Category Archives: College basketball

Taking better shots, UTSA starts to hit a higher percentage

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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

Guard Dhieu Deing leads UTSA in scoring with 17.6 points per game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners’ offense hasn’t created as many problems for opponents this year as it did last year.

Last year, with Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace on the floor, UTSA’s foes couldn’t slack off without one or the other pulling up and burying a 28 footer. The Roadrunners averaged 78.8 points per game on 44.7 percent shooting.

This year, with Jackson and Wallace having moved on to seek their fortunes in pro ball, the Roadrunners have forged through some uncertain times, hitting on a 39.1 percent clip and averaging 70.2 points.

After a shaky start, some soul searching and extensive work on the practice floor, UTSA nevertheless has started to become more efficient recently. In their last four games, the Roadrunners are averaging 74 points and knocking down 42.4 percent from the field.

Perhaps not coincidentally, they’re 3-1 in that stretch.

“We’re just getting better shots and moving it better,” Roadrunners coach Steve Henson said after Tuesday afternoon’s workout at the Convocation Center. “We’ve had good starts the last two games. We’re making progress.”

Heating up

Here’s a glance at UTSA’s shooting, game by game, in its last four outings, including final score and field goal makes-attempts:

Nov. 24 — UTSA beats Lamar, 79-73. FG: 25-53
Nov. 29 — UTSA beats St. Mary’s, 75-65. FG: 24-59
Dec. 2 — Grand Canyon beats UTSA, 74-71. FG: 25-69
Dec. 11 — UTSA beats Sam Houston State, 78-73. FG 27-57
(UTSA four-game total, field goal makes-attempts, 101-238, for 42.4 percent)

Coming up

Friday, 7 p.m. — UT Rio Grande Valley (4-7) at UTSA (6-4).

Notebook

UTRGV played at home in Edinburg on Tuesday night and lost 70-60 to the Texas Southern Tigers. The Vaqueros have lost five in a row.

After the Roadrunners downed the Bearkats in Houston on Saturday, they traveled back to San Antonio that night, took Sunday as a day off and returned to work Monday with a weight training session, film study and a practice.

On Tuesday morning, they did a community service project, traveling to help the San Antonio Food Bank with a distribution at South San High School.

In an extremely positive sign for the team, senior guard Darius McNeill has returned to practice this week. McNeill had sat out since tweaking his right foot against Lamar on Nov. 24.

Upon his return Monday, he did more than expected and then seemed to be back to his usual speedy self in a two-hour drill Tuesday afternoon. Henson said he’s uncertain whether McNeill will play on Friday.

“He looked pretty good,” the coach said, “better than I anticipated.”

A concern was power forward Cedrick Alley Jr., who has been ill the past few days. Alley did not attend Tuesday’s workout. “He wasn’t feeling well yesterday and was feeling worse today,” the coach said. “Got to get him tested, get him checked out.”

Junior transfer Aleu Aleu, who missed all of the October practices with a quad injury and sat out the first six games of the season, closed the workout with a flourish.

Aleu Aleu is a 6-foot-8 junior guard/forward who comes to the UTSA men's basketball team from Temple Community College. - photo by Joe Alexander

Aleu Aleu, a 6-8 junior, played a season-high 22 minutes Saturday in Houston. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Unofficially, he knocked down at least five in a row from behind the 3-point line to complete his workout.

“He’s getting so much more comfortable,” Henson said.

Aleu, a newcomer, is a 6-foot-8 forward, a finesse-type player who weighs only 180 pounds. He grew up in Africa but later moved into the Austin area and attended junior college in Temple.

He played 22 minutes against Sam Houston State and impressed coaches with a few heady plays. He finished with three points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Deing scores 26 as UTSA holds off Sam Houston State, 78-73

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Frittering away most of an 18-point halftime lead, the UTSA Roadrunners steadied themselves in the last minute Saturday to turn back the Sam Houston State Bearkats, 78-73, in a neutral-site game at Houston.

“It was a good win for us,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s radio broadcast from the Toyota Center, the home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. “Found a way to get it in the right column.”

