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Roadrunners win two on a chilly opening day at home

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Luke Malone. The UTSA baseball team playing Seattle in Game 2 on opening day Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander

Luke Malone pitched into the eighth inning Friday night as the UTSA Roadrunners downed the Seattle Redhawks 3-2 to sweep a doubleheader. UTSA won the opener, 7-3. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners talked in days leading into the new season about their hopes for an improved pitching staff. They feel pretty good about the results after the first five games.

UTSA improved its record to 4-1 after downing the Seattle Redhawks 7-3 and 3-2 Friday in 40-degree weather at Roadrunner Field.

Coming up

Saturday — Seattle at UTSA, noon
Sunday — Seattle at UTSA, noon
Monday — Stanford at UTSA, 1 p.m.

First day at home

On the first day at home for the Roadrunners this season, the pitching wasn’t perfect. But it seemed to hold together in the tough moments.

Leyton Barry. The UTSA baseball team playing Seattle in Game 2 on opening day Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA second baseman Leyton Barry plays the field on a cold day at Roadrunner Field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In the first game, the Roadrunners fell behind 3-0, only to have relievers Ryan Beaird and Reece Easterling shut out the Redhawks on no hits in the final 4 and 1/3 innings.

In Game 2, Luke Malone started and worked into the eighth inning with a 3-0 lead. After Seattle scored twice in the eighth, reliever Allen Smith struck out two batters to end the threat.

When the Redhawks rallied again in the ninth, Daniel Shafer entered to get the last two outs to preserve the victory. The Redhawks had the tying run at third base, but Shafer induced a ground ball by Connor O’Brien to end the game.

Malone might have been the story of the day. He was strong. He worked 7 and 1/3 innings and yielded only one run on three hits, striking out seven and walking just one.

Last week, UTSA opened its season on the road against the Tarleton State Texans and won two out of three largely on the strength of their offense. They won 21-5 and 12-8 and then lost in the finale, 12-1.

Ian Bailey. The UTSA baseball team playing Seattle in Game 2 on opening day Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander

Ian Bailey, a senior from Stevens, leads the Roadrunners with a .450 batting average through five games. He has nine hits. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Through five games combined against Tarleton and Seattle, two programs affiliated with the Western Athletic Conference, UTSA’s pitching staff ERA is 5.40, down slightly from last year’s 5.92.

In addition, UTSA pitching is holding opponents to a .259 batting average. Last year, teams hit .277 against the Roadrunners.

Tapia says UTSA pitching could be ‘the heart of the team’

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Fifth-year UTSA senior Jonathan Tapia is projected to start in center field tonight at Tarleton State but also is also expected to play this season in the infield. — File photo by Joe Alexander

Jonathan Tapia, a fifth-year UTSA senior from O’Connor High School, will lead the Roadrunners into Stephenville tonight as they open the college baseball season on the road against the Tarleton State Texans. Tapia, a preseason pick on the all-Conference USA team, has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and is working on his master’s in business. I met Tapia earlier this week for an interview at Roadrunner Field.

How do you think the team looks?

The team looks good. It’s the first weekend, and, you know, we’re going to see how the first weekend goes. We’re going to look to sweep. But Tarleton is a good team. So, they’re going to come out and give us (their) best shot.

What about for the long term? What do you think is this team’s potential?

I really think our (pitching) staff is going to be good. The heart of the team. We’re going to have guys coming out of the pen. Four or five guys coming out of the pen. So, we’re going to have that. Hitting’s going to come along, too. Hitting comes and goes. You got to have pitching to win games.

What about the pitching staff makes you so optimistic?

We got a lot of new guys. New faces. Guys with good stuff. Guys with velo.

What about from your vantage point. You’re starting in center on Friday night. What do you see in terms of the defense up the middle?

Defense is going to be solid. That’s going to be one of our strong points. Our infield coach emphasizes that defense wins games. I really think that’s going to be our emphasis this year.

Shortstop Kody Darcy is a new face. What do you see from Kody?

I love Kody. Kody’s a good guy. He’s going to be in our lineup every day. He brings a good (skills at) shortstop and a good bat as well.

I see from watching this practice today that he’s got a lot of range.

Yeah, we need that up the middle.

Are you going to be all over the place this year, defensively? I saw you played center today. A little at third. A little at second?

Per usual. I’m going to be utility. I like that. You got to keep the mind guessing. Is what I like to say.

A friend of mine says he saw you shifted from third base to second in one inning last year.

