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.