UTSA guard Dhieu Deing sank two free throws with 10 seconds left for the final points of the game. With the two clutch freebies, UTSA finished 14 of 14 at the line.

Deing, a junior transfer in his first season with the Roadrunners, scored a team-high 26 points.

For the 6-foot-5 former North Carolina schoolboy, a Louisiana native whose family grew up in Africa, it was his fourth game of 20 or more points in his last six outings.

Deing hit 8 of 18 from the field, 4 of 10 from three and 6 of 6 at the free throw line.

As a team, UTSA shot 47.4 percent from the field, one of its best marks of the season. For the season, the Roadrunners are shooting a sub-par 39.1 percent, but they have improved to a combined 42.4 over the last four games, during which they have forged a 3-1 record.

Late in the first half, the Roadrunners played one of their best stretches of the season, finishing on a 20-4 run to lead 42-24 at intermission.

But in the second half, the Bearkats nearly came all the way back. They surged 14-2, a run capped by Savion Flagg’s three-pointer, to forge a 63-63 tie with 6:35 remaining.

Undeterred, the Roadrunners answered with a decisive 9-0 run of their own, with Cedrick Alley, Jr.’s three starting it. From there, Jordan Ivy-Curry hit a layup and Deing sank a layup and two free throws.

All of a sudden, it was 72-63 with 4:10 remaining.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” Ivy-Curry said. “You got to keep up the intensity. Keep moving forward. Because even though you have slip ups, you know, keep playing.”

With Darius McNeill injured and not playing, Ivy-Curry has taken on added responsibility to play point guard.

Henson said he’s doing a good job with it, for the most part. He’s making progress, the coach said.

“Dhieu, from the start of the season to this point, has probably improved the most,” Henson said. “I thought he might have backed up a little today with his shot selection. We thought we had those out of his system. But he’s made progress as well.”

Records

UTSA 6-4
Sam Houston State 3-6

Coming up

Dec. 17 — UT Rio Grande Valley at UTSA, 7 p.m.

Individual highlights

UTSA — Cedrick Alley Jr. produced 17 points, six rebounds and four steals. Alley, who shot the ball with confidence for the second straight game, hit 7 of 10 from the field.

Playing point guard for the most part, Ivy-Curry had 16 points, four rebounds and three assists. Center Jacob Germany had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Sam Houston — Senior guard Demarkus Lampley scored 23 points, including seven 3-point baskets. Lampley made five threes in the second half. Flagg finished with a double-double, producing 19 points and 13 rebounds.

First half

Playing their best half of the season, the Roadrunners shot 53.6 percent from the field en route to a 42-24 lead at intermission.

The scoring was balanced among starters with Deing notching 12, Cedric Alley Jr. 10, Ivy-Curry 9 and Jacob Germany 8.

Continuing an offensive surge from UTSA’s last game, Alley was 4 for 5 from the field, including 2 of 3 from three.

Also, Alley pulled down five rebounds as UTSA controlled the boards, 24-15, and held Sam Houston State to 27.3 percent.

Sam Houston’s Savion Flagg, a transfer from Texas A&M, had 11 points and five rebounds at the half.

The Bearkats pulled to within two of the Roadrunners when Flagg hit a three mid-way through the half. From there, UTSA put together a 20-4 run.

Notebook

Sam Houston State and UTSA played each other annually for more than two decades as members of the Southland Conference. UTSA moved out of the Southland and into the Western Athletic Conference in 2012-13. UTSA opened in Conference USA in 2013-14. Sam Houston State is playing this season in its first year as a member of the WAC.

In his fourth game of the season, UTSA newcomer Aleu Aleu played 21 minutes and finished with three points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

He hit his first three-pointer of the season with a minute left in the first half.

Aleu, a 6-foot-8 native of Kenya, played in high school in Austin and in junior college at Temple. Nursing a quadriceps injury, he sat out most of the team’s preseason camp in October.

Senior transfer Darius McNeill sat out his third straight game with a foot injury. He hasn’t practiced since he suffered the mishap on Nov. 24 in a home game against Lamar … Guards Erik Czumbel and Christian Tucker played only limited minutes. Czumbel battled through an illness in recent days.

