Category Archives: College basketball

Only two losses, and it’s Jan. 21? ‘Pretty amazing,’ Aston says

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston could not ask for much more than what her players have given at this point in the season.

Karen Aston. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 67-56 in an American Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Karen Aston’s UTSA Roadrunners (16-2) will take a nine-game winning streak into a Wednesday night home game against Tulsa. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners, at 16-2, have emerged as one of only 19 teams in the nation in NCAA Division I that have lost two or fewer games over the first two and a half months.

“I think it’s pretty amazing,” Aston said Tuesday. “I really do. I think the amount of work that our staff and players have put into what I call, a product, you know, a product that the community can be proud of, a product that UTSA can be proud of, I think it is absolutely incredible where we are today.”

From November, through December and into the first three weeks of January, most of the big news around the team has centered on the winning streaks.

They won seven straight last fall. Now, they’ve won nine in a row leading into Wednesday night’s home game against Tulsa.

One more victory and the Roadrunners will have tied for the second-longest streak in school history, trailing only the record of 13 set in the 2002-03 season.

But what jumped out over the weekend was the dwindling number of teams around the nation that have lost two or fewer games. After Saturday night, the number was 20.

Now it’s down to 19, after Tennessee lost to Vanderbilt in Nashville on Sunday. Twelve of the 19 teams on the list play in Power 4 conferences — in the SEC, the Big Ten, the ACC or the Big 12 — and one more — Connecticut — plays in the basketball hotbed of the Big East.

UTSA, meanwhile, remains as one of only six squads in the nation at the sub-power conference level that have two or fewer losses, with the others being Montana State (17-2), Grand Canyon (17-2), Quinnipiac (15-2), Buffalo (15-2) and Harvard (14-2).

What does this mean in UTSA’s quest to reach the 68-team NCAA tournament?

The speculation is already starting to percolate, as the team is rated 65th in the nation today on the NET national ratings system. Moreover, Charlie Creme’s tournament projection at ESPN.com has the Roadrunners making the field and slotted in as a No. 12 seed.

Then again, as Aston said recently, it’s way too early to guess what might happen. It seems Creme thinks UTSA will win the AAC tournament, which would yield the conference’s NCAA automatic bid. But if they fail to win it, then their chances are greatly diminished.

It’s just not certain that the Roadrunners could do enough between now and, say, a runner-up finish in Fort Worth, to secure what would be an at-large NCAA berth. On top of all that, they have teams like Tulsa coming at them nightly, trying to knock them off.

“There’s so much more work to be done,” Aston said Tuesday. “You don’t want to rest on your laurels, so to say, and be happy with where you are. I’m proud. Really, really proud. I think the challenge is just to stay focused and stay humble.

“I don’t even have to talk about it … They have a goal. They understand what they’re trying to get accomplished. So I think they’re staying pretty grounded with the ‘next game’ mentality. Because of our leadership, I wouldn’t expect it to be any different.”

With that being said, Aston continued, “You can’t get around the acknowledgment that it’s pretty amazing what we’ve accomplished so far, over the last four years.”

Records

Tulsa 9-9, 3-3
UTSA 16-2, 7-0

Coming up

Tulsa at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Two losses or less

Here is the list of teams with two losses or less in NCAA Division I women’s basketball:

x-LSU 20-0
x-UCLA 18-0
x-TCU 19-1
x-Kansas State 19-1
x-South Carolina 18-1
x-Ohio State 17-1
x-USC 17-1
x-Kentucky 16-1
x-Texas 18-2
y-Connecticut 17-2
x-Minnesota 17-2
z-Montana State 17-2
z-Grand Canyon 17-2
x-Notre Dame 16-2
x-Maryland 16-2
z-UTSA 16-2
z-Quinnipiac 15-2
z-Buffalo 15-2
z-Harvard 14-2

x-Teams from Power 4 conferences
y-Teams from the Big East
z-Teams from non-Power 4 conferences

UTSA women are among 20 teams nationally with two or fewer losses

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Editor’s note: UTSA announced Monday that 6-foot-4 forward Nyayongah Gony is out for the season with a knee injury. Gony plans to exercise her COVID year to play a fifth and final collegiate season with the Roadrunners in 2025-26, according to a news release.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women have joined elite company.

The Roadrunners emerged after Saturday’s games as one of 20 teams in the nation — and only one of six from outside the Power 4 conferences or the Big East — with two or fewer losses, according to records posted on Sunday morning at ncaa.com.

The six so-called ‘mid-major’ programs include Grand Canyon, UTSA, Montana State, Quinnipiac, Buffalo and Harvard. (Please see the list below).

The Roadrunners won their their ninth straight game and improved to 16-2 on the season Saturday afternoon, downing the UAB Blazers, 73-63, on the road in Birmingham, Ala.

In the contest played at UAB’s Bartow Arena, forward Jordyn Jenkins scored 21 points, and the Roadrunners hit nine 3-point shots to remain perfect in the American Athletic Conference at 7-0.

With the victory, UTSA swept a two-game road trip through Memphis and Birmingham, extending a remarkable winning streak to nine for the first time since the 2008-09 season.

Another historical note suggests that good things could be on the horizon, since ’08-’09 was also the last time the Roadrunners made the NCAA tournament.

UTSA controlled the action from the start, building a 35-26 lead at halftime and then increasing it gradually in the second half.

At one point, the Roadrunners surged ahead by 23 points late in the third quarter before they slowed the pace.

Jenkins, a player of the year candidate in the American, hit six of 13 shots from the field and two of five from three.

She was also seven of eight at the free-throw line to lead the Roadrunners, who hit 16 of 21 freebies as a team. Jenkins played hard on both ends, blocking one shot and making a couple of steals.

