Category Archives: College basketball

Pride on the line as UTSA hosts first-place Old Dominion

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Old Dominion players stage a dunking exhibition in warmups for today’s game at UTSA.

The Old Dominion Monarchs walloped the UTSA Roadrunners 100-62 a year ago in Norfolk, Virginia.

It’s still a painful memory for the Roadrunners, who remember that ODU guard B.J. Stith exploded for 28 of his game-high 36 points before halftime.

Keaton Wallace. UTSA beat Southeastern Oklahoma State 70-67 on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA sophomore Keaton Wallace averages 18.8 points per game on the season but is scoring 19.7 in conference. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Monarchs led by 16 at intermission, broke out to a 29-point lead with 13 minutes remaining and then polished off a 38-point victory when a freshman, Marquis Godwin, hit a three-pointer with a minute remaining.

“That was a bad game for us,” UTSA guard Keaton Wallace said. “I remember that dude got hot on us. (B.J.) Stith ended up getting hot on us, and it was hard for us to come back after that, so we owe them.”

Payback is only part of the motivation today as the Roadrunners host the Monarchs at 3 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

First place in Conference USA is also at stake.

“You know, we didn’t specifically talk to our players about it being for a piece of the lead,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “It’s a big game for a lot of reasons. Our guys respect Old Dominion. They’ve been a terrific program.”

Old Dominion is in first in the C-USA standings at 6-2, followed by UTSA, North Texas, Marshall and UAB, all tied at 5-2.

On Thursday night, the Roadrunners rolled to an 88-43 home victory over the Charlotte 49ers, while the Monarchs won on the road, 50-48, over the UTEP Miners.

Leading by 11 points with nine minutes lef, the Monarchs scrambled to hold off the Miners with two defensive stops in the final minute.

Coach Steve Henson (left) and assistant Mike Peck have led UTSA into a tie for second place in Conference USA. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Today, they’ll show up at the Convocation Center with a swagger, led by Stith and Ahmad Caver, not to mention a deep pool of other quality athletes.

“You know, they do a good job,” Henson said Friday afternoon. “They’ve got an identity. They keep guys in their system. They have veteran guys. (They’re a) great defensive team, (with) two superstars.”

That being said, Henson acknowledged that the Roadrunners are feeling good, without too many nagging injuries and are playing with confidence.

“So, it’ll be exciting to see our guys respond,” he said.

This year, the C-USA’s schedule is different.

On Feb. 16, the conference will divide the 14 teams into three groups based on the standings, with teams in each tier, or pod, playing round robin to determine the final seedings for the C-USA tournament.

Wallace said he is keeping an eye on the standings every day.

“I’m trying to get that top five for the top-five pod,” he said, “so we can play for first.”

C-USA standings

Old Dominion 6-2, 16-5
North Texas 5-2, 17-3
UAB 5-2, 13-7
Marshall 5-2, 12-8
UTSA 5-2, 11-9
FIU 4-3, 13-7
WKU 4-3, 11-9
LA Tech 4-4, 14-7
Rice 3-4, 8-12
SouthernMiss 3-5, 11-9
FAU 2-5, 11-9
MiddleTenn 2-5, 5-15
Charlotte 2-6, 5-14
UTEP 1-6, 6-12

Today’s games

Old Dominion at UTSA, 3 p.m.
WKU at LA Tech, 4 p.m.
Marshall at Southern Miss, 4 p.m.
Middle Tennessee at North Texas, 5 p.m.
FAU at FIU, 6 p.m.
UAB at Rice, 7 p.m.
Charlotte at UTEP, 8 p.m.

UTSA’s Adokiye Iyaye making the most of his opportunities

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On a first-half breakout Thursday night against Charlotte, UTSA reserve guard Adokiye Iyaye sped down one sideline and stationed himself in the corner.

He looked up to see a bullet pass coming his way.

UTSA freshman Adokiye Iyaye is averaging 5.7 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting for the season. –Photo by Joe Alexander.

After making the catch, he knew exactly where he wanted to go with the ball.

Straight to the basket.