UTSA walk-on Christian Tucker makes his presence known

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Christian Tucker. UTSA beat St. Mary's 76-65 in men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman Christian Tucker, a 6-foot-3 guard from Chandler, Ariz., has been around the game all his life. His father was director of security for the Phoenix Suns. — Photo by Joe Alexander

With a key player injured and with the Conference USA portion of the schedule looming at the end of the month, the UTSA Roadrunners clearly will need a boost in the next three or four games.

They’ll need to develop some additional firepower to augment the production of Dhieu Deing, Jacob Germany, Jordan Ivy-Curry and Cedrick Alley Jr. They’ll need a better flow to their offense, for sure.

When the ball swings around the perimeter, and it lands in the hands of someone who bobbles it or hesitates, UTSA can look extremely ordinary and, against the better teams, quite vulnerable.

To be better, the team will need someone else to emerge.

Lately, one source of optimism has been supplied by walk-on freshman guard Christian Tucker, who has stepped into an injury-related void in the backcourt and has slowly started to gain the confidence of coaches.

In the absence of senior Darius McNeill, who has a foot injury, hasn’t played in the last two games and still isn’t practicing, Tucker has jumped in to try and make a name for himself.

Given the opportunity, the 6-foot-3 walk-on from Chandler, Ariz., has shown a savvy presence, modest bursts of offense and some clutch play.

Averaging about 15 minutes in UTSA’s last three games, Tucker has scored a combined 14 points in that stretch, displaying a knack for driving, drawing contact in the paint and knocking down free throws.

He is 11 for 13 at the line combined against Lamar, St. Mary’s and Phoenix, Ariz.-based Grand Canyon University.

“I feel like my all-around game is pretty good,” Tucker said. “But every time I’m able to get in the paint to make a play, or make a strong layup, I feel like I can do that. Not really many people can stop me from doing that, so I might as well just go to it.”

Tucker scored nine points in 12 minutes off the bench in a 79-73 victory over Lamar on Nov. 24. McNeill went down with a foot injury that day, so it was a welcome sight for Roadrunners coaches.

“He’s doing a heck of a job,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “First night we really played him, you could see his court savvy. His gamesmanship. Drew a bunch of fouls that night.

“He had a couple of games where the defense got after him pretty good. But then he settled back down. Made some big shots. Made some big free throws for us.”

Another moment came against St. Mary’s on Nov. 29 when he took a pass from Deing, drove to the rim and was fouled in the waning moments of a close game. He made both free throws to help seal the victory.

“He’s a real confident guy,” Henson said. “Very mature, you know. I’m not surprised. Again, he wasn’t playing at all and then we threw him in there.

“So, he’s going to continue getting comfortable. Like I said, he’s got the right maturity level and confidence level to be able to do what he did.

“That wasn’t easy. To just throw him in there all of a sudden. He’s produced pretty well.”

Tucker, a native of Mission Hills, Calif., moved to the Phoenix area when he was a toddler.

Though he enjoyed playing soccer and flag football as a kid, basketball was his passion.

His father worked as director of security for the Phoenix Suns, so he was around some of the greatest players in the NBA.

“It’s been really good for me,” Tucker said. “Being surrounded by basketball my whole life, it’s pretty much all I know. Watching NBA players, watching all sorts of players compete … has been really good.”

Watching him at practice, you get the feeling that he would enjoy playing basketball even if games were held on a black top somewhere, with chains hanging on the rims instead of nets.

A few days ago, his group made a defensive stop, prompting Tucker to let out a loud scream that could probably be heard in the upper reaches of the Convocation Center.

At the start of the year, he wasn’t playing. Now he is, and Tucker said he welcomes the opportunity. He admitted it feels “really” good.

“My biggest thing is doing whatever it takes to make sure we win,” he said. “As long as I keep doing that, I feel like I can keep getting playing time.”

Coming up

Saturday, 3 p.m. — UTSA (5-4) vs. Sam Houston State (3-5), at Houston, in the Toyota Center.