Nina De Leon Negron and Sidney Love, UTSA’s starting backcourt, each scored 14 points. Both players knocked down a pair of threes.

Forward Jade Weathersby led the Blazers with 15 points and six rebounds. Weathersby was five of nine from the field. Three of her rebounds came on the offensive end.

Forward Maddie Walsh, UAB’s leading scorer at 12 points per game, was held to five. Guard Journey Armstead, who played well in San Antonio on Jan. 1, also was held to five.

The Roadrunners beat the Blazers 67-56 at the Convocation Center on New Years night.

Records

UTSA 16-2, 7-0
UAB 12-7, 3-4

Coming up

Tulsa at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

Forward Maya Linton was scoreless in 19 minutes, returning to the team after a family matter prevented her from making the trip to Memphis.

UAB center Rayne Tucker did not play for the Blazers. Tucker had 16 points and seven rebounds against UTSA on Jan. 1 in San Antonio.

Two or fewer losses

Here is a list of NCAA Division I women’s basketball teams with two or fewer losses after games of Saturday, Jan. 18:

x-LSU 19-0
x-Ohio State 17-0
x-UCLA 17-0
x-TCU 19-1
x-Kansas State 18-1
x-South Carolina 17-1
x-Maryland 16-1
x-USC 16-1
x-Kentucky 15-1
x-Texas 17-2
y-Grand Canyon 17-2
y-UTSA 16-2
z-Connecticut 16-2
y-Montana State 16-2
x-Minnesota 16-2
x-Notre Dame 15-2
y-Quinnipiac 15-2
y-Buffalo 15-2
x-Tennessee 15-2
y-Harvard 13-2

x-From Power 4 conferences
y-From sub-Power 4 conferences
z-From the Big East

Defense-minded North Texas men defeat UTSA, 72-57

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UTSA lost to North Texas 72-57 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Teammates help UTSA guard Marcus Millender off the floor Saturday in a 15-point home loss to the North Texas Mean Green – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The North Texas Mean Green came into the UTSA Convocation Center Saturday with dozens of their own raucous fans in attendance and with a reputation for playing stifling defense. With their fans cheering them on, the Mean Green more than lived up to their billing.

They held the Roadrunners 23 points below their scoring average and walked away with a 72-57 victory in the American Athletic Conference.

Guard Atin Wright, a transfer from Drake, scored 22 points to lead the Mean Green. Wright hit five of eight from beyond the three-point arc.

Austin Claunch. UTSA lost to North Texas 72-57 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Roadrunners coach Austin Claunch praised his team’s effort in the second half and said it’s something to build on. – Photo by Joe Alexander

North Texas basically won the game in the first half, when it limited UTSA to 25 percent shooting. As a result, the Mean Green carried a 40-18 lead into the dressing room.

In the second half, the Roadrunners played their best basketball, forcing turnovers with pressure defense and making a run that brought their own fans to the edge of their seats.

A Marcus Millender layup with 3:27 remaining pulled UTSA to within seven points. Afterward, the Roadrunners couldn’t sustain the momentum, allowing the Mean Green to win for the sixth time in their last eight trips to San Antonio.

North Texas, one of UTSA’s chief in-state rivals in all sports, improved to 22-14 in the series overall and to 10-9 at the Convocation Center.

First-year UTSA coach Austin Claunch applauded second-year North Texas coach Ross Hodge and pointed the finger at himself in the opening statement of his postgame media session.

“First off, give them credit,” Claunch said. “They were prepared. Ross had them ready to play, and I did not. When you get down against a great team, it’s hard to crawl back out of that hole we were in. I was extremely proud of (the Roadrunners) in the second half, to show our fight.

“You know, they do that a lot of teams. They bury teams with physicality and toughness, and we showed our ability to play in those games. You know, it’s hard. I think we got it to seven with a chance to cut it to five.

“And at the end, you got to kind of run around and you end up losing by 15. But, again, our fight to get back in the game and cut it to a couple of possessions — that’s something we can build on.”

North Texas coach Ross Hodge. UTSA lost to North Texas 72-57 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

North Texas coach Ross Hodge says his players like to work, and, as a result, have made improvements since they first gathered last summer. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Right now, the Mean Green appear to have what it takes to contend for the title in the American Athletic Conference.

They’re 13-4 overall and 4-1 and tied for first in conference with the UAB Blazers and the Tulane Green Wave. Memphis and Temple are a half game back at 3-1.

“We love this group, man,” Hodge said outside the visitors dressing room. “From the moment they’ve gotten here in the summer, they really like each other, and they like to work, and they allow us to coach them very directly. They don’t take it (personally), and they’ve gotten a lot better as a group.”

The Roadrunners are 8-9 and 2-3, in a four-way tie for seventh place.

On good nights, they’re capable of putting up big offensive numbers, as evidenced by their 80 points per game average for the season, including an average of 89 in back-to-back victories over Wichita State and Rice in their last two outings.

All of which speaks to the nature of what the Mean Green did to the Roadrunners in the first half, holding them to five of 20 shooting from the field.

North Texas hounded UTSA leading scorer Primo Spears, making him work for everything. Same story for Marcus Millender. Spears hit only one of seven from the field in the first half and Millender one of four.

“I think a lot of what you saw in the first half was the respect level our players and staff have for what coach Claunch has done here at UTSA,” Hodge said. “How explosive Primo is, and Smurf (Marcus Millender). I felt like our game-plan discipline that first half was about as good as it’s been.

“We really took care of the ball, took them out of transition and just tried to make it as hard as we could (on their offensive threats).

Raekwon Horton. UTSA lost to North Texas 72-57 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Raekwon Horton finished with 15 points, three assists and three steals. UTSA lost to North Texas 72-57 in American Athletic Conference. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I thought they flipped it in the second half, and they kind of imposed their will on us. Started turning us over. Started getting the game (in a faster pace) up and down. They’re really, really good in that type of game.”