I think it was in the Rice series I did that. I was at third, and then when a lefty (hitter) would come up, I’d go to second. It’s interesting in the scorebook, because (a ground ball to second) will be a 5-3 putout in the book.

Do you like having that multi-faceted role with the team?

I enjoy it. I think it brings versatility to our team and also to me. I’m pretty confident, wherever I play. Coach asks me where I want to play. I say, I just want to play. I just want to help the team, honestly.

What do you remember most about last season?

Last season? Last season was kind of a blur, honestly. As a team, I really think we swung the bat really well. And I think this year’s going to be the same thing. Like I said, hitting comes and goes. We might struggle, but in the next game, it’ll come back.

You went to C-USA tournament in Ruston last year and lost two games in extra innings. Two one-run games in extra innings. How long did it take you to get over that?

Yea, man, it was tough. Obviously, we played a good LA Tech team. Losing to them by one run in extra innings. We played them the week before and lost to them in extra innings, as well. It just shows that we can hang with the big dogs up there.

How do you feel about this being your last ride with the Roadrunners?

I’m going to go out there and give it all I got, like I’ve done all four years. Just going out with the guys and having fun. I mean, that’s all you can do. It’s just a game. I mean, you got to have fun playing baseball.

What about your academics? You’ve been honored by the conference a few times. Do you want to brag about your academics a little?

I don’t really like to brag about myself. I mean, I just … school’s hard, as it is. That’s why I’m going to school. Playing baseball and going to school, my family and everybody just keep me on top of everything. Especially our advisor. Beth Noteware. She always helps us with everything that we need.

You study kinesiology, right. Have you graduated already?

I’ve already graduated. I’m doing my master’s in business right now. I’m doing that right now. I’ll finish that up next fall.

What do you hope to do with kinesiology, plus business?

Evidently, I want to open up my own business. A baseball-related business. Kind of like the D-1s that you see in Boerne. All of that stuff. I kind of want to do that. There’s a lot of things I could do right now with a masters in business degree. That’s kind of what I want to do.

Are you going to try to play some pro ball next year?

Yes sir. That’s the No. 1 goal right now, (although, and) I forgot who told me this. But, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t go play pro ball. I gave it all I got all five years (here). That’s all I can ask for.

Play ball! New season dawns for San Antonio area talent

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Jace Jung, a Texas Tech sophomore from San Antonio MacArthur High School, headlines our list of players from the local area in NCAA Division I baseball. — Photo, courtesy of Texas Tech athletics, by Elise Bressler

Good morning, all.

With the college baseball season opening today, I tried to track down the names of everyone from the San Antonio area that I could find on Division I rosters.

I’ve been working on the list for a few days now and, admittedly, might have overlooked a few guys. But I did my best and, for now, here it is. I’ll update through the season if more names come to light.

Special thanks to Matt Burkholder at Texas Tech University. Matt was kind enough to email photos of slugger Jace Jung, a Red Raiders sophomore from San Antonio’s MacArthur High School.

Jung was the Big 12 player of the year and earned All-American honors as a freshman last season. He hit .337 and led the conference with 21 homers.

Here are some other names to keep an eye on:

Coleson Abel, Texas Tech, LHP, freshman from Kerrville Tivy

Bryan Aguilar, Tarleton State, INF, senior from East Central, also Hill JC and Marshall University

Ian Bailey, UTSA, OF, grad senior from Stevens

Zane Badmaev, Tarleton State, RHP, sophomore from Boerne

Rody Barker, Texas A&M, OF-C, graduate transfer from Kerrville Tivy, New Mexico Junior College

Jalen Battles, Arkansas, SS, senior from Madison and McLennan Community College

Ryan Beaird, UTSA, RHP, freshman from Reagan

Brandon Beckel, Texas Tech, P, sophomore from Antonian

Luke Boyers, TCU, OF, sophomore from Boerne Champion

Garrett Brooks, UTSA, OF, freshman from Smithson Valley

Porter Brown, TCU, OF, redshirt sophomore from Reagan

Clayton Chadwick, Sam Houston State, UTL, sophomore from La Vernia

Josh Coleman, Houston, LHP, freshman from Johnson

Preston Dallmeyer, Stephen F. Austin, OF, sophomore from Poth and Ranger College

Zach DeLeon, UT Rio Grande Valley, RHP, senior from Hondo and UTSA

Nathan Dettmer, Texas A&M, P, sophomore from Johnson

Garrett Egli, Abilene Christian, RHP, grad transfer from Smithson Valley, Sam Houston State

