Defending champs in town: UTSA women host the Charlotte 49ers

After losing three games in a row and six of their last seven, the youthful UTSA Roadrunners will host the defending champion Charlotte 49ers today at 2 p.m. in Conference USA women’s basketball.

The Roadrunners are looking for their first victory since New Year’s Eve when they won at home, defeating the UAB Blazers, 71-68.

Since then, they lost at Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky on the road last week.

Hoping to reverse their fortunes at home Wednesday night, they fouled too much and couldn’t make stops when they needed them, falling 74-67 to the UTEP Miners.

Not even a 37-point, 11-rebound performance from Roadrunners forward Jordyn Jenkins could offset a huge deficit in trips to the free-throw line (39-16) and in free throws made (26-11).

Playing defense and keeping opponents off the line have been dual problems for the UTSA women all season. Opponents have hit 228 of 324 at the stripe. UTSA, by comparison is 142 for 202.

Despite their problems, the Roadrunners have played hard and have been in most games for all 40 minutes.

Of their 11 losses, eight have come by seven points or less. Jenkins, averaging a C-USA leading 19.3 points, hit 15 of 22 from the field against UTEP. The 6-foot Washington native has scored 30 or more twice in her last six games.

The headliners for the 49ers include guards Dazia Lawrence and Jada McMillian. Lawrence had 31 points and five steals in the team’s last outing, a 77-67 victory at home last Saturday against Florida Atlantic. McMillian leads the C-USA in assists.

Charlotte guard Mikayla Boykin, formerly of the Duke Blue Devils, announced on Nov. 30 a career-ending injury. In making the announcement, she said she had suffered a fifth anterior cruciate ligament tear.

Records

Charlotte 7-7, 3-2
UTSA 3-11, 1-4

Notable

UTSA’s Karen Aston landed her first NCAA Division I coaching job in 2007 at Charlotte.

Under Aston, the 49ers were 86-47 with four national postseason tournaments. In 2009, they reached the NCAA tournament to cap a 23-9 season. They also won 27 games and advanced to the Women’s NIT semifinals in 2011.

Cara Consuegra has coached the 49ers since the 2011-12 season. Under Consuegra, a former star at the University of Iowas, the 49ers have won 20 or more games in three of their last six years.

Last season, Consuegra’s Niners went 22-9 overall and posted the best regular-season record in the conference at 15-3. After claiming the C-USA postseason title, they advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since Aston’s 2009 trip.

UTEP wins 74-67 as UTSA’s Jordyn Jenkins scores 37

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA women's basketball lost to UTEP 74-67 in Conference USA on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA standout Jordyn Jenkins (at right) drives on UTEP’s Avery Crouse Wednesday night in Conference USA women’s basketball at the Convocation Center. Jenkins finished with 37 points and 11 rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Forward Elina Arike converted a three-point play and guard Jazion Jackson added a three-point shot in the last two minutes Wednesday night, helping the UTEP Miners hold off the UTSA Roadrunners 74-67 in Conference USA women’s basketball.

In what may have been one of the top individual performances in school history, UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins scored a career-high 37 points for the Roadrunners, who lost their third straight. Jenkins hit 15 of 22 shots from the field, including three of four from beyond the arc. She also pulled down 11 rebounds.

Sidney Love. UTSA women's basketball lost to UTEP 74-67 in Conference USA on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman guard Sidney Love finished with seven points, six rebounds and five assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“She’s a very skilled basketball player,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “She puts in the work. This is a player who gets to practice an hour early and does everything she wants to do individually before it’s time for the team, and that’s what really good basketball players do.”

While Jenkins soared to her best performance in her first season at UTSA, the Miners (11-3, 4-1) outplayed the Roadrunners (3-11, 1-4) in several areas.

The visitors had better balance with their scoring, with Jackson notching 19 points to lead four players in double figures. Arike had 15 points, while N’Yae Boyd contributed 12 and Erin Wilson came off the bench to add 11.

Additionally, the Miners shot it well from three-point distance (six of 10), with Jackson drilling all three of her attempts from beyond the stripe. UTEP also showed a good sense of when to drive it and how to get fouled. UTEP went to the line 39 times and made 26.

Other than Jenkins, UTSA didn’t have anyone else in double digit scoring. Hailey Atwood scored eight points, while Kyra White and Sidney Love each scored seven apiece. Running the team at the point guard, White, probably a more natural player on the wing, shot three of 14 from the field.

The Roadrunners were getting open looks at the three-point line, but hit only six of 19. They also struggled to get to the line, making 11 of 16.

Hailey Atwood. UTSA women's basketball lost to UTEP 74-67 in Conference USA on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Hailey Atwood had eight points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal.- Photo by Joe Alexander

Even though UTSA has lost three in a row and six of seven, Aston is not discouraged. She knows it will take time for a team playing two and three freshmen at a time to become a consistent winner.

“I wish we had the first half back,” the coach said. “I didn’t think we shared the ball, and it’s not intentional. It’s just everybody wanting to make a play. We just weren’t patient enough. We were a little bit antsy. Some of that’s youth and being in different roles.

“But I definitely think that every game, we’re growing. We’re playing a lot of young players in a lot of situations. Today, I really thought Maddie (Cockrell) gave us some good minutes off the bench. Lex (Parker) is starting to get comfortable again …

“I mean, those guys just have to learn in the fire. They made some mistakes, that a month from now, if we keep coaching them, they may not be making those same mistakes.”

For Jenkins, an all-Pac 12 player last year at Southern Cal, the game served as another step forward in her burgeoning UTSA career. It was her second game with 30 or more points (she had 35 at Houston on Dec. 19) and her seventh with 20 or more.

“I guess it was bittersweet,” she said. “getting my career high but still losing. I think we made a lot of progress on the court, though. We tend to be a little more immature on the road … not working as well together.

“But I feel at home, I feel like we’ve got a really good connection and a really good bond on the court. It’s nothing really negative when we lose. Yeah, it’s only bitter because we got the ‘L.’ But it’s sweet because everyone played hard and worked hard and talked to each other.”