Millender, coming off back-to-back, 20-plus points performances, was held to 13 for the game. Spears, averaging 21.7 for the season, tied a season-low with six points. He shot one for 14 from the field, including zero for seven in the second half.

Guard Tai’Reon Joseph led the Roadrunners with 19 points on seven-for-11 shooting. Forward Raekwon Horton had 15 points, three assists and three steals. Forcing turnovers and a faster pace, the Roadrunners shot 46.7 percent in the second half and 38 percent for the game.

For the Mean Green, forwards Moulaye Sissoko and Brenen Lorient contributed on both ends of the court, clogging up the middle on defense and also scoring 13 points apiece.

Sissoko, one of the North Texas holdovers from last year, had eight rebounds, including three offensive. Playing off the bench, Lorient contributed seven boards, three blocked shots and a steal.

Point guard Jasper Floyd scored only two points but seemed to make a significant impact, passing for six assists against only one turnover. Backcourt mate Johnathan Massie had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Records

North Texas 13-4, 4-1
UTSA 8-9, 2-3

Coming up

UTSA at UAB, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

A challenging schedule awaits the Roadrunners in the next two weeks. Next week, they play at UAB on Tuesday and at home against Temple on Saturday. The week after that, they’re on the road at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 29 and at North Texas on Feb. 1.

Rivalry weekend: Upset-minded UTSA men to host North Texas

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Austin Claunch. UTSA beat North Dakota 80-76 in non-conference men's basketball on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Austin Claunch’s UTSA Roadrunners are averaging 89 points in their last two games going into Saturday’s date with the North Texas Mean Green. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Like reddened eyes irritated by pollen blowing in the wind, the gnashing of teeth among UTSA basketball fans over the impending arrival of the North Texas Mean Green seems like a natural phenomenon.

“I haven’t been here long, but I’ve been here long enough,” first-year UTSA men’s coach Austin Claunch said Friday. “Any of the Texas teams we play, there’s a little extra edge to it. It certainly seems we have a little extra spice to it when it comes to North Texas.

“But that makes it fun, right?”

Well, it seems fun today, at least, because Claunch’s team has been playing well and seems capable of springing an upset when they host the Mean Green at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center.

But, lately, North Texas has been hogging most of the fun, having won 10 of the last 13 meetings between the teams, including five of seven in San Antonio, since the 2015-16 season.

For the Roadrunners to transfer some of the joy to their own fans, they’ll need to be on top of their game from the outset against one of the better teams in the American Athletic Conference, ranked No. 57 nationally.

The Mean Green are led by Ross Hodge, in his second season as head coach after moving up to replace Grant McCasland, who is now at Texas Tech.

“Obviously, they have a really good program,” Claunch said. “You look at what they’ve been able to do the last six or seven years…I have a ton of respect for those guys. Kind of similar to what happened at Nicholls (State) when coach (Richie) Riley was there and I was an assistant.

“Coach (Riley) built it and we were able to keep going. Ross has done an unbelievable job. Last year I think he was a national coach of the year finalist. When you’re playing North Texas, you’re playing a program that’s not just about personnel. Obviously, they have a good winning pedigree over the last couple of years.

“So, I’m excited … because we feel like we’re playing well. We’re making shots. We’re not near where we need to be. But tomorrow’s a great opportunity to take a huge step.”

UTSA (8-8, 2-2 in the AAC) has won two games in a row and five of its last eight. The Roadrunners have had double-digit leads in each of their last three. Buoyed by the resurgent shooting of guard Marcus “Smurf” Millender, they’ve scored 178 points combined against Wichita State and Rice in their last two.

“We’re confident,” Claunch said, “but we know tomorrow is going to be a rock fight.”

North Texas (12-4, 3-1) has won two straight games and six of its last seven. The Mean Green’s only loss in that stretch came on the road at nationally-ranked Memphis.

Anchored by 6-foot-9 center Moulaye Sissoko, North Texas plays a man-to-man defense that ranks among the best in the nation, yielding an average of 58.8 points. Opponents shoot only 42.1 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from three against the Mean Green.

“First and foremost, it’s their mentality,” Claunch said. “It’s how they recruit. It’s how they built their program. I’m not at their practices or their summer, but I would imagine it starts with that. I mean, you go to North Texas knowing what you’re going to do. You’re going to guard and get stops.”

North Texas will face one of the hottest offenses in the AAC when they contest the Roadrunners, who have a number of players who are currently in a good rhythm. Primo Spears is fifth in the nation in scoring at 21.7 points per game.

But Millender is coming on, and so is Raekwon Horton, who is averaging 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds over his last five. Millender has come off the bench in his last two games, a wrinkle in the rotation that likely will stick as long as the Roadrunners stay hot.

Asked if UTSA is hitting on all cylinders now just because the newcomers have had time to mesh since the summer, Claunch said the answer is yes and no.

“I know this team has had it in us, to be able to score and share the way we’re doing it,” he said. “But, it’s decision making. You got to do it every day. It’s not just something that’s going to be there. When you start doing it, you got to embrace it. You got to understand that’s what makes us a really good team.

“We’re not scoring points because we’re playing really fast or anything. We’re scoring points because we’re taking good shots and we’re making better decisions.”

Millender, a sophomore transfer from South Alabama, sparked a second-half surge at Rice with 12 points in the last nine minutes of a 90-84 victory. Claunch said he “just tried something a little different to give our team a spark” in his decision to bring the Houston-area native off the bench.

“Clearly it worked, stayed with it against Rice. We’ll stick with it tomorrow,” the coach said. “But, for us, I don’t get too caught up in who’s starting. Like I say, we’re one of two teams in the league with five guys in double figures, so whether you start or not, in this program, it shouldn’t matter.”