Cohen Feser, TCU, P, freshman from Reagan

Ty Fontenot, Baylor, LHP, redshirt freshman from Brandeis

Douglas Hodo III, Texas, OF, redshirt sophomore from Boerne

Jace Jung, Texas Tech, 2B, sophomore from MacArthur

Josh Killeen, UTSA, C, redshirt sophomore from Reagan and Wichita State

Alex Magers, Texas A&M, P, sophomore from D’Hanis

Cal Martin, Stephen F. Austin, UTL, sophomore from Reagan

Zack May, Incarnate Word, RHP, grad student, from Smithson Valley, and McNeese State, Hill College

Matthew Nicholas, Texas State, RHP, New Braunfels Christian Academy

August Ramirez, Texas State, C, redshirt sophomore from O’Connor

Julio Riggs, Abilene Christian, INF-OF, sophomore, Boerne and Paris College

Dalton Shuffield, Texas State, INF, senior from Johnson

Travis Sthele, Texas, P, redshirt freshman from Reagan

Tristan Stivors, Texas State, P, senior from Medina Valley and New Mexico JC

Austin Stracener, Texas A&M, INF, freshman from New Braunfels Canyon

Jonathan Tapia, UTSA, INF/OF, senior from O’Connor

Jordan Thompson, Texas A&M, OF, junior from Boerne Champion, Incarnate Word, Grayson College

Sam Walbridge, Texas, P, redshirt sophomore from Saint Mary’s Hall

Ryan Ward, UTSA, RHP, sophomore from Clemens

Zac Vooletich, Texas Tech, INF/OF, junior from Brandeis and Navarro College

Isaiah Zavala, Incarnate Word, RHP, junior from Southwest

Cold weather for baseball? Just how the Roadrunners like it

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Leyton Barry and the UTSA Roadrunners open their season Friday night in Stephenville against the Tarleton State Texans. — File photo by Joe Alexander

Two weeks ago, Pat Hallmark emerged from the clubhouse and walked out to the field, bundled up in a coat to ward off the cold from a low 40s-type day in South Texas. Some of his players sensed an opening to have some fun. A few of them remarked, “Hey coach, it’s just how we like it.”

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark says he feels good about the improvement of his pitching. — File photo by Joe Alexander

It’s a refrain heard often around Roadrunner Field this time of year. It’s a mindset that Hallmark, UTSA’s third-year coach, always tries to instill in his players when they’re pushing through practices in late January and early February in preparation for the start of the college baseball season.

Some days, though, the cold just doesn’t allow for any type of workout. Such was the case a few weeks ago.

“That weekend, we didn’t (practice at all on Thursday) and we didn’t play intrasquad on Friday,” the coach said. “We basically got all the pitching in on Saturday and Sunday. We really didn’t miss anything. Just got pushed back a day.

“Last weekend, it sorted itself back out. (We played regularly-scheduled intrasquad games) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So we didn’t miss anything. It was just a little colder.”

The Roadrunners may need to break out the long sleeves again this weekend in Stephenville when they open their season with a three-game series against the Tarleton State Texans. Start times Friday and Saturday are at 6 p.m., with the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.

On Friday and Saturday night, temperatures at the Tarleton State Baseball Complex could dip into the 40s, according to the forecast online at weather.com. “Again, we’re prepared,” Hallmark said. “The guys are 100 percent ready.”

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Hallmark expressed optimism about his team’s prospects leading into the road trip to Tarleton, another game at TCU next Wednesday night and then the home-opening series starting Feb. 25. UTSA will host Seattle for four games from Feb. 25-27, followed by a matchup against Stanford on Feb. 28.

“You’re always hopeful and encouraged,” he said. “I think we’ll win some games here early. I think we’ll win some games throughout the year. But we’ve got to go do it, right. I would hope I would think that, (but) the pitching looks good.”

Last season, pitching problems haunted the Roadrunners as they finished 22-26 and got bounced out of the Conference USA tournament in two straight. Despite an offense that ranked as one of the best statistically in the nation, the pitching was among the least effective, with an earned run average of 5.92 and a WHIP of 1.62.

Sensing that the pitching would need an overhaul even before last season, Hallmark and his staff have added some talented young arms to mesh with some veterans who are throwing the ball better. “More days than not, the pitching seems to be winning,” Hallmark said. “It’s a good sign.”

On the first weekend, UTSA is expected to start senior righthander Jacob Jimenez on Friday, followed by lefty grad student Grant Miller on Saturday and freshman righty Braylon Owens on Sunday. The staff, as a whole, just seems to please the head coach.