Roadrunners fine-tune for their next game Saturday in Houston

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Steve Henson. UTSA beat St. Mary's 76-65 in men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Steve Henson’s UTSA Roadrunners are in final exam week, with their next game set for Saturday in Houston against the Sam Houston State Bearkats. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Coming off a strong performance in a three-point loss in Arizona last Thursday, the UTSA Roadrunners are fine tuning in preparation for a game Saturday in Houston against Sam Houston State.

Tipoff is at 3 p.m. at the Toyota Center between the Roadrunners (5-4) and the Bearkats (3-5).

In their last game, the Roadrunners bolted to an early 12-point lead and led by five midway through the second half before falling to the once-beaten Grand Canyon, Ariz., Antelopes.

Despite the loss, Roadrunners coach Steve Henson said it was “the best we’ve played” this season.

“The theme for a couple of weeks has been having better possessions,” Henson said after Wednesday’s practice. “Taking better shots. Moving the ball more. Taking a big step in that regard.

“I think we’re understanding what good possessions look like. We’re getting a better idea of who we are. You know, we’re not the kind of team that’s going to make 10 or 15 threes most nights.

“I don’t think we’re a bad shooting team. It’s just not who we are right now. I think they’re buying into the idea that they’ve got to make some stronger plays. With more drive and kicks. More paint touches.”

After playing in Phoenix, the Roadrunners returned to San Antonio on Friday and took the rest of the day and all day Saturday off, leading into this week, which is final exams week.

“(We had) Sunday practice, kind of normal,” Henson said. “Monday, we did some skill work, broke up in groups … did a lot of skill work, a very productive day.”

Players had another day off Tuesday and then returned to practice on Wednesday.

McNeill making progress

Senior guard Darius McNeill, who has missed the last two games, remains a question mark with a foot injury. Henson declined to speculate on when he might be able to play again. McNeill was a starter before he suffered the injury at home against Lamar on Nov. 24.

“He’s made some progress,” Henson said. “He got the (walking) boot off. It’s good to see him walking around. He was on that high-tech treadmill the other day, take some of the body weight off … He was able to jog on that. (But) we don’t have a time frame (for his return).”

Asked if McNeill could be ready for the start of conference play at the end of the month, the coach said “we haven’t even talked about it. We’ll have to see what the doctors tell us.”

Bofinger running hard

Sophomore forward Lachlan Bofinger was running hard Wednesday, obviously in much better physical shape than he has been since twisting an ankle on Nov. 29 at home against the St. Mary’s Rattlers.

Bofinger played only two minutes at Grand Canyon.

“It was really swollen when we went to Grand Canyon the other day. He wanted to play. But we just didn’t think he’d be able to (go),” Henson said. “Sunday, he had an unbelievable practice … He was much, much improved.”

‘The best we’ve played in quite some time.’ – Steve Henson

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Guard Jovan Blacksher scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half Thursday night as the Grand Canyon University Antelopes rallied at the end of a back-and-forth battle for a 74-71 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

The game was played in Phoenix at the GCU Arena. In UTSA’s best effort on the road this season, forward Cedrick Alley, Jr., led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Jacob Germany also had a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards.

UTSA led by 12 points early in the game. GCU came back to lead by five at halftime. Undeterred, the Roadrunners rallied into a 53-48 advantage with 8:42 remaining. But the Antelopes came back again, with Blacksher hitting two 3-point buckets in a 12-2 run.

Grand Canyon held on at the end when the Roadrunners missed a couple of threes in the final minute. Overall, the UTSA coaches will leave Phoenix feeling pretty good about their progress.

The Roadrunners out-rebounded the Antelopes 51-32 and played well, for the most part, in front of a raucous crowd, hanging in to the end against a squad that made the NCAA tournament last year.

Announced attendance was 6,844.

“Lots to be proud of,” UTSA coach Steve Henson told Jay Howard on the team’s radio broadcast. “That’s the best we’ve played in quite some time.”

