Category Archives: College basketball

Men’s basketball: UTSA takes to the road to play Wichita State

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The UTSA Roadrunners will play on the road tonight against the Wichita State Shockers, with both teams looking for brighter days after a difficult first half in the American Athletic Conference men’s basketball race.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in Wichita, Kan., at the 10,506-seat Charles Koch Arena.

UTSA has dropped two straight and six of its last seven games to fall into 12th place in the 14-team American. Wichita State is also struggling.

The Shockers have dropped two in a row and 10 of their last 11. Wichita State is tied for 13th (and last) in the conference with the Temple Owls. For the Shockers, five of their eight conference losses have been by single digits.

Coming up

UTSA at Wichita State, 6:30 p.m.

Records

UTSA 8-14, 2-7, Wichita State 9-13, 1-8

Notable

UTSA coaches will see a familiar face in warmups. Wichita State senior forward Jacob Germany played four seasons for the Roadrunners, earning honorable mention All-Conference USA honors in each of the last two.

The lefty from Kingston, Okla. ranks among the UTSA’s career leaders, ranking ninth in points with 1,293, fourth in rebounds with 779 and tied for third in blocks with 105. He averaged 12.3 points during the 2022-23 season and was second in the C-USA in both rebounding (8.3) and double-doubles (9).

Germany entered the transfer portal last spring and signed with Wichita State. Germany has played in six of 22 games for first-year Shockers coach Paul Mills. He’s averaging 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Mills came to Wichita State from Oral Roberts, where he worked for six seasons. He led the Golden Eagles to the NCAA tournament two of the last three years. In his first season at Wichita State, his leaders include the likes of Colby Rogers and Xavier Bell, Harlond Beverly, Kenny Pohto, Dalen Ridgnal and Quincy Ballard.

Rodgers leads the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game. Ballard plays in the post and averages 7.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. Ridgnal, Pohto and Ballard rank as the Shockers rebound leaders.

Wichita State’s latest heartbreak was at Memphis on Saturday. For the second straight game, the Shockers lost after leading by double figures, falling, 65-63, on David Jones’ game-winner with 2.3 seconds left. Wichita State held a 14-point lead with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Surprising Tulane women sink 13 threes in defeating UTSA, 75-64

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Tulane Amira Mabry

Forward Amira Mabry, a Tulane sophomore from San Antonio-area Judson High School, scored 15 points Sunday to lead the Green Wave to a 75-64 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

College basketball sometimes is just a crazy game. Sometimes, up is down and down is up. That might be one explanation for what happened Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

The Tulane Green Wave women entered the matinee at UTSA with an 0-4 record in their four American Athletic Conference road games. UTSA came in 4-0 at home in the AAC.

So, what happened? Tulane knocked down 13 three-point baskets, held UTSA to 39 percent shooting and emerged with a 75-64 victory.

Elyssa Coleman. Tulane beat UTSA 75-64 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Elyssa Coleman led the charge for UTSA with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Coleman scored nine in the fourth quarter when the Roadrunners made a push to get back in the game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Amira Mabry, a Tulane sophomore from Judson High School, led the Green Wave with 15 points. She hit six of eight from the field, including two of three from the three-point arc.

For Mabry, the day was made all the more special given she had fans cheering her on from one section of the West Side seating of UTSA’s home arena.

“It felt like a home game,” Mabry said. “You know, this is the first time that I’ve been able to play in front of my whole family and support system since I’ve been in college, and it just felt really good.”

Guard Marta Golic led five Tulane players with multiple three-point baskets made with four. Mabry, Kaylah Rainey, Chiara Grattini and Kyren Whittington sank two apiece.

Another factor in the outcome turned out to be Tulane’s zone defense and its effect on UTSA’s offense, particularly early in the game.

Struggling to find a rhythm, the Roadrunners shot 4 of 19 from the field and turned it over five times in the first quarter. In the second period, the UTSA shooters did a little better, making 5 of 12 afield. Nevertheless, the offense continued to falter with another five turnovers for a maddening total of 10 in the half.

By that time, Tulane really started get hot from the perimeter. The Green Wave hit six triples in the second period and took a 36-23 lead into intermission.

Aysia Proctor. Tulane beat UTSA 75-64 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman guard Aysia Proctor played well, producing 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I think when we play together and communicate and work together, our zone (defense) is really our man,” Mabry said. “That’s just a big asset that we have.”

For the Roadrunners, a good sign for the program emerged with an announced crowd of 990 turning out on a sunny weekend afternoon in February.

UTSA coach Karen Aston thanked the fans for their support and said she wished her team could have played better.

“It just seemed to be one of those days that we didn’t have our best in us,” she said. “I didn’t think we had a sense of urgency about us, but I think Tulane played really, really well.

“I think sometimes you have to give some credit to your opponent and how they played the game. They shot the ball really, really well and we just didn’t have an answer for them today.”

Center Elyssa Coleman led the Roadrunners with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman guard Aysia Proctor scored 14 points and Sidney Love 10. UTSA finished with 26 of 66 shooting (for 39.4 percent) and 17 turnovers.

The Green Wave, who shot 55.1 percent for the game, played particularly well in the middle two quarters. They led by 18 at the end of the third period and by as many as 22 in the fourth.

