Incarnate Word opened a double-digit lead early and never looked back on Friday, routing Division III McMurry, 88-49, at the UIW Convocation Center.

The Division I Cardinals (3-0) of the Southland Conference scored the first 17 points of the game.

Charles Brown III and Shawn Johnson led UIW with 19 points apiece. Johnson shot 70 percent from the field and went 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.

He nearly missed his first double-double of the season, grabbing a game-high eight rebounds, and led all players with four steals.

Point guard Jalin Hart did not play. Hart had to sit out Thurday’s practice with ice on a sore knee.

With Hart out, UIW replaced him with freshmen Augustine Ene, who started and scored 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting.

The Cardinals get their first test from Division I competition Wednesday night with a visit from Loyola Marymount.

Coastal Carolina 83, UTSA 69

Freshman guard Jhivvan Jackson continued to shine with 19 points, but it wasn’t enough, as Coastal Carolina handed UTSA its first loss of the season, 83-69, on opening day of the Bahamas Showcase Opener at Nassau.

New UTSA athletic director Lisa Campos holds her son, Christopher, as she is serenaded by the band and the pep squad.

By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

Just as new UTSA athletic director Lisa Campos completed her introductory press conference Friday afternoon, she walked out of the Bexar Room in the University Center and into a wall of sound.

The school band and the pep squad had gathered to welcome her to campus. First, they played the fight song. Next, it was the school song.

Campos, 40, was clearly moved.

As she walked further into the glassed-in area of the university center, the brass was playing loudly. Her husband, Darren D’Attilio, and her wide-eyed son, Christopher, looked around in wonder.

Asked later about the gesture from the university, she said, “Oh, my gosh. It’s just about the pride and the support. It was fantastic.”

Campos comes to UTSA from Northern Arizona, where she had served as athletic director since 2012.

UTSA president Taylor Eighmy said she has agreed to a five-year contract, starting in the first year with a base salary of $375,000.

Officially, she starts on Jan. 15.

The UTSA job had been open since September, when Lynn Hickey stepped down after 18 years.

Campos arrives with a reputation as a fundraiser and as an organizer who helped NAU to 32 Big Sky and Western Athletic Conference championships.

“Her candidacy kept rising to the top,” Eighmy said.

Trinity hits a shot off the baseline in Monday night’s game at Incarnate Word. UIW defeated the Division III Tigers, 93-57. Video by theJBreplay.com.

By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

Undefeated Incarnate Word will play the third game of a season-opening, four-game homestand Friday night at 6 against the McMurry War Hawks.

UIW (2-0) has knocked off Southwestern and Trinity leading into its third straight ball game against NCAA Division III competition.

Abilene-based McMurry plays in the American Southwest Conference.

The Cardinals are set to host Loyola-Marymount on Nov. 22.

Meanwhile, unbeaten UTSA (2-0) has left for the Bahamas. The Roadrunners play Coastal Carolina in Nassau on Friday night.

UTSA won a classic in the I-35 rivalry Wednesday night at Texas State.

Trailing by 9 with 1:10 remaining, the Roadrunners went on a 15-5 run to stun the Bobcats, 79-78.

By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

Trailing by nine points with 1 minute and 10 seconds remaining, UTSA rallied Wednesday night for a stunning 79-78 road victory over the rival Texas State Bobcats.

Freshmen Keaton Wallace and Jhivvan Jackson and sophomore Giovanni De Nicolao all hit three-pointers in the final 70 seconds for the Roadrunners to stun the Bobcats in San Marcos.

With UTSA down by one, Jackson hit two free throws with eight seconds left for the game’s final points.

At the end, Texas State rushed it up court, and Isaiah Gurley missed a hurried three. De Nicolao rebounded in the final seconds and secured the win.

“We didn’t expect it to be easy, and it wasn’t,” UTSA coach Steve Henson told the team’s radio broadcast. “We just got whipped on the boards. That’s something that’s been a little bit of a concern for us.

“Really good game for us. They’re tough. They’re aggressive. Physical style. We’ve got a lot of respect for the way they play.”

Texas State pounded the ball inside most of the night to take advantage of a size advantage.

“We don’t see that kind of post up play in practice,” Henson said. “We don’t throw it in there much. Just liked the way our guys hung in there, hung in there and did a lot of things right down the stretch with no timeouts.”