Records

Grand Canyon 7-1
UTSA 5-4

Alley’s breakout

Alley made his presence known with a career high in points. His previous high was 18. With the 11 boards, the Houston native registered his second double-double of the year. He scored 19 points and snared 9 rebounds in the second half.

“He was kind of a go-to guy there,” Henson said. “Cedrick has been really, really good in a lot of areas. He has not been shooting good percentages. From two. From three. He’s been struggling. He got it going tonight.

“He got some big-time rebounds. Big-time rebounds. Made free throws, which he typically does. Then to knock down a couple of threes. It was just a great line for him. Played big minutes. Got tired. He was awfully good.”

Coming up

Dec. 11, 3 p.m. — UTSA vs. Sam Houston State, in Houston, at the Toyota Center.

The last word

“Well, we’re not going to try and make our guys feel real good, with the result (tonight),” Henson said. “But the way we played, if we do that, moving forward, we’ll have a chance to be a good ball club.

“We took a step this week. That’s the best we’ve played all year.

Division I upstart Grand Canyon set to host UTSA

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The UTSA Roadrunners have won four of their last five leading into a Thursday night road contest in Phoenix against the upstart Grand Canyon University Antelopes.

Over the course of a 4-1 streak, UTSA has recorded victories over Denver, IUPUI, Lamar and St. Mary’s, with the first two victories and the last two sandwiched around a loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, all at home.

The Roadrunners will be playing on the road for the second time this season and for the first time since Nov. 12, when they lost 96-44 at Oklahoma.

Arizona-based Grand Canyon started playing basketball in 1949. Originally affiliated with the NAIA, the program moved up to NCAA Division II in 1991 and then to Division I in 2013.

Last spring, the Antelopes of the Western Athletic Conference qualified for and played in their first NCAA tournament.

Coach Bryce Drew, the brother of Baylor coach Scott Drew, is in his second season as head coach.

The Antelopes have won three in a row, most recently claiming road victories at Pepperdine and Loyola-Marymount.

Records

UTSA 5-3
Grand Canyon 6-1

Notebook

The Roadrunners will play on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Houston, at the Toyota Center, against the Sam Houston State Bearkats. They’ll return home on Dec. 17 to take on UT Rio Grande Valley.

Deing scores 27 as UTSA downs determined St. Mary’s, 75-65

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Dhieu Deing. UTSA beat St. Mary's 76-65 in men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Junior Dhieu Deing has scored 53 points and has hit a combined 17 of 32 shots from the field in his last two games. Deing also has scored 20 or more in three of his last four. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Dhieu Deing did a little bit of everything on the basketball floor Monday night. He scored. He rebounded. He created on the dribble.

The multi-talented, 6-foot-5 forward even took a charge in crunch time that helped fend off a late rally, allowing the UTSA Roadrunners to surge past the St. Mary’s Rattlers 75-65 at the Convocation Center.

What’s next?

Jacob Germany. UTSA beat St. Mary's 76-65 in men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Germany scored 18 on Monday night against St. Mary’s. He hit 6 of 11 from the field and 6 of 8 from the free throw line. – Photo by Joe Alexander


Is the former North Carolina prep standout now a candidate to sell soft drinks and popcorn at halftime?

How about issuing him a trombone and letting him rip off a few solos the next time the UTSA band comes out to play?

After Deing produced a season-high 27 points and 11 rebounds against the Rattlers, UTSA center Jacob Germany marveled at the showing.

“Oh, he’s all over the place,” Germany said. “I think he had, what, 27 and 11 and four (assists)? He’s just doing everything. We wear these heart monitors (in practice), and his heartbeat is always the highest, because he’s always moving all over the place.

“That’s what he brings for us, and you know, we need that every game.”

On Deing’s defensive gem, St. Mary’s was trailing by six points with 1:33 remaining when forward Mamady Djikine posted up on the left block and tried to wheel into the lane for a shot.

Taking the brunt of the blow in his chest, Deing fell backward. Foul on Djikine, was the call.

“I seen the whole game that he was putting his shoulder down, so I read it,” Deing said.