Notable

Last spring, center Elyssa Coleman had 21 points and 11 rebounds as UTSA upset UTEP 58-57 in the first round of the C-USA tournament. Coming off a case of strep throat that kept her out of practice Tuesday, Coleman finished with two points and three rebounds in the rematch. “I’m really appreciative that she played for her team today,” Aston said.

Records

UTSA 3-11, 1-4
UTEP 11-3, 4-1

Coming up

Charlotte at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA women's basketball lost to UTEP 74-67 in Conference USA on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins protects the rim and registers one of her three blocked shots. – – Photo by Joe Alexander

Crunch time

With 2:21 remaining, UTSA’s Coleman took it insde and scored to make it a one-point game. But UTEP, leading 63-62, started to make big play after big play to put the game out of reach. First, Arike drove to the bucket, hit a shot and was fouled. Not only did Arike make the free throw, but it was Coleman’s fifth foul, sending her to the bench.

Next, the Roadrunners turned it over on an offensive foul, and on the other end the Miners swung the ball to Jackson on the left wing. Her three-pointer lifted UTEP into a 69-62 lead with 1:02 left. UTSA could get no closer than four the rest of the way.

First half

Guard Erin Wilson came off the bench to score nine points as the Miners surged into a 35-25 lead. The Roadrunners shot 33 percent in the half and, except for Jenkins, failed to establish much on the offensive end. UTSA’s starting backcourt hit only 3 of 15 from the field. Jenkins carried the load with 15 points. The junior transfer from USC hit 6 of 9 shots in the first 20 minutes.

Trailing 17-9 after one quarter, the Roadrunners found a rhythm early in the second. They outscored the Miners 10-2 in the opening minutes to tie the game. With three minutes left in the half, Love scored on a drive, chopping a UTEP lead down to two points. From there, the Miners went on a 10-2 run to the buzzer. Wilson scored seven points in the run including a three from the corner with 1:22 remaining.

JB’s video replay

Western Kentucky stops its five-game skid, downing UTSA, 74-64

Josh Farmer. Western Kentucky beat UTSA 74-64 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Josh Farmer (right) helped spark a second-half rally that ultimately fell short against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, who won 74-64 at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners executed a spirited rally in the second half, chopping into most of what had been a 19-point deficit, but clearly that wasn’t good enough for them against the towering presence of Jamarion Sharp and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Sharp, a 7-foot-5 center, dominated with 11 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots, helping the Hilltoppers snap a five-game losing streak with a 74-64 victory in Conference USA men’s basketball.

Western Kentucky's Jamarion Sharp (33). Western Kentucky beat UTSA 74-64 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Western Kentucky’s 7-foot-5 Jamarion Sharp (left) had a big day with 11 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots. – Photo by Joe Alexander

At the end, Sharp picked up his fifth foul and then drew a technical on his way off the floor at the UTSA Convocation Center, setting up four straight free throws for the home team.

The Roadrunners made all of them, pulling to within six with two minutes remaining.

Without their big man on the court, the Hilltoppers didn’t waver. They steadied themselves, went to work on the offensive end and made the key play in front of an announced crowd of 922 fans.

Guard Dayvion McKnight backed a defender down inside and kicked it out to Emmanuel Akot, who hit a three. Trailing by nine points as a result, the Roadrunners would not get closer than seven the rest of the way.

UTSA coach Steve Henson agreed that his team’s first-half performance, a 20-minute slog in which the Roadrunners shot 25 percent from the field and fell behind 38-20, was just to much to overcome.

“First half was disappointing,” Henson said. “Thought we’d come out better. Just couldn’t get anything going.”

John Buggs III. Western Kentucky beat UTSA 74-64 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

John Buggs III led the UTSA Roadrunners with 15 points. The redshirt sophomore from Louisiana hit three 3-point shots, all in the second half. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Henson said he felt like the Roadrunners needed “some juice, some energy.” But part of the problem stemmed from the play of Sharp, who effectively turned off the power in the building with his defense.

In the half, he blocked four shots, altered a few others and made a steal. UTSA, in turn, didn’t take care of the ball, coughing up 12 turnovers that led to 20 of WKU’s 38 points.

The Roadrunners played better in the second half. John Buggs scored 13 of his 15 points down the stretch. Josh Farmer also got going, scoring eight of his 13 off the bench.

Indeed, it may have been best stretch of the season for the 6-foot-9 sophomore from Houston, as he dunked once on the fast break and then took it inside with confidence against Sharp.

But, in the end, it was too deep of a hole to dig out of. The Hilltoppers, playing under assistant coach Phil Cunningham for the fourth straight game, came into the Roadrunners’ building and seized a game they had to have.

“We had that monkey on our back and it was growing and growing and growing,” Cunningham said. “We had to take that monkey and throw him to the floor today, and we did it. We did it. Everybody had a role in it.”

Western Kentucky's Jamarion Sharp (33). Western Kentucky beat UTSA 74-64 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Seven-foot-5 Western Kentucky center Jamarion Sharp (33) gets a hand on a hook shot attempt by UTSA’s 6-11 Jacob Germany. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Within the five-game skid, three of the losses came in C-USA play and all three came by five points or less. Sharp said his teammates were just tired of losing the close games.

“Honestly, after those three close games, we were like, ‘We’re not being short no more,’ ” Sharp said. “We’re coming in for the win, because we’re going to play as hard as we can and give it all we can.”

Sharp also said the players wanted to win for head coach Rick Stansbury, who has been out with what school officials are calling a “health matter.”

“We’re doing it for our coach,” he said. “He’s out sick now. So, it’s like, everything we do is for him. We think about him constantly.

“But it’s like, at the same time, he taught us that when one player gets hurt, another’s got to step up. If he’s out sick, we all got to step up and take charge.”