De Nicolao led four UTSA players in double-figure scoring with 17. The sophomore from Italy also produced four rebounds and three assists.

Jackson scored 15, Wallace 11 and Nick Allen 10.

For the second game in a row, the Roadrunners (2-0) sank 11 three-pointers.

The Bobcats (0-2) seemingly had the game won with 1:10 left when Nedeljko Prijovic hit a free throw for a 73-64 lead.

Wallace promptly answered with a three on the other end, sparking a 15-5 run for UTSA down the stretch to secure the win.

With the victory, UTSA increased its all-time lead in the series to 35-24.

Guard Tyler Blount scored 22 points to lead the Bobcats, while Nijal Pearson added 14 and Deris Duncan 10.

With Texas State leading 78-77, Blount missed two free throws with 13 seconds left, and that left the door open for the Roadrunners.

Five seconds later, Jackson drove a drew a foul by Alex Peacock.

Jackson, from Puerto Rico and Euless Trinity High School, promptly hit two free throws for the game winners.

Women

UT Arlington 69, UTSA 68 (OT)

Guard Crystal Allen scored 21 points and center Rebekah VanDijk added 14 as undefeated UT Arlington knocked off UTSA in overtime.

The Mavs (3-0) held on for the victory despite Crystal Chidomere’s 26 points. Marie Benson had 13 points and 12 rebounds for UTSA (1-2).

Texas State 74, UIW 33

The Bobcats surged to a 13-point lead after the first quarter and then cruised to an easy victory at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Guard Toshua Leavitt scored 20 points, and the Bobcats hit 11 three-pointers to remain undefeated.

Texas State (2-0) built leads of 22-9 at the quarter and 43-23 at the half.

In the second half, the Bobcats’ defense took over, holding the Cardinals (0-3) to 10 points.

Texas State guard Taeler Deer, who poured in 44 in Sunday’s season opener at Texas Tech, scored 14.

By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

Two NCAA Division I men’s college basketball programs that have enjoyed only sporadic success over the years are set to meet for the 59th time tonight in San Marcos.

Texas State (0-1) will host UTSA (1-0) at 7 p.m. at Strahan Coliseum.

UTSA won last season’s meeting 63-48 on Nov. 25 in San Antonio, marking Steve Henson’s second career victory as head coach.

The series started in 1985 with a 83-76 UTSA win. UTSA holds a 17-13 record in San Antonio, a 15-11 mark in San Marcos and is 2-0 at neutral sites.

UTSA will be playing without freshman forward Adrian Rodriguez, who is lost for the season with what is believed to be a knee injury.

Rodriguez sustained the injury on Sunday at home in the second half of UTSA’s 92-59 victory over East Central, Oklahoma.

UTSA freshman guard Keaton Wallace led the way against East Central with a game-high 22 points on six three pointers.

Texas State is in its fifth year under Coach Danny Kaspar, formerly the head coach at Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

Last season, Kaspar led the Bobcats to a 22-14 record and into the finals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

They finished the season by advancing to third round of the Collegeinsider.com Tournament.

It was the first winning season for Texas State since 2003.

UTSA is also rebuilding under Henson.

The Roadrunners were one of the worst teams in Division I in 2015-16 when they plummeted to a 5-27 record.

Henson took over last year and led the team to a 14-19 season.

UTSA started its program at the Division I level in 1981-82.

The Roadrunners have made four NCAA appearances (1988, 1999, 2004 and 2011).

Twenty years have passed since Texas State reached the NCAAs.

The Bobcats’ only appearances (1994 and 1997) came after the program executed a move from Division II to the Division I level in 1983-84, according to the program’s media guide.

UIW women host Taeler Deer, Texas State

High-scoring Taeler Deer and the Texas State women will play at Incarnate Word tonight at 6.

Deer, a senior guard, scored 44 points in Texas State’s 87-70 victory at Texas Tech on Sunday.

UIW (0-2) is looking for its first victory of the year against Texas State (1-0).

The UTSA women (1-1) host UT-Arlington (2-0) at 7.

By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

Incarnate Word redshirt freshman Christian Peevy grew up on the south side of Chicago and learned to play basketball on a court known as “The Gutter.”

Peevy talked about the experience Monday night after his 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench helped the Cardinals blow out the Trinity Tigers, 93-57.