Idara Udo. Tulane beat UTSA 75-64 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Surrounded by defenders in the paint all afternoon, forward Idara Udo had eight points on four of eight shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander

For UTSA (11-10, 5-5 in the American), the loss was a tough way to open the second half of the conference schedule after winning games in the first half against the Charlotte 49ers, the South Florida Bulls and the North Texas Mean Green.

The Roadrunners had beaten North Texas, the leader in the American, in overtime on Wednesday. A victory over Tulane would have elevated them into a six-way tie for fourth place. Instead, they fell back to ninth.

For Tulane (10-11 overall, 3-7 in the American), the victory represented a step forward. Last Sunday, the Wave lost at home to Temple by 18 points for their fourth straight loss. Since then, they have pushed ahead, winning at home against the 49ers on Wednesday and now on the road against the Roadrunners.

Records

Tulane 10-11, 3-7
UTSA 11-10, 5-5

Coming up

UAB at UTSA, Sunday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m.

Karen Aston. Tulane beat UTSA 75-64 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston’s Roadrunners had notched victories over Charlotte, South Florida and North Texas in conference before they fell on Sunday to the hot-shooting Tulane Green Wave. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Notable

UTSA outrebounded Tulane 39-21, including a 22-6 margin on the offensive glass. Coleman was a force on the offensive boards with nine. UTSA finished the game by hitting only six of 22 from the three-point arc. Tulane sank 13 of 28 triples.

First quarter

Much to the Roadrunners’ chagrin, the Green Wave scored the last eight points of the period and took an 11-10 lead after the game’s first 10 minutes.

Guard Marta Galic sparked the outburst with two threes, one from the top of the arc and the other from deep off the left wing.

Tulane’s zone defense was effective, limiting UTSA to 4 of 19 shooting from the field. The Roadrunners also turned it over five times.

Second quarter

Tulane’s inspired play at the end of the first period carried over into the second. The Green Wave hit eight of 13 from the field and knocked down six of of nine from three-point distance.

In the last three minutes, Tulane made four straight three balls to take a stunning, 36-23 lead on UTSA’s home court.

First, Kyren Whittington dropped back-to-back triples on the Roadrunners. Later, to end the half, Chiara Grattini did the honors with two straight.

All told, Tulane knocked down nine triples in the first half. Defensively, the Green Wave executed a zone defense that held the Roadrunners to nine of 31 shooting for 29 percent.

Third quarter

Even though the Roadrunners started off well, with Kyra White and Proctor making consecutive three-pointers to trim the lead to Wave’s lead to seven, Mabry and Galic answered with consecutive triples of their own to push the lead back to 13.

Later, UTSA constructed a 7-0 run capped by Siena Guttadauro’s corner three. When Guttadauro’s shot found the mark, UTSA was within eight with 4:27 to go. But Tulane promptly went on a 12-2 burst to take a 56-38 lead into the final period. Galic knocked down two threes in the streak.

Are the UTSA women ready for heightened expectations?

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Alexis Parker made 1-of-2 free throws with 30 seconds left in OT to give UTSA a 71-64 lead. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Alexis Parker produced six points and four rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench in UTSA’s win over North Texas on Wednesday. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

When the UTSA women romped to a 9-4 finish to last season, the novelty of the team’s success came as a pleasant surprise to their fans. Close followers of the Roadrunners’ program knew that Coach Karen Aston had a chance to turn around a program that had been mired in losing records for years.

But, to do it in Year 2 of the rebuild? It was a sweet feeling, no doubt. Now that the Roadrunners have continued on their upward trajectory in Aston’s third season, the team might be approaching an inflection point.

As the Roadrunners (11-9, 5-4 in the American Athletic Conference) prepare to host the Tulane Green Wave, it’s possible that their own fans might be congregating at the Convocation Center at 2 p.m. today fully expecting to win. Call it happy expectations, or whatever.

At the same time, it’s probably also true that opposing teams like the Green Wave (9-11, 2-7) have also received the same message. A few years ago, teams that arrived in San Antonio in February expected to play a leisurely game and leave with a road victory. Now, they’re aware that winning at UTSA will take an all-out effort.

Roadrunners guard Alexis Parker said she thinks her teammates are prepared to face heightened intensity from opponents looking for an upset victory on the road.

“For sure,” Parker said Friday. “Coach just told us in the locker room the other day, teams would tell her (last year) that, ‘Hey, your team plays really hard.’ Now, they’re saying, ‘You’re team is really good.’ That’s a big compliment, and we’ve got to own up to that.”

Parker grew up just a few miles from UTSA. Her neighborhood, she said, is about 10 minutes away from the Convocation Center. Brandeis High School, where she made a name for herself, is closer than that. She said she saw her first UTSA home game when she was 15 years old.

In that regard, she said it’s a special feeling to be on sort of the ground floor of the program’s rebuild. Parker recalled the conversation she had with Aston during recruiting. The coach told her that coaches were committed to “moving the needle,” and then she was challenged.

“Do you want to be a part of that?” Aston asked, in so many words.

“Yeah, for sure,” Parker replied.