Western Kentucky assistant coach Phil Cunningham. Western Kentucky beat UTSA 74-64 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Western Kentucky assistant Phil Cunningham served as interim coach for Rick Stansbury, who was home resting after a ‘health matter’ sidelined him just before the new year. Stansbury has been out for four games. – Photo by Joe Alexander

For the Roadrunners, they’ll need to take the positives from a weekend split at home and keep working. They beat a good Middle Tennessee State team, 75-72, on Thursday night and played well in the second half against Western Kentucky.

Lachlan Bofinger came off the bench and provided some energy during UTSA’s rally. Farmer, at times, was electric.

In one sequence, he capped a long possession by catching a kickout pass from Bofinger before draining a three. Thirty five seconds later, on the next possession, he followed with a driving layup.

“Love the effort, energy and passion that Josh is playing with,” Henson said. “He’s bringing that every game. We always try to direct his energy and his talk the right way, but, yeah, that’s something we need. With his length and quickness, he gives us a boost.”

Individuals

Western Kentucky — Emmanuel Akot, 16 points. Dayvion McKnight, 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists. He was two-for-two from three. Luke Frampton, 12 points. Jamarion Sharp, 11 points and 12 rebounds, five on the offensive end. Sharp blocked six shots, bettering his season average of 4.36.

UTSA — John Buggs III, 15 points. He hit three from distance, his 12th game with more than one. Josh Farmer, 13 points and six rebounds. Farmer made four of nine from the field. Japhet Medor, 12 points. Jacob Germany, 11 points and seven boards. DJ Richards, 11 and five.

Western Kentucky's Jamarion Sharp (33). Western Kentucky beat UTSA 74-64 in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

NCAA Division I shot-blocking leader Jamarion Sharp totaled six blocks to give him 67 in 15 games. – Photo by Joe Alexander


Coming up

Records

Western Kentucky 9-6, 1-3
UTSA 7-9, 1-4

Coming up

UTSA at UTEP, Wednesday, Jan. 11
UTSA at Charlotte, Saturday, Jan. 14

First half

WKU’s Jamarion Sharp served notice on UTSA’s first offensive possession that he meant business. He blocked a shot by Roadrunners center Jacob Germany, spiking the ball to the floor with authority. Sharp finished the half with eight points, six rebounds, four blocks and a steal. As a result, the Hilltoppers dominated the scoreboard, as well, building a 38-20 lead.

JB’s video replay

Western Kentucky’s Cunningham will continue to serve as interim coach in Stansbury’s absence

Western Kentucky's Jamarion Sharp blocking a shot against UTSA in Conference USA men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Western Kentucky’s 7-foot-5 Jamarion Sharp averages an NCAA Division I-leading 4.36 blocked shots leading into a Saturday afternoon game at UTSA. Sharp is shown here protecting the rim against the Roadrunners last February. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

One of the traditional powers in Conference USA men’s basketball is in San Antonio to test the UTSA Roadrunners.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-6 overall, 0-3 C-USA) will face the Roadrunners (7-8, 1-3) on Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center. Tipoff is at 3 p.m.

Unlike previous meetings when both teams were playing for position at the top of the standings, this meeting is an outlier in the series, with both trailing in the 11-team field and trying to gain traction in the conference race.

A spokeswoman for the Western Kentucky program said that coach Rick Stansbury did not travel with the team because of a health matter, and, for the fourth straight game, assistant Phil Cunningham will be the interim head coach.

Regardless, UTSA’s Steve Henson knows that Western Kentucky has the ability to compete with just about anyone in the C-USA on a given day.

“You look across the board, coming up, and every team we play here in the next two or three ball games is either really good or really athletic. Or, they play incredibly hard,” Henson said. “Or all of the above. There’s just not a break.”

“Heading into the year, I thought the top three or four teams might be the best they’ve ever been. But as the season’s unfolded, five through 10 are really good. I think it’s the best top to bottom that it’s ever been.”

UTSA gave itself a jolt of momentum Thursday night when it won at home against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, 75-72. The Roadrunners led by 17 midway through the second half and then won by three at the buzzer.

Both Jacob Germany and Japhet Medor played well throughout for the Roadrunners, and then John Buggs III supplied the dramatic finish with a buzzer-beating three pointer.

“I think it’s huge for momentum,” said Germany, who had 23 points and 11 rebounds. “We can use this definitely as a stepping-stone in the right direction. You know, we started out 0-3 against good opponents, but … hopefully this jump starts us.”

Western Kentucky will be looking for a similar boost today. Only a few weeks ago, the Hilltoppers had an 8-3 record leading into the C-USA portion of its schedule.

Since then, they have lost their first three conference games by a combined 12 points — at home to the Rice Owls, on the road to Middle Tennessee State and at home again to the North Texas Mean Green.

Cunningham has led the team on the bench in all three games. Stansbury has posted four 20-win seasons in his previous six at the school.

Playing in Bowling Green, Ky., only two days ago, the Hilltoppers fell behind North Texas 21-2 in the opening minutes.

WKU didn’t score a field goal until 10:17 of the first half when guard Dayvion McKnight hit jumper from the left side of the basket. The Hilltoppers kept playing, kept scoring and pulled within 32-24 at the half.

Western Kentucky kept it close in the second half and trailed by single-digit margins through the last five minutes.

In the end, North Texas guard Kai Huntsberry provided enough cushion to secure the victory when hit three of four free throws in the last 40 seconds.

Dayvion McKnight, who led the Hilltoppers with 29 points, hit a shot with 15 seconds left to make it a three-point game. With Western Kentucky down by the eventual final score, McKnight missed twice from the field in waning seconds.

McKnight finished by hitting eight of 16 shots from the field and 13 of 15 at the free-throw line. He was 0-2 from three-point distance. Senior guard Jordan Rawls did not play because of a hand injury.

Notable

Western Kentucky center Jamarion Sharp leads the conference and the nation in blocked shots, averaging 4.36 a game, while teammate Luke Framton leads the conference with 50 percent three-point shooting. Hilltoppers guard Dayvion McKnight leads the team with 17.1 points per game. Japhet Medor leads UTSA with 13 points per game, while Germany leads in rebounding and is second in conference with 7.6 rebounds. John Buggs leads UTSA and is third in C-USA three-point percentage at 42.4.