Records

North Texas 12-4, 3-1
UTSA 8-8, 2-2

Coming up

North Texas at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.
UTSA at UAB, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

Claunch declined to discuss a timetable for the return of power forward Jaquan Scott, who has played only six games and has missed seven of the last eight. Scott has been away from the team for the past three attending to a family matter, a spokesman has said.

Center Mo Njie has sat out the past five with a foot injury, and his return date is uncertain, as well. “It’s not going to be anytime soon,” Claunch said. Guard Paul Lewis, also down with a foot injury, won’t return this season after playing only twice in early November. “He’s redshirting,” the coach said.

With forward Skylar Wicks sitting out Friday’s practice, UTSA is down to nine scholarship players going into the North Texas game. “It’s that time of the year, man,” the coach said. “Everybody’s kind of banged up, and we just got to figure how to make it work.”

Streaking UTSA women improve to 15-2 after rallying late to beat Memphis, 70-68

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women found a way to win once again, and this time, it wasn’t easy. The Roadrunners erased an 11-point deficit in the final minutes Wednesday to beat the Memphis Tigers, 70-68, for their eighth straight victory.

Outplayed for most of the evening, UTSA outscored Memphis 19-6 in the final 3:32 to win on the road in the American Athletic Conference, improving its school-best start to 15-2. The Roadrunners also broke another school record by starting conference play at 6-0.

Dominating on the boards to make up for 20 turnovers and 37.1 percent shooting, they maintained a one-game lead on the North Texas Mean Green going into Saturday, when they take on the UAB Blazers in Birmingham.

Memphis battled hard all night and nearly beat the AAC’s top team, but a costly mental mistake by the Tigers in the final seconds opened the door for UTSA to win.

With 12 seconds remaining, Memphis forward Alasia Smith posted up and banked in a shot that gave the Tigers a one-point lead.

The Roadrunners, in response, called a 30-second timeout. UTSA forward Idara Udo, making her way back to the visitors’ bench, walked through a group of Memphis players on the floor, only to get a shove in the back.

Udo fell to the floor following the push, and after a lengthy referees’ review of the circumstances, an intentional foul was called on Memphis senior guard Tanyuel Welch. As a result, the Roadrunners were awarded free throws and the ball on the ensuing possession.

With an opportunity to win, Jordyn Jenkins seized it by hitting two free throws with 12.9 seconds left for a 67-66 Roadrunners lead. On the inbounds, Sidney Love was fouled and she, too, hit two freebies.

Now in command and trying to protect a 69-66 lead with 11.6 seconds left, the Roadrunners guarded the perimeter and forced the Tigers to dump it down low, where Smith sank a layup, cutting the UTSA lead to one.

On the next play, Memphis fouled intentionally, putting Love at the line again. Missing the first free throw, she made the second one to give UTSA its 70-68 advantage.

After another Memphis timeout, the Tigers moved the ball to guard Tilly Boler, who missed a three from the corner at the buzzer.

“Tough road game right there,” UTSA coach Karen Aston told the team’s radio broadcast. “I expected (the Tigers) to play really well and they did. Sometimes you just have to give credit to another team.

“Aside from the second quarter (when) we were discombobulated, and we didn’t finish (shots) well, we didn’t play terrible. They just played with a lot of urgency, like a team that needed to come home and win a game.

“We just toughed it out,” Aston continued. “We caught a break there with that intentional foul, but, we just, we found a way. It’s all I can say, because they out-played us today.”

Records

UTSA 15-2, 6-0
Memphis 3-13, 1-4

Coming up

UTSA at UAB, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Individuals

UTSA – Jordyn Jenkins and Idara Udo both notched double doubles. For Jenkins, it was her sixth of the season as she produced 17 points and 10 rebounds. Udo had 12 points and 10 boards as the Roadrunners won the battle on the glass, 45-32. Damara Allen and Aysia Proctor scored 11 each. Allen, a freshman, scored five points in one 14-2 push within UTSA’s late rally.

Memphis – Tilly Boler scored 19 on seven of 14 shooting, including three of six from the 3-point arc. Power forward Alasia Smith guarded Jenkins and Udo and finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. DeeDee Hagemann and Tanyuel Welch scored 11 apiece.

Notable

A spokesman said UTSA small forward Maya Linton, the team’s defensive stopper and energizer, attended the funeral of her grandmother and was not at the game.

Linton, a junior from Duncanville, will re-join the team on Friday as it travels to Birmingham, Ala. The Roadrunners play at UAB on Saturday.

Additionally, the eight straight wins is the longest streak for the UTSA women in 27 years. The Roadrunners matched eight-game streaks put together on four previous occasions, in 1983-84, ’84-85, ’85-86 and again in 1997-98.

UTSA has won nine in a row twice and 10 straight twice. The longest winning streak in school history is 13, set in the 2002-03 season.

First half

The Memphis Tigers, swarming on defense, forged a 32-26 lead going into intermission by forcing a dozen turnovers and holding the UTSA Roadrunners to 26 percent shooting.

On the offensive end, Tilly Boler tossed in 10 points to lead the Tigers. The 6-foot-1 senior hit four of six shots from the field and two of two from the 3-point line.

Boler hit both of her triples in the second quarter, when the Tigers outscored the Roadrunners, 13-6.

Defensively, Alasia Smith and others confounded UTSA’s Jordyn Jenkins, holding her to three of nine shooting.

Also, a pressing and trapping defense seemed to take Roadrunners point guard Nina De Leon Negron out of her game. Negron had seven of UTSA’s dozen turnovers.

Aysia Proctor came off the bench to lead the Roadrunners with nine points in the half, while Jenkins had eight.