At that, she signed on to become part of a 2022 recruiting that included Sidney Love, Madison Cockrell, Siena Guttadauro and Maya Linton, all of them out of high school. Also, transfers that year included Jordyn Jenkins and Kyra White, two impact players from Southern Cal.

In a little more than one season with the Roadrunners, Parker has played in 38 games, averaging 11.3 minutes, primarily off the bench. She enjoyed perhaps her biggest moment as a UTSA athlete earlier this week. On Wednesday night, the Roadrunners toppled the North Texas Mean Green 75-67 in overtime.

Parker played 17 minutes, including a couple of minutes in the extra period, during which UTSA outplayed the first-place team in the American.

“I honestly think she’s been practicing really well, leading into that game,” UTSA assistant coach Jamie Carey said. “She was very locked in to the game plan. Obviously, she provides some great length and athleticism, in particular on the defensive end. I thought she came in and did a tremendous job defending their hard-to-guard guards.”

For the past two months, Parker had not played much for the Roadrunners. She logged single-digit minutes in six games and did not play in six others. But against North Texas, UTSA needed a defensive presence with length on the perimeter, so coaches went to her in all four quarters in regulation and in overtime.

“Again, her length is really special,” Carey said. “Combine that with her athleticism. Then you start locking in in practice and things start clicking a little bit. (We’re) just really proud of her. She’s been putting in a lot of extra work. She’s been in the gym. It’s nice to see it pay off, when somebody spends (so much) time in the gym.”

Parker said she tried to stay focused on the little things on and off the floor during the past few months.

“Really just putting in work every day,” she said. “You never know when you’re jersey’s going to be called. Just getting into the books, paying attention to scout, the other team’s tendencies, it’s just really important. So, I took that serious.”

In that regard, Parker said it was a special feeling for her to the team to contribute to the win.

“I felt great,” Parker said. “That was a big win for us. North Texas is at the top. We knocked ’em off. Just felt like, ‘This is not it for for us. There’s still more.’ We’re still hungry. We’re going to keep working, because, that’s what we do.”

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Sunday, 2 p.m.

Records

Tulane 9-11, 2-7
UTSA 11-9, 5-4

Notable

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins, who has yet to play this season, continues to work out in full-contact practices. She participated in a five-on-five segment of Friday afternoon’s workout. It’s a noticeable increase in her activity from the fall, when she would be seen engaged only in light running and individual shooting drills. No word yet on whether she’ll try to play this season. But if she does, her return would yield a significant boost in talent for the Roadrunners. Jenkins averaged 20.6 points last season and earned Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

Mason scores 30 as Rice holds off UTSA down the stretch, 80-76

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Adante' Holiman. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Adante’ Holiman hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points off the bench in his first game since Jan. 2. Holiman sat out the last seven games with a sprained ankle. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Mekhi Mason scored 17 of his season-high 30 points in the second half and Anthony Selden knocked down two free throws in the last minute Saturday, lifting the Rice Owls to an 80-76 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Jordan Ivy-Curry led the Roadrunners with 19 points.

UTSA lost its second straight game and fell to 1-6 in its last seven despite a spirited comeback in the final five minutes that fell short.

Mekhi Mason. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Arizona native Mekhi Mason hit 11 of 19 from the field and scored a season-high 30 points for the Rice Owls. – Photo by Joe Alexander

With 5:02 remaining, Rice took a commanding 73-58 lead as Mason pulled up to knock down a jumper.

From there, the Roadrunners rallied with an 18-5 run over the next four and a half minutes to pull within two.

Guard Adante’ Holiman, playing his first game after missing most of January with a sprained ankle, swished a three-pointer off the wing to make it a 78-76 game with 33 seconds left.

After the timeout, UTSA pressured the ball, trapping just as Rice brought it past halfcourt. The ball was swung around to Selden, and UTSA fouled him with 21 seconds left.

Selden, a 73 percent free-throw shooter who was one for two at the line at that point, made both free throws to give the Owls a four-point lead.

On the other end, the Roadrunners came up empty with four straight misses before the buzzer sounded.

The difference in the game was Mason, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Gilbert, Ariz. Mason entered the arena averaging 14 points for the season on 41 percent shooting, including 32 of 97 from the three-point arc. He torched the Roadrunners by hitting 11 of 19 from the field. Mason made three of seven from distance.

Jordan Ivy-Curry. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 15 of his team-high 19 points in the second half. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Point guard Travis Evee also hurt the Roadrunners, scoring 18 points and sinking four of eight from the arc. In all, the Owls made 12 of 29 from distance, getting the best of the 3-point shooting Roadrunners, who managed only seven of 25 on the afternoon.

In the teams’ last meeting, played in Houston on Jan. 6, the Roadrunners won it 89-82 in overtime and slowed down the Owls with a 2-3 zone.

They tried to mix it up a little in the rematch, throwing out a 1-3-1, but Evee, Mason, Alem Huseinovich and Noah Shelby took turns shooting over it with success.

“I thought the 1-3-1 matched up,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s broadcast, on KTKR AM-760. “At times it had the effect that we needed it to have. Guys embraced that this week. I thought they did a good job with that. But, long way to go. We got to play harder. Got to play harder. There (are) loose balls we’re not getting. Rebounds we’re not getting. We got to play harder.”