“We’ve got a lot of new players on the mound,” Hallmark said. “And then, some of the returning players have improved. They just throw more quality pitches.”

Hallmark mentioned Owens, Ryan Beaird and Braden Davis as freshmen who have worked their way into the mix to pitch in games early this season for the Roadrunners. Also, junior college transfers Ulises Quiroga and Allen Smith have shown promise.

“At the end of the day, you just got to throw strikes and you got to create some hitting problems (for the opponent),” Hallmark said. “So we’ll be better able to do that this year, and some of it will be … you’ll see some plain ol’ new people out there.”

Hallmark, who started at UTSA in the 2020 season cut short by the Covid-19 crisis, is hopeful that his staff’s recruiting efforts will yield improved play on defense, as well.

“We’ve just tried to constantly improve the quality of the athlete on the defensive side of the ball,” he said. “It’s not always that easy. Because they got to hit. You might be able to find seven or eight fast athletic kids. But if they can’t hit, you know, you got to be able to score, too. So that’s always a challenge.”

Opening-day starters Friday night are expected to be:

Pitcher — Jacob Jimenez
Catcher — Josh Killeen
First base — Ryan Flores
Second base — Leyton Barry
Shortstop — Kody Darcy
Third base — Austin Ochoa
Right field — Chase Keng
Center field — Jonathan Tapia
Left field — Ian Bailey
Designated hitter — Garrett Poston

As for the hitting? Batting stars Nick Thornquist, Griffin Paxton and Dylan Rock have all played out their eligibility. But it’s expected that the Roadrunners will score some runs, because Hallmark’s teams usually do.

Last year, Barry and Keng both hit better than .300 and slugged at nearly .600 for the Roadrunners. Darcy, a transfer from Xavier in Cincinnati, came in with the reputation as a defensive player but has also started to hit and hit with power under the tutelage of assistant coach Ryan Aguayo.

Hallmark also likes Garrett Poston’s bat. Poston is expected to hit in the leadoff spot Friday night.

North Texas downs UTSA, 69-45, to win eighth straight

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Eight wins in a row? No problem. The North Texas Mean Green methodically built a 17-point halftime lead and then cruised to a 69-45 victory at home Saturday over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Playing at the Super Pit in Denton, the Mean Green won their season-high eighth straight game and improved to 14-1 since Thanksgiving by holding UTSA to 29.2 percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent in the first half.

Center Abou Ousmane had 17 points and six rebounds for the Mean Green, who shot 54.8 percent in a slow-down offense. Guard Tylor Perry came off the bench to score 16 points, while Mardrez McBride added 12.

Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 15 for the Roadrunners, who lost their third straight game and their 12th out of 14 overall.

UTSA coach Steve Henson credited the Mean Green, a team that is playing for a second-straight trip to the NCAA tournament.

“They really manhandled us,” Henson told the team’s radio broadcast, “kept us from running anything … Kept us from passing. Kept us from screening. They just totally dictated with their defense.”

A series of blows to the UTSA roster in January have proven costly.

The Roadrunners lost forwards Cedrick Alley, Jr., and Aleu Aleu for the season. Alley, who is academically ineligible, was a dogged defender who could also score in a complementary role.

Aleu, sidelined with a knee injury, was a multi-talented player who could shoot from distance, drive and defend. Without them, the Roadrunners don’t seem capable of standing up to many teams in Conference USA, let alone the C-USA’s best.

UTSA is 1-5 without Aleu and 1-7 since Alley played his last game.

Ivy-Curry and Dhieu Deing also sat out games last month, the former because of Covid protocols and the latter because he briefly considered turning professional.

Since their return, both of the Roadrunners’ most talented perimeter players have had a tough time finding a groove.

Against North Texas, Ivy-Curry hit 5 of 17 shots from the field, making him 8 of 34 in two games on the current road trip. In the same two games, at Rice and North Texas, Deing is a combined 5 of 18. Deing was limited to 2 of 10 shooting and nine points against the Mean Green.

Center Jacob Germany, UTSA’s other primary threat, led UTSA with 20 points at Rice. He was held to six points and four rebounds against North Texas.

Essentially, the Mean Green kept the ball out of the 6-foot-11 center’s hands. But even when Germany could get off a shot, it wasn’t falling. He finished 1 of 5 from the field.

First half

In the first half, North Texas showed precision in execution on both ends of the floor.

Unfortunately for the UTSA Roadrunners, they didn’t really counter any of it. As a result, the Mean Green emerged with a 34-17 lead at intermission.

