By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The defending conference champion UTSA Roadrunners were happy Tuesday night with the turnout to their annual preseason potluck supper with fans and boosters. In Coach Karen Aston’s first year on campus, she said only about 10 people attended.
Leading into her fifth season, the event has grown, with dozens of people in the stands watching practice and later gathering at tables spread out over one of the side courts at the Convocation Center.
There, they shared laughs, pasta and other assorted home-made dishes.
Clouding an otherwise light mood, a ripple of concern centered on a growing number of injuries leading into Saturday’s home exhibition against Texas A&M-San Antonio, which will be followed by a regular-season opener on Nov. 6 in Lubbock against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
In an afternoon practice that lasted less than an hour, only eight of 15 players on the roster were active and going through drills on halfcourt offense.
Among those sitting out were young standouts Taylor Ross and Sema Udo, who were both wearing leg braces and walking with the aid of crutches. Another concern is forward Maya Linton, one of the best defensive players in the American.
Aston didn’t want to go into the specifics on the injury situation.
“We’ll make some announcements,” the coach said. “We’ve got some season-ending injuries. So we’ll make probably a collective announcement before our first regular-season game.
“We don’t want to do it right now. We don’t want to disclose the information before we go to Lubbock. But we will do it. We’re not going to try and keep anything from anybody because they’re season ending.”
Junior center Idara Udo was the only starter from last year’s 26-win team to participate in practice on Tuesday.
Others working out were returning players Mia Hammonds, Damara Allen and Emilia Dannebauer, plus transfers Ereauna Hardaway and Jada Holiman and freshmen Ariana Robles and Sanaa Bean.
Among the other notables sitting out the practice was Cheyenne Rowe, who was wearing a walking boot. Both Rowe and Linton were major contributors on a team that forged a 17-1 record in conference last season.
Starters from last year who have moved on in their careers are Jordyn Jenkins, Nina De Leon Negron and Sidney Love. While both Jenkins and De Leon Negron are pursuing professional careers, Love is now playing for UTSA’s opening-day opponent — Texas Tech.