Records

Rice 9-13, 3-6
UTSA 8-14, 2-7

Scott Pera. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Scott Pera’s Rice Owls improved to 3-2 over their last five games. The Owls have notched victories over Temple, Memphis and UTSA in that stretch. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Coming up

UTSA at Wichita State, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

The Owls nearly completely turned the tables on the two Roadrunners who hurt them the most last month. Center Carlton Linguard Jr. scored 24 points and Dre Fuller Jr. had 23 in the first meeting. In the rematch, Linguard scored six and Fuller was shut out. Both were 0 for 3 from long distance in the first half, when the Roadrunners went 3 for 17 as a team.

Linguard battled hard to the end, making some plays down the stretch and finishing with 10 rebounds.

Leading the Roadrunners were Jordan Ivy-Curry, Christian Tucker, Adante’ Holiman and Trey Edmonds. Ivy-Curry, the team’s leading scorer, hit for 19 points on 6 for 16 shooting in 27 minutes. Tucker produced 14 points, eight assists and four steals.

Holiman, a UTSA sophomore from McAlester, Okla., scored 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench. He injured his ankle on Jan. 2 late in a home game against the UAB Blazers. The 6-foot transfer from UT Rio Grande Valley sat out the next seven games in rehabilitation before starting to work out full speed earlier this week.

“I thought he was really good considering how much time he’s missed,” Henson said. “He got three practices in this week, (on) Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He stepped right in like hasn’t missed a beat.”

Edmonds, one of UTSA’s big men, scored 10 points on four of five shooting. Massal Diouf, a power forward off the bench, contributed six points and seven rebounds.

Trey Edmonds. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA center Trey Edmonds scores on a breakaway dunk. Edmonds finished with 10 points on four of five shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women take down another first-place team, beating North Texas, 75-67, in OT

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Idara Udo made a basket and was fouled 3:36 left in OT put UTSA up 60-59 and gave the Roadrunners the lead for good. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman Idara Udo shouts at the fans after she hits a basket that turned into a three-point play in overtime. As Udo finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, the Roadrunners stopped a seven-game winning streak by the North Texas Mean Green.- Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After a month of women’s basketball games in the American Athletic Conference, Coach Karen Aston’s UTSA Roadrunners have started to build sort of a dual identity.

On the road, they play with maddening inconsistency, sometimes on both ends of the floor. At times, their play results in blowout losses.

At home in the Convocation Center, they seem to take on a different personality altogether — hungry, focused, confident — even against the best teams in the AAC.

Kyleigh McGuire. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Kyleigh McGuire defends the basket as Madison Cockrell drops down to crowd a North Texas offensive player. The Roadrunners held the Mean Green to 28.9 percent shooting. North Texas came in shooting 47.6 percent. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners showed off their winning form in front of the home fans again on Wednesday night, knocking off the North Texas Mean Green 75-67 in overtime.

With the victory, they successfully defended home court in conference play, running their record to 4-0 at the Convocation Center in AAC games.

Moreover, two of those victories have come against teams that were in first place in conference when they arrived in San Antonio — Charlotte, and now North Texas.

“Obviously, our team likes playing at home,” Aston said. “We like the confines of the Convocation Center, and we like playing in front of our fans.

“Just super proud of our defensive effort tonight, just our resilience.

“It was one of those games where nothing was perfect and everything didn’t go our way all the time, but I loved our attitude — particularly in overtime. It was just a very focused group tonight. Very proud of ’em.”

Two freshman helped UTSA win the game in the five-minute extra period. Aysia Proctor scored seven points and Idara Udo had five.

The Roadrunners surged late in the overtime behind Proctor, Udo and others.

Undeterred, the Mean Green made a game of it, cutting down a nine point lead to four when Jaauckland Moore drained a long three with 25 seconds left.

Sidney Love. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sent to the bench in foul trouble early, Sidney Love rebounded to finish with 13 points and six boards. Love is a sophomore from San Antonio area Steele High School. — Photo by Joe Alexander

On UTSA’s next possession, the Roadrunners stayed solid against the Mean Green’s pressure and got the ball to Proctor, who hit two free throws at 0:11 to put it out of reach.

UTSA’s defense was the story.

The Mean Green entered the game averaging 75 points per outing, with their two post starters — DesiRay Kernal and Tommisha Lampkin — averaging 32 points between them.

In the end, the two weren’t much of a factor, combining for only 12 points and 3 of 23 shooting from the field. Kernal, a Player of the Year candidate, was 0 for 9 and scored only three points.

Asked how it happened, Aston said, “Honestly, just some determination (by) our entire team. I thought we had special moments where we helped each other. But just the determination of our post players to beat them to spots and make their shots tough.

“They’re really, really good. I think we knew that and respected that and we played like we respected it.”

On Jan. 14, Udo played a major role in UTSA’s 81-80 double-overtime victory against Charlotte. Not only did she score a career-high 26 points, but she also hit the game winning shot with 2.3 seconds remaining.

Udo’s presence again was a factor in an overtime game against a contender, as she rebounded her own miss, followed it with a layup and drew a foul with 3:36 remaining against North Texas.

