Category Archives: College basketball

Frustrated Roadrunners know they can play at a higher level

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Steve Henson. men's basketball lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Steve Henson’s Roadrunners face a daunting stretch of games starting with Louisiana Tech at home on Saturday. — Photo by Joe Alexander

Plenty of questions swirled around the UTSA Roadrunners Friday morning as they prepared for a film session at noon, followed by a short practice and then an afternoon game Saturday against the powerful Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Guard Dhieu Deing, their leading scorer, has left the program to pursue professional basketball opportunities.

In addition, they’ve lost four of their last five games, including four straight against NCAA Division I competition.

Perhaps most concerning, the Roadrunners have now dropped their first two on the Conference USA schedule leading into Saturday’s 3 p.m. tipoff against Kenneth Lofton, Jr., and the Bulldogs.

It doesn’t get any easier after that as UTSA braces for three C-USA games in a row on the road.

Addressing the team’s situation after a 74-73 loss at home Thursday night to Southern Miss, UTSA coach Steve Henson acknowledged the challenge but maintained a positive outlook, given 16 games remaining on the C-USA schedule, including one Covid-related makeup.

“A lot of games left,” Henson said. “We got to play better, bottom line. This was an important game, because it was a home game. We talked about the early stretch (in conference) with a bunch of road games and home games against good opponents.

“So, it’s going to be important for our guys to stay together. They’re a little frustrated. We’re not playing the way we think we can. It doesn’t get any easier on Saturday. We know that. Then we go on the road for two.

“We got to keep our heads up and make progress.”

Coming up

Saturday, 3 p.m. — Louisiana Tech at UTSA.

Records

Louisiana Tech 12-3, 3-0
UTSA 7-8, 0-2

Notable

The Bulldogs ran their record in conference to 3-0 late Thursday night with a 64-52 road victory at UTEP. LA Tech smothered UTEP defensively, holding the Miners to 33 percent shooting. The Bulldogs also were aggressive in controlling the boards, 42-31.

Much of that was because of Lofton, who had 11 points and 18 rebounds. Outside of Lofton, one of the premier post players in the nation, sophomore guard Cobe Williams has evolved into a dangerous offensive threat.

Williams has scored 57 points in conference, including 22 against Marshall and 18 against Western Kentucky in home victories last week. The 6-footer from Dallas had 11 of his 17 on the Miners in the first half, when the Bulldogs surged to a 41-25 lead.

Lofton, a 6-foot-7, 275-pound sophomore, is averaging 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Golden Eagles hold off Ivy-Curry, Roadrunners, 74-73

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Jordan Ivy-Curry. UTSA men's basketball lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry produced 23 points and five rebounds, but the UTSA Roadrunners came up short, losing 74-73 to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. — Photo by Joe Alexander

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak at the expense of the UTSA Roadrunners Thursday night, making just enough plays down the stretch to emerge with a 74-73 victory at the Convocation Center.

For UTSA, it was a heartbreaking setback in the team’s first true test without high-scoring guard Dhieu Deing, whose departure from the program apparently had been percolating since early in the week but was announced just before tipoff.

“We’re not going to go into any great detail about it,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said after the game. “You know, we love him. Dhieu did a great job for us. He worked really, really hard. He competed. He loved the game. He just felt like he had some opportunities to go play professionally.

Cedrick Alley Jr.'s shot on the final play of the game. The ball did not go in and no foul was called. UTSA men's basketball lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Was it a foul? Nothing was called as a Southern Miss player appears to hit the arm of UTSA’s Cedrick Alley Jr. on the game’s last play. Alley finished with 15 points, four rebounds and three steals. — Photo by Joe Alexander

“We wish him well with that. It was pretty abrupt. I don’t know if that’s been on his mind or not. It just happened this week, and we wish him well.”

Deing, a junior college transfer who had played for South Sudan in an Afro Basket tournament over the summer, finished his 13-game UTSA career averaging 15.3 points.

In what would be his last game for UTSA, went 0-for-11 from the field and scored two points in a 28-point road loss at UAB last Saturday.