Coming up

Western Kentucky at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Records

UTSA 7-8, 1-3
Western Kentucky 8-6, 0-3

C-USA men
Standings through Jan. 6

Florida Atlantic 3-0, 13-1
UAB 3-1, 12-3
North Texas 3-1, 12-3
Rice 2-2, 11-4
Charlotte 2-2, 11-4
Middle Tennessee 2-2, 9-6
Louisiana Tech 2-2, 9-6
UTEP 1-2, 8-6
FIU 1-2, 7-7
UTSA 1-3, 7-8
WKU 0-3, 8-6

Buzzer beater: Buggs’ three-pointer lifts UTSA to victory over Middle Tennessee State

Jacob Germany (right) hugs teammate John Buggs III after Buggs hit the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in UTSA's 75-72 Conference USA victory over Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Germany (right) hugs teammate John Buggs III after Buggs hit the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in UTSA’s 75-72 Conference USA victory over Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

First, UTSA guard John Buggs III won the game with a three-point shot at the buzzer, and then he nearly got mobbed on his homecourt.

Not to worry.

After Buggs drained the acrobatic jumper with a defender in his face to secure a 75-72 victory over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Thursday night, he turned and outran his teammates, who had come off the bench in hot pursuit.

Jacob Germany. UTSA beat Middle Tennessee 75-72 in Conference USA on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Germany produced 23 points and 11 rebounds, helping the UTSA Roadrunners improve to 7-8 on the season and 1-3 in the C-USA. — Photo by Joe Alexander

He ran all the way off the floor and out of sight, somewhere on the south concourse of the Convocation Center.

“They were about to tackle me,” Buggs said, smiling and shaking his head as he sat at the table in the interview room. “I was trying to get away from everybody, you know what I’m saying? It turned from one person into 17. It was crazy.”

If officials had polled all the fans, they might have voted unanimously that the whole game was sort of crazy.

The Roadrunners entered the evening riding a three-game losing streak. They held an 0-3 record in Conference USA and were playing to keep their heads above water early in a 20-game schedule.

Moreover, all three of their C-USA losses were by 20 points or more.

The Roadrunners, however, put all of that behind them and played perhaps their best game of the season. At least, for the the first 32 minutes of the game, they did.

When DJ Richards knocked down a three with 8:19 remaining, it boosted UTSA into a 60-43 lead.

Middle Tennessee, a 26-11 team last season, refused to fold. The Blue Raiders mounted a charge that cut into the Roadrunners lead and made it a four-point game with 3:47 left.

Japhet Medor. UTSA beat Middle Tennessee 75-72 in Conference USA on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Roadrunners point guard Japhet Medor attacked the paint and scored 19 to help defeat a Middle Tennessee team that dropped to 9-6 on the season and 2-2 in the C-USA. The Blue Raiders won 26 games last season. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA continued to lead by four as the clock ticked under one minute. Subsequently, Middle Tennessee started taking it to the basket off of middle ball screens.

Driving layups by Jestin Porter and Eli Lawrence chopped the advantage to one. Lawrence was fouled on his drive and sank a free throw to tie it 72-all with 13 seconds left, prompting UTSA to call time.

Back on the floor, UTSA inbounded on the far end of the court, 94 feet away from the rim.

As Roadrunners point guard Japhet Medor dribbled across halfcourt, Jacob Germany popped out to set a screen. Medor tried to get past the defense but was cut off, so he stopped and tossed the ball outside the 3-point line to Buggs.

Buggs caught it, elevated in preparation to shoot and then nearly had to double-clutch his attempt as Middle Tennessee guard Camryn Weston ran past him to contest. It didn’t matter. The shot was clean, swishing through the net at the buzzer.

“We ran a play for Japhet to get to the rim,” Germany said. “I was kind of on the three-point line cause I slipped the screen. I was calling for the ball. I see Buggs running out of the corner of my eye.

“He catches it. Double clutch. It was great.”

Records

UTSA 7-8, 1-3
Middle Tennessee 9-6, 2-2

Coming up

Western Kentucky at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Letting it fly

John Buggs III made the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in UTSA's 75-72 Conference USA victory over Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

First in a sequence of photos capturing the game-winning shot: John Buggs III launches the eventual winner as Middle Tennessee guard Camryn Weston (No. 24, at right) leaps to contest it. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Seeing daylight

John Buggs III made the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in UTSA's 75-72 Conference USA victory over Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Second in a sequence: UTSA’s John Buggs finds an opening and follows through on his shot as Camryn Weston from Middle Tennessee turns to watch the flight of the ball. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Feeling the satisfaction

John Buggs III made the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in UTSA's 75-72 Conference USA victory over Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Third in a sequence: John Buggs watches the ball swish through the net to give UTSA its first C-USA victory of the season after three losses. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Individuals

Middle Tennessee — Guard Eli Lawrence, 20 points on eight of 12 shooting. Guard Camryn Weston, 15, on five of 11 from the field. Jestin Porter, 12, on five of five shooting off the bench.

UTSA — Jacob Germany, 23 points and 11 rebounds. Germany hit nine of 14 afield. Japhet Medor, 19 points. John Buggs III, 11. DJ Richards, 11.

First half

Germany hit four of seven shots from the field and scored 12 first-half points as UTSA surged to a 34-28 lead at intermission. Germany was active on both ends of the floor, snaring five rebounds including four on the defensive glass.

Medor also played well in the half, penetrating in the paint and scoring eight points. Forcing the action inside, Germany and Medor were a combined six for six from the free-throw line. Germany, with a height advantage on the Blue Raiders, was four for four.

Defensively, the Roadrunners did a good job on DeAndre Dishman, the Blue Raiders’ leading scorer. Dishman, slowed by a combination of different looks from UTSA, including a variety of zone defenses, was scoreless on the half. He was zero for two from the field. Weston led Middle Tennessee in the half with seven points.