Cedrick Alley Jr. UTSA beat St. Mary's 76-65 in men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA senior Cedrick Alley Jr. led all rebounders with 12 as UTSA won the battle on the boards, 52-38. – Photo by Joe Alexander

On the other end, UTSA freshman guard Christian Tucker beat the defense to the rim, drew a whistle and knocked down two free throws with 1:16 left for a decisive eight-point spread. St. Mary’s never got closer than six the rest of the way.

For the Roadrunners, there wasn’t so much jubilation in the locker room as there was just a good feeling about surviving in what was sometimes an ugly game.

Besides Deing, the principals in the victory were Germany (18 points, four rebounds) and Cedrick Alley, Jr., (12 rebounds), not to mention a blue-collar effort off the bench from Lachlan Bofinger, Phoenix Ford, Erik Czumbel and Tucker.

Guard Caleb Jordan led four Rattlers with 17 points, but in a nod to the Roadrunners’ defense, it took him 18 shots to get there.

As a team, St. Mary’s managed only 34.7 percent shooting, including 28.9 percent in the first half when UTSA built a 37-25 lead. During one stretch in the first half, the Roadrunners flummoxed the Rattlers with a scheme that allowed only one field goal in 12 attempts.

Records

UTSA 5-3
St. Mary’s 1-2

Coming up

Thursday — UTSA at Grand Canyon, Ariz.

Notable

UTSA senior guard Darius McNeill, with a walking boot on his right foot, did not play. Coach Steve Henson said McNeill likely won’t be able to play at Grand Canyon. “He’s going to be out for a little while,” the coach said.

Christian Tucker. UTSA beat St. Mary's 76-65 in men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Christian Tucker drew a foul on this drive to the basket en route to a pair of clutch free throws with 1:16 remaining. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Bofinger also hurt his right ankle in the second half and did not return. “He wanted (to go back in the game,” Henson said. “Just a little swelling. He’s incredibly tough. He was trying to get back in there and (trainer) Josh (Modica) shut him down. I anticipate him being a little sore tomorrow. (But) I think he’ll be able to practice.”

Deing has scored 53 points in his last two games. During that stretch, he has hit 17 of 32 from the field for 53.1 percent … He has scored 20 or more in three of his last four … With the victory, the Roadrunners improved to 10-3 against St. Mary’s, a Division II program in San Antonio, and they also completed a six-game homestand with a 4-2 record, including four wins in the last five.

Quotable

“So many weird plays (tonight). So many things we need to do better. Even at halftime, there was kind of a weird vibe. We’re up 12. Our guys should be in there feeling good. The guys knew we didn’t play the right way in certain areas of the game. St. Mary’s was good. We weren’t surprised … (Our) turnovers came in bunches. We didn’t handle their press very well. They pounded us inside. Just an uncomfortable game from a lot of standpoints.” — UTSA coach Steve Henson

Old rival in the house: UTSA to host the St. Mary’s Rattlers

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The UTSA Roadrunners will host the St. Mary’s University Rattlers tonight at the Convocation Center in the resumption of a series that once stood out as a highlight of the local college basketball schedule.

Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

UTSA senior guard Darius McNeill, who injured his foot in a game last week, isn’t on the floor as both teams are going through warm-ups.

The two schools started playing in the 1980s, downtown, at the old HemisFair Arena in a game billed as ‘The Mayor’s Challenge Cup.’ Early games in the series drew well, with one meeting attracting a crowd of better than 7,000.

UTSA and St. Mary’s haven’t played since 2002. The Roadrunners lead the series, 9-3.

Once a powerhouse in the NAIA and a 1989 national champion in that division, the Rattlers now compete in the Lone Star Conference in NCAA Division II.

Jim Zeleznak is in his 17th year as head coach. The associate head coach is Bubba Meyer, the son of Herman ‘Buddy’ Meyer, the coach who led the Rattlers to the ’89 national title. The elder Meyer is in the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame.

Records

UTSA 4-3
St. Mary’s 1-1

Notebook

UTSA, an NCAA Division I program since its inception in 1981, will meet St. Mary’s to close out a six-game homestand. The Roadrunners are 3-2 so far.