“We played in this place called The Gutter, because the rims were, well, (there was) no net and barely a backboard,” he said. “I used to stay out there from eight in the morning until six. I used to be there all day.”

In between the time his mother dropped him off and picked him up after work, Peevy learned to fend for himself.

“Basically, it just made me who I am,” he said.

Peevy said his friends didn’t call many fouls on each other.

“No fouls,” he said. “You complain for a foul, and that’s a big problem. You get hit in the mouth, you got to get up and keep playing. That makes you tough. Makes you play through tough defense.”

Peevy’s toughness has been on display for the Cardinals in their first two games.
Knocked out of the lineup all of last year with a stress fracture in his right tibia, the 6-foot-6 forward has returned with a vengeance.

In two games, he has produced a 25 points and 14 rebounds in a combined 28 minutes.

“Christian had a dunk against Texas (in last year’s opener) and hurt himself,” UIW coach Ken Burmeister said. “He played a little against Loyola. Then he couldn’t go any more because of his injury.

“He’s made great progress. He’s a hungry young man. He puts a lot of time in the gym, getting in the weight room. Just getting better all the time.”

Injured, not playing and trying to make it all work in a city a long way from home, Peevy said it was “extremely hard” to cope with it.

“I love playing basketball,” he said. “It was hard watching my teammates play and I couldn’t. I really wanted to be out there. To show (the state of) Texas what I had to offer. I guess I’m getting a chance this year.”

Starting forward Simi Socks led UIW against NCAA Division III Trinity, exploding for 19 points and seven rebounds. Another starter, point guard Jalin Hart, scored 10 and passed for 4 assists.

But the story of the game centered on Peevy and the reserves. Together, Peevy, senior Sam Burmeister and freshman Augustine Ene all reached double figures and combined for 39 points.

In the last four minutes of the first half, the bench players sparked a 16-2 run that expanded a six-point lead to 44-24 at intermission.

When Trinity pulled within 14 early in the second half, Peevy led a 29-8 spree that pushed the margin to 78-43. During that stretch, he scored 10, including a fast break dunk and a put-back off an offensive rebound.

“We just come in (off the bench) and we come right back at you,” Peevy said. “It’s hard to scout us because we always have more and more people to produce. We did that today. Augustine played really well. Sam played really well.

“Just a great team win.”

By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

Forward Simi Socks scored 19 points Monday night as the Incarnate Word Cardinals raced past Trinity, 93-57.

With strong play from the reserves, UIW broke the game open with a 26-8 burst in the final 8:33 of the first half in front of announced crowd of 1,234 at the UIW Convocation Center.

Redshirt freshman Christian Peevy came off the bench and contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinals, who improved to 2-0 on the season.

Senior Sam Burmeister added 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Augustine Ene added 11. Ene, a freshman from Carrolton, hit 5 of 6 shots from the field.

Danny Rivara scored 12 and Stephen Molina 11 for the Tigers. The game counted as an exhibition for Trinity, which competes in NCAA Division III.

By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

I always knew I had to return to write about the UTSA basketball program. After being sidelined last year in my first year outside the world of daily newspapers, it was tough to attend games and not have an insight into what was going on in the locker room.

It just felt weird.

So when the opportunity arose to get back into the flow with the development of this website, I figured it would be fun to start talking to the young ball players again. To sit down and pick their brains on any number of subjects.

That’s the beauty of writing about the game at this level.

Athletes are appreciative of the attention. They’re much less guarded than the guys playing in the Power 5 programs, or at the next level, in the NBA. You can carry on a conversation and get to know them.

I had my first such encounter recently with Nick Allen, UTSA’s starting power forward. I knew Nick a little a bit two seasons ago, my last year on the beat for the San Antonio Express-News. But I never knew about his appreciation for classic rock music.

A few days after the Roadrunners returned home from Huntsville, where they played their first exhibition last weekend against Sam Houston State, I ran into Nick in the hallway outside the dressing room. I approached him and asked a leading question: “You guys hit 15 threes against Sam?”

Allen smiled. Compared to last year, when the Roadrunners would play for weeks and not make 10 shots from long distance, it was a change. It was different. Almost, other worldly. “Kind of like the dark side of the moon,” Allen said, with a straight face.

The statement stuck with me.

It came to mind again Sunday when UTSA played its season opener at the Convocation Center and pumped in 11 threes. On the strength of 47 percent shooting from the field and 35.5 percent from long distance, the Roadrunners hammered the East Central (Oklahoma) Tigers, 92-59.

