Category Archives: College basketball

Monster rally in Houston boosts UTSA leading into C-USA play

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

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins averages 20.6 points per game to rank 16th in the nation and first in Conference USA. The Roadrunners open C-USA play by hosting the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters Thursday night. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

More than a week has passed since a remarkable women’s college basketball game unfolded at the Fertitta Center in Houston.

In the beginning, the Houston Cougars roamed the passing lanes and pounced on just about every pass thrown by the young UTSA Roadrunners.

An early lead for Houston ballooned to 10. Then to 15. As UTSA kept throwing the ball away, the advantage for the home team widened to 21.

It was only the second quarter, and it looked as if the Cougars might win by 30 or 40 or more. Well, let’s just say that it didn’t quite work out that way.

With UTSA junior forward Jordyn Jenkins putting on a show en route to a career-high 35 points, the Roadrunners opened eyes by unleashing a monster rally, coming all the way back into a few second-half tie scores, before losing 93-89 in overtime.

In one sense, the Houston game is ancient history. It was played nine days ago. Before Christmas. Back before the arctic blast.

In the present tense, the weather has warmed again, and UTSA (2-7) is back home at the Convocation Center, hoping to start a winning trend to coincide with the start of Conference USA play.

Eager to put all those pre-conference losses behind them, Roadrunners are preparing to host the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (7-4) on Thursday night, before they entertain the UAB Blazers (8-2) on Saturday afternoon.

Their last game, nonetheless, remains top of mind.

Coaches and players keep talking about Houston. Aston played the tape of it for her players’ again on Tuesday morning.

The video showed two versions of the Roadrunners.

One of them failed to answer the call after the opening tip, committed numerous turnovers and eventually fell behind, 39-18, midway through the second quarter.

The other played with heart and rallied on a 32-11 streak over a 13-minute stretch that spanned the end of the second and most of the third periods.

That same team battled to the end, with standout performances from several players, including double-digit scoring efforts from Jenkins, Elyssa Coleman, Kyra White and Alexis Parker.

“We re-watched (the tape) this morning,” Aston said late Tuesday afternoon. “What I still don’t know is, what turns their motors on? I mean, I don’t know if they were nervous to start the game, or what.

“They looked a little bit frozen, and then — somewhere in the midst of the second quarter — we got our motors running.”

White, a junior from Judson, said the team still feels positive vibes from the Houston game, even though it will go down as a loss in the record book.

And even though UTSA lost some close games earlier in the season with inconsistent play in the fourth quarter, she said she has a good feeling about the team overall.

“Our last game was Houston, and we lost in overtime, but the game showed a lot for our team,” White said. “We showed grit. We showed fight. We just simply didn’t quit. It was a good way to leave before (Christmas) break.

“Coming back, we’re just trying to get everybody back under their feet and and ready to go play.”

From this point forward, every team that UTSA plays will have Jenkins’ name circled on the scouting report.

At Houston, she struggled early with the physicality of the Cougars’ defense, but she kept battling and hit 12 of 17 shots from the field.

In one stretch, she wowed the crowd at the Fertitta Center with deft moves that you might see in a pro game.

Once, while set up at the elbow, she pivoted, spun through traffic and flipped up a shot left-handed into the net.

In another sequence, she came down on the fast break, sweeping past defenders and into the paint, to score again with the left hand.

The right-handed Jenkins leads Conference USA at 20.6 points per game, while making 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.

She’s on a roll now, having scored 20 or more in five of her last six outings.

“She’s extremely skilled,” Aston said. “There’s no question. She works on her craft. I mean, she’s in the gym all the time (and) she wants to be great.

“The growth of our team is that we’re starting to figure out who can do what, and I think our team is comfortable knowing they need to get her the ball some.

“I’m not sure we knew that a month ago.

“For her, she’s making better decisions when she gets doubled. Right now, people are, I would say, picking poison against us.”

Aston said the team still needs other players to step up and contribute.

“We also need to see Elyssa Coleman get the ball a little more down low,” the coach said. “She was efficient when she got it (at Houston), and then, you know, we need to have (other) players make open (perimeter) shots.”

Coming up

Louisiana Tech at UTSA, Thursday, 7 p.m.
UAB at UTSA, Saturday, noon.

C-USA standings

FAU 1-0, 8-2
UTEP 1-0, 8-2
Middle Tennessee 1-0, 8-2
Charlotte 1-0, 5-5
Western Kentucky 0-0, 3-6
North Texas 0-0, 3-7
UTSA 0-0, 2-7
Rice 0-1, 9-1
UAB 0-1, 8-2
Louisiana Tech 0-1, 7-4
FIU 0-1, 5-5

UTSA men to embark on a C-USA trip to Louisiana Tech, UAB

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Japhet Medor. 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

UTSA guard Japhet Medor returned to practice Wednesday after experience holiday travel delays in getting to San Antonio from his home in Florida. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Forging through a few uncertainties coming out of the Christmas break, the UTSA Roadrunners are scheduled to take a bus ride to Louisiana today on their first Conference USA trip of the season.

The Roadrunners (6-6, 0-1) are scheduled to play the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-5, 0-1) on Thursday night in Ruston. Next up, UTSA will move on to Alabama to face the UAB Blazers on Saturday.