On Monday, he didn’t play at home against Dallas Christian College, and the Roadrunners rolled to an easy victory, winning 101-48.

Returning to conference play against Southern Miss, the Roadrunners played fairly well, considering that Deing had carried such a heavy load in November and December. Just not well enough to keep them from falling to 0-2 in C-USA play.

Aleu Aleu. UTSA men's basketball lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Aleu Aleu made an impact for the Roadrunners with 11 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. — Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Jordan Ivy-Curry led four UTSA players in double figures with 23 points. In the second half, he scored 19 and the Roadrunners shot 48 percent from the field. They also knocked down six of 10 shots from long distance.

In addition, Aleu Aleu continued to show off impressive skills, which included an offensive rebound and an up-and-under move at the hoop, a step-back, three-point shot and a pull-up jumper from the free throw line after faking a drive.

It was all included in an 11-point showing.

UTSA’s troubles started in the first half, when their defense sagged and their offense didn’t click and they fell behind by 10. Undeterred, the Roadrunners rallied behind Aleu and Jacob Germany to pull into a 32-32 tie at intermission.

After taking a five-point lead early in the second half, the Roadrunners allowed the Golden Eagles to get off the mat and make their own comeback.

Guards Jarron Pierre Jr., Rashad Bolden and center Isaih Moore led the way.

The trio helped turn a 37-32 deficit in the first minute after intermission into a 41-39 lead for when Bolden drove to the bucket in transition and converted a three-point play.

From there, Southern Miss boosted the lead to 57-49 when Pierre drained two long three-pointers, the second coming with 9:14 left. In response, UTSA rallied again.

The Roadrunners made some stops and kept chipping away and, with 1:17 remaining, cut the visitors’ lead to 72-71 on three Ivy-Curry free throws.

On the next possession, the Golden Eagles seized the upper hand with the help of what arguably could be called a little luck.

Defended well on the wing by the Roadrunners’ Aleu Aleu, Pierre hoisted a three-point shot from the corner that was long.

Darius McNeill. UTSA men's basketball lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Senior Darius McNeill played 17 minutes and scored seven points on 3 of 7 shooting. — Photo by Joe Alexander

If the Roadrunners could have grabbed the rebound, they could have come up the court with about a minute remaining with a chance to take the lead.

Instead, Pierre’s miss skipped off the rim, caroming long and into the waiting hands of Bolden, who was fouled. Headed to the line facing a one-and-one situation, he made both for a 74-71 edge with 47.3 seconds left.

On the other end, UTSA moved to make up for the missed opportunity, taking only about 12 seconds to score. Ivy-Curry found Cedrick Alley Jr., who went up strong to the hoop for a layup, bringing the Roadrunners to within 74-73.

On the Golden Eagles’ last possession, Walyn Napper misfired on a runner in the lane, giving the Roadrunners one last chance.

Ivy-Curry pushed it up court again. Once again, he dished under the basket to Alley. This time, Alley drew contact. His attempt was batted away at the buzzer by Moore, a 6-foot-10 St. John’s transfer.

“We were going to try to get a stop and push it, which is exactly what we did,” Henson said. “We got it to Juice. We wanted to attack before they got their defense set.

He drove it hard to the outside, and he had a chance to turn the corner. (But) he didn’t. He really kept his composure and got back in the middle and made a real nice play to Cedrick. We had a shot right at the basket. We just couldn’t convert it.”

Christian Tucker. men's basketball lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Christian Tucker started at point guard and finished with four points and four rebounds. — Photo by Joe Alexander

Asked if he could see contact from a defender on the play, Henson shrugged, declining an opportunity to suggest that the home-team Roadrunners deserved a call at that critical juncture.

“It was the right play for us to make,” the coach said. “They challenged the shot. They’ve got good length in there. We had a lot of shots that looked just like that through the course of the game. We just weren’t able to convert.

“I’d have to look at film to see if there was contact. We just don’t want to be in that position.”