Notable

UTSA’s field goal percentage was its third lowest of the season and its fourth below 30 percent. On the road against Oklahoma, the Roadrunners shot 22.7 percent. Also, at home against UT Rio Grande Valley (25.7), at North Texas (29.2) and at Charlotte (29.4).

The 45 points were the second fewest in a game this year, next to the 44 scored in the 96-44 loss at OU on Nov. 12, in the second game of the year. Against North Texas, UTSA almost hit the season’s low-scoring mark before Isaiah Addo-Ankrah sank a layup with two seconds left.

Records

UTSA 8-16, 1-10
North Texas 16-4, 9-1

Coming up

Monday — UTSA at Middle Tennessee.

Roadrunners prepare for road test against C-USA champs

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Looking for a fresh start to a season gone awry, the UTSA Roadrunners will face the streaking North Texas Mean Green today at the Super Pit in Denton.

Tipoff is at 5 p.m.

Slumping UTSA has lost two in a row and 11 of its last 13. North Texas has won seven straight to take the lead in the Conference USA West division.

The Mean Green hold a 17-12 edge against the Roadrunners in the all-time series, including 8-4 in Denton.

North Texas is coming off a season in which it won the C-USA postseason title to advance to the NCAA tournament.

The Mean Green claimed the conference championship in stunning fashion, winning four games in four days at Frisco.

Moving on to the national tournament, Coach Grant McCasland steered 13th-seeded North Texas to an overtime victory in the first round against the No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers.

The Mean Green were finally ousted from the tournament in the round of 32 by the Villanova Wildcats.

UTSA, meanwhile, is working to piece together a respectable second half of the C-USA schedule. In January, the Roadrunners experienced several roster disruptions, forcing the team to reorganize virtually each week.

Last weekend, UTSA snapped a six-game losing streak with a 73-66 victory at home over the FIU Panthers. Two days later, the FAU Owls made all the plays in the last three minutes and won 73-64 on the Roadrunners’ home floor.

This week started with a trip to Houston, where the Rice Owls handed the Roadrunners a 91-78 loss.

UTSA shot a season-best 50 percent from the field but couldn’t stop Rice, a free-flowing offensive club that put five players in double figures and hit 62 percent.

Against North Texas, the Roadrunners will face an entirely different style.

The Mean Green’s plan is to take advantage of every second on the shot clock, make the opponent work and then aim for high-percentage looks at the basket.

They have won seven in a row, but in only one of the victories have they scored as many as 70 points.

In their last outing, the Mean Green erased a 17-point, second-half deficit on the road at Louisiana Tech and won 63-62 when Tylor Perry hit a three with six seconds left.

Records

UTSA 8-15, 1-9
North Texas 15-4, 8-1

Coming up

Monday — UTSA at Middle Tennessee

Rice shoots 62 percent and downs UTSA, 91-78

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The Rice Owls gave up all of a 17-point lead before rolling in the second half to a 91-78 victory at home over the slumping UTSA Roadrunners.

UTSA has lost two straight and 11 of its last 13, with two more games looming on a Conference USA road trip.

“We were concerned about their outside shooting,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s radio broadcast. “We knew their big guys were capable and they just dominated us.

“Those two guys (Max Fiedler and Mylyjael Poteat) had their way with us down in the paint.”

Utilizing an array of offensive talent, Rice hit 66.7 percent from the field in the second half and 62.3 percent for the game.

Fiedler led all scorers, pacing five Owls in double figures with 22 points. Poteat had 12 off the bench, including eight in the first half when he hit his first four shots from the field.

Center Jacob Germany scored 20 points for the Roadrunners, who had one of their best offensive showings of the season.

UTSA hit 50 percent from the field, with Darius McNeill, Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Lachlan Bofinger all shooting the ball well. But on the other end, Rice just had too much talent to guard.

Leading 38-21 late in the first half, Rice struggled defensively and allowed UTSA to tie it 44-44 shortly after intermission. From there, the Owls started to pick up the intensity and gradually ran away with it.

Fiedler and guards Travis Evee and Quincy Olivari all scored 10 points apiece in the second half.

For UTSA, the next stop on the road trip is Denton, with a game set for 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon against the C-USA West Division-leading North Texas Mean Green.

“That’ll be an entirely different deal,” Henson said. “This game had a lot of possessions. Had a lot of flow to it. North Texas is going to cut it in half. Can’t turn the ball over against them. It’ll be tough. It’ll be a tough matchup.”

