sunshine State when they meet the FAU Owls Friday night in Boca Raton.

For South Florida, the Bulls did most of their damage from beyond the three-point arc, where they made 10 threes.

Freshman guard Jelena Bulajic came off the bench to lead the Bulls with 15 points, all of them on five first-half, 3-point buckets.

Redshirt junior guard Stephanie Ingram also caused problems for UTSA, scoring 14 points, while also helping to defend Roadrunners playmaker Ereauna Hardaway. Guard Edyn Battle scored 13 on the strength of three triples.

South Florida may have caught UTSA by surprise in the first half, with Bulajic and Battle running off picks to the perimeter, where they combined for eight three pointers.

It all came after UTSA built an 11-3 lead in the first few minutes.

“Once the first four minutes were over with and they decided to not let us go anywhere we wanted to go and do whatever we wanted to do, it was not a pretty game from there,” UTSA coach Karen Aston told Neal Raphael on the team’s radio broadcast.

The Bulls did a good job defending the Roadrunners, limiting the visitors to 36 percent shooting and forcing 19 turnovers. UTSA could not hit from distance, either, making only four of 16 from outside the arc.

Specifically, the Bulls defended well against Hardaway, taking away her looks at the basket and turning her into a facilitator. The senior and North Texas transfer finished with two of eight shooting, four points and eight assists.

The Bulls also controlled UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe, holding her to eight. Combined, Hardaway and Rowe finished six of 18 from the field.

UTSA sophomores Damara Allen and Emilia Dannebauer led the Roadrunners with 13 points apiece.

Allen, a guard from Aurora, Colo., pulled down 10 rebounds for a double double. Dannebauer, a 6-4 forward from Germany, started for injured Idara Udo and hit five of six shots from the field.

“Their transition game is really good,” Aston said. “They’re really good. I don’t want to take anything away from them and how good they are.

“But we also (had) just a lack of awareness in a stretch where we just didn’t have a sense of urgency or a sense of awareness on where (Bulajic) was, or how to talk to each other and get each other in the right places.

“You know, some of it is youth, and some of it is, they played better than we did.”

Records

UTSA 8-7, 3-1
South Florida 11-7, 4-1

Coming up

UTSA at Florida Atlantic, Friday, 6 p.m.

Notable

Jelena Bulajic, one of 10 international players on the Bulls’ roster, is a 5-foot-10 freshman from Montenegro.

Forward Carla Brito, the preseason player of the year in the American, is from Spain. Brito finished with five points and nine rebounds. She was a two-of-nine shooter from the floor.

South Florida’s interim coach is Michelle Woods-Baxter, who took over in October for Jose Fernandez.

Fernandez led the Bulls to 10 NCAA tournaments in 25 seasons as a coach before taking a job as head coach of the WNBA’s Dallas Wings.

UTSA forward Idara Udo, a second-team, all conference performer on the title team last year, sat out for the fifth straight game with a lower leg injury. Udo averaged 8.1 points and 7.2 rebounds through the first 10 games.

Roadrunners forward Maya Linton, another starter from last year’s squad that finished 26-5, has not played in a game yet but isn’t listed as out for the season on the player availability reports. Linton is on the trip to Florida.

First half

Bulajic came off the bench to score 15 points as the Bulls rolled to a 49-24 lead on the Roadrunners.

Bulajic hit five of six shots from the field and five of five from 3-point distance. As a team, the Bulls shot 57 percent from the floor and 71 percent from the arc in the half.

Combined, South Florida made 10 threes in 14 attempts after coming into the game hitting only 4.5 per game.

The Roadrunners started fast, jumping out to a 11-3 lead in the first five minutes. Damara Allen capped the streak with a three and a jumper.

From there, the Bulls sprinted away on a 16-0 run, with Bulajic knocking down three 3-pointers in the streak. A Hardaway jumper pulled UTSA to within 19-13 at the quarter.

In the second period, it was all South Florida. The Bulls shot 70 percent and knocked down six from long distance in outscoring the Roadrunners, 30-11.

A burgeoning rivalry is renewed as the UTSA women travel to meet South Florida

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Update: UTSA freshman guard Adriana Robles will be available to play tonight at South Florida, according to the player availability report issued Tuesday afternoon. Robles suffered an apparent ankle injury at home Saturday in a 69-63 victory against Charlotte.

All-conference forward Idara Udo will sit out her fifth straight game with a lower leg injury, according to the report. UTSA is 3-1 in her absence, including 3-0 to start play in the American Conference.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Undefeated after three games in the American Conference women’s basketball race, the defending regular-season champion UTSA Roadrunners will play on the road in Tampa on Tuesday night in the continuation of a burgeoning rivalry against the South Florida Bulls.

The Roadrunners, in only their third season in the American, all under fifth-year coach Karen Aston, have become a challenger to the Bulls for superiority in the conference.

UTSA has won two out of three in head-to-head meetings, including two wins in the 2023-24 season. One of them came in the regular season in San Antonio and another in the conference tournament at Frisco.

The latter, a tense, 58-56 victory in the tournament quarterfinals, ended the season for the Bulls.

Last season, South Florida exacted revenge, winning 75-63 in Tampa and handing UTSA its only loss in a 17-1 regular season.

The Bulls, who finished third at 13-4, won the big prize by sweeping three games in Frisco for the postseason title and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

UTSA bowed out in the quarterfinals and ended up playing in the less prestigious Women’s Basketball Invitational.

This season, the dynamics of the rivalry changed.

Not only did standouts from both teams move on in their careers, but longtime South Florida coach Jose Fernandez left in late October to accept a job with the WNBA’s Dallas Wings.

He won 485 games and went to 10 NCAA tournaments the past 25 seasons at South Florida.

In the wake of Fernandez’ departure, South Florida promoted associate head coach Michelle Woods-Baxter to interim head coach, and the transition began.

After two weeks of conference play, the Bulls are 10-7 and No. 73 in the NET. The Roadrunners, with several players injured and not playing, are 8-6 and 124th, respectively.

In the American, the Roadrunners are tied for first place with the Rice Owls and Tulsa Golden Hurricane at 3-0, while the Bulls are knotted with the East Carolina Pirates and North Texas Mean Green at 3-1.

Records

UTSA 8-6, 3-0
South Florida 10-7, 3-1

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
UTSA at at Florida Atlantic, Friday, 6 p.m.

Notable

Both UTSA and South Florida have won three straight.