Iyaye flashed down the baseline and scored on an easy layup before the 49ers’ defense had time to rotate.

Even though Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace have led the Roadrunners offensively all year, plays like this have started to happen much more frequently lately for the Roadrunners, who will host the Conference USA-leading Old Dominion Monarchs Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

Iyaye has hit 14 of 19 shots from the field over his last five games, helping UTSA surge into a tie for second place in the conference race.

In an 88-43 rout of Charlotte, the program’s most lopsided victory in conference play in 28 years, Iyaye hit 5 of 6 shots from the field and tied a career high with 12 points.

Teammates say that Iyaye has always had the ability but is just now developing more confidence as he moves along in his first year of college basketball.

“We know that he’s going to make the right decision, make the right plays, take the right shots,” Wallace said. “In practice, he’s been picking it up. Better defensively, better offensively.

“We just expect good things out of Adokiye.”

Jackson said Iyaye has “stepped up big” in the team’s pursuit of a conference title.

“We want him to do that,” Jackson said. “He can do that every night, if he just plays the way he did (against the 49ers). He’s getting more confident. We just tell him to keep going. We tell him to take more shots if he’s open.

“He’s (also) helped us on the defensive end, putting pressure on the ball. Just making plays.”

Last year, Iyaye was the man for his high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He averaged 18 points per game and led Putnam to the Class 6A title.

This year, it’s been a new experience for him, both in coming off the bench and in facing bigger and faster players.

Now he’s picking up the nuances of the college game at a rapid pace, as evidenced by his recent statistics — 7 points per game and 73.6 percent shooting in his last five.

Not bad for a kid from Tulsa who just turned 19.

“I’m finding my groove a little bit,” Iyaye said. “My teammates, they’re always on me, telling me that I’m going to be fine.”

“I wasn’t making shots early, but they keep telling me to shoot and give me a lot of encouragement. They’re like my big brothers.

“Hearing that every day, it makes me feel like, if I have a bad game, I’ll do better next time.”

Jackson scores 28, as UTSA rolls past Charlotte, 88-43

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Sophomore guard Jhivvan Jackson steps back behind the three-point line to hoist a shot. Jackson hit six threes against the Charlotte 49ers. — Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners didn’t like the feeling of losing two in a row in Conference USA.

In response, they took out their frustrations on the Charlotte 49ers, rolling to an 88-43 victory Thursday night at the UTSA Convocation Center.

Coming on the heels of road losses at Middle Tennessee and UAB, it was UTSA’s largest winning margin against an NCAA Division I program in three seasons under Coach Steve Henson.

It was also the program’s widest margin of victory in a C-USA game since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season.

Sophomore Jhivvan Jackson led the way with 28 points on an efficient 11 of 19 shooting from the field. He hit six three-pointers.

UTSA led by 25 at intermission and boosted it into the 30s four minutes into the second half.

The lead expanded into the 40s with two minutes left and grew to 45 on the last bucket of the night, a layup by reserve forward Adrian Rodriguez, with 19 seconds remaining.

Records

Charlotte 5-14, 2-6
UTSA 11-9, 5-2

Notable

Previously, UTSA’s largest margin of victory in a C-USA game (21) came three years ago against Southern Miss. The Roadrunners beat the the Golden Eagles 74-53 on Feb. 20, 2016 at the Convocation Center.

Quotable

“We were really locked in defensively. Then Jhivvan got hot. We did some good things offensively anyway, and then he got real, real hot, and we popped the game open in the first half.” — UTSA coach Steve Henson.

Coming up

UTSA will host the C-USA title-contending Old Dominion Monarchs on Saturday at 3 p.m. Old Dominion downed the UTEP Miners, 50-48, Thursday in El Paso.

With the win, the Monarchs improved to 16-5 and 6-2 in the C-USA. They lead the conference standings over Marshall, North Texas, UTSA and UAB, all at 5-2.


Jackson hits one of his five first-half three pointers. He swished this one after a defender put a hand in his face. Jackson created some space between him and the defender with a slight lean to his right.