Records

UTSA 8-15, 1-9
Rice 13-8, 6-4

Coming up

Saturday — UTSA at North Texas (15-4, 8-1)
Monday — UTSA at Middle Tennessee (14-6, 5-2)

First half

Even though the Owls held a 44-40 lead at the half, the Roadrunners felt good as they ducked into the dressing room at intermissiom.

Trailing by as many as 17 points, the Roadrunners rallied behind Addo-Ankrah on a 19-6 run in the last four minutes. Addo-Ankrah hit three 3-point shots in the spree.

Notable

The Roadrunners failed to get two of their top offensive players going against the Owls. Jordan Ivy-Curry was 3 for 17 from the field and Dheiu Deing 3 of 8. Ivy-Curry finished with 10 points and Deing, playing off the bench, had seven. As the game progressed, Ivy-Curry became more of a distributor. He passed for nine assists.

Ankrah, a walk-on, finished with a season-high 15 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting. Bofinger also had one of his better offensive games with 4-of-5 shooting and 10 points. Darius McNeill started and scored 12 points. He hit 6 of 11 field goal attempts. McNeill also had four assists and four rebounds.

Pera’s impact

Rice basketball is on the upswing under fifth-year coach Scott Pera. In 2017-18, Pera’s first season, the Owls scuffled to a 7-24 record. Last year, they finished 15-13 overall and 6-10 in conference. One of their 13 victories this year has come against the UAB Blazers, the best team in the C-USA East.

Rice hasn’t had back-to-back winning seasons since 2012 and hasn’t played in the NCAA tournament since 1970.

Freshman fuels late run as FAU defeats UTSA, 73-64

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Freshman guard Alijah Martin scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half Saturday afternoon as the FAU Owls rallied for a 73-64 victory over the offensively-challenged UTSA Roadrunners.

Martin and Bryan Greenlee, who also scored 16, hit key shots in an 8-0 run for the Owls in the final three minutes of the ball game at the UTSA Convocation Center.

Steve Henson. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 73-64 on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson worked the sideline Saturday as his team battled the FAU Owls. – Photo by Joe Alexander

During the Owls’ final push, the Roadrunners had several opportunities to turn the momentum in their favor but couldn’t get it done.

“Same story,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “Just can’t get the ball to go in the hole.”

After leading by three at halftime, the Roadrunners shot 25.6 percent in the second half and finished with 33.8 percent for the game. As a result, their percentage for the season dropped to 38.0, which ranks last in Conference USA.

Down by nine points with six minutes remaining, the Roadrunners started a charge that felt a little like Thursday night, when they rallied for a victory over the FIU Panthers.

UTSA, behind guard Darius McNeill, surged on an 11-3 streak over the next three minutes.

McNeill had seven points and an assist in the run. His jumper from just outside the paint brought the Roadrunners to within one, 65-64, with 3:18 remaining.

Jordan Ivy-Curry hit a long shot at the buzzer at the end of the first half. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 73-64 on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry hit a long 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer against Florida Atlantic. Ivy-Curry led UTSA with 19 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

At that point, the Roadrunners couldn’t get a break or score another point for the rest of the afternoon.

After McNeill misfired on a three-point attempt that would have vaulted UTSA into the lead, FAU came down and missed on a Greenlee drive.

A clutch offensive rebound by forward Bitumba Baruti allowed the Owls another opportunity, and Greenlee delivered on a three from the wing that made it 68-64.

As the clocked ticked into the two-minute range, defenses tightened and both UTSA and FAU misfired on three-point attempts. Trailing by four, UTSA would have a chance.

But in one of the key sequences, the Roadrunners made an aggressive play that could have been a momentum changer, only to see it go awry.

Guard Dhieu Deing drove baseline and passed on a difficult maneuver under the basket to teammate Jacob Germany. As it turned out, the pass was low, and Germany couldn’t hang on to it.

Jacob Germany. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 73-64 on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Germany had 11 points and 10 rebounds against FAU. The 6-11 center hit 5 of 11 from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Owls advanced it the other way, leading to a driving layup by Martin and a 70-64 lead for FAU with 56 seconds left.

On the next possession, the Roadrunners kept shooting and rebounding and shooting again, coming up with nothing as they skidded to their 10th loss in their last 12 games.

UTSA is 1-8 in conference.

“We’re just too streaky right now,” Henson said. “Confidence, I think, probably is an issue overall. You know, shots going in becomes contagious. Shots not going in becomes contagious. We’re struggling.”

The Owls clearly had something to do with the Roadrunners’ problems. Unlike the Roadrunners, the Owls had several players who looked confident in their offensive games.