Records

Southern Miss 5-8, 1-0
UTSA 7-8, 0-2

Coming up

Saturday, 2 p.m. — Louisiana Tech at UTSA.

Jacob Germany. UTSA men's basketball lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Germany hits the floor in a scramble for the ball against Southern Miss. Germany had 10 points, nine rebounds and three steals. — Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA vs. Southern Miss photo gallery

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Jordan Ivy-Curry. UTSA men's basketball lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry passes the ball to Cedrick Alley Jr. on UTSA’s final possession of the game.

The UTSA men’s basketball team lost to Southern Miss 74-73 on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at the Convocation Center in Conference USA action.

UTSA announces Dhieu Deing’s departure from the team

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Dhieu Deing. UTSA beat Lamar 79-73 in men's basketball on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

High-energy guard Dhieu Deing (No. 3) has left the UTSA basketball program. Deing was the team’s leading scorer at 15.3 points per game. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Thursday night update

UTSA announced Thursday night that guard Dhieu Deing is no longer on the team.

“Dhieu Deing is no longer going to be a member of our basketball program,” a statement from UTSA athletics said. “He has elected to pursue professional basketball opportunities.”

From Wednesday

UTSA coach Steve Henson says that guard Dhieu Deing, the team’s leading scorer, will not play when the Roadrunners host the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in a Conference USA game Thursday night at the Convocation Center.

“We’ll put out a statement on him in the next couple of days,” Henson said Wednesday. “I’m just going to leave it at that, for now. He will not be in uniform tomorrow night.”

Asked if Deing might also be out for Saturday afternoon’s home game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, the coach declined comment.

The loss of Deing has emerged as the latest in a string of challenges for the Roadrunners, who have been erratic in their level of play all season and have had a mix of setbacks ranging from injuries, to players in Covid protocols.

Deing’s absence is not Covid-related, but it might be the toughest to overcome, especially if he is out for an extended period of time.

The 6-foot-5 junior, a newcomer, is one of the team’s best athletes.

Even though he has been mired in a slump, shooting 0-for-11 from the field in a 28-point loss last Saturday at UAB, Deing has averaged 15.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 13 games played.

He sat out his first game of the season on Monday night when the Roadrunners pounded the Dallas Christian Crusaders, 101-48, in non conference.

In trying to adjust without him, Henson said the Roadrunners will miss his energy and his rebounding, but he said he hopes his players can use it as an “opportunity” to continue work on getting better shots in the offense.

“Southern Miss is a good defensive team,” Henson said. “It won’t be easy to get those good shots. Hopefully we can find a way to move it one more time. Get one more ball reversal. Get one more paint touch and a high percentage shot.”

UTSA had lost three straight games before beating Dallas Christian.

As the Roadrunners move into the thick of the conference schedule, they’ll look to center Jacob Germany (14.4 points), point guard Jordan Ivy-Curry (13.9) and Cedrick Alley (9.4) and others to fill the scoring void for as long as Deing is out.

In Southern Miss, UTSA will need to defend against a low-post, oriented offense.

Isaih Moore, a 6-10 transfer from St. John’s, leads the Golden Eagles with 12.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. Junior Tyler Stevenson averages 12.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. Southern Miss has lost six straight.

Coming up

Thursday, 7 p.m. — Southern Miss at UTSA
Saturday, 2 p.m. — Louisiana Tech at UTSA

Records

Southern Miss 4-8, 0-0
UTSA 7-7, 0-1

Notebook

Cedrick Alley and reserve center/forward Phoenix Ford are expected to return to action Thursday. Alley fell in the road game at UAB last Saturday, and, consequently, Henson held him out Monday against Dallas Christian. Ford has been out for the last three games, including the trip to Illinois State on Dec. 21 for personal reasons. On Christmas Eve, his girlfriend gave birth to the couple’s first child. Since then, Ford has missed the UAB and Dallas Christian games in Covid protocols.