JB’s video replay

Knocking down a buzzer-beater

Alley-ooping to a teammate

Scoring in the paint

Well-traveled Massal Diouf finds a new home at UTSA

Massal Diouf. UTSA lost its Conference USA men's basketball opener to North Texas 78-54 on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Massal Diouf is a UTSA biology major who expresses fascination about things such as the makeup of cells. He wants to attend medical school one day and says he’s aiming to become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

As a former youth sports phenomenon from a small town in The Netherlands, affable UTSA freshman Massal Diouf left home four years ago to chase his basketball dreams.

From arenas in Europe, to the West Coast of the United States, and then on to Canada and South Texas, the 6-foot-9, 240-pounder has played the game he loves and has since taken on a new passion — the study of biology.

Now three months shy of his 20th birthday, Diouf’s days are spent either in the gym, trying to defend the pick and roll, or in the UTSA classroom, pondering the nature of cell structure.

The Roadrunners’ pre-med student in the pivot has been so busy in his first year of college, in fact, that he hasn’t really had time to consider whether he misses being home.

“Obviously I’ve been away for a long time, at this point,” Diouf said Wednesday afternoon. “I wouldn’t say that I miss home, where I’d want to be home.

“It’s more so I miss certain things about home. Certain days, I’ll wake up and crave a certain type of food. Or, want to talk to my mom. Want to talk to my dad. See my brothers. That sort of stuff.

“It’s not like I want to be home. It’s more so I’d like to have a little bit of home with me.”

By age 15, Diouf traveled from his hometown of Gouda, in South Holland province, to both Finland and Denmark as a member of The Netherlands’ under-16 national basketball team.

A year later, the former soccer, tennis and judo athlete left home and moved to California to finish high school.

After graduation from The Athenian School in Danville, in the San Francisco Bay Area, Diouf hit the road again.

In order to play a year of prep school and gain more experience on the basketball hardwood, he relocated to Canada, in Edmonton, in the western province of Alberta.

Now, Diouf has spent a little more than four months in San Antonio, charming those around him with a smile and old-school manners.

“He thanks the coaches after practice,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “Every day.”

Diouf is also blessed with a wry sense of humor.

Ask him how he has adjusted to his new surroundings in Texas, a home half-way around the world from where they sell Gouda cheese in Europe, and he just smiles.

“I was getting prepared for Texas (while living in Canada),” Diouf explained. “In Alberta, where my prep school was, that (is a place) described as the Texas of Canada.

“So, I got the soft-core version in Alberta — and then I was ready for real Texas.”

Well, then, how is Alberta like Texas?

“A lot of truckers,” Diouf said. “I feel like the culture is very similar. A lot of pride in their own culture. That’s what I see a lot in Texas, too. Go big, or go home. That sort of stuff.”

Asked if he had been to a Buc-ee’s yet, he said he hasn’t but that “it’s still on the bucket list.”

“I’ve seen the logos,” Diouf said. “Unfortunately, haven’t stopped there yet. I was able to cross Cracker Barrel (off the list) on the last (road) trip. So I got that one out of the way.”

Over the past few days, UTSA has been preparing to host the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders.

The Roadrunners (6-8, 0-3 C-USA) will play the Blue Raiders (9-5, 2-1) tonight at 7 at the UTSA Convocation Center. Somewhat surprisingly, Diouf is expected to start his fifth straight game.

A player who wasn’t high on coaches’ list of candidates to be in the rotation when he arrived on campus in late August, Diouf has played double-figure minutes in four of his last six games.

If he keeps rebounding and playing defense at his current level, he could join the likes of Giovanni De Nicolao, Byron Frohnen, Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace as players who have started 10 or more games as freshmen under Henson.

How did this happen?

“He just kept working, doing things right every single day,” Henson said. “We had been cycling through that fifth starter every few ball games, anyway. A couple of different guys played the four (power forward) for us.

“Decided to take a look at him with his rebounding and his toughness, to slide him in at the five (at center) and move Jacob (Germany) to the four. It hasn’t translated (as we expected). We thought it might jump start Jacob offensively.

“That hasn’t happened, but Jacob’s rebounding it very well now. I think Jacob’s rebounding numbers are better when he’s got a bigger front-line guy in there with him.”

Even though the Roadrunners have struggled recently, losing both games on a C-USA road trip to Louisiana Tech and UAB last week to fall to 0-3, advance metrics have suggested to Henson that Diouf has earned the right to be on the floor.

“Massal, with his physicality and his defense, his plus-minus numbers are No. 1 on the entire team,” the coach said. “If you can go in and defend and rebound and don’t turn the ball over, you can impact the game.”

Diouf, asked if he is surprised that he is starting and playing for the Roadrunners in his first year out of the Western Canada Prep Academy, shrugged and offered a diplomatic response.

“For me, it’s pretty easy,” he said. “You just always got to want to play. You always got to be ready to play. But I also understood that I’m coming in as a freshman.

“So I didn’t have any qualms about waiting, sitting on the bench, supporting my teammates.

“I know that all these guys have a lot more experience. I mean, they’re way more experienced at the college level (than me). I’m just grateful to have an opportunity to play.”

In a recent interview with Andy Everett on the team’s radio broadcast, Diouf revealed his long-term goals — to go to medical school and then, hopefully, become a cardio-thoracic surgeon.

“I know that’s a long way away before I can get there,” he said. “But I’m just going to take it step by step.”

Diouf called his pre-med plans an “obsession” that he hopes to undertake after his career in basketball.

“I could not tell you where the obsession comes from,” he said. “There is no one in my family that does it. I do not have any direct relationships with doctors. I didn’t watch doctor shows growing up that made me fall in love with it. Honestly, it’s just really interesting to me.”

Being from Europe, Diouf brings an interesting perspective to the program. He grew up in a nation that did not have sports in high schools and didn’t have the facilities that American athletes enjoy.

He said athletes who wanted to play in The Netherlands joined clubs. His original club was called Bouncers Basketball.

“(Playing college sports in the United States) gets described as a full-time job a lot,” Diouf said, “But it really isn’t, because we’re all just doing what we love to do.