The most pressing issue for UTSA centers around starting point guard Japhet Medor.

Steve Henson. 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

Steve Henson’s UTSA Roadrunners hope to gain traction in the Conference USA race with a victory at Louisiana Tech. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Like most players on the team, Medor went home for the holidays. He was in Florida visiting family as the Roadrunners took three days off following a Dec. 22 home loss to North Texas.

When UTSA returned to on campus workouts Monday, Medor was not there.

Like a lot of people traveling this week, he had been unable to get from Point A to Point B on his itinerary. The last time I checked with Roadrunners coach Steve Henson on Tuesday afternoon, Medor was expected to arrive in San Antonio some time Tuesday night.

The team’s leading scorer was due to work out with the team Wednesday morning before everyone boarded a bus bound for Ruston. In a late-breaking development, the Medor travel issue has been resolved.

Henson just texted to say that Medor had arrived in San Antonio on Tuesday night, as scheduled, and practiced with the team on Wednesday.

Another issue of note was the ongoing question surrounding the status of 7-foot center Carlton Linguard, Jr. UTSA, as expected, has forwarded its request to the NCAA to clear a path for the former Stevens High School standout to gain immediate eligibility.

A transfer from Kansas State, Linguard has been ineligible since he arrived this summer. Henson said Linguard fared well academically in the fall semester, and so UTSA has made the request.

“We’ve submitted the paperwork and hopefully will get an answer from the NCAA soon,” Henson said.

Another unrelated complication in Linguard’s efforts to play this season started to unfold when the team took a mid-December trip to play at New Mexico and Utah. He apparently suffered a concussion on the trip and is now in protocol.

Linguard’s absence from practice was a factor Tuesday afternoon.

“That affected our workout quite a bit,” Henson said. “Our guys hit the wall today. We were without Isaiah (Addo-Ankrah), Carlton and Japhet. So that gives us 12 bodies and two point guards (Erik Czumbel and Christian Tucker).

“So they had to go every single rep. Every single rep they were on the court … There wasn’t much down time for anybody. There was just one sub on each team.”

Linguard’s situation could be vital to the long-term success of the team this year. Since he started to practice full speed following a months-long knee rehabilitation, he showed quickness, jumping ability and multiple skills.

Henson said he doesn’t know how long it will take the NCAA to sort out Linguard’s academic issue.

“My belief is that they move a little faster (on requests) during the season,” the coach said. “The NCAA knows people are sitting around waiting on that. But I think there’s a lot of stuff going on with the (football) bowl games, waivers and appeals and those kind of things.

“I would hope (in Linguard’s case) relatively soon. It’s possible they look at it and want to know more information. More clarification. Our compliance office does a great job handling those situations. We kind of lean on them for it.”

Henson said Linguard “did a very good job in the classroom, an excellent job” in the fall semester. That was part of the process, to show that since he has been in school at UTSA, that he was making progress, the coach said.

“He’s a good student,” Henson said. “He’s got a good (grade point average). We just got to show that we’ve got everything lined up for him. That he’s in good standing. That he’s in good hands. That the move here has been positive for him.”

As for Addo-Ankrah, one of UTSA’s top three-point shooters, it was announced prior to UTSA’s Dec. 22 game against North Texas that he would be out a month with a fracture in his left wrist. It’s his non-shooting hand.

If everything works out on his recovery timeline, fans might expect to see the Houston native back on the floor some time around the first of February.

Henson, talking after Tuesday afternoon’s workout, smiled when it was suggested that a healthy Addo-Ankrah and an eligible and healthy Linguard were two of his recent requests to Santa Claus.

“Those would have been pretty high on the Christmas list, for sure,” the coach said.

Coming up

UTSA at Louisiana Tech, Thursday, 6 p.m.

Records

UTSA 6-6, 0-1
Louisiana Tech 7-5, 0-1

As a cold wind blows outside, North Texas’ Ousmane rains 37 points on UTSA

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John Buggs III. 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

Guard John Buggs III led a second-half charge for the UTSA Roadrunners, but the North Texas Mean Green stopped the rally and puilled away for a lopsided victory in the Conference USA opener for both teams. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Mother Nature directed an Arctic blast of cold air at San Antonio on Thursday afternoon, just about the same time that the North Texas Mean Green and UTSA Roadrunners tipped off in a Conference USA opener at the Convocation Center.

Steve Henson. 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

Steve Henson’s UTSA Roadrunners fell to 6-6 on the season and to 0-1 in Conference USA after losing 78-54 to North Texas Thursday night. – Photo by Joe Alexander

At the end of the night, North Texas forward Abou Ousmane emerged as a force of nature himself. He rained a career-high 37 points on the UTSA Roadrunners in leading the Mean Green to a 78-54 victory.

Ousmane hit 15 of 19 from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds as North Texas (10-2) won its fifth in a row on the season. In addition, the Mean Green added to their recent dominance of the Roadrunners, improving to 9-2 against UTSA over the past eight seasons.

Ousmane, a 6-foot-10 Brooklyn native, was the talk of post-game interviews. Coming in, he was averaging a little more than 11 points. His previous career high was 23.