Alexis Parker. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore Alexis Parker from San Antonio’s Brandeis High School had a solid game with six points and four rebounds in 17 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After a UTSA home crowd announced at 942 stopped screaming, she knocked down the free throw to give the Roadrunners a two-point lead.

“Just doing what I can to get stops, get rebounds, putbacks,” Udo said. “Whatever I can.”

Clearly in the running for an all-freshman team designation in the AAC, Udo led the Roadrunners in scoring with 14 points on five of nine shooting. She also had a team-leading 12 rebounds, with six of them on the offensive end. From the backcourt, Sidney Love scored 13 and Proctor had 11, while 6-foot-3 center Elyssa Coleman was a steady force throughout, notching nine points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

Coleman, UTSA’s all-time leader in blocks with 129, seemed to save her rejections for the most opportune times for the Roadrunners. She had one near the end of the second quarter, one at the end of the third and another right at the start of the overtime period.

“Since I’m the last line of defense, in my head, it’s a dire need to get a stop,” Coleman said, in discussing what it’s like to swat away a shot. “I’m pretty lanky, and I time things pretty well. I’ve been getting away from that these past two games, but I think I’m back.”

Records

North Texas 17-4, 7-2
UTSA 11-9, 5-4

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Sunday, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA coach Karen Aston went deep into her bench in the second quarter and it paid off with solid performances from Alexis Parker, Kyleigh McGuire, Cheyenne Rowe and others. When it was over, the Roadrunners were leading at halftime, 35-28.

Parker came alive with five points in the period, including a drive that turned into a three-point play with about a minute remaining. Rowe and McGuire played well on the defensive end and Rowe, at one point drove it into the teeth of the Mean Green defense and scored.

In the last five minutes of the half, the Roadrunners dominated the top team in the conference, running off on a 15-4 run to the buzzer. UTSA his six of seven shots from the field in the sequence.


Aysia Proctor, a freshman from San Antonio-area Clemens, drills a three that puts UTSA ahead by nine points with 1:24 left in overtime. Proctor had seven points in the extra period. – Video by Jerry Briggs

First-place Mean Green to test Roadrunners’ homecourt magic

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Kyra White. UTSA beat Abilene Christian 76-70 on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2022, at the Convocation Center in the Roadrunners' first women's basketball home game of the season. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Senior Kyra White has stepped up the intensity in her last six games, averaging 12.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists during that stretch. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The race for the women’s basketball title in the American Athletic Conference has been turned upside down, in a sense, thanks to the efforts of the North Texas Mean Green.

Pegged for a 12th-place finish out of 14 teams in the AAC’s preseason poll, the Mean Green have surged into the lead nearing the halfway point of the regular season.

The UTSA Roadrunners will try to add their own special twist to the narrative when they host the Mean Green on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.

“They play a lot of people and everyone they have that comes in (the game) has high motor,” UTSA guard Kyra White said Tuesday afternoon. “They defend. They run their offense well. They push it in transition and they rebound. They’re a very tough, competitive team, and we’re going to have to bring it … to compete with them.”

Led by first-year coach Jason Burton and transfer DesiRay Kernal, who has been touted as a conference Player of the Year candidate, the Mean Green (17-3, 7-1) have won seven in a row and have registered a record of 15-2 since Nov. 16.

The Roadrunners (10-9, 4-4) had been pretty hot themselves, winning four straight, including wins over Charlotte and South Florida. But then they stumbled in their last two, both on the road, falling to the UAB Blazers and the SMU Mustangs.

SMU poured it on UTSA late in the game last Saturday afternoon in Dallas, running away for a 78-55 victory.

“Your confidence always wavers a little bit when you lose,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “There’s no question about that. It’s higher when you’re winning.

“But I do think we like playing at home … We’ve enjoyed the home crowd. I’d like to think we’re going to show up and compete against a really good team tomorrow.”

UTSA played two of its best games of the season in its last two at at the Convocation Center.

Against Charlotte, on Jan. 14, the Roadrunners went into double overtime and downed the 49ers 81-80 behind freshman Idara Udo and her career-high 26 points and nine rebounds. It was Charlotte’s first conference loss. Two days later, the Roadrunners held the defending regular-season champion South Florida Bulls to 21 percent shooting and romped to a decisive 65-42 victory.

UTSA is undefeated at 3-0 at home in conference this year and 5-2 overall.

Records

North Texas 17-3, 7-1
UTSA 10-9, 4-4

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Sunday, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins practiced five-on-five, full court, with contact on Tuesday, a sign that she is getting healthier. Jenkins, the 2022-23 Conference USA Player of the Year, didn’t appear to be at full speed but she did play on the scout team. The 6-foot forward hasn’t played in a game yet this season after injuring a knee in the offseason, last April. No decision has been made on whether she will try to play in games this spring.

Former Judson High School standout Kyra White has been on quite a run over the last six games, a stretch in which she has produced 76 points, 52 rebounds and 41 assists.

Freshman Aysia Proctor has emerged as one of the most pleasant surprises of the season for the Roadrunners, averaging 10.1 points on 47.6 percent shooting from the field. The former Clemens High School athlete has notched eight double-figure scoring games, including a season-high 20 at Oregon and 19 at home against South Florida. Proctor scored nine points at UAB and four against SMU …

North Texas hasn’t won a conference title in women’s basketball since 1986, which was also the last time that that it reached the NCAA tournament.