Deing, a native of Louisiana who grew up in North Carolina, played for two colleges before joining the Roadrunners this summer. He also played for South Sudan in a FIBA Afro Basket tournament last summer. At one point earlier in the season, he had four games of 20 or more points in a string of six outings. Recently, he has slumped, hitting only 8 of 45 shots from the field in his last three outings.

The Golden Eagles suffered a tough break in late November when they lost their leading scorer, Tae Hardy, to a shoulder injury.

Coach Jay Ladner’s team has since lost six in a row. They’re playing their first game since Dec. 21 when they lost by one at East Carolina. After a holiday break, they returned to campus only to have both of their first two conference games — against Western Kentucky and Marshall — postponed due to COVID protocols.

Louisiana Tech (11-3, 2-0) is regarded as one of the favorites to win the C-USA title. The Bulldogs won two at home last week, downing Marshall by 23 points and Western Kentucky by one. LA Tech is led by forward Kenneth Lofton, Jr. Lofton, who played on a USA national basketball team last summer, averages 17.5 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Two UTSA women’s basketball games are postponed

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UTSA has announced that its Conference USA women’s basketball games scheduled for Thursday at Southern Miss and Saturday at Louisiana Tech have been postponed due to COVID-19 related issues within the Roadrunners’ program.

The teams will work with the conference to reschedule the games for later in the season, if it fits in the teams’ schedules, according to a news release.

The Roadrunners will return to action on Jan. 13 against Old Dominion at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

UTSA (4-9, 1-1) split its first two conference games last week, falling to Middle Tennessee, 85-56, and then rebounding to defeat the UAB Blazers, 68-60, in overtime.

UTSA routs Dallas Christian and halts a three-game losing streak

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Jordan Ivy-Curry. UTSA beat Dallas Christian 101-48 on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry sank five of UTSA’s 17 three-point baskets Monday in a blowout victory over the Dallas Christian Crusaders. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners needed a game to rediscover their offensive rhythm, and they seized it on Monday night by passing for 21 assists in a 101-48 non-conference victory over the Dallas Christian College Crusaders.

In snapping a troublesome three-game losing streak, the Roadrunners shot 48.7 percent from the field, including 52.9 percent in the second half, to rout the outmanned visitors from the National Christian College Athletic Association.

Only two days ago, the Roadrunners were humbled in a Conference USA game in Alabama.

They lost 87-59 on Saturday to the powerful UAB Blazers. While the Crusaders play at a few levels below the 14 teams in the C-USA, the home game at the Convocation Center still represented a chance for UTSA to work on execution for an offense that has been erratic at best.

Lamin Sabally. UTSA beat Dallas Christian 101-48 on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Lamin Sabally produced 15 points and six rebounds. Sabally was 4 for 4 from the three-point arc. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“A lot of positives,” Coach Steve Henson told the team’s radio broadcast. “A lot things we can take away from it. The 21 assists (were) good. I thought we turned down some pretty good shots for some great shots.

“(In) rebounding (UTSA, 63-28), we kind of expected that (with our size advantage).”

UTSA entered the Dallas Christian game shooting 37.5 percent, including a cool 32 percent over losses to UT Rio Grande Valley, Illinois State and UAB. The Roadrunners responded against the Crusaders by making 19 of 42 afield in the first half, and 18 of 34 down the stretch.

Jordan Ivy-Curry knocked down five 3-point shots as UTSA hit a season-best 17 in 37 attempts from distance for the game.

Ivy-Curry scored 17 points to lead five UTSA players in double figures. Freshman Lamin Sabally scored a season-high 15 points, while Aleu Aleu and Darius McNeill added 13 apiece. Jacob Germany scored 10.

Aleu Aleu. UTSA beat Dallas Christian 101-48 on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Aleu Aleu started for the second straight game and ignited UTSA with two 3-point shots in the first two minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Point guard Christian Tucker led the Roadrunners in assists with six in 24 minutes. Tucker also scored five points and pulled down nine rebounds. Lachlan Bofinger also started and produced a team-high 10 rebounds. Off the bench, 6-foot-9 freshman Josh Farmer had nine points on 4 of 7 shooting and nine boards.