“I think that’s where our stamina and work ethic come from. When we’re playing basketball, practicing, it doesn’t feel like work, per se, it’s more so, ‘We get to practice. We get to practice at this level.’ ”

“At the end of the day, when I was growing up, Bouncers Basketball did not have a gym like (the Convocation Center) to play in. We had to rent gyms, and then we would all come in together and play in those gyms.

“But, to have a gym like this (at UTSA), that I can play in every day, that’s something that I could never have dreamed of.”

Coming up

Men’s basketball: Middle Tennessee State at UTSA, 7 p.m.

Records

Middle Tennessee (9-5, 2-1)
UTSA (6-8, 0-3)

Flipping the script: UTSA women ride a fourth-quarter rally to a 71-68 victory over UAB

Jordan Jenkins hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 9 seconds left. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 71-68 on Saturday at the Convocation Center for the Roadrunners' first Conference USA win of the season. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins played only 18 minutes because of foul trouble but hit the game-winning shot — a 3-pointer — with nine seconds left. With the victory, UTSA snapped a three-game losing streak. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA coach Karen Aston and her staff improved the program in so many areas since the end of last season. They brought in eight newcomers, including five freshmen, to bolster the roster. The returning players all made strides to better themselves.

At the same time, the Roadrunners took their lumps early in Aston’s second year as coach.

Sidney Love. UTSA beat Idaho 76-69 in women's basketball on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman Sidney Love scored a season and career-high 23 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. – File photo by Joe Alexander

They played through November and most of December and, because of late-in-the-game mistakes or bad breaks or, whatever, they couldn’t seem to turn the corner toward respectability — until Saturday.

Trailing by 10 points in the second half and by seven after three quarters, UTSA caught a spark and raced to a 71-68 victory over the UAB Blazers at the Convocation Center.

Junior forward Jordyn Jenkins hit the winner on a three-pointer at the top of the circle with nine seconds left, and freshman guard Sidney Love blocked a shot at the buzzer, as the Roadrunners prevailed to split two games on their first weekend of C-USA competition.

“I’m really happy for the girls,” Aston said. “It’s a growth process. But at the same time, you do need to be rewarded a little bit. Hopefully this gives us some confidence to know that (we) can win close games.

“In reality, all of our conference teams look like this. I think there’s a lot of parity in our league based on what you’re looking at and some of the teams I’ve seen.

“It’s going to be a possession game from this point forward, and I think we’re getting closer to understanding what every possession means.”

Siena Guttadauro. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 71-68 on Saturday at the Convocation Center for the Roadrunners' first Conference USA win of the season. - Photo by Joe Alexander

California native Siena Guttadauro also sparked the fourth-quarter rally with nine points, an assist and a steal. In one sequence, she hit back-to-back triples. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Calling it a game for the UTSA guards, Aston couldn’t have been happier with the way her freshman backcourt players performed in the fourth quarter. Love scored 11 points and Siena Guttadauro contributed nine in the last 10 minutes.

Finer details of the fourth quarter rally? Love and Guttadauro combined for seven field goals, including six threes, and they each made three apiece from long distance.

In addition, Kyra White executed a solid play on the game-winning three by Jenkins, driving on the right side and then hooking a pass out to Jenkins on the perimeter. UAB freshman Denim DeShields, sucked into the middle on the drive, ran out to the perimeter to contest Jenkins’ jumper with a hande up, but it was too late.

“I thought the game was about our guards today,” Aston said. “…They were aggressive. They were in attack mode. So I think that possession in particular was from the fact that they were aggressive the whole game, so everybody kind of drew to Kyra, which created Jordan being pretty much wide open.”

Jenkins, the C-USA’s leading scorer, said it felt “pretty good” to drain the three.

“There’s been a couple of games when it’s been close and I’d been taking shots that hadn’t fallen,” she said. “So, it was like tough on my mental … The last shot, (it) felt good. It gives me some confidence. Yeah. It’s cool. I love when my teammates celebrate.”

Karen Aston. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 71-68 on Saturday at the Convocation Center for the Roadrunners' first Conference USA win of the season. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Trailing by seven points going into the fourth quarter, Coach Karen Aston’s UTSA Roadrunners rallied to win, improving to 3-8 overall and 1-1 in Conference USA. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After Jenkins connected, the Blazers called time out to set up a play on the other end. But as the ball was inbounded and found its way to UAB forward Lyndsey Robson on the 3-point line, her shot was blocked by Love, and it bounded away as time expired.

All of that was a welcome change of fortune for the Roadrunners, who cheered wildly from the bench when the final horn sounded. At that point, too, the box score did not lie. There was Love, a first-year collegian out of San Antonio-area Steele High School, with a team-high 23 points.

“It always feels good when I can do anything to benefit the team,” Love said. “I guess this game, it just happened to be me and Siena, who sort of stepped up for the team.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was Guttadauro, who had not played in the team’s last three games. The native Californian hadn’t played since the Idaho game on Dec. 10, and yet she came in and sparked the team, including back-to-back threes at one point.

“No, it didn’t surprise me,” Love said. “I’m confident in Siena. She’s a pure shooter. She can shoot the ball with her eyes closed.”

Records

UTSA 3-8, 1-1
UAB 8-4, 0-3

Coming up

UTSA at Middle Tennessee State, Jan. 5
UTSA at Western Kentucky, Jan. 7

Individuals

UAB — Guard Denim DeShields had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Off the bench, Forward Destinee McGhee scored 11 and forward Tracey Bershers had 10. Margaret Whitley, the team’s leading scorer, was held zero for eight shooting and four points.

UTSA — Guard Sidney Love, a season-high 23 points. Also seven rebounds. Jenkins, averaging a C-USA best 20.6 coming in, had 13 points in 18 minutes limited by foul trouble. Guttadauro, nine points on three of five triples, all in the fourth quarter. Guard Kyra White, four points, 10 rebounds, nine assists.