Two freshmen, Keaton Wallace and Jhivvan Jackson, combined to nail nine of them. Wallace, if you remember, hit six from long distance in Huntsville. He hit another six against the Tigers, a Division II team from Ada, Oklahoma.

I do know that Wallace and Jackson probably won’t shoot like that every night. For instance, as soon as the Roadrunners get off the bus Wednesday in San Marcos, I’m fairly certain the Texas State Bobcats will be in their faces.

UTSA’s I-35 rivals from the Division I Sun Belt Conference likely are already scheming to stop them. It will be the first true test for the Roadrunners this season.

One thing is for sure, however. After the first game of the season, I’m happy I got to know Nick Allen a little better. The 6-foot-8 native of Surprise, Ariz., is surprisingly well-versed in old-school rock. Being sort of an old dude myself, I like that.

But how did Allen acquire enough of a taste for a band like Pink Floyd, who started making psychedelic music in England in the 1960s, to be able to quote from a lyric to an inquiring sports writer?

“Just growing up, my oldest brother, he liked classical rock,” Allen said Sunday. “Between me and him, there’s 16 years. He’s a lot older than I was. I don’t know. Just riding in the car and stuff, it was all Pink Floyd, all types of old classical rock. It was what we always listened to.”

So, there you have it. From Nick Allen. UTSA’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ tour, coming to a college basketball arena near you.

Freshman guard Keaton Wallace led all scorers with 22 points Sunday as UTSA opened its season with a 92-59 victory over East Central, Oklahoma.

The Roadrunners shot 47.1 percent from the field and held the Tigers to 32 percent.

East Central is coming off a 25-8 season and an NCAA Division II Central Regional semifinal appearance. Division I UTSA is trying to improve on a 14-19 record from last year.

The availability of freshman center Adrian Rodriguez for a game Wednesday night at Texas State is in question after he injured his left knee in the second half.

Forward Byron Frohnen has emerged as a key player in the rebuilding effort of Coach Steve Henson at UTSA. The 6-6 sophomore from Las Vegas averaged 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last year. He was one of only two freshmen in Conference USA to start every game. As UTSA prepares to open a new season this afternoon against East Central, Oklahoma, theJBreplay.com shines a spotlight on Frohnen with an interview conducted two months ago at the start of fall training:

What’s it been like to play for coach Henson?

He’s been amazing from the start. Details are huge with him. It’s really fun to play the style of play he likes. I’m excited.

Just like today, some things broke down at the end of practice and he let you know about it. He’s got his game face on already.

He does. He’s always serious. No matter what time of year it is. We need that. Season starts right now for us. We got to start getting ready and being better.

Let me ask, what are your goals this year … your team goals?

Team goals? Definitely, we’re trying to win the conference tournament. That’s the goal every year. We’re trying to get to the Big Dance, and I definitely think this group’s going to be able to accomplish that. If we can come together as one and get that team chemistry together, I think we’re going to be really good.

You won a game at the tournament last spring and then played Middle Tennessee tough. What will it take to win it?

At the tournament, it’s a whole another level. Everyone steps up their game to another level. I think toughness is going to be the biggest thing. We hung with Middle Tennessee for a while, but at the end of the day, they were just tougher than us. So, I think conditioning is going to be a major part of that and getting in the weight room is too.

What about the transition from high school? How did you feel this time last year, compared to right now?

This time last year, it was crazy. Like, the level of competition went up immensely. The physicality is at another level, too. This time we know what to expect. We’re ready for a big year.

What about winning 14 games last year … the fans seemed to be OK with it, given how down the team was the year before. Were you OK with it?

No, not at all. The fans might have been happy compared to the years before. But we let a lot of close games go last year. On the road. At home against Charlotte. Those are games we could have won. I think we could have easily reached 20 wins last year. So, looking to improve this year.

What do you think you’ve done to improve your game?

My game? For one, I’m trying to lose a little weight. Trying to get quicker, more athletic. Coach wants me to play more (power forward) this year so I can get some mismatches at the top of the key. To blow by people or knock it down in their face.

You played mostly three last year?

Yes.

What about your range on the jump shot?

I’ve been working on it. I’ve been in the gym most every day working on it. It’s getting there. Definitely improving.