For the season, UTSA is 4-2 at home overall and 0-1 on the road. The Roadrunners are 3-2 against Division I teams, 0-1 against Division II and 1-0 against Division III.

UTSA opened the stretch at home against another LSC team, the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions, who upset the Roadrunners 65-62 on a 3-point, buzzer beater.

The Roadrunners followed with a pair of victories, downing the Denver Pioneers, 78-64, and IUPUI Jaguars, 60-57, before falling 77-58 to the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders. In the Roadrunners’ last game, they rebounded on Nov. 24 to defeat the Lamar Cardinals, 79-73.

UTSA is still looking to find a consistent offensive rhythm. The Roadrunners are shooting 38.3 percent from the field and 28.2 percent on 3-pointers.

Dhieu Deing and Jordan Ivy-Curry lead the team, averaging 16 points per game apiece, but both are shooting less than 40 percent.

Former Brandeis High School standout Kobe Magee is the Rattlers’ leading scorer, averaging 22 points. Magee is the only St. Mary’s player to have faced the Roadrunners, having played in five games against UTSA as a member of the UTEP Miners.

Deing becomes more selective, scores a season-high 26 points

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The play unfolded with less than a minute remaining. Leading by three, the UTSA Roadrunners needed a basket for breathing room against the determined Lamar Cardinals.

A video of the play shows the Roadrunners making at least eight passes, moving the ball around, from the wing, into the high post, and on to the other wing, before it started to move back the other way — all the way back.

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

Junior center Jacob Germany produced 13 points and four rebounds for the Roadrunners. He hit 5 of 8 from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Ultimately, it ended up in Dhieu Deing’s hands, and the former North Carolina prep standout knew what to do with it. He caught it outside the 3-point arc and dribbled toward the baseline, where he pulled up to swish a 15-footer.

The shot boosted UTSA into a five-point lead with 40 seconds left, and Lamar never got closer than three the rest of the way. The Roadrunners went on to secure a 79-73 victory for their third win in four games.

“He’s making great, great progress,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “Shot selection is a huge thing for him. We’ve gone through his last few ball games and looked at all of his shots. Last ball game, he took one or two that were just too hard.

“Again, he’s super confident. He thinks he can make everything.”

But to raise the level of his game, Deing needs to pick his spots better, and he did that against the Cardinals.

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

Jordan Ivy-Curry contributed 13 points and four assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Deing scored 14 of his career-high 26 points in the second half as the Roadrunners bounced back from Sunday’s disappointing, 19-point home loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

UTSA pulled it off by making improvements in several areas — ball movement, shooting percentage from the field (47.2) and free-throw percentage (82.1).

The Cardinals were without one of their top backcourt players, but the Roadrunners will take a victory that pushes them back over the .500 mark.

“Team win,” Deing said. “Definitely had to bounce back. That was everybody coming to together. We got to keep on now. We got to make it consistent, though. Today, everybody was locked in and on the same page.”

Records

Lamar 1-5
UTSA 4-3

Coming up

St. Mary’s at UTSA, Monday, 7 p.m.

Free-throw edge

UTSA essentially won the game at the free throw line, hitting 23 of 28, including 15 of 18 after intermission.

Lamar played well but couldn’t convert as high a percentage on free throws, making only 15 of 24.

Deing’s consistency

Deing, from High Point, N.C., and a former player at two other colleges, has stepped into a starter’s role in his first year with the Roadrunners to score in double figures in all seven games.

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

Dhieu Deing connected on 8 of 14 shots from the field in UTSA’s victory over the Lamar Cardinals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In besting his previous high of 20 points, he hit eight of 14 shots from the field, three of seven from long range, and seven of seven at the free throw line. He also had three rebounds and three assists.

“Just taking good shots,” he explained. “I feel like the other games, I was forcing it a little bit. We watched a lot of film, and I came back and took good shots.”

Christian Tucker steps up

After senior guard Darius McNeill left the game with a foot injury, freshman walk-on Christian Tucker had his best outing with nine points. Tucker, from Chandler, Ariz., scored all nine in nine, second-half minutes. He played 11 minutes overall, and hit six of seven at the free throw line.