Martin, for instance, hit six of 10 from the field. He also nailed four of eight from 3-point territory. In an all-around solid performance, the 6-2 guard from Summit, Miss., was a handful on the glass with nine rebounds. He also passed for four assists.

Greenlee hit the big three at the end.

Junior guard Michael Forrest, FAU’s leading scorer, wasn’t great. He hit only two of six from the field and scored 12 points. But he stepped up and contributed in other areas. He knocked down seven of eight of his free throws, leading a 22 of 26 showing at the line for the Owls.

Freshman guard Johnell Davis led the Owls off the bench. The 6-4 freshman had 15 points and six rebounds.

Records

FAU 12-9, 5-3
UTSA 8-14, 1-8

Coming up

Feb. 3 — UTSA at Rice
Feb. 5 — UTSA at North Texas
Feb. 7 — UTSA at Middle Tennessee

Notable

UTSA hit two three-pointers in the final minute of the first half to take a 38-35 lead. In the second half, the shots didn’t fall. The Roadrunners made only 10 of 39 for 25.6 percent after halftime. They hit 33.8 percent for the game.

Jordan Ivy-Curry led UTSA with 19 points. But after playing 34 minutes on Thursday, Ivy-Curry didn’t seem to have quite the lift on his jumpers. He hit only seven of 24 from the field.

Germany, who played 35 minutes Thursday, was 5 of 11 from the field and scored 11. He had 10 rebounds. Dhieu Deing suffered a tough day in hitting only three of 14 shots. He scored eight points.

Roadrunners hope to take another step forward today

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Rejuvenated by the return of two of their best players, the UTSA Roadrunners will attempt to complete their first Conference USA sweep of the season when they host the FAU Owls Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Jacob Germany. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

After playing 35 minutes Thursday night, UTSA center Jacob Germany will be tested in a quick turnaround as the Roadrunners host the FAU Owls Saturday afternoon. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“The message here is, keep building,” Roadrunners coach Steve Henson said after Thursday night’s 73-66 victory over the FIU Panthers snapped a six-game losing streak.

UTSA’s zone defense held FIU to 26 percent shooting in the first half. After intermission, the offense started to percolate, with the Roadrunners hitting five 3-pointers.

Dhieu Deing hit three of those shots from long distance, a hopeful sign for an offense averaging a C-USA low 67 points.

In January, UTSA played most of the month without Deing and Jordan Ivy-Curry. With both back in the lineup, Jacob Germany was freed up to score 23 points, while Deing had 19 and Ivy-Curry 17.

Now it’s time to see if the team can generate the same level of performance after a quick turnaround.

A night game on Thursday, followed by a 1 p.m. tipoff on a Saturday, will test the Roadrunners’ conditioning and depth.

On Thursday night, Germany played 35 minutes, Ivy-Curry 34 and Deing 26.

Deing had been away from the team for a little more than three weeks, in limbo while weighing whether he wanted to re-join the team. Ivy-Curry had been out for two weeks in Covid protocols.

FAU will enter the game under challenging circumstances, as well. The Owls’ itinerary this week included a flight from their Florida home all the way to El Paso, where they played and lost 70-68 to UTEP Thursday night.

After traveling to San Antonio, the Owls hope to hit a few more shots against the Roadrunners than they did against the Miners.

Based on their track record, a breakout is possible. As one of the better offenses in the conference, FAU has averaged 74.8 points on 46 percent shooting.

The Owls have knocked down 180 three-point shots, led by guards Michael Forrest and Alijah Martin.

Records

FAU 11-9, 4-3
UTSA 8-13, 1-7

Roadrunners end six-game skid by downing the FIU Panthers

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Dhieu Deing. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Erik Czumbel embraces Dhieu Deing after a play late in the game as the Roadrunners hold off the FIU Panthers 73-66 at the Convocation Center. Deing had 19 points in his first game back after leaving the squad in the first week of January. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The losing streak is over. UTSA ended a troublesome six-game skid Thursday night by battling from behind in the second half to take down the FIU Panthers, 73-66.

As a bonus, the Roadrunners notched their first win in Conference USA this season. “We needed it badly,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “There’s no secret about it.”

The streak was the longest in Henson’s six years at UTSA and the longest overall since the Roadrunners lost nine in a row near the end of 2015-16, which was the last season in Brooks Thompson’s tenure as coach.

Jacob Germany. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Playing against a 7-foot-1 center, UTSA post Jacob Germany scored 11 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the second half. He had 23 and 11 for the game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In facing FIU, a big and physical C-USA East Division team with a winning record, 6-foot-11 center Jacob Germany produced a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Dhieu Deing added 19 points, including 15 in the second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 17 points, four rebounds and three assists as UTSA won for the first time in 24 days.