“I was most impressed with his patience,” North Texas coach Grant McCasland said. “He was 15 of 19, and I thought he was composed. And then when he took his time and our team was patient on the offensive end, I thought we got the shots we wanted. That showed in 17 assists and nine turnovers.”

Jacob Germany. 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

UTSA center Jacob Germany, playing on a recently sprained ankle, contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes against North Texas. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA (6-6) didn’t shoot well in the first half but still managed to stay within reach of the visitors, trailing by 11 at halftime. Led by Japhet Medor an John Buggs III, the Roadrunners hit a few threes, attacked the basket and pulled to within one point twice early in the second half.

A driving layup by Josh Farmer capped a 19-9 run and pulled the Roadrunners to within one point, 43-42, with 12:46 remaining.

From there, the Roadrunners started to settle for jump shots, lost a little of their edge on each possession and watched as the Mean Green exploded for 17 unanswered points. A dunk by Ousmane capped the streak and made it an 18-point game, 60-42, with 6:55 remaining.

UTSA never got closer than 15 the rest of the way and lapsed again in the final minutes, as North Texas rolled up as much as a 27-point lead. It all left UTSA coach Steve Henson and his staff searching for answers.

Asked what he told his players in the locker room, he said, “I was pretty honest with ’em. It’s not acceptable. You know, it’s a home game. It’s a conference game. We were in pretty good shape there midway through the second half and ended up losing badly. You can’t feel good about that.

“If they feel good about that right now, then something’s not right. It’s just not good enough. You know, we gave up 50 percent (shooting) to them. We shoot 33 percent. Turned it over too much and got out-rebounded.

Japhet Medor. 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

UTSA’s Japhet Medor battles to create space on a drive to the hoop. Medor finished with 12 points, four assists and three rebounds – Photo by Joe Alexander

“You know, there’s not many phases of the game left. Again, proud of certain stretches of the ball game. I still love this team. I love our guys. I like their attitudes, for the most part. But we’ve got to play harder.”

Injuries played a role in the lopsided margin. UTSA was playing its first game of the season without forward Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, one of the team’s best three-point shooters. Addo-Ankrah, who scored 14 in his last outing, was sidelined after being diagnosed earlier this week with a wrist fracture.

Additionally, UTSA center Jacob Germany also was less than full speed. Germany twisted an ankle badly in a home game on Sunday and wasn’t himself in a couple of days of practice coming into Thursday night.

Germany had a good first half in some respects, with eight points and seven rebounds. But matched against Ousmane, it appeared he had some trouble springing off the floor and with lateral movement.

Regardless, he played with significant heart and finished with 11 points and 12 boards. Medor led the Roadrunners with 12 points and John Buggs III had 10.

Foul trouble plagued UTSA freshman standout DJ Richards. Richards had three in the first half and picked up a fourth early in the second half. He finished with eight points on three of 11 shooting. Richards was two of eight from three.

In scoring 54 points, the Roadrunners fell 16 shy of their season average. They also shot 32.7 percent from the field, which was also down from their 41.2 percent reading through the first 11 games.

Records

North Texas 10-2, 1-0
UTSA 6-6, 0-1

Coming up

UTSA at Louisiana Tech, Dec. 29;; UTSA at UAB, Dec. 31.

Notable

Former UTSA great Devin Brown was a face in the crowd at courtside. Brown, No. 3 on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,922 points, led the Roadrunners to the 1999 NCAA tournament. He later played in the NBA and won a championship with the Spurs. Brown was recently named to the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame.

JB’s video replay

Posting up to score

Double-clutching on the drive

Taking it inside

First half

With North Texas forward Abou Ousmane scoring 2o first-half points and the Mean Green clamping down defensively, the Roadrunners found themselves down by 11 at intermission. North Texas held UTSA to 32 percent shooting and surged at the break to a 34-23 lead.

UTSA’s offense never got untracked in the half, shooting 9 of 28 from the field and 1 of 7 from three-point distance. Germany led the Roadrunners with eight points and seven rebounds at the break.

UTSA’s Steve Henson: ‘I think we’re locked in and ready to go’

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Steve Henson. UTSA beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Steve Henson’s UTSA Roadrunners not only will need to hit some shots tonight, they’ll likely need to hit the defensive glass hard to have success against the North Texas Mean Green. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Starting Conference USA play without one of his top three-point shooters and with his starting center likely hindered by a sprained ankle, Coach Steve Henson and the UTSA Roadrunners will host the North Texas Mean Green tonight at 7.

Henson said his players are ready.

“Our mindset is pretty good right now, excited,” the coach said Wednesday. “It’s kind of another start. You kind of go through different phases in a season. Certainly the start of league play is a big deal. Guys have had some good practices. I think we’re locked in and ready to go.”

In their last game, the Roadrunners (6-5) found an offensive groove in downing the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 90-69. Since that Sunday afternoon game, the team has had to face up to some adversity, with three-point shooting specialist Isaiah Addo-Ankrah ruled out for four weeks with a wrist fracture.

Also, center Jacob Germany twisted his ankle against the Wildcats, so the 6-foot-11 senior might not be full speed for the Mean Green (9-2). It’s not a great time to be at less than full speed, because North Texas has won 20 or more games in four of the last five seasons.