Burton worked for nine seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce before taking the North Texas job. He previously served as an assistant at Texas State. Kernal also played last year in A&M-Commerce’s first season in NCAA Division I as a member of the Southland Conference.

Shooting 54.6 percent from the field, the 6-foot forward is averaging 17 points and 7.9 rebounds with the Mean Green. Six-foot-two Tommisha Lampkin (15 points, 7.2 boards) and guard Jaaucklyn Moore (10 points) are also major players for the Mean Green. Moore once played at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

South Florida hits 18 triples and rolls past UTSA, 89-72

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Coming off a dramatic, one-point victory at home, the UTSA Roadrunners couldn’t conjure up the necessary magic to win on the road Saturday afternoon.

The South Florida Bulls romped to a 14-point halftime lead and then followed through with a convincing 89-72 victory at Tampa, Fla.

South Florida beat UTSA at its own game, using the 3-point shot to win going away. The Bulls hit 18 from long distance. Averaging 10 made triples per game for the season, UTSA was limited to 10 of 29 from beyond the arc.

Even then, the total was misleading because Roadrunners made three of them in the last four minutes when the game was already out of reach.

Kobe Knox, Chris Youngblood and Jose Placer did most of the damage for the Bulls, hitting four threes apiece. As a result, South Florida won its fifth straight game and improved its record to 11-1 overall since Dec. 9.

On the scoring chart, Knox had 18 points and Placer had 16. Youngblood and Selton Miguel had 15 apiece. For the game, the Bulls hit 32 of 60 from the field and 18 of 33 from 3-point territory.

The Bulls entered the game as one of only four teams with one loss in the American Athletic Conference, so they will keep pace with the leaders. The Roadrunners, meanwhile, continued their struggle to find consistency, falling to 3-9 in their last 12 games.

UTSA had lost some close ones during the skid, including a couple of them in overtime against nationally-ranked teams, one on the road at Memphis and another at home against Florida Atlantic. On the other hand, the Roadrunners also have lost twice by lopsided margins on the road.

They fell by 29 at Tulsa and now by 17 at South Florida.

“This game and the Tulsa game are going to be the ones that are really going to stick with us for awhile,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s radio broadcast on KTKR AM-760. “We just didn’t compete hard enough.

“February is a monthy where if we play well and stay together, stay healthy, get Adante’ (Holiman) back at some point, I still think we can make some noise in February.”

Holiman, a sophomore guard, has missed seven games in a row with an ankle sprain.

Against South Florida, guard Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with 23 points on 8 of 16 shooting. He made 5 of 9 from long distance.

In a three-game stretch this week, Ivy-Curry scored a career-high 38 in a 112-103 overtime loss to Florida Atlantic, hit the winning bucket with 2.3 seconds left in an 89-88 victory over Tulane and then kept UTSA in the game against a South Florida team playing like a contender.

Carlton Linguard Jr., who exploded for a career-high 31 against Tulane, couldn’t find the range against South Florida. He was limted to 2 of 7 from the field and 1 of 4 from three. PJ Carter scored nine points, and Christian Tucker and Massal Diouf had eight each.

Tucker, the assists leader in the American, had six against the Bulls.

“We’ve had several games where we just don’t do a good job defending the three,” Henson said. “A lot of these were results of drive and kick, whether off penetration or zoom action turning the corner … They were kicking it for pretty good looks.

“A couple of ’em early were by guys who don’t shoot ’em great. But, man, when they started going, they were all knocking ’em in. Just not enough resistance on the defensive end.”

Records

UTSA 8-13, 2-6
South Florida 13-5, 6-1

Coming up

Rice at UTSA, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2 p.m.

SMU women rally from eight down to blow out UTSA, 75-58

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With SMU leading by only three points at intermission, point guard Tiara Young directed most of the traffic on offense and scored a few buckets down the stretch, as well, leading the Mustangs to a 75-58 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Young scored six points and passed for four second-half assists as SMU (10-10 overall, and 4-5 in the American Athletic Conference) won at home, turning back a young and error-prone UTSA squad. For the game, Young finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Pushing out to an eight-point lead in the first quarter, the Roadrunners (10-9, 4-4) couldn’t sustain it later as they hit only 8 of 29 shots from the field in the second half. They also committed 15 turnovers after intermission in losing their second straight in the American after four wins in a row.

It was the second game in a row that UTSA’s youth may have been a factor in allowing a first-half lead to slip away on the road. The Roadrunners also had an early lead in Birmingham last weekend, only to give it up at the end in a 54-53 loss.

SMU entered the game on a high note, having played well last weekend in a close loss at home to kept the East Carolina Pirates and then defeating the Temple Owls. They played with confidence against UTSA, getting several players involved offensively.

Reagan Bradley was 7 of 13 from the field and Chantae Embry 6 of 14 for the Mustangs, and they each scored 18 points. Center Amirah Abdur-Rahim also had a big day, producing a double double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

For UTSA, guard Kyra White had nine points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Sidney Love, Idara Udo and Elyssa Coleman scored 11 points apiece.