Notable

The Roadrunners shuffled their starting lineup, going with Madison Cockrell, Hailey Atwood, Queen Ulabo, White and Jenkins. Love and Elyssa Coleman (seven points, seven rebounds) were the first players to sub into the game for UTSA.

Madison Cockrell. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 71-68 on Saturday at the Convocation Center for the Roadrunners' first Conference USA win of the season. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Madison Cockrell started in the backcourt and produced six points, two assists and two rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA outrebounded UAB, 53-35, including 21-8 on the offensive glass. The Roadrunners also made a season-high 11 three-point shots. They held the best three-point percentage team in the C-USA to eight of 29 from distance.

Delino DeShields Sr. is the father of UAB’s freshman point guard. Her brother, Delino Jr., has played seven years in MLB, including last season with the Cincinnati Reds. Sister Diamond DeShields is with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.

First half

The Roadrunners controlled the boards, winning the battle on the offensive glass decisively, as they battled the UAB Blazers to a 29-29 deadlock at halftime.

The game played at the UTSA Convocation Center featured a battle of freshmen point guards. Denim DeShields had 13 at the half for the Blazers, while Madison Cockrell had six points and two assists for the Roadrunners.

JB’s video replay

Drilling the game winner

Firing up the three ball

Making the simple play

Scooping the competition

Driving the lane to score

New Year’s Eve matinee: UTSA women hope to end 2022 on a high note against UAB

Sidney Love. The UTSA women's basketball team lost to Louisiana Tech 62-57 in the Roadrunners' Conference USA opener on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sidney Love and the UTSA Roadrunners host the UAB Blazers today at the Convocation Center. Love is a freshman from Steele High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Another major test looms today for the UTSA women’s basketball team.

The Roadrunners, improved but still a work in progress in their second season under Coach Karen Aston, host the UAB Blazers in a New Year’s Eve contest at noon in the Convocation Center.

UTSA (2-8, 0-1 in Conference USA) is coming off its first home loss of the season Thursday night.

To recap, the Roadrunners hit a halfcourt shot at the buzzer and led by five points at the half. They led by three at the end of three quarters. But they couldn’t hold on, falling 62-57 to all C-USA guard Keiunna Walker and the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters.

The Blazers (8-3, 0-2 in Conference USA) likely don’t have a player with Walker’s credentials. But they do feature two capable backcourt players in senior Margaret Whitley and freshman Denim DeShields.

Whitley and DeShields are the sparks for a team that leads Conference USA in scoring. The Blazers and Rice Owls both average 77.4 points per game.

Whitley, DeShields and forward Lyndsey Robson all play big minutes, with the three averaging 25 minutes or more. They’re 1-2-3 in scoring, respectively, for the Blazers and 10th-year coach Randy Norton.

DeShields comes from a notable athletic family, with her father, Delino DeShields, Sr., having played 13 years in the major league baseball. Her brother, Delino Jr., is in the major leagues and her sister, Diamond, makes her living in professional basketball in the WNBA.

To beat UAB, UTSA will need to guard the three-point line. The Blazers lead the conference in shooting from beyond the arc at 37.8 percent, with Whitley hitting at an eye-opening 48.3 clip.

Lately, the Blazers have been frustrated in losing their first two conference games — both on the road — to the Charlotte 49ers and the UTEP Miners. The Blazers were stymied in a 76-58 loss at UTEP Thursday night on the first game of a road trip through Texas.

Records

UTSA 2-8, 0-1
UAB 8-3, 0-2

Coming up

UTSA at Middle Tennessee State, Jan. 5
UTSA at Western Kentucky, Jan. 7

Louisiana Tech rallies in the fourth quarter to knock off UTSA

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Louisiana Tech guard Keiunna Walker fell hard underneath the UTSA basket early in the fourth quarter and wobbled off the floor to take a breather.

A few minutes of rest was all she needed.

Jordyn Jenkins. The UTSA women's basketball team lost to Louisiana Tech 62-57 in the Roadrunners' Conference USA opener on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins scored 21 points for her fourth straight game of 20 or more. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Walker returned late in the game to knock down two shots, helping LA Tech rally for a 62-57 victory over the Roadrunners.

Lady Techsters coach Brooke Stoehr, with her team down three points at the end of three quarters, applauded her team’s defensive effort down the stretch.

“I thought the defensive effort in the fourth quarter was tremendous, to hold them to 10 (points),” Stoehr said. “We had two quarters, the first quarter and fourth quarter, I thought we were pretty solid defensively.

“(We’d) given up a bunch of offensive rebounds in the second and third quarters, and we just talked to them a lot about, ‘Hey, they’re a great rebounding team,’ and (UTSA coach) Karen (Aston) has ’em playing so hard.

“They put a lot of pressure on you with (Jordyn) Jenkins and (Elyssa) Coleman in there, in the paint. I think (UTSA guard Hailey) Atwood had three or four (offensive boards) at halftime on the offensive end.

“So, just really proud of our group, and how they continue to fight. It’s tough to win on the road.”

With the victory, Louisiana Tech (8-4 overall) overcame the absence of injured forward Anna Larr Roberson and evened its record in Conference USA to 1-1.

Hailey Atwood. The UTSA women's basketball team lost to Louisiana Tech 62-57 in the Roadrunners' Conference USA opener on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Hailey Atwood finished with six points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA (2-8, 0-1) skidded to its third straight loss, coming up short on its home court against one of the conference’s better teams.

For Roadrunners coach Karen Aston, the loss was a tough one because she wanted to win her C-USA opener for everyone in her home arena who attended on a holiday week night.

She also wanted a win for her players, who have put in the hard work at practices this season, only to lose by seven or fewer points in seven of the eight losses.

“Even though (fans) wanted to win tonight, I think they would appreciate the effort and how close we are right now. I know the focus is on us not finishing games. But we weren’t even in the games last year. We’ve made remarkable progress.”

With UTSA holding a 47-44 lead entering the fourth quarter, Louisiana Tech forward Lotte Sant immediately stepped out and nailed a three to forge a tie.