It was Ivy-Curry’s first game since Jan. 8. He sat out the last four in Covid protocols. For Deing, it was his first game since Jan. 1. He left the team briefly and sat out seven games as he tried to decide whether to turn pro or remain in college.

The Roadrunners, fighting against an extended stream of adversity during the month of January, have seen the season come to an end for Cedrick Alley, Jr. and Aleu Aleu.

Alley is academically ineligible and Aleu has suffered a right knee injury that required surgery.

All that notwithstanding, two of the most severe blows to the team came with the loss of Deing and Ivy-Curry.

Without them, defenses keyed on Germany and clogged up the paint. Players who hadn’t been shooting the ball much were forced to look at the basket, with only mixed results.

Jordan Ivy-Curry. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 17 points in his first game back after sitting out four in Covid protocols. He hit a three with five minutes left that helped to fuel a late UTSA rally. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners were 1-6 without Deing (the only win coming against Dallas Christian) and 0-4 without both Deing an Ivy-Curry.

Deing, a 6-foot-5 junior transfer, said it “felt big” to earn the victory in his first game back.

“I prayed a lot on it,” he said. “I just felt like I couldn’t quit on my team like that. So, me, personally, I just (wanted to) do anything I could to win.”

Deing, who nailed three 3-point shots in the second half, said he thinks the difference down the stretch may have stemmed from the Roadrunners starting to learn how to play and pull together when the times get tough.

“Just, how are we going to fight adversity,” he said. “Basketball is about adversity, how are you going to fight it? We did it as a team, together.”

Deing actually had re-joined the team last week, but had to go into Covid protocols and ended up sitting out a couple of losses to the UTEP Miners, one on the road ane one at home.

Florida International's Clevon Brown is from San Antonio and Churchill High School. He had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 blocks on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, against UTSA. - photo by Joe Alexander

Former Churchill High School standout Clevon Brown had 12 points, three rebounds and three blocked shots for the FIU Panthers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

He described his return as emotional.

“I think they’re always going to be my brothers,” he said. “I apologized. I told him I was sorry I quit on ’em. I was just happy to come back and take some dubs with this team.”

In the aftermath of a road loss at UAB on the first day of the New Year, tensions mounted when the team got back home.

“I was just frustrated,” Deing said. “A lot of things going on. A lot of people in my ear. Just a lot of things going on. Just frustration.”

Deing sat out on Jan. 3 against Dallas Christian, and then UTSA released a statement on Jan. 6 saying that he wasn’t on the team and was looking at options in pro basketball.

In regard to his other options, Deing said he considered “a lot of things” but did not sign anything.

After FIU bell behind and trailed most of the first half, at one time by as many as 14 points, the Panthers gradually climbed back in the game after intermission and took the lead with 7:57 left.

With point guard Tevin Brewer orchestrating the attack, FIU continued to press the action and pushed the advantage to Five. A floater by Brewer made it 61-56 in favor of the Panthers with 5:26 remaining.

Darius McNeill. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Darius McNeill takes it to the hoop for the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

From there, the Roadrunners pushed back. Consecutive 3-pointers from Ivy-Curry and Deing vaulted UTSA back on top by one point.

Down the stretch, UTSA benefited from plays by Germany and Erik Czumbel, who hit another three.

Both Deing and Ivy-Curry, at the line with one-and-one situations late, came up big by knocking down two free throws in each instance.

“Teams high in the standings are often times playing a lot of close games,” Henson said. “They’re just finding ways to win those ball games. We needed to get this one to reinforce that, to get it off our back and build on it.

“Kind of the message here is, keep building.”

Records

FIU 12-8, 2-5
UTSA 8-13, 1-7

Coming up

Saturday, FAU at UTSA, 1 p.m.

Notable

Germany was aggressive in pulling down five offensive rebounds, and he was efficient in hitting 10 of 18 shots. Coming against a team with a 7-foot-1 center (Seth Pinckney) and a few other wide-bodied forwards, it was clearly one of his better efforts of the season.

Quotable

“That’s Jacob,” Deing said. “He can come in and score 20 any day he want.”

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Jordan Ivy-Curry celebrate after Addo-Ankrah grabbed the final rebound of the game. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Jordan Ivy-Curry celebrate after Addo-Ankrah grabbed the final rebound of the game. It was UTSA’s first win after 24 days and six straight losses. – Photo by Joe Alexander