First half

Trailing by eight points late in the first quarter, the SMU Mustangs rallied behind Reagan Bradley for a 40-37 lead on the Roadrunners going into intermission.

Bradley, a fifth-year SMU senior from Little Rock, knocked down four of five shots from the field and scored 10 of her team-high 12 points in the second period.

The Roadrunners played well from the outset, surging behind guard Kyra White into a 15-7 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, they kept up the pressure, pushing out again to a seven-point advantage. A three from the corner by freshman Emma Lucio made it 30-23.

From there, the Mustangs responded with an 8-0 run to get back into it. In the second quarter, SMU hit 11 of 16 from the field and 5 of 7 from three.

Records

UTSA 10-9, 4-4
SMU 10-10, 4-5

Coming up

North Texas at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Karen Aston’s Roadrunners to play the SMU Mustangs in Dallas

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Karen Aston. UTSA beat Charlotte 81-80 in double overtime in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston will lead the UTSA Roadrunners into Dallas today to face the SMU Mustangs. UTSA is 10-8 on the season and 4-3 in the American Athletic Conference. – File photo by Joe Alexander.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Karen Aston appreciates the progress her team is making. Every time her UTSA Roadrunners play well and win, she talks about how proud she is of her players for making it happen. At the same time, the coach isn’t content. Not by any means.

She wants more. Locked in a tie for sixth place in the American Athletic Conference standings and coming off a one-point loss, the Roadrunners will try to regain the momentum today when they play on the road against the SMU Mustangs.

At the turn of the new calendar year, the Roadrunners hit their stride. They knocked off Wichita State, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte and South Florida in succession.

Charlotte was undefeated in conference when UTSA registered an 81-80 victory in double overtime. South Florida came to San Antonio with the best program in the AAC over the last decade and it, too, went down to defeat.

The Roadrunners crushed the defending AAC regular-season champs, 65-42.

Last weekend, UTSA nearly made it five wins in a row. The Roadrunners traveled to Alabama and led most of the way against the UAB Blazers, only to give up the lead in the fourth quarter. UAB nipped UTSA, 54-53.

As a result, UTSA will hit the court today at Moody Coliseum, hoping to make strides in the other direction. With the Mustangs, the Roadrunners will face a team that is probably better than its record would indicate.

In their last two games, the Mustangs have displayed competitive fire. A week ago today, they traveled to face the East Carolina Pirates, an NCAA tournament team last year and this year’s conference favorite in the preseason poll.

The Pirates, who pounded the Roadrunners by 28 on Jan. 2, struggled against the Mustangs. Eventually, the Mustangs fell 68-61 even though they had neutralized most of the Pirates’ best scoring threats.

On Wednesday night, the contending Temple Owls tipped off against the Mustangs in Dallas. Temple was a team that out-muscled and out-played UTSA at Philadelphia. The Mustangs took care of the Wildcats, 68-66.

Records

AAC women’s basketball:
UTSA 10-8, 4-3; SMU 9-10, 3-5

Notable

The UTSA men are also on the road today. Steve Henson’s Roadrunners, coming off an 89-88 victory at home over the Tulane Green Wave, will be in Tampa, Fla.

They’ll tip off at 3 p.m. against the South Florida Bulls. Within the past few weeks, the Roadrunners have had a chance to win twice against Top 25 competition in the AAC, but they lost both games in overtime.

In their last outing, they won in dramatic fashion.

Jordan Ivy-Curry hit a three with 2.3 seconds left, boosting the Roadrunners to an 89-88 victory over the Tulane Green Wave. With Ivy-Curry in the lineup, UTSA all of a sudden has the look of one of the most dangerous teams in the conference. He is averaging 18.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Another player who raised eyebrows against the Green Wave was 7-foot center Carlton Linguard Jr., who scored a career-high 31 points.

For UTSA, South Florida will provide another tough test. The Bulls, who have won 10 of their last 11 overall, have moved into title contention in the AAC. They’re tied in the loss column with the leaders and only a half game out of first place.

Records

AAC men’s basketball:
UTSA 8-12, 2-5; USF 12-5, 5-1

Carlton Linguard Jr. UTSA defeated Incarnate Word (UIW) 90-80 in a non-conference men's basketball game at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Seven-foot center Carlton Linguard Jr. has hit 32 of 88 shots from 3-point distance this season. His 3-point percentage of 36.4 ranks as one of the best among big men in the AAC. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Ivy-Curry sinks game-winning shot as UTSA edges Tulane, 89-88

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UTSA’s Jordan Ivy-Curry inbounds to Christian Tucker, who brings it up court. After a handoff, Ivy-Curry launches the game-winning, three-pointer with two seconds remaining. – Video by Joe Alexander.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Three days after scoring 38 points on the 23rd-ranked team in the nation, UTSA guard Jordan Ivy-Curry struggled to get anything going Wednesday night against the Tulane Green Wave. “Throughout the whole game, I couldn’t hit a shot,” Ivy-Curry said. “I just had to stay confident.”

In the game’s final, frantic moments, Ivy-Curry’s calm demeanor paid off. He took a hand off from Christian Tucker and sank a three-pointer from the right wing of the arc with two seconds left, lifting the Roadrunners to a pulsating 89-88 victory over the Green Wave.