First half

Jackson scored 21 points in 18 minutes in the first half for the Roadrunners, who rolled to a 44-19 lead on Charlotte at intermission.

Jackson was 8 of 13 from the field and was particularly deadly from long distance, hitting five of nine.

He hoisted his last trey from a spot directly in front of the Charlotte bench (see video above).


Sophomore Keaton Wallace breaks free for a floater in the lane as UTSA scores off an out-of-bounds play in the second half.

Taking an early lead

Charlotte was in the game for the first five minutes. The 49ers took an 8-6 lead when guard Jon Davis sank a driving layup.

After that, UTSA responded with a 16-0 run, capped by three consecutive threes from Jackson.

The last one made it 22-8 with 10:52 remaining.

Sub-plots

Jackson effectively bounced back from two erratic shooting nights on the road. He hit a combined 18 of 49 from the field last week against Middle Tennessee and UAB … The Roadrunners have won eight of their last 10 games overall … They connected on 55.7 percent from the field for a season best against a Division I opponent … In addition, they also established a season high by limiting the 49ers to 29.6 percent … Jon Davis, Charlotte’s scoring leader, was held nine points under his average. He finished with 12.

Individuals

Charlotte — Jon Davis, 12 points, 5 of 11 shooting.

UTSA — Jackson, 28 points on 11 of 19 from the floor and 6 of 12 from three. Keaton Wallace, 15 points and three assists. Adokiye Iyaye, 12 points, 5 of 6 shooting, three offensive rebounds.


Jackson scores his final basket with 6:46 remaining as he picks up a loose ball in the lane and lays it in. The ball popped out when two Charlotte players fumbled the rebound, emblematic of a tough night for the 49ers.

Back home, UTSA hopes to rediscover the winning formula

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Byron Frohnen. Oklahoma beat UTSA 87-67 on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018, at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Byron Frohnen says he’s encouraged by the team’s focus leading into tonight’s home game against Charlotte. – Photo by Joe Alexander

As much as UTSA forward Byron Frohnen hated the outcome of his team’s two most recent games, he said Wednesday he liked the attitude and the attention to detail at practice this week leading into tonight’s home test against the Charlotte 49ers.

Players have more on their minds right now with school back in session, Frohnen said, but he added that the Roadrunners have been determined to get back to their winning formula.

“Everyone’s got classes,” Frohnen said. “Some people are coming in late for practice, which kind of sucks. But I did feel like we were locked in, and the intensity was good. All of us are a little tired, fatigued. But we just got to keep fighting through it.

“It’s just another week in conference. There’s a lot of season still to go.”

When the Roadrunners last played at the UTSA Convocation Center 12 days ago, they defeated North Texas for their seventh straight win. They also moved into sole possession of first place in Conference USA.

Since then, they were humbled with consecutive road losses at Middle Tennessee and UAB.

The loss in Tennessee stung, in particular, because the Blue Raiders had lost 13 straight before they knocked off the Roadrunners, 89-86.

After falling to UAB 83-73 last Saturday, the Roadrunners have dropped into a tie for fourth in conference, while bracing for homecourt challenges against the 49ers tonight and the Old Dominion Monarchs on Saturday afternoon.

In practices this week, the Roadrunners tried to clean up execution on both offense and defense, all while preparing for a quirky opponent in the 49ers, who play deliberately and try to milk as much of the shot clock as possible.

They feature senior guard Jon Davis, who leads the C-USA in scoring, averaging 21.4 points.

Two years ago, in the first season for a UTSA coaching staff led by Steve Henson, Davis beat the Roadrunners in San Antonio with a late shot.

“He’s a big-time scorer,” Henson said. “I know when we got the job here two years ago, people said he was one of the best guards in the league. He’s two and half years older than he was then, so we have a great deal of respect for him.”

Charlotte is coming off a 76-70 loss at home on Monday against Old Dominion. UTSA has won six in a row on its home court.