Second half

Despite continued problems with ball handling, the Roadrunners outscored the Tigers 17-10 in the third period to take a 43-42 lead into the fourth. As the forth quarter commenced, Memphis continued to take advantage of UTSA’s spotty offensive possessions, surging on a 20-9 push that ended with a three from Boler with 3:44 remaining. When the shot fell, it pushed the Tigers’ lead to 62-51.

UTSA’s Love says ‘it’s a blessing’ to be alone atop AAC standings

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Sidney Love. UTSA beat Northern Colorado 80-62 in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sidney Love and the UTSA Roadrunners have won 14 of their first 16 games this season, including seven in a row, going into an American Athletic Conference game at Memphis Wednesday night. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If women’s basketball teams in the American Athletic Conference haven’t paid much attention to the UTSA Roadrunners before now, they’re probably starting to take notice.

The Roadrunners (14-2, 5-0) stand alone in first place in the AAC standings going into tonight’s game in Tennessee against the Memphis Tigers.

Last week, UTSA was locked in a two-way tie with South Florida in the early stages of the conference race. But since the Bulls lost on Saturday and again on Tuesday night, the Roadrunners now sit by themselves atop the standings.

Which means, starting tonight, the mindset of UTSA opponents like the Tigers (3-12, 1-3) likely becomes more focused on knocking off the leaders, especially with Memphis fans at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse cheering them on.

“I feel like it’s a blessing to be at the top position,” Roadrunners guard Sidney Love said. “It’ll humble you. It’ll make you want to be consistent, want to stay at the top.

“We’re not really focused on rankings. We’re just playing our basketball, doing what we do best. I feel like if we keep that mentality, then it doesn’t really matter.

“We’re just going to go out there and play our hardest, leave our hearts on the floor and be a winning team at the end of the day.”

Since losing at Stanford on Dec. 16, the Roadrunners have won seven in a row, notching victories over UT Arlington and Texas State in nonconference play, before taking down Charlotte, UAB, Tulsa, Rice and Wichita State in the AAC.

Records

UTSA 14-2, 5-0
Memphis 3-12, 1-3

Coming up

UTSA at Memphis, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
UTSA at UAB, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notable

In starting the season with a program-best 14-2 record after 16 games, the UTSA women’s basketball team has approached a new milestone in terms of the school’s record book – fastest start in conference play.

After winning two games at home last week against Rice and Wichita State, the Roadrunners improved to 5-0 to lead the AAC.

UTSA has been 5-0 in conference only one other time, in 1983-84, in the program’s third season of play and the first in the Oil Country Athletic Conference.

That year, the Ginny DeHaven-coached and Starlite Williams-led Roadrunners lost at West Texas A&M in Game No. 6 on the OCAC schedule and fell to 5-1, before winning three more for an 8-1 record and the league’s regular-season championship.

So, if UTSA wins at Memphis tonight, it would have both records — the best start to a season and in conference.

Record watch

The school record for the longest winning streak is held by the 2002-03 team, which won 13 in a row.

Eye on Memphis

Tilly Boler, DeeDee Hagemann, Alasia Smith and Tanyuel Welch lead the Tigers. Boler averages 16.9 points and shoots 36.3 percent from three. Hagemann, a Michigan State transfer, averages 12.2 points and 6.2 assists. Smith contributes 12.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Welch (10.4 points) and Elauna Eaton are shooting better than 42 percent from three.

UTSA men defeat Rice 90-84 for first AAC road win

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners built a 17-point lead in the first half and then withstood a Rice Owls rally after intermission to post a 90-84 road victory Tuesday night in American Athletic Conference men’s basketball.

Austin Claunch. UTSA men's basketball lost to Tulsa 82-77 in American Athletic Conference action on Monday, Jan. 7, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Austin Claunch’s UTSA Roadrunners improved to 8-8 on the season and 2-2 in conference with a road victory at Rice. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“Huge win for us tonight,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch said on the team’s radio broadcast.

Guard Primo Spears led the Roadrunners with 26 points and five assists. Guard Marcus Millender came off the bench to score 25 for his second straight game with 20 or more. Forward Raekwon Horton also continued his strong play with 20 points and eight rebounds.

The victory felt like an inflection point, of sorts, for the Roadrunners. A team that has struggled away from home this season has now improved to 2-6 on the road.

It also marked the Roadrunners’ second straight win in the AAC after starting conference with two losses, including a 29-point setback at Tulane and a five-point decision at home to Tulsa after leading by 16 in the second half.

In addition, the Roadrunners’ offense has come to life with 178 points in the team’s last two games, including an 88-75 home victory last Saturday against Wichita State. Against the Shockers, the Roadrunners hit 50 percent from the field and from the 3-point arc.

It’s always tougher to shoot the ball on the road, but the Roadrunners did it pretty well against the Owls, who have showed off a rugged defensive style this year. UTSA shot 46.2 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three against the Owls.

Not only did the Roadrunners hit 13 three-point shots, but they also made nearly all of their free throws, knocking down 17 of 18, including eight for eight in the last 25 seconds after the Owls had cut the lead to five.

An emotional Claunch, sitting down with Andy Everett on the team’s postgame radio show, praised the team’s composure at the end.

“On the road you got to expect they’re going to make a run,” Claunch said. “(They’re) a really, really well-coached team. They’re obviously much improved. Coach (Rob Lanier) is going to get it going. You can tell. They play with extreme fight, toughness. They attack the rim. And I was just proud of our team.”

In the first half, the Roadrunners blitzed the Owls with defense that forced turnovers, which led to a fast-paced tempo. Trailing by eight early, the Roadrunners surged into a 51-34 lead with a little less than two minutes remaining.