They won 25 last year. In doing so, the Mean Green claimed the regular-season title in the C-USA with a 14-2 record. They went on to play in the NIT, downing Texas State and then falling to Virginia in the second round. This season, the Mean Green look as salty as ever.

They’re holding teams to 51.6 points per game, which ranks second nationally behind only the Houston Cougars. Also, they’re 18th in offensive rebounding and 23rd in field goal percentage defense.

“We’ve got a great deal of respect for North Texas,” Henson said. “It’s a huge test for us right out of the gate.”

Under sixth-year coach Grant McCasland, the Mean Green play a deliberate style designed to wear down and frustrate opponents. They beat UTSA twice last year using that very formula, holding the Roadrunners to fewer than 50 points in games played in Denton and San Antonio.

This year, they’ve held opponents under 50 four times. The Saint Mary’s Gaels solved the Mean Green mystery earlier this season, winnning 63-33 in Moraga, Calif. But the Gaels, incredibly, are the only team to eclipse 60 points on North Texas thus far.

“It’s a whole combination (of things),” Henson said. “It all fits together very well. Pace gets your attention initially. Yesterday, KenPom (advanced metrics) had them as the second-slowest team in the country in number of possessions.

“You know, part of that is that they’re hard to score on. So that affects the number of possessions. It’s not just about them having long possessions offensively, but they also do that. So it’s a bunch of factors. It’s a very unique style of play.”

Players to watch

North Texas — Guard Tylor Perry, a first-team all C-USA pick last year, leads the Mean Green in scoring at 17.7 per game. He’s adept at knocking down jumpers late in the shot clock. Also, newcomer Kai Huntsberry is enjoying a solid season in his first year in Denton. He’s second in scoring at 12.6. Forward Abou Ousmane, who played with UTSA’s John Buggs III in prep school, averages 11.2 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds. Ousmane, Aaron Scott and Jayden Martinez (from Steele HS) are all significant threats on the offensive glass.

UTSA — Point guard Japhet Medor leads UTSA with 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Jacob Germany, who tweaked his ankle in the second half Sunday against Bethune-Cookman, averages 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds. Without injured Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, John Buggs III and D.J. Richards will need to hit some perimeter shots to keep UTSA in contention tonight. Buggs is averaging 9.8 points and Richards 9.5. Richards leads the team in three-point percentage at 41.4.

Buggs-Ousmane friendship adds a layer of intrigue to the UTSA-North Texas rivalry

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John Buggs III. A beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s John Buggs III says his good friend Abou Ousmane of the North Texas Mean Green has been playfully ‘talking noise’ on the eve of tonight’s game at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If you ask John Buggs III a question, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll get an interesting answer, around which he almost always spins a yarn about his life in basketball.

For instance, I asked Buggs yesterday about playing tonight at the UTSA Convocation Center against the North Texas Mean Green.

It’s the Conference USA opener for both Buggs and the UTSA Roadrunners and the Mean Green, who have been a dominant force in the league for the past five seasons.

As a newcomer in the UTSA program, Buggs has yet to experience what it’s like to host the Mean Green at the Bird Cage.

Other than last season when North Texas dominated in a 59-48 victory, the UTSA-North Texas games played in San Antonio recently have been close, coming down to one or two possessions in the final minutes.

The crowd, as you’d expect, has usually been animated and vocal.

I was curious to get Buggs’ take on the rivalry, and what the game means to him at this juncture of an up and down season for the Roadrunners.

Also, what it means to him, to get a crack at the defending conference regular-season champions on opening night.

“I feel like we’re very excited,” Buggs said. “It’s an unbelievable opportunity that we have. We can definitely open a lot of eyes by getting a win, you know.”

It’s been a tough deal for UTSA to get many wins against North Texas lately.

In five previous seasons under Coach Grant McCasland, the Mean Green have posted a 6-2 record against the Roadrunners, including 3-2 in San Antonio.

Since 2017-18, North Texas has won handily in all three games against UTSA in Denton, all by double digits. In San Antonio, as mentioned, the games have been hotly contested for most of the 40 minutes on the game clock.

For instance, in December 2017, UTSA freshmen Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace and Co. battled to the end before North Texas made a few plays and won, 72-71.

In January 2019, Jackson hit a memorable, spinning jump shot in the final seconds to lift the Roadrunners to a 76-74 victory.

Two years ago, during the pandemic season, North Texas played at UTSA on back-to-back nights. The Mean Green pulled out a 77-70 decision on the front end of the double dip.

But UTSA bounced back the next night to exact revenge, winning 77-69 against a North Texas team that would go on to play in the NCAA tournament.

Last season, North Texas was all over UTSA at the Bird Cage with a smothering defensive effort. It was all Mean Green down the stretch in a 59-48 drubbing.

Buggs likely doesn’t know all the history, but he does know a little about this year’s North Texas squad based on film study.

He knows North Texas is a quality team, one of the best in the nation defensively, and that a win tonight for UTSA could really alter the trajectory of the season.

“I’m really excited,” Buggs said, a smile creasing his face. “One of my (former) teammates plays on their team, so we’ve been talking back and forth a little bit.”