UTSA rolled to a 12-point lead in the opening minutes, bumped it to 43 at the halftime break and increased it to as much as 56 at the end.

While a few players sat out for various reasons, the Roadrunners were looking for any and all players to take advantage of the opportunity to play. Aleu made the most of it, hitting two early threes to get the team going.

“I think I can be the energy guy,” Aleu told broadcasters Andy Everett and Tim Carter on the post-game show. “On defense, come in, guard, get rebounds. (On offense), make wide-open shots. Just kind of that role, whatever is needed.”

First half

The UTSA Roadrunners opened with back-to-back, 3-pointers from Aleu. They went on to hit 12 threes in 24 attempts in building a 55-12 halftime lead.

Darius McNeill. UTSA beat Dallas Christian 101-48 on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Senior Darius McNeill had 13 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Playing with a decided advantage in size and athleticism, the Roadrunners seized momentum by scoring 12 points in a row at the outset. A few minutes later, it was 20-2, and a dozen minutes into the game, they were still rolling, leading 37-4.

Several Roadrunners contributed in the opening minutes, Sabally with nine points, Ivy-Curry with eight, and Aleu and McNeill with seven each. Sabally was 3-for-3 from three-point range.

The offensive outburst, even against an inferior opponent, was a welcome sight for the Roadrunners who have struggled on offense this season. UTSA came into the game averaging 67 points, while shooting 37.5 percent from the field. The Roadrunners were hitting only 26.1 percent from three-point territory.

Notebook

For Dallas Christian, which plays in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association, it was the team’s fifth exhibition against an NCAA Division I program.

The Crusaders have been beaten previously by Texas A&M, Tarleton, Northwestern State (La.) and the University of the Incarnate Word. UIW downed Dallas Christian 90-45 on Sunday afternoon in San Antonio.

Late in the first half, McNeill was helped off the court, assisted by a trainer. The senior transfer from SMU returned to play in the second half. UTSA’s Dhieu Deing, Cedrick Alley Jr. and Phoenix Ford did not play.

Records

UTSA 7-7
Dallas Christian 1-4

Coming up

Thursday, 7 p.m. — Southern Miss at UTSA
Saturday, 3 p.m. — Louisiana Tech at UTSA

UTSA women rally past UAB, 68-60, in overtime

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The UTSA women’s basketball program celebrated New Year’s Day on Saturday with a comeback victory over the UAB Blazers.

Trailing by 10 points with seven minutes left in regulation, the Roadrunners rallied to win 68-60 in overtime at the Convocation Center.

The Blazers, at one point, appeared well on their way to victory when Lindsey Dullard sank a 3-pointer for a 45-35 lead with 7:06 left in the fourth period.

From there, the Roadrunners staged a dramatic rally, outscoring the Blazers 18-8 down the stretch to send the game into overtime.

A follow shot by UTSA’s Elena Blanding with 56 seconds remaining tied it, 53-53.

Relying on defense, the Roadrunners stopped UAB from scoring twice down the stretch and nearly won at the end, only to have Leslie Hunter misfire on a three at the buzzer.

In overtime, UTSA rode the shooting of Jadyn Pimentel and Charlene Mass to a five-point lead.

Undeterred, UAB came from behind, pulling to within 62-60 on a Margaret Whitley three with 29 seconds left.

UTSA steadied itself by scoring the game’s last six points, as Pimentel, Chantel Govan and Hailey Atwood sank a pair of free throws each to clinch it.

It was a signature win for the Roadrunners and the first for Coach Karen Aston at UTSA in a C-USA contest.

Records

UAB 8-5, 1-1
UTSA 4-9, 1-1

Individuals

UAB: Zakyia Weathersby 14 points, Margaret Whitley (13), Lindsey Dullard (10). Weathersby, 16 rebounds.

UTSA: Jadyn Pimentel, 21 points, LaPraisjah Johnson (16), Chantel Govan (11). Johnson, 11 rebounds, including six offensive.