Undeterred, the Owls kept battling. They scored the last seven points in the first half to pull within 10. In the second half, they started playing more to their own tempo and gradually pulled into a 62-61 lead with 10 minutes left on two free throws by forward Jacob Dar.

On the next possession, UTSA ran good offense and dumped it down to forward Jo Smith for a dunk to re-take the lead. Millender then scored seven points in a row for the Roadrunners in a 9-2 run that opened the advantage to 70-64 with 7:47 left.

With Spears and Millender making plays, the Owls never came closer than three points the rest of the way. For Millender, who played in high school at Clear Brook in Houston-area Friendswood, it was special. He was able to put on a show for dozens of people who came out to watch him play.

“It was super fun tonight,” Millender said.

Millender, a UTSA sophomore, scored 21 points against Wichita State to tie a season high and then set a new one against Rice. His play after the Owls took the lead in the second half was clutch.

Millender just looked comfortable, sinking a 14-foot jumper to start his run. Next, he added a three from the top of the circle. On that basket, an Owls defender ran past him trying to defend. Millender let the defender go by, took one bounce with the ball and drilled the trey.

On UTSA’s next trip down, he worked to the left side of the key and sank a 15-foot fade-away over an outstretched hand to make it 70-64.

“We hit a little adversity,” Millender said, “and coach tells us all the time, ‘Just stay together. Stay together.’ Coach told us in the huddle ‘just stay together, and we going to come out with the dub.”

Guard Trae Broadnax led the Owls with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. Forward Alem Huseinovic added 12, while both Dar and Caden Powell scored 11 each. Dar was a factor in many ways, as he contributed six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Denver Anglin added nine points off the bench, all from beyond the arc on three-for-eight shooting from distance.

Records

UTSA 8-8, 2-2
Rice 11-7, 2-3

Coming up

North Texas at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.

First half

Trailing by eight points early, the UTSA Roadrunners settled down, started forcing turnovers and rolled to a 51-41 lead on the Rice Owls.

In the game played in Houston at Rice’s Tudor Fieldhouse, the Roadrunners looked a bit tentative in the early going, falling behind 15-7 in the first five minutes.

After a timeout, the Roadrunners started to bother the Owls with their defense and several UTSA players got hot on the offensive end in a fast-paced attack.

By intermission, UTSA was shooting 50 percent from the field and 53 percent from the 3-point arc. Primo Spears led the way with 14 points, while Raekwon Horton and Marcus Millender had 13 apiece.

For the second straight game, Millender came off the bench, and the strategy worked with the UTSA perimeter players in synch and playing with confidence.

Spears was 5 for 11 from the field and 4 for 4 from the free throw line. Millender, Horton and Damari Monsanto all knocked down three 3-point shots.

The Roadrunners pumped the lead to 17 points twice down the stretch, the last time at 51-34 on a couple of Spears free throws.

The Owls climbed back in contention with seven straight points down the stretch — all by Alem Huseinovic. Huseinovic led the Owls in the first half with 10 points. He hit two of five from the 3-point arc.

Men’s basketball: Revamped UTSA, Rice to meet in Houston tonight

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Two Texas-based men’s college basketball programs, both looking to gain traction in the American Athletic Conference under new coaches, will meet Tuesday night in Houston when the UTSA Roadrunners play the Rice Owls at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Marcus Millender. UTSA men's basketball lost to Tulsa 82-77 in American Athletic Conference action on Monday, Jan. 7, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Marcus Millender, who played in high school at Clear Brook in Friendswood, will return to the Houston area tonight as the Roadrunners tip off against the Rice Owls. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Both UTSA and Rice, entering their second year in the AAC, are coming off disappointing seasons in which they won only five conference games Both UTSA and Rice went 5-13 in the American a year ago and responded by overhauling their coaching staffs.

The Roadrunners said goodbye to Steve Henson and hello to Austin Claunch. The Owls, meanwhile, parted ways with Scott Pera and then hired Rob Lanier.

Both Claunch and Lanier have been tasked with the same charge — to bolster sagging hoops fortunes at universities separated by about 200 miles of highway on Interstate 10.

As far as NCAA tournament appearances go, Rice hasn’t been to one since 1970, one of the longest droughts in Division I, while UTSA’s last trip was 2011.

Records

UTSA 7-8, 1-2
Rice 11-6, 2-2

Coming up

UTSA at Rice, Tuesday, 7 p.m.
North Texas at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Notable

Lanier’s Owls started 11-4 and 2-0 in the conference, opening the first week of January with a 70-64 AAC road win at Tulsa and then returning home to beat the Charlotte 49ers, 68-55.

Last week, they stumbled, getting blown out 81-59 at North Texas last Wednesday and then coming home to play close against Temple, only to fall 73-70 in the final seconds.

Claunch, whose team played at a high level for the most part last week but came out of it 1-1, said it won’t be easy to win in Houston.

“Every week (in the AAC) is tough,” he said on a Monday zoom call. “Ultimately, now, we’ve got to go on the road against a good Rice team that’s 2-2 in league. They lost a tough one (to Temple) the other day. So we got to be ready to go and execute and play how we’ve been playing.

“And then we come home and play not just a good team but a great program with North Texas that’s had a ton of success over the past few years. Big week for us. We just got to put our heads down and keep working.”

The Roadrunners opened conference play on Jan. 4 at Tulane and suffered their most lopsided loss of the season, a 92-63. Returning home, they hosted Tulsa and had the Golden Hurricane down by 16 points early in the second half, only to squander the lead and fall 82-77.

Playing at home again last weekend, the Roadrunners put together defense and offense as well as they have all season and downed the Wichita State Shockers, 88-75. An extremely promising sign was that they tallied their most points against a Division I team with leading scorer Primo Spears held to only eight.