Who does he know?

“Abou Ousmane,” Buggs replied. “We played together for a year at prep school.”

In Connecticut, in the 2018-19 season, right?

At the Putnam Science Academy?

“Yeah, he’s a little younger than me,” Buggs said. “But we were at the same prep school for a little while. Last year, when I was at Juco (at Hill College, in Hillsboro) I went to watch him play (in Denton) many, many times.

“(Ousmane) was one of my best friends in prep school. So, you know, we got a little duel going on (this week).”

If you think about it, the Buggs-Ousmane reunion is quite a hoops coincidence. Buggs is from northwest Louisiana and Ousmane, a 6-10 forward, is from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Both played together at the prep school in northeast Connecticut for one year, became friends and now they’re on opposite teams for a bragging-rights type game, scheduled to be contested in San Antonio, a few days before Christmas in 2022.

“We definitely have kept in touch,” Buggs said, smiling. “It’s going to be a show (tonight) for sure.”

So, have you talked to him or texted in the last several days?

“Yeah, I talked to him two days ago?” he said in an interview Wednesday at UTSA. “Actually before the Bethune-Cookman game (last Sunday), he was calling, talking noise. You know, he was throwing (verbal) shots. I said, ‘We ready.’ It’s going to be a good test for us tomorrow.

“Definitely.”

Wrist injury is expected to sideline UTSA’s Isaiah Addo-Ankrah for four weeks

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Quietly, UTSA forward Isaiah Addo-Ankrah served as an inspiration to his teammates for all the extra time he spent working on his game in the offseason.

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah. A beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Isaiah Addo-Ankrah played in all 11 games this season and averaged 7.3 points before an X-ray revealed a wrist fracture that would keep him out four weeks. — File photo by Joe Alexander

In early September, for instance, the UTSA women’s basketball team usually worked out in the morning hours, followed by the women’s volleyball squad in the early afternoon, followed later in the day by Addo-Ankrah and his friends in men’s basketball.

Sometimes, a visitor would show up in the morning thinking that Coach Karen Aston’s women’s basketball squad would be on the floor, only to discover that it was a scheduled day off.

Instead, the visitor would walk in to a nearly empty gym to the sound of squeaking shoes, with a couple of Coach Steve Henson’s men’s team players taking advantage of the open court to get up extra shots.

One day, it was Addo-Ankrah, who explained later that he’d committed to complete a couple of challenges from coaches — to make 10,000 3-pointers, outside of scheduled practices — in two different segments of the offseason.

As a consequence, the Houston native was in the gym up to three times a day from June through September. It was disheartening, in that regard, for the Roadrunners to learn recently that a fractured wrist 11 games into the season will sideline Addo-Ankrah for four weeks.

“It’s really disturbing to hear that,” UTSA guard John Buggs III said on the eve of the team’s Conference USA opener against North Texas. “Isaiah’s probably one of the more hard-working players on our team.

“He doesn’t have as many (natural) gifts as other people athletically, but, man, his work ethic … It’s just so heartbreaking for him. We hate that for him. Hopefully he’ll get well as soon as possible.”

The renewal of the hotly-contested, in-state rivalry between the Roadrunners and the Mean Green will take place on Thursday night at UTSA. Fortunately for UTSA, center Jacob Germany is expected to play.

Germany suffered a nasty-looking ankle sprain on Sunday afternoon in the Roadrunners’ 90-69 victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. UTSA (6-5) had a day off on Monday and then practiced Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for the defending C-USA regular-season champions.

Led by guards Tylor Perry and Kai Huntsberry, North Texas (9-2) has won four in a row on the season. In addition, the Grant McCasland-coached Mean Green have won six out of eight against the Roadrunners in the series over the past five seasons.

Henson discussed his team’s preparations and his personnel issues after a two-hour drill Wednesday afternoon.

“We didn’t do much, up and down, either day,” Henson said. “As much as we’d love for there to be some pace in the game tomorrow, we don’t anticipate there will be a lot of pace, so we did a lot of stuff on the halfcourt, offensively and defensively. Jacob was able to do most of it both days.

“He looked progressively better today than he did yesterday, so I don’t think he’ll be 100 percent, but he’ll play.”

Addo-Ankrah apparently had been playing with some discomfort in his left (non-shooting) wrist for some time. Because of lingering pain, a new X-ray was ordered. It revealed a fracture.

“He’s going to miss about four weeks,” the coach said.

The circumstances on how Addo-Ankrah suffered the injury weren’t immediately clear.

“He injured it a long time ago,” Henson said. “Initially, it didn’t show a fracture. He started feeling a little better. But he wasn’t quite getting over the hump there, so they re-X-rayed and they found a small fracture.”

For the season, Addo-Ankrah had played in all 11 games with eight starts. A three-point shooting specialist, he was fifth on the team, averaging 7.3 points.

Though Addo-Ankrah made a season-high four triples on Sunday afternoon against Bethune-Cookman, his shooting percentages were down from last season, as he was hitting .366 from the field and .313 from three.

Henson didn’t specify how he planned to fill the 23.5-minutes per game void. But, likely, players such as Aleu Aleu, Lamin Sabally and Lachlan Bofinger will need to step up.