UAB Blazers roll to an 87-59 victory over the Roadrunners

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The UTSA Roadrunners entered Saturday’s Conference USA opener with a positive attitude and a fighting spirit.

But after the Roadrunners stayed in the game for about five minutes, it didn’t take long for the C-USA’s preseason favorite UAB Blazers to respond, and they did so with a swarming defense and an impressive array of offensive talent.

In the end, the Blazers built a lead as large as 31 points in the final minutes, eventually emerging with an 87-59 victory at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

Forward KJ Buffen scored 20 points and guard Jordan “Jelly” Walker added 19 as the Blazers improved their record to 12-3 and 2-0 in the C-USA.

UTSA lost its third straight and fell to 6-7 and 0-1 despite a strong effort from center Jacob Germany, who scored 26 points on 12 of 23 shooting from the field.

Germany also had 10 rebounds for a double-double.

A lot went wrong for the Roadrunners, including 34.9 percent shooting as a team and scoring off the bench that was minimal until the very end when UAB led by more than 20 points.

The Roadrunners also needed a better rebounding effort and didn’t get it, losing the battle of the boards, 45-33.

UTSA coach Steve Henson pointed to an inability early in the game to attack the UAB pressure as a key development.

“They lead the country in forcing turnovers, and we fed right into that early,” Henson told the team’s radio broadcast. “Then we gave up a bunch of offensive rebounds … We ended up with only 12 turnovers against a team that’s really good at forcing turnovers, but they led to layups and dunks.”

A variety of defensive strategies by the Blazers also seemed to disrupt the Roadrunners, who had to take point guard Jordan Ivy-Curry out early with foul trouble and replace him with a freshman, Christian Tucker.

“They mix their defenses,” Henson said. “Once you start getting comfortable handling the press, then you got to get into your offense. We were just not sharp enough.”

Buffen, a transfer from Ole Miss, hurt the Roadrunners in multiple ways. Not only did he hit 8 of 12 shots from the field, he also pulled down nine rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.

Another transfer, Walker, who has played previously at Seton Hall and Tulane, also stood out for UAB.

He hit four 3-point shots to highlight a 10-of-21 Blazers’ effort from long distance. Comparatively, the Roadrunners hit only 2 of 15 from deep.

Even though the Blazers are regarded as the best team in the conference, it’s hard to tell if they were that good against the Roadrunners. Or, whether the Roadrunners simply have a long way to go.

UTSA has lost three straight by margins of 18, 17 and 28 points.

During the stretch of losses — to UT Rio Grande Valley, Illinois State and UAB — the Roadrunners have hit only 66 of 203 shots from the field, for 32.5 percent.

As the UTSA player who typically faces the most defensive pressure, guard Dhieu Deing is 8 of 45 shooting in the three games. Deing was 0 for 11 against the Blazers.

Records

UTSA 6-7, 0-1
UAB 12-3, 2-0

First half

After sitting out two straight games in Covid protocols, Ivy-Curry put on the jersey to play a game for the first time since Dec. 11. He immediately made an impact by burying a three for a 3-0 Roadrunners’ lead. After that, Ivy-Curry picked up two quick fouls. Forced to the bench, he watched for several minutes as the Blazers started to roll. When they weren’t disrupting UTSA, they were all over the offensive glass. Eventually, they rolled to a 49-31 lead behind Buffen and Walker.

Changing up the rotation

Starting for the first time this season, Aleu Aleu finished with six points, four rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes. He was held without a field goal (0-for-5) but knocked down all six free throws. Both Ivy-Curry and Aleu were returning to game action after sitting out the last two in Covid-19 protocols. Ivy-Curry, battling foul trouble, scored nine points on 3 of 10 shooting. He hit 2 of 7 from three.

Covid update

UTSA forward Phoenix Ford entered protocols last week and did not travel. He is also expected to be out Monday at home when UTSA hosts Dallas Christian. UTSA hopes to have Ford back on the floor on Thursday for a return to C-USA play against Southern Miss.

Coming up

Monday — Dallas Christian at UTSA, 7 p.m.
Thursday — Southern Miss at UTSA, 7 p.m.
Saturday — Louisiana Tech at UTSA, 3 p.m.