Carlton Linguard Jr. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Carlton Linguard Jr. (No. 2) scored a career-high 31 points on 10 of 16 shooting from the field and six of 10 from three-point range. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I just knew it was going in when I shot it,” Ivy-Curry said. “I had put a lot of work in, (so) I knew the game was going to come back to me.”

After Ivy-Curry hit the mark on his shot, Tulane had one last chance with 2.3 seconds left. An announced crowd of 1,281 at the Convocation Center erupted in cheers as UTSA intercepted a three quarters, length-of-the-court pass.

It was over. The Roadrunners (8-12, 2-5) had snapped a troublesome four-game losing streak with their most prominent victory of the year, thanks in large part to the play of center Carlton Linguard Jr., who carried his team offensively and defensively for most of the night.

The 7-foot-1 center from Stevens High School notched a double double with a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds. He also had three blocks. The Green Wave (12-7, 3-4) had no answer for Linguard, who scored 20 in the second half.

Linguard hit 10 of 16 shots from the field and six of 10 from three.

“Carl showed up big-time for us,” Ivy-Curry said. “Without him, we wouldn’t have won. He kept us in the game. He hit some tough shots. He rebounded for us. He blocked a lot of shots for us today. I appreciate Carl.”

Tulane carried swagger into the game. Last year, the Green Wave broke through with a 20-11 season and a 12-6 record in the American Athletic Conference. It was the second straight winning record in conference for the Wave under coach Ron Hunter. The Wave also brought some momentum in, having knocked off 10th-ranked Memphis, 81-79, on Sunday in New Orleans.

As the game got underway, some of that good energy carried over as the Wave’s matchup zone defense created problems. It held UTSA to 1 for 17 shooting from the 3-point line in the first half. At one juncture, the visitors led by nine with six minutes left.

In the end, it wasn’t quite enough to beat UTSA, though guard Jaylen Forbes and forward Kevin Cross were a problem all night. Forbes sank five triples, while Cross was a constant nuisance, hitting eight of 15 from the field. Both scored a team-high 23 points.

Chandler Cuthrell. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Chandler Cuthrell pulled down a team-leading 11 rebounds as UTSA beat Tulane on the boards, 48-33. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners arrived at the arena with a businesslike attitude, intent on making amends for a 2-8 stretch in which they lost four close games to quality opponents, including overtime losses to Top 25 teams Memphis (107-101) and Florida Atlantic (112-103).

“We needed this one bad,” Linguard said. “We’ve had a lot of close games. We just had to figure out a way to win. We came together today and fought to get the (victory) … Coach kept talking about it. He’s telling us, ‘It’s going to happen. Just believe. Just keep coming to practice. Just keep fighting’ and come with the right mindset.”

UTSA coach Steve Henson was beaming in his postgame news conference, talking about how he enjoyed the night for his players, who have been through some tough times already this season.

“Really happy for our guys,” Henson said. “They’ve been fighting, hanging in there. Attitudes have been terrific. Kept their confidence as a group. We’ve been in several close games. Close games against good teams.

“I mean, Tulane’s a very good team … I think their conference record is a little bit deceiving. They’re a terrific offensive team, (and) what they do on the defensive end creates a lot of stress.”

For the Roadrunners, forward Trey Edmonds finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Forward Chandler Cuthrell came off the bench for 11 rebounds and nine points in a little more than 13 minutes. Not to be outdone, Ivy-Curry, totaled nine points, five assists and five rebounds. He finished 3 for 13 from the field and 1 for 7 from three.

Good thing for UTSA his only three-point make was the last one of the night.

First half

Following an officials review after the teams left the floor for halftime, the Roadrunners were awarded two additional points.

Tulane coach Ron Hunter. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Tulane coach Ron Hunter enjoyed a 20-11 season with a 12-6 record in the American Athletic Conference last year. His team was picked third earlier this fall in the 2023-24 preseason poll, and it had just defeated 10th-ranked Memphis on Sunday. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Initially, officials decided that a tip-in by Linguard in the last minute was interference inside the cylinder. After the review, Linguard was awarded the basket and the two points.

As a result, the Tulane Green Wave had a 41-40 lead on the Roadrunners at the break.

Flummoxed from the beginning by Tulane’s matchup zone, UTSA couldn’t get anything going from the 3-point arc. The amoeba-like defense covered up all the primary shooting areas behind the arc, leaving UTSA to shoot only 1 for 17 from distance.

At the same time, the Roadrunners did some things well, such as get themselves to the free-throw line. From there, they knocked down 11 of 13 and used their accuracy to stay within striking distance throughout the half.

Tulane had a 38-29 lead with 3:30 remaining when Kevin Cross knocked down a jumper from the side. Cross turned to face the UTSA players on the bench and ran downcourt. If he said something to the Roadrunners, it may have lit a fire.

UTSA promptly went on an 11-3 run to the intermission buzzer.

Records

Tulane 12-7, 3-4
UTSA 8-12, 2-5

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Trey Edmonds. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Trey Edmonds dunks two-handed and takes a blow from an opponent. from behind. No foul was called. Edmonds finished with 11 points and eight rebounds as the Roadrunners beat the Tulane Green Wave by one. – Photo by Joe Alexander