Big man update
The Roadrunners are playing short-handed in the frontcourt. Six-foot-eight power forward Jaquan Scott hasn’t played in six of UTSA’s last seven games. He’s been away for the last two attending to a family matter. In addition, 6-11 center Mo Njie has missed four straight with a foot injury.

UTSA men defeat Wichita State, 88-75, for first AAC victory

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Marcus Millender. UTSA beat Wichita State 88-75 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Marcus Millender scored 21 points to lead the Roadrunners Saturday afternoon against the Wichita State Shockers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The hot-shooting UTSA Roadrunners snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday, knocking down 15 three-point baskets in an 88-75 decision over the Wichita State Shockers for their first victory in the American Athletic Conference under first-year Coach Austin Claunch.

Playing on the back end of a basketball doubleheader at the Convocation Center, the Roadrunners raced to a 47-32 halftime lead and never let up in what Claunch described as the team’s best performance of the season. They shot 52.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.

Guard Marcus Millender tied a season-high with 21 points and made five three-pointers. Also, forward Raekwon Horton had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Damari Monsanto pitched in 17 points and he, too, had five threes.

Austin Claunch. UTSA beat Wichita State 88-75 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch picked up his first victory in the American Athletic Conference and vowed there would be more to come. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Six-foot-nine forward Jo Smith defended the basket with four blocks on one end of the floor, and he also contributed 13 points on the other.

With the performance, the Roadrunners earned a measure of redemption for their showing on Tuesday night at home against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Tulsa rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to win, 82-77, handing UTSA its third straight loss and dropping the team into an 0-2 hole in the AAC race. After manhandling the Shockers, the Roadrunners improved to 7-8 on the season and to 1-2 in conference.

Asked what changed in the days between the Tulsa and Wichita State games, Claunch launched into a story about how athletes sometimes just need to keep working to get things right.

“Ninety percent of me is fired up,” Claunch said. “Then there’s 10 percent, it’s like I feel we should be 2-1 (in the AAC). You know, you play 28 minutes of good basketball — give Tulsa a lot of credit; I’m not going to take anything away from what they did — but the point is, we showed today that, now, we can finish it.

“And so as excited as we are, we’re double as hungry. Because I think now, you know, it just takes time. The team is always giving me a hard time because I’m always giving them metaphors, stories, things like that. We talk about the stone cutter and … you just show up and work every day.

“Eventually, it shows up. Today, I think was a good example of that. We’re just getting started. You know, we got a lot of work to do. Our goal is not to win one conference game. Our goal is to win a lot of conference games. So, you’ll see these guys back in here working tomorrow.”

Raekwon Horton. UTSA beat Wichita State 88-75 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Raekwon Horton had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Wichita State. He also had five assists and a couple of steals, all in 36 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Horton talked about how hungry the Roadrunners were to win against the Shockers and what it meant to get the victory for Claunch, who was hired last spring and built the team mostly from scratch after all but one scholarship player from last season entered the transfer portal.

“I love playing for coach,” said Horton, who talked about how Claunch has a way of pumping up players’ confidence.

“Some coaches will tear you down or put you on the bench,” Horton said. “Coach Claunch will build you up. He’ll never tell you to stop shooting. He say, ‘Next one is good. Keep going hard. I got you. I got you.’ ”

For the Shockers, who remained winless through three games in the AAC, guard Xavier Bell led with 23 points, and center Quincy Ballard had 22.

With a little more than three minutes remaining, tempers flared between the teams when Wichita State’s Corey Washington contested a jumper by UTSA’s Primo Spears.

As Spears released his shot, Washington re-directed it into the corner. On his backside, Spears caught it, and then two-handed it in the other direction, hitting Washington on the head with the ball.

It didn’t land hard, but it was hard enough for tempers to flare and for officials to move in to keep the peace.

They sent both teams to their respective benches and went to the monitor to look at the replay. When it was over, Washington was called for a personal foul. In addition, both Spears and Washington were assessed technical fouls.

A technical was also called on the UTSA bench, presumably for something that was said when emotions were running high.

Damari Monsanto. UTSA beat Wichita State 88-75 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Damari Monsanto produced 17 points in 18 minutes of playing time. As usual, he was deadly from deep, making five of seven, including four of four in the second half. – Photo by Joe Alexander

On the back end of the drama, Xavier Bell sank two free throws for Wichita State, followed by Spears making two for UTSA. The Roadrunners, leading by 86-69 with 3:27 remaining at that point, had the game more or less in the bag.

But Claunch said he was happy that his players stayed composed and finished with the double-digit victory.

“It’s a competitive game,” the coach said. ” … We did a great job keeping our composure. But, these guys love each other. They’re going to defend themselves and defend each other … I thought we did a great job coming out of that huddle and finishing the game, making free throws, not turning it over and milking the clock.

“Really proud of it all around. Obviously, you don’t want to have dust-ups or anything like that. But again, we protect home (court). We protect home, and obviously, we’re going to always have each other’s back. But, on top of that, we did a great job of just being composed.

“That’s what happens with an older team that’s been in this experience, and having guys like (Millender) who’s a great ball handler, having older guys like Rae and Pri (Spears). It’s what it’s all about and that’s how you finish games.”

UTSA shot the ball well from long distance all night. If it wasn’t Millender making five of seven threes in the first half, it was Damari Monsanto hitting four of four from deep in the second.

One of Monsanto’s high-arcing shots splashed, topping off a 7-0 run and giving the Roadrunners their largest lead of the game, 71-49, with 11:29 remaining.

Records

Wichita State 10-6, 0-3
UTSA 7-8, 1-2

Coming up

UTSA at Rice, Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners won both ends of the doubleheader against the Shockers, with the women claiming the first game, 69-51.