“I think (Isaiah’s) presence will be missed as far as spacing the floor and creating driving lanes, that type of thing,” Buggs said. “But we have other guys that can get in the lane or attack the paint, affect the game with offensive rebounding, that type of stuff.

“I think we have guys that are ready to step up and take on a bigger role.”

Buggs said it’s a good sign for the team to see the efforts that Germany made to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.

“It just sends a message that we’re all about being tough and trying to grind it out, and do whatever we need to do to win,” Buggs said. “I feel like, with Jacob playing, that puts us in the best position to win.”

Coming up

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

Records

UTSA 6-5
North Texas 9-2

Notable

North Texas’ top players are guards Perry and Huntsberry, with 6-10 power forward Abou Ousmane playing inside. Buggs said he was Ousmane’s teammate years ago in Connecticut at the Putnam Science Academy.

“He was one of my best friends in prep school,” Buggs said.

Buggs said he talked to Ousmane recently, likely in the days before the Bethune-Cookman game. “He was calling, talking noise,” Buggs said. “He was throwing (verbal) shots. I said, ‘Hey, we ready.’ It’s going to be a good test for us tomorrow. Definitely.”

The Mean Green have won at least 20 games in four of the past five seasons under McCasland. They reached the NCAA tournament in 2021 and advanced to the round of 32.

Last year, they finished 25-7 and 16-2 in the C-USA. North Texas played in the NIT, defeated Texas State and then lost to Virginia in the second round.

Comeback falls short for the UTSA women as Houston wins, 93-89, in overtime

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Guard Laila Blair knocked down six free throws in six attempts and assisted on a field goal in the final 1:27 Monday, lifting the University of Houston Cougars to a 93-89 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Blair’s efforts helped Houston thwart a massive comeback by the Roadrunners, who trailed by as many as 21 points in the second quarter. The Roadrunners, behind junior forward Jordyn Jenkins, rallied on a 32-11 run to tie the game near the end of the third period.

As Houston pulled away again in the fourth quarter, leading by nine with a little more than a minute remaining, UTSA rallied again to tie and send the game to the extra period. Kyra White scored five points in the comeback and freshman Maya Linton sank two free throws with six seconds left to tie it, 80-80.

Houston’s Tiara Young missed a layup in the final seconds that could have won the game, but it bounced off the rim, and the Cougars failed to get off another shot.

In the overtime, Young opened the period with a jumper as the Cougars took the first lead. Jenkins followed by grabbing on offensive rebound and putting it back to tie the score. But when Young made both free throws with 3:35 remaining, Houston had the lead by two. Ultimately, the Cougars would never relinquish it.

Jenkins scored 35 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Roadrunners, who fell to 2-7 on the season and 0-5 on the road. UTSA is 0-2 in neutral site games. Tiara Young led the Cougars with 21 points.

Records

UTSA 2-7
Houston 3-9

Individuals

Scoring: UTSA — Jordyn Jenkins 35, Elyssa Coleman 15, Kyra White 12, Alexis Parker 11. Houston — Tiara Young 21, Laila Blair 20, Bria Patterson 15, Tatyana Hill 10.

Rebounding: UTSA — Jenkins 10, Coleman 5, White 5. Houston — Tatyana Hill 12, Tiara Young 4.

Team stats

Field goal percentage: UTSA, 32-61, 52.5. Houston, 28-66, 42.4.
Rebounds: UTSA, 44. Houston, 29. Offensive rebounds: UTSA, 13. Houston 10.
Turnovers: UTSA, 36. Houston, 22. Steals: UTSA, 12. Houston, 16.

Coming up

Conference USA opener for UTSA at Louisiana Tech, Dec. 29; UTSA at UAB, Dec. 31.

UTSA offense sizzles in a 90-69 victory over Bethune-Cookman

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Japhet Medor. A beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Japhet Medor led five UTSA players in double figures with 18 points. He also had four assists and three rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners had positive day on a number of fronts Sunday afternoon in rolling to a 90-69 victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats.

For one thing, their offense seemed to have a good look about it, especially the three-point shooting. The Roadrunners hit 11 of 23 triples for 47.8 percent.

Steve Henson. UTSA beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Steve Henson’s UTSA Roadrunners improved to 6-5 leading into a Conference USA opener Thursday night at home against the North Texas Mean Green. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In addition, they also used some different player rotations and seemed to do well with whoever was on the floor at a given time.

Despite a slow start, they corrected the issue with a 35-17 run to the end of the first half that lasted a little more than 10 minutes — one of the best stretches of basketball that they’ve produced all year.

One notable question for the team leading into a Thursday night Conference USA opener against North Texas, however, centered on senior Jacob Germany, who twisted an ankle early in the second half and didn’t return.

“A little concerning,” Coach Steve Henson said. “Probably will get X-rays right away. He twisted it pretty bad. We’ll find out soon.”

On a move to the basket, UTSA’s leading scorer for the season went down in a tangle of players under the goal with about 13:30 remaining in the game.