First half

The Roadrunners entered the game with a new look, with a change in the starting lineup, and with different player combinations. In the end, they came out of it with a 35-28 lead on the Cardinals at halftime.

In the first six games of the season, poor shooting plagued the Roadrunners. The shakeup helped to an extent with the team hitting 44.4 percent in the early going.

The Cardinals, on the other end, were held to 36.7 percent. But they stayed in the game with a 23-14 rebounding edge, including 11-4 on the offensive glass.

Rotation shakeup

Freshman Lamin Sabally got his first start of the season and played seven minutes. He went scoreless on 0 for 2 shooting and had two rebounds. With Sabally starting, McNeill came off the bench.

McNeill, a senior transfer, played only five minutes before coming out with the foot problem. Forward Aleu Aleu made his UTSA debut, coming off the bench for almost five minutes.

He missed all three of his shots, including a couple of treys.

UTSA coaches remain hopeful that Aleu, a lithe, 6-foot-8 wing, can have an impact after he sat out almost the entire six weeks of preseason training with a quad injury. Henson said Aleu has had four full practices over the past week.

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

Sophomore Lachlan Bofinger enjoyed a high-efficiency game with four points, five rebounds and two blocks in 13 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

An emotional Dick Vitale thanks the fans for their support

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Dick Vitale, an iconic television voice of college basketball for the last four decades, on Tuesday night effusively thanked fans on the air for all of their well-wishes during his battle with cancer.

It was an emotional moment.

The 82-year-old Vitale fought back tears as he addressed his struggle with lymphoma, just before tipoff of ESPN’s nationally-televised game between No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 UCLA in Las Vegas.

“It’s great being here, Dave,” Vitale told broadcast partner Dave O’Brien. “I didn’t want to cry. I can’t believe I’m sitting here.”

According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, Vitale made the trip to cover the game “a few days after having a fourth round of drugs pumped into his body” to fight the lymphoma.

He was diagnosed on Oct. 12.

Vitale initially was told he might need a surgery for what was believed to be cancer of the bile duct.

But he later was informed that he had the lymphoma, which was good news because it was something that could be treated with six months of chemotherapy, according to The Times.

A former coach at the high school, college and professional levels, Vitale has been broadcasting games since the late 1970s.

For years, he’s been one of the faces of college basketball, known for his gregarious personality and his eccentricities in describing the game on the air.

But in his remarks just before the Gonzaga-UCLA tipoff, Vitale expressed humility and gratitude for support from his family and friends and from the fans.

“I want to thank all you people,” he said.

Years ago, Vitale’s life was touched by cancer when his friend, former North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano, was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma.

Through the adversity, the two became close, and Vitale attended when Valvano delivered his “don’t give up, don’t ever give up,” remarks at the ESPY Awards presentation in March of 1993.

Valvano passed away a month later.

In the aftermath of his friend’s passing, Vitale emerged as a crusader for cancer research.

The Tampa, Fla., resident has helped raise $44 million for pediatric cancer, which, he said during the broadcast, he wants to boost to $50 million this year.

“Yes, 6 months of chemo will be a challenge,” he said on his Twitter feed. “But with all the love support and (prayers) I am receiving, I am planning on winning the toughest battle I have ever faced.”

As Vitale watched from courtside, Gonzaga put on a show. The No 1-ranked Bulldogs defeated the No. 2 Bruins easily, 83-63. Guard Andrew Nembhard scored 24 points. Forward Drew Timmme had 18.

Freshman Chet Holmgren caught Vitale’s attention with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. On one play, the lithe 7-footer blocked a shot, dribbled behind his back on a fast break and dunked it two handed.

“He’s a Diaper Dandy deluxe,” Vitale said.

Vitale emerged as one of the stars of the night, as well. Fans chanted his name after the game as he offered remarks on-air to the ESPN viewers.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few told reporters that Vitale “just loves this game” and has done so much for it. “What an ambassador he is for college basketball,” Few said.