Jonnivius Smith. UTSA beat Wichita State 88-75 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jonnivius Smith, cocking his wrist and preparing to dunk, finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four blocks against the Shockers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA men should get a boost in the NET ratings after beating Wichita State by 13 points. Wichita State, with victories earlier in the season over Power 4 teams Minnesota and Kansas State, entered the game rated at No. 139 in the nation. UTSA entered at No. 281.

Roadrunners guard Primo Spears, who scored a career-high 40 points Wednesday night against Tulsa, had eight points, six assists and a steal against Wichita State.

UTSA forward Jaquan Scott did not play in his second straight game. A team spokesman said later that Scott is “away from the team on a family matter.”

The Rice Owls, who will host the Roadrunners Tuesday night, suffered a tough loss at home on Saturday afternoon. They fell to Temple, 73-70. Temple secured the victory on two Jamal Mashburn free throws with 1.5 seconds remaining. As a result, Rice fell to 11-6 on the season and to 2-2 in the AAC in Rob Lanier’s first season at the school.

Tai'Reon Joseph. UTSA beat Wichita State 88-75 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander High-flying UTSA guard Tai’Reon Joseph finishes off a slam against the Wichita State Shockers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

WNBA coach Becky Hammon watches as the UTSA women win their seventh straight

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Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA women's basketball beat Wichita State 69-51 at the Convocation Center in the American Athletic Conference on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins scored 21 points on 10 of 19 shooting as the UTSA Roadrunners defeated the Wichita State Shockers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With a prominent WNBA coach in attendance, Jordyn Jenkins scored 21 points Saturday as the UTSA Roadrunners beat the Wichita State Shockers 69-51 for their seventh straight victory.

As a result, UTSA improved to a program-best 14-2 after 16 games. Dominating in the paint against the Shockers, the Roadrunners also stayed undefeated in the American Athletic Conference at 5-0.

The 5-0 mark ties for the program-best start in conference from the 1983-84 season, the third year of basketball at UTSA, when the team played in the Oil Country Athletic Conference.

UTSA started fast with a 20-8 first quarter and were never seriously challenged afterward, claiming their 10th straight win at home, dating back to last season.

Idara Udo. UTSA women's basketball beat Wichita State 69-51 at the Convocation Center in the American Athletic Conference on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Idara Udo had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Roadrunners. She pulled down four rebounds on the offensive glass. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I thought we played really, really well out of the gates,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “That was something we talked about it after the Rice game. Thought it was a little unusual how we started that game, so I thought we were pretty intentional in starting better.

“Played well in the first half and then sort of maybe took a nap at half, or something. I thought Wichita State made some adjustments at halftime, too, and started attacking us a little differently. I thought we re-focused for the fourth quarter and ended up playing pretty well.”

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon attended the game and talked to the Roadrunners afterward.

Asked if Hammon was her personal guest or whether she came to watch some players, Aston said, “Maybe a little of both. I’ve been talking to her quite a bit about just coming out. I mean, this is kind of her home base. I don’t think it’s home base very often, but definitely wanted to try and get her out.”

Hammon served as an assistant coach with the Spurs in the NBA before taking a job with the Aces in the WNBA. With the Spurs, the former WNBA point guard for the San Antonio Stars became the first female to be hired fulltime as an assistant coach in the NBA.

She took a job with the Aces as head coach and won the WNBA title in 2022 and 2023.

“It’s important for our players to see someone that’s willing to step out of their busy schedule and support women’s basketball in our community,” Aston said. “She has a unique place in San Antonio history as far as basketball is concerned. So I’ve been coaxing her for some time to come out to practice. Anything that would help these guys (the UTSA players) just have some words of wisdom, from someone who’s had the type of success that she’s had.”

Aston declined to comment on the status of UTSA forward Nyayongah Gony, who has been on crutches this week and hasn’t played either in the Roadrunners’ 67-58 victory over Rice on Wednesday or on Saturday against the Shockers.

Gony was wearing a brace on her left leg. Also, Aston said she didn’t know what happened with forward Cheyenne Rowe, who went down to the floor on a play in the final minutes of the game in front of the UTSA bench. She was assisted off the floor by a trainer.

First half

Attacking in the paint and controlling the boards, the UTSA Roadrunners overwhelmed the Wichita State Shockers, taking a 34-16 lead into the dressing room at intermission.

UTSA held a 27-11 lead in rebounding and a 15-0 lead in second-chance points at the break. Cheyenne Rowe had six rebounds off the bench, including three on the offensive end.

Idara Udo and Sidney Love had five boards apiece.

Jenkins led the offense with 10 points on five of 10 shooting from the field. Udo had seven points and, in all, seven players scored.

The Roadrunners kept Wichita State scoring leader Jayla Murray off balance, as the power forward made only two field goals in five attempts and scored four. Guard Taylor Jameson knocked down a couple of threes and scored six.

Records

Wichita State 7-12, 1-4
UTSA 14-2, 5-0

Coming up

UTSA at Memphis, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Notable

UTSA has two winning streaks of seven games this season. The team lost its opener at Texas A&M and then won the next seven. After losing at Stanford, UTSA has won another seven going into Memphis Wednesday night. Nine of UTSA’s 14 victories have come by double-digit margins.

Jenkins is known for her scoring. She’s scored 315 points in 16 games for a 19.7 average this season. She’s also shot it well, hitting 51 percent from the field. But she’s also worked hard defensively, registering 22 steals and 23 blocked shots.

Nina De Leon Negron. UTSA women's basketball beat Wichita State 69-51 at the Convocation Center in the American Athletic Conference on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA point guard UTSA point guard Nina De Leon Negron had 11 points and four assists in 29 minutes against the Shockers. She hit four of four shots from the field and three of three from 3-point distance. – Photo by Joe Alexander