C-USA Standings

North Texas 5-1, 17-2
Marshall 5-1, 12-7
Old Dominion 5-2, 15-5
UAB 4-2, 12-7
UTSA 4-2, 10-9
FIU 4-3, 13-7
W.Kentucky 3-3, 10-9
LATech 3-4, 13-7
SouthernMiss 3-4, 11-8
Rice 2-4, 7-12
MiddleTenn 2-4, 5-14
FAU 2-5, 11-9
Charlotte 2-5, 5-13
UTEP 1-5, 6-11

Kansas State smothers 14th-ranked Texas Tech, 58-45

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Guard Barry Brown Jr. scored 15 points, and the Kansas State Wildcats won their fifth straight game by smothering the 14th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, 58-45, Tuesday night in Manhattan.

In handing the Red Raiders their third straight loss in the Big 12, Wildcats forward Dean Wade added 13 points and four rebounds in his fourth game back from a foot injury.

Kansas State’s team defense was relentless, holding Texas Tech to its lowest point total of the season. The Red Raiders shot 32.7 percent from the field. Jarrett Culver led Texas Tech with 17 points and 7 rebounds.

In the first meeting of the two teams in Lubbock on Jan. 5, Texas Tech claimed a 63-57 victory, with Davide Moretti scoring 19 and Matt Mooney 14. On the other end of the floor, the Red Raiders held the Wildcats to 33.3 percent shooting.

In the rematch, Kansas State nearly reversed the outcome. The Wildcats held Moretti to six points and Mooney scored only two on 1 of 9 shooting.

Records

Texas Tech 15-4, 4-3
Kansas State 15-4, 5-2

Notable

With Wade out of the lineup, Kansas State lost its first two Big 12 games this season. K-State has now won five in a row against West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma, TCU and Texas Tech.

On the other hand, Texas Tech won its first four, only to lose its last three to Iowa State (68-64), Baylor (73-62) and Kansas State.

Both teams reached the Round of Eight in the NCAA Tournament last year.

Shooting woes

Texas Tech was shooting 47.1 percent from the field as a team coming into Manhattan.

But the Red Raiders have been struggling to put the ball in the hoop lately. In their last three games, they shot:

1) 26 of 63 for 41.3 percent at home vs. Iowa State
2) 21 of 45 (46.7) on the road at Baylor.
3) 16 of 49 (32.7) on the road at Kansas State.

Ninth-ranked Kansas rallies past No. 24 Iowa State, 80-76

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Forward Dedric Lawson contributed 29 points and 15 rebounds as the ninth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks rallied past No. 24 Iowa State 80-76 on ESPN Big Monday.

Playing in front of a rowdy home crowd at Allen Fieldhouse, Lawson hit 13 of 17 shots from the floor to turn back the upstart Cyclones.

Lawson’s biggest moment came with 23 seconds remaining and with Kansas clinging to a two-point lead. He nailed a three-pointer from the top of the circle to make it 77-72.

Records

Kansas 16-3, 5-2
Iowa State 14-5, 4-3

Making a run

Iowa State controlled the action for much of the night, but Kansas responded in the second half with a defensive stand that held the Cyclones scoreless for more than five minutes. On the other end of the floor, the Jayhawks scored 14 consecutive points to take a 61-53 lead.

Avenging a loss

A little more than two weeks ago, Iowa State stunned Kansas, 77-60. Playing at home, the Cyclones hit 13 three-point baskets to rout the Jayhawks. Kansas turned the tables on its home court. While Iowa State made another 12 threes, Kansas responded with 51.6 percent shooting from the field overall to avoid a sweep in the regular-season series.

Avoiding a slump

Bidding for a 15th-straight Big 12 title this season, Kansas needed a victory in the worst way after going on the road Saturday and losing to last-place West Virginia, 65-64. They got it with supporting act performances from Marcus Garrett (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Lagerald Vick (14 points) and Devon Dotson (11 points, 8 assists).

Having an impact

Senior guard Marial Shayok entered the game leading the Big 12 in scoring at 19.4 points per game. He more than lived up to the billing with 26 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Shayok, a senior transfer from Virginia, also hurt Kansas in the first meeting with 24 points. Lawson, who entered second in the conference in scoring at 18.9, is a transfer from the University of Memphis.