UTSA to open Conference USA play Saturday at UAB

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The UTSA Roadrunners have lost two straight, and their capabilities on offense once again have plunged into some uncertainty.

But, ready or not, they will open play in the Conference USA phase of their schedule Saturday on the road against one of the league favorites, the UAB Blazers.

After making some progress through early December, the Roadrunners have been hit with adversity.

The progress they made during a 3-1 streak was scuttled on Dec. 15 when they had to shut down two players, including their starting point guard, to Covid-19 protocols.

In the aftermath, playing without playmaker and second-leading scorer Jordan Ivy-Curry, they lost by 18 points at home to UT Rio Grande Valley. A road game followed at Illinois State, where they fell by 17.

Covid issues within opponents’ programs forced postponement of UTSA’s next two games.

Our Lady of the Lake pulled out of a Dec. 22 contest at the Convocation Center. Then, the Roadrunners learned Tuesday that their C-USA opener at Middle Tennessee State was also postponed.

As a result, the team re-arranged its itinerary and practiced at home through Wednesday of this week.

Originally scheduled to play on Thursday night in Tennessee, the Roadrunners used the off day to travel into Birmingham, to complete preparations for their game against the Blazers.

Coming up

Saturday, 2 p.m. — UTSA (6-6) at UAB (11-3, 1-0)

Notable

While UTSA is expected to have Ivy-Curry and reserve forward Aleu Aleu ready to play against the Blazers, they will be without reserve forward/center Phoenix Ford, who remained at home. He is in Covid protocols and is expected to miss the game against UAB and also a non-conference home game Monday against Dallas Christian.

Ford didn’t play at Illinois State as he prepared for the birth of his first child. Then, after his girlfriend gave birth, on Christmas Eve, he returned to practice for a few days, only to learn early this week that he would need to isolate, that he wouldn’t be able to play against the Blazers. UTSA coaches have communicated with Ford, and he says he’s feeling fine.

UAB, meanwhile, looked strong in its C-USA opener Thursday night. The Blazers shot 50 percent from the field and downed the UTEP Miners, 75-62, in Birmingham. After trailing early, UAB sprinted out on a 21-2 run, during which first-year UTEP coach Joe Golding was assessed two technical fouls and ejected. The Blazers finished the run up 29-12, and never allowed the Miners to get closer than 12 the rest of the way.

Quotable

“UAB is just really good,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said Friday in a telephone interview from Birmingham. “I don’t know why they shuffled their starting lineup against UTEP. But they are, statistically, one of the best defensive teams in the country.”

Keys to victory

UTSA’s chances against UAB will hinge, in a lot of ways, on whether it can get good enough shots against a team that likes to pressure the ball. The Roadrunners, in effect, will need to take good shots and make enough of them to put pressure on the heavily-favored home team.

Having Ivy-Curry and Aleu back in the rotation will help.

“Aleu clearly had his best practice of the year a few days ago,” Henson said. “On Tuesday or Wednesday, he made a couple of plays back to back to back that were as good as any we’ve had in a long time. Just flying around, he blocked a dunk on one end, had a big tip in on the other end. I was really, really happy with the way he played.

“Jordan, I didn’t think he was real sharp the first couple of practices after the break. But he was really good yesterday and today. Everybody (on the trip) was with us today. We had a good practice today over at the main arena. So, I liked the way we prepared.”

C-USA in the NET rankings

On New Year’s Eve, UTSA is ranked 329th out of 358 Division I men’s basketball programs and 14th out of 14 C-USA teams, according to the NCAA’s daily NET rankings.

Teams in the C-USA are ranked as such: UAB is 50th, followed by North Texas (69) and Louisiana Tech (79).

Teams ranked in the 100s include Middle Tennessee (120), Western Kentucky (135), Charlotte (153), Rice (174) and UTEP (197).

Teams in the 200s: Florida Atlantic (210), FIU (215), Marshall (217), Old Dominion (220).