From there, both teams went cold, scoreless for almost four minutes. In that stretch, Walker had to leave the game when she was hit from behind and fell hard under the UTSA basket.

Walker walked off the floor after both the LA Tech team trainer and coach came out to check on her. It was potentially a big loss for the Lady Techsters, because she had 16 points at the time.

Kyra White. The UTSA women's basketball team lost to Louisiana Tech 62-57 in the Roadrunners' Conference USA opener on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Kyra White was held scoreless on zero for six shooting, but she contributed in a big way with seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Fortunately for LA Tech, she returned three minutes later just as UTSA was beginning to pick up some momentum.

Coleman went to work inside, got fouled and sank two free throws with 2:32 remaining, pulling the Roadrunners to within one.

On the next trip upcourt for LA Tech, Walker knocked down an 18-foot jumper. After Jenkins answered for UTSA with a bucket to make it a one-point game again, Walker struck one more time.

Getting the ball on the left side, she circled to the right on the dribble and then cut to the basket, sinking a driving layup while also drawing a foul.

Walker lay motionless after she hit the floor and had to come out again, the victim of apparent cramping.

Teammate Mackenzie Wurm, stepping to the line in Walker’s place, knocked down the free throw for a 59-55 lead with 1:30 remaining.

UTSA could get no closer than two points the rest of the way.

“Just reallty proud of our players,” Stoehr said. “We’ve had a lot of people step up. We’re a little short-handed right now. Just, facing a lot of adversity. So it’s good to see our bench come in and do what they did.”

Records

UTSA 2-8, 0-1
LA Tech 8-4, 1-1

Coming up

UAB at UTSA, Saturday, at noon

Individuals

Louisiana Tech — Keiunna Walker, 20 points on seven of 15 from the field and six of seven at the free throw line; Lotte Sant, 15 points on five of six from 3-point distance; Salma Bates, 12 points and six rebounds; Amaya Brannon, 10 points, three rebounds and three steals.

UTSA — Jordyn Jenkins, 21 points on nine of 20 shooting from the field; Elyssa Coleman, double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, with four of 11 shooting; Queen Ulabo, eight points on three of four afield; Hailey Atwood, six points and seven rebounds off the bench; Kyra White, zero points, seven assists and six rebounds; Sidney Love, two points and three assists.

Madison Cockrell and Jordyn Jenkins celebrate after Cockrell hit a long shot to end the first half. The UTSA women's basketball team lost to Louisiana Tech 62-57 in the Roadrunners' Conference USA opener on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Madison Cockrell and Jordyn Jenkins celebrate after Cockrell hits a long shot to end the first half. – Photo by Joe Alexander

First half

Freshman Madison Cockrell banked in a 40-footer at the halftime buzzer to give the UTSA Roadrunners an emotional lift and a 33-28 lead at intermission.

Cockrell’s heave from just inside the halfcourt stripe, launched on the dribble, underscored UTSA’s shot-making ability — and perhaps its good fortune — in the half.

The Roadrunners connected on 15 of 31 from the field and three of six from 3-point distance over the first and second quarters.

Notable

Louisiana Tech forward Anna Larr Roberson, a career 1,000-point scorer for the Lady Techsters, did not play. She was on the bench with what appeared to be a cast on her right hand. A LA Tech spokesman described it as a finger injury.

UTSA freshman Alexis Parker did not play. She had a walking boot on her right foot and wasn’t suited up. Parker, from Brandeis High School in San Antonio, scored 11 points in UTSA’s last game, a 93-89 overtime loss at Houston on Dec. 21.

JB’s video replay

Jenkins on the run

Driving for two

In the spin cycle

Lady Techsters veterans pay a visit to test the young Roadrunners

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The three-time national champion Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters, one of the original powers in women’s college basketball, will play in San Antonio tonight against the UTSA Roadrunners.

Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Led by Jordyn Jenkins, the leading scorer in Conference USA, UTSA (2-7) hopes to start a winning trend in its first C-USA game of the season.

Jenkins averages 20.6 points for the Roadrunners, who are undefeated at 2-0 on the home court and winless in five road games, plus two at neutral sites.

Six of UTSA’s seven losses have come by seven points or less, including a 93-89 loss in overtime at Houston on Dec. 19, the team’s last outing before breaking for Christmas.

In the game at UH, the Roadrunners erased a 21-point deficit with a stirring rally that fell short, as they dropped a 93-89 decision to the Cougars in overtime.

Louisiana Tech (7-4, 0-1) lost its first conference game, falling to the UTEP Miners 62-54 at home on Dec. 18. The Lady Techsters have been off since then.

Picked second in Conference USA, the LA Tech features guard Keiunna Walker and 6-foot-3 forward Anna Larr Roberson. UTSA coach Karen Aston also pointed out assist leader Silvia Nativi as another concern.

UTSA is a young team, with Aston expected to start a freshman point guard in Sidney Love and is likely to use three and perhaps four other first-year players in the rotation.

Love, Alexis Parker, Madison Cockrell and Maya Linton all played in the Houston game. Siena Guttadauro is a talented fifth freshman for UTSA.

Nobody is calling the Roadrunners the Baby Birds yet, but they could. They’ll be tested by the likes of Walker and Roberson, who have combined to play in 213 games at LA Tech. Walker, the preseason Player of the Year in the conference, has played in 120.

Both helped lead LA Tech last season to 21 victories, a trip to the C-USA tournament title game and an appearance in the Women’s NIT.

Notable

LA Tech was one of the storied programs in the women’s game in the 1980s. The Lady Techsters won the 1981 national title in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and then claimed NCAA championships in 1982 and 1988.

Quotable

“I know that they’re a very developed team,” UTSA’s Kyra White said of Lousiana Tech. “They have a lot of experience. Multiple guards coming back that have been there for a year, multiple years. Very strong post presence down low. And I just know that they’re going to come in to our house ready to compete. So, we just have to match that energy.”

Records

UTSA 2-7, 0-0
LA Tech 7-4, 0-1

Coming up

UAB at UTSA, Saturday at noon.