Reggie Theus. UTSA beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Reggie Theus’ Bethune-Cookman Wildcats lost to both Incarnate Word and UTSA on a swing through San Antonio. Theus was a two-time NBA all star with the Chicago Bulls in the 1980s. – Photo by Joe Alexander

He came off the floor grimacing, as trainer Jiana Hook attended to him. Later, he was seated on the bench in a walking boot.

“Hope it’s nothing serious,” Henson said. “He twisted it badly. So he’s not going to be feeling very good when he wakes up tomorrow. He’s in great hands. Jiana will take care of him and the doctors will do a great job.

“Hopefully it’s just a sprain and we can get him some treatment and get him back as soon as possible.”

UTSA started slowly, with Bethune-Cookman of the Soutwhestern Athletic Conference pulling out to an early 21-14 lead.

From there, the Roadrunners produced a run toward the end of the half that was as good as any this season.

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah. A beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah sank four of UTSA’s season-high tying 11 three-point baskets. He scored 14 points off the bench in 16 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By the time it was over, UTSA was up 49-38, and Bethune-Cookman was reeling. Meanwhile, the Roadrunners (6-5 on the season) kept applying the pressure in the second half.

As a result, the Wildcats (4-7) never got closer than 10 and found themselves trailing by as many as 26 with two minutes left.

UTSA guard D.J. Richards admitted that it felt good to win in convincing fashion after losing by double digits to both New Mexico and Utah — two teams ranked in the top 40 in the nation — on a recent road trip.

“We played two (NCAA) tournament teams,” he said. “We felt like those were good measurements for us. We felt like we’d learn from them and just move forward.”

Richards said UTSA employed an up-tempo attack to turn the game around at the end of the first half.

John Buggs III. A beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

John Buggs III filled up the boxscore with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“We got one transition bucket and then it turned into two,” he said. “We got like five straight transition buckets, and some of them were threes.”

The Roadrunners’ three-point shooting has been effective over the last five games. Four times in that stretch, they’ve hit 10 or more from beyond the arc.

Against Bethune-Cookman, Addo-Ankrah came off the bench to lead the barrage with four from distance, while starters John Buggs III, Japhet Medor and D.J. Richards hit two apiece.

Medor led five players in double figures with 18 points. Addo-Ankrah had 14, Buggs and Richards 12 apiece and Josh Farmer 10.

Joe French led the Wildcats with 27 points on 10 of 19 shooting.

Records

UTSA 6-5
Bethune-Cookman 4-7

Coming up

North Texas at UTSA, Thursday, 7 p.m. (a Conference USA opener for the Roadrunners)

Notable

UTSA opened the game with freshman Massal Diouf at center and Germany at power forward, with Medor at point guard, Buggs at the shooting guard and Richards, another freshman, on the wing at small forward.

Massal Diouf. A beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Bethune-Cookman forward Elijah Hulsewe (left) tries to hold off UTSA freshman Massal Diouf for position under the glass. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Richards continued to shine, scoring in double figures for the third straight game. He’s scored 20, 12 and 12 points, respectively, in his last three outings.

In that span, he’s hit 56 percent from the field (14 of 25) and 61.5 percent from three (eight of 13).

Nothing seems to faze Richards, who played last year at Montverde Academy in Florida following a high school career at Houston Cypress Creek.

In interviews, he thanked coaches and teammates for “believing in me,” but he also expressed optimism that Diouf also would continue to blossom.

“I’m just really happy for Massal,” Richards said. “He came a long way from having, like, no minutes to the starting lineup … I hope he just builds on it, small steps, and then who knows where he’ll be.”

It was the first start of the season for Diouf, who went on to play 18 minutes and 45 seconds.

DJ Richards. A beat Bethune-Cookman 90-69 in men's basketball on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

DJ Richards hit five of seven from the field, including two of three from long distance, in scoring 12 points for his third straight game in double figures.. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward from The Netherlands had only three points and four rebounds, but his physical style seemed to give the Roadrunners a lift.

“Just feels like he gives us a little different look,” Henson said. “We thought it would give Jacob some more life, knowing that he wouldn’t have to be the one banging all the time.

“Overall, felt pretty good about it. Massal played quite a few minutes in the first half and didn’t turn the ball over, and that’s the big thing.

“The game’s just a little bit faster (than he’s seen previously). He doesn’t have much experience. If he can protect that basketball and then rebound big, he can play for us.”

Statistically speaking

With the victory, UTSA improved to 4-5 on the season against Division I competition, while Bethune-Cookman fell to 2-7. Daytona Beach, Fla.-based Bethune-Cookman moved up from D-II to D-I in 1980. The Wildcats have never been to the NCAA tournament. UTSA started its D-I programs, with men’s basketball as the lead sport, in 1981. UTSA has been to four NCAA tournaments.

Finding a spark midway through the first half, the Roadrunners hit 10 of their last 14 shots from the field, running away from the Wildcats to lead 49-38 at intermission … For the game, the Roadrunners connected on 25 of 28 free throws for a season-high 89.3 percent. The 25 makes were also a season high.

JB’s video replay

Banking on Isaiah

Making it look easy

Spotting up for three

UTSA hosts Reggie Theus and Bethune-Cookman today

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Former NBA all star Reggie Theus will lead the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats into the UTSA Convocation today for a 3 p.m. tipoff against the Roadrunners.