Tennessee takes over at No. 1 in the Associated Press poll

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I don’t see every televised college basketball game here at The JB Replay.

But I see my share. And so it’s clear from here that the Tennessee Vols deserve the No. 1 ranking in this week’s Associated Press Top 25.

Riding a 12-game winning streak, Tennessee is 16-1 overall.

The Vols are 1-0 against teams ranked in the top four (with a win over Gonzaga), 1-1 vs. the top eight (with its only loss to Kansas) and 2-1 against the top 23 (including an early-season victory over Louisville).

In addition, they’re 5-0 in the Southeastern Conference, with four of the victories in double figures, including two by double-digit margins at Missouri and Florida.

For awhile last Saturday afternoon, it looked as if Avery Johnson’s Alabama Crimson Tide would steal a victory on Tennessee’s home floor.

It was a one or two-possession game down the stretch before the Rick Barnes-coached Vols pulled it out, 71-68.

Not the best performance of the year from Tennessee. But, like any good team, it found a way, even though it wasn’t a thing of beauty.

With a one-point lead, the Vols forced Alabama’s John Petty into a traveling violation with three seconds left and then hit two free throws to seal it.

Later Saturday night, the Duke Blue Devils made up for a loss earlier in the week and downed Virginia.

It was a victory that some felt might keep Duke at No. 1. But Tennessee got the nod when the new poll came out Monday, while the Blue Devils fell to second.

Meanwhile, Virginia parlayed a victory over Virginia Tech and the solid showing against Duke to move up to No. 3.

Gonzaga, looking very strong lately with the return of two injured players, moved up to No. 4.

This week, Tennessee hosts Vanderbilt (9-8) in SEC play on Wednesday and West Virginia (9-9) in the SEC/Big 12 challenge on Saturday.

AP Top 25

1.Tennessee 16-1 SEC
2. Duke 15-2 ACC
3. Virginia 16-1 ACC
4. Gonzaga 18-2 West Coast
5. Michigan 17-1 Big Ten
6. Michigan State 16-2 Big Ten
7. Nevada 18-1 Mountain West
8. Kentucky 14-3 SEC
9. Kansas 15-3 Big 12
10. Virginia Tech 15-2 ACC
11. North Carolina 14-4 ACC
12. Marquette 16-3 Big East
13. Maryland 16-3 Big Ten
14. Texas Tech 15-3 Big 12
15. Buffalo 17-1 Mid-American
16. Auburn 13-4 SEC
17. Houston 18-1 American
18. Villanova 14-4 Big East
19. Iowa 16-3 Big Ten
20. Ole Miss 14-3 SEC
21. North Carolina State 15-3 ACC
22. Mississippi State 14-3 SEC
23. Louisville 13-5 ACC
24. Iowa State 14-4 Big 12
25. LSU 14-3 SEC


The return of Geno Crandall and Killian Tillie has helped bolster the depth of the fourth-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Fans start to take notice of Division I hoops in San Marcos

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Keaton Wallace had 19 points for UTSA. Texas State beat UTSA 69-68 on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018 at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Texas State forward Chandler Davis (left) defends against UTSA’s Keaton Wallace. The Bobcats beat the Roadrunners 69-68 on Dec. 1 in San Antonio. – Photo by Joe Alexander.

Texas State Bobcats coach Danny Kaspar likely has known for awhile now that his team could emerge in March as one of the most special in school history.

He hasn’t said so in as many words.

At least, not until Saturday, when he started comparing his squad favorably to some of the best in school history.

Moments after a stirring 77-64 victory over Arkansas State in front of 4,163 fans at Strahan Arena, Kaspar credited the fans for their support and talked about how helpful they could be down the stretch.

“I know the crowd helped us, but it also wowed (the players) when they walked out there,” he said, in a video posted on the program’s website. “I mean, other than the Air Force game, that’s the first good crowd we’ve had.

“And, of course, a lot of our students are in town and that makes a difference.”

Texas State drew 4,058 on Nov. 9 in an opening-night 67-57 victory over Air Force.