In the 300s: Southern Miss (311) and UTSA (329).

The NET takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses, according to an explainer at ncaa.com.

With C-USA play looming, UTSA is set to get three players back

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Starting point guard Jordan Ivy-Curry and reserve center Phoenix Ford are set to re-join team activities Sunday night, and reserve forward Aleu Aleu is expected to return on Monday as the UTSA Roadrunners prepare for the start of the Conference USA schedule later this week.

UTSA coach Steve Henson delivered the news in a telephone interview Sunday afternoon, saying, “We anticipate everyone being ready to go. Aleu has some Covid protocols to finish up (but) I anticipate having him tomorrow. Everyone else should be good to go tonight.”

The Roadrunners (6-6) are set to pay at Middle Tennessee State (9-4) on Thursday and at UAB (10-3) on Saturday. Both are afternoon games.

It’s been an up-and-down ride for the Roadrunners in the pre-conference phase of the schedule. Early on, they were blown out at Oklahoma and then were beaten at home by Division II Texas A&M-Commerce.

But just as they started to play better, winning five of seven in one stretch, Henson learned late in the evening on Dec. 15 that Ivy-Curry and Aleu had been placed in health and safety protocols, both of them dealing with issues related to Covid.

Both were unavailable for the team’s last two games, at home against UT Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 17 and on the road at Illinois State on Dec. 21, both losses. Ford also did not travel for the Illinois State game, as he was dealing with a personal matter.

But he, too, has returned after the birth of his first child on Christmas Eve, said Henson, who gave all of his players the last 3 and 1/2 days off for the holiday break.

After Sunday night’s workout, scheduled to consist of weights, an hour-or-so on the court and film study, the Roadrunners were set to get back into their normal routine starting Monday.

For Ivy-Curry and Aleu, the workouts will be important as they try to strengthen their legs and their bodies after 10 days in isolation.

“Oh, for sure,” Henson said. “That’s always the concern for the whole group (after) 3 and ½ days off. Those guys had a longer break. It’ll be a concern.

“Sometimes there (are) positives with that,” the coach added. “Guys are banged up and bruised up. For Aleu, that was not the case. He was just starting to come into his own and get back into good shape. He certainly didn’t need that kind of setback.

“With Juice, I don’t think it’ll be a big deal for him. I expect him to get right back in there. But the timing of it was unfortunate. There’s never good timing to be shut down in the middle of the season.”

Before the Covid issues hit, the Roadrunners had been on an upswing, winning three out of four, while gradually starting to work some of the kinks out of their offense.

But without Ivy-Curry on the floor, the progress stalled, with UTSA hitting only 25 percent from the field against UTRGV and 37.9 percent against Illinois State.

Teams around the country have been plagued with Covid-related problems, so Henson is trying to take the setback in stride.

“Just like you do, I see games getting canceled and postponed and rescheduled and all that,” Henson said. “Right and left, teams are dropping out. In the (football) bowl games. (Also) in that Christmas (basketball) tournament in Hawaii.

“Of four games to be played in Hawaii on Christmas Day, two of them were shut down, including the championship game. But, (the virus) is here, and everyone’s dealing with it.”

Coming up

Thursday — UTSA at Middle Tennessee State, 4 p.m.
Saturday — UTSA at UAB, 3 p.m.
Jan. 6 — Southern Miss at UTSA, 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 — Louisiana Tech at UTSA, 3 p.m.

Notable

Even at full strength, Henson knows that the Roadrunners will need to improve both offensively and defensively in order to finish in the upper half of the C-USA standings.

“It’s going to get tougher in league play,” he said. “We know that. Our league is really, really good. So we got to keep improving.

“We got to put those last two games behind us. Get back to the things we were focusing on going into the Grand Canyon game, (and in) the Sam Houston game … getting the ball moving more, taking quality shots.

“In the Sam Houston game, they forced us to go make plays, but we did. We liked the direction we were taking heading into those two games. We’ve got to recapture that. Build on that. We’ve got to get better this week. That’s the bottom line.”