The Wildcats (4-6) are a work in progress under Theus, a 13-year NBA veteran and 2-time all star, who is in his second season at the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based NCAA Division I program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Formerly a head coach at New Mexico State and Cal State-Northridge, Theus returned to the sidelines in 2021 to lead the Wildcats, a program that has never reached the NCAA Division I tournament since it elevated to D-I status in 1980.

After finishing last year at 9-21, including a 7-11 record in the SWAC, the Wildcats opened with three victories in their first six games this season, before losing three of their last four.

They’re on a road trip which has seen them fall 88-48 at North Florida and 77-65 in San Antonio at Incarnate Word.

UTSA is also coached by a former NBA player in Steve Henson. In his seventh season with the Roadrunners, Henson’s team is looking to gain traction today against Bethune-Cook before opening Conference USA competition Thursday at home against North Texas.

The Roadrunners (5-5) are 5-2 at home this season. They’re coming off a road trip in which they dropped games to a pair of top 40 programs 50 programs.

They lost 94-76 at New Mexico and 91-70 to the Utah Utes of the Pac-12 conference.

Records

UTSA 5-5
Bethune-Cookman 4-6

Coming up

North Texas at UTSA, Thursday, 7 p.m. (a Conference USA opener for the Roadrunners)

Notable

Against Division I competition, both Bethune-Cookman and UTSA are under .500, with the Wildcats 2-6 and the Roadrunners 3-5. UTSA is ranked 296th out of 363 Division I programs in the NCAA’s NET rankings. Bethune-Cookman is ranked 337th.

A positive sign for UTSA is the recent play of point guard Japhet Medor, who tweaked an ankle on Nov. 27 at home against Dartmouth. While he appeared limited physically in playing the next night in a victory over Incarnate Word, he scored 11 points at New Mexico and added 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals at Utah.

De Leon Negron rallies the UIW women past UTSA, 56-53

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One of the smallest players on the floor stood tall Thursday night at the McDermott Convocation Center.

Five-foot-six Nina De Leon Negron scored 17 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter as University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals erased an eight-point deficit and downed their cross-town rival UTSA Roadrunners, 56-53.

Playing on their home court, the Cardinals trailed by 11 points late in the third quarter and then by a 40-32 score entering the fourth.

At that point, De Leon Negron, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, took control of the game with a relentless string of drives to the basket.

UTSA seemed to have enough to hold off UIW when forward Jordyn Jenkins, who led the Roadrunners with 21 points and 11 rebounds, scored on a left-handed scoop mid-way through the fourth period.

Jenkins’ skillful move to the basket stablized the Roadrunners and boosted them into a 44-37 lead with 6:10 remaining.

De Leon Negron, however, was just getting started.

First she drove to the hoop, scored and completed a three-point play. After a Queen Ulabo turnover on the dribble, UIW came down and De Leon Negron swished a three from the top, cutting the deficit to one.

Jenkins missed, setting up a Chloe Storer layup on the other end as the Cardinals surged into their first lead since the second quarter. Kyra White answered with a drive and a bucket to make it 46-45 for UTSA.

With White converting at the 4:19 mark, it would be the last lead for the Roadrunners. After that, De Leon Negron scored seven points over the next four minutes to put UTSA away.

Trailing by five with seven seconds left, the Roadrunners made it interesting to the final whistle.

After Deb Nwakamma’s long two out of the corner splashed, accounting for the final points of the game, UIW inbounded with one second left. The pass landed in the hands of UTSA’s Jenkins, who was standing outside the three-point line, but couldn’t get off a shot as the buzzer sounded.

It was a frustrating night for UTSA, which remained winless this season on the road (0-4).

The Roadrunners out-rebounded the Cardinals (37-28) and hit four more field goals (21-17) and, somehow, they still managed to lose. Problems centered around UTSA’s perimeter shooting (0-for-10 from three) and free-throw shooting.

While the Roadrunners hit only 11 of 20 from the line, the Cardinals made the most of their opportunities, knocking down 20 of 28.

De Leon hit eight of 14 from the field and one of two from 3-point territory. She put down eight of 12 at the free-throw line.

Records

UTSA 2-6
UIW 4-4

Notable

De Leon Negron has been hot and cold this season. In her last four games, she was held scoreless at TCU, had nine points at Texas Tech, 16 against Division III Schreiner and now a season-high 25 against UTSA.

With the victory, UIW improved to 2-1 against UTSA over the past three seasons. UTSA leads the overall series, 3-2.

UTSA, meanwhile fell to 0-6 away from home this season, including 0-4 on the road. Five of UTSA’s six losses have come by seven points or less.

Forward Elyssa Coleman had a good start to the game, scoring 13 points through three quarters. She was scoreless in the fourth and ended up fouling out.

Coming up

UTSA plays its last non-conference game on Monday at the University of Houston. After that, the Roadrunners have a 10-day break before opening Conference USA play. The Roadrunners play at Louisiana Tech on Dec. 29 and at UAB on Dec. 31.

UIW, coming off an NCAA tournament appearance last season, plays at home on Sunday against Sul Ross. From there, the Cardinals are at SMU on Dec. 21. UIW opens Southland Conference play at Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 31.