With that performance, the Bobcats started to build momentum, which has carried them to a 16-3 record, including 5-1 in the Sun Belt.

Now tied for first in the standings, Texas State will commence preparation for a meeting with Sun Belt co-leader Georgia State Thursday night in Atlanta.

A demanding coach who chooses his words carefully, Kaspar said his team is “worth a look” when it returns home to play at Strahan in coming weeks.

“I just think this team is playing some of the best basketball in the Division I era (of the university),” Kaspar said. “I know that they had some great teams during the NAIA years.

“But in the Division I era, this is about as good as anyone’s been playing, since the Jeff Foster days, the Donte Mathis days.”

Formerly a NAIA and NCAA Division II program, Texas State transitioned into Division I in the 1984-85 season.

Success has been spotty, with the Bobcats reaching the NCAA tournament in 1994 and 1997. They haven’t been back since.

Could this year be the year? Given that the Bobcats are 14-2 since mid-November, the coach issued an appeal to the fans.

“I’m hoping people will say, ‘Maybe it’s worth a look,’ and start coming out,” Kaspar said. “I think they have fun when they’re here.”

Minnesota’s Murphy ties career high with 21 rebounds

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The Minnesota Golden Gophers couldn’t afford to let another easy game get away from them.

They were routed by Illinois last Wednesday and on Saturday, they were trailing Penn State at the half at home.

Jordan Murphy, a Minnesota senior from San Antonio’s Brennan High School, knew what he had to do after talking to Gophers coach Richard Pitino.

“Coach just told me to keep my mind on rebounding because I was too much in my head in the first half,” Murphy told the Associated Press. “He just told me to keep my mind on rebounding, just getting stops, then everything else would follow, so that’s what I did.”

Murphy finished with 19 points and tied a career high with 21 boards as the Gophers came from behind to down the Nittany Lions, 65-64.

The Gophers (14-4, 4-3) are projected as a No. 9 seed in the latest bracket projections at cbssports.com leading into a Tuesday night challenge at Michigan.

Murphy is among the nation’s top rebounders at 12.1 per game.

Hot-shooting UAB Blazers down UTSA, 83-73

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The UAB Blazers shot 53.6 percent from the field Saturday night and walloped the UTSA Roadrunners, 83-73, in a Conference USA game at Birmingham.

UAB knocked down 30 of 56 shots from the floor for the second-best shooting night against the Roadrunners this season.

Only South Dakota State, hitting 60 percent at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida on Nov. 20, shot it better than UAB against a usually sound UTSA defense.

Senior guard Jalen Perry led six UAB players in double figures with 18 points.

Center Makhtar Gueye hurt the Roadrunners on both ends of the floor, as the 6-10 post produced 11 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Keaton Wallace led the Roadruners with 33 points and eight rebounds.

Disappointing trip

It was the second loss in three nights on a disappointing Conference USA road trip for UTSA.

After starting the trip on a seven-game winning streak, the Roadrunners fell from first in the conference by stumbling against both Middle Tennessee and UAB.

UTSA trailed by 21 in the second half at last-place Middle Tennessee on Thursday and rallied at the end, coming up short, 89-86.

Scoring droughts

Against the Blazers, the Roadrunners started fast but went through three extended scoring droughts.

As a result, they were playing from behind for most of the night.

Early in the second half, they rallied to within two and then faltered, giving up a 12-0 run burying them in a 14-point deficit with 12:52 left.

The Roadrunners fell behind by 20 at one point and came no closer than eight the rest of the way.

Records

UTSA 10-9, 4-2
UAB 12-7, 4-2

Coming up

UTSA plays twice at home next week, hosting Charlotte on Thursday and Old Dominion on Saturday.

Notable

The back-to-back losses were the first for UTSA since November against UC Irvine and South Dakota State in Florida. Those losses capped an 0-5 start to the season.

Quotable

“Road trip wasn’t good for us. Our guys are practicing the right way. I got to help ’em figure out how we can get better offensively. This was probably one of our worst defensive games, but a lot of that was them — they just attacked us.” — UTSA coach Steve Henson