By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The UTSA Roadrunners on Sunday erased a 13-point deficit in the last eight minutes and toppled the Charlotte 49ers, 88-79, snapping a program record 17-game losing streak.
Playing on the road against one of the leaders in the American Conference, the Roadrunners outscored the 49ers 29-9 down the stretch to win their first game since late November.
UTSA hadn’t won since Nov. 25 when it defeated Georgia Southern in Jacksonville, Fla.
Entering the game at Charlotte, the Roadrunners had the third longest active losing streak in the nation behind only Mississippi Valley State (23) and Air Force (18).
Now, they can breathe easier after a remarkable rally that yielded only their fifth win of the season against 20 losses.
“Just incredible fight by these young men,” UTSA’s Austin Claunch told Andy Everett on the team’s radio broadcast.
During the rally, Claunch was shown on television exhorting his players, slapping his hands on the floor after made baskets as they ran back on defense.
UTSA played short-handed with only eight active players. Only seven played in the game.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Claunch said. “It’s an incredible seven guys, you know. A couple of walk-ons and guys just gritty. A gritty tough win against a really good team, and they made it hard on us.
“I’m just really proud. Not a lot to say. It’s been a long road and we still got a long road. It’s one win. But, um, we’re going to go clip a couple more of these other ones to finish and make sure we’re headed the right way.”
Jamir Simpson led the way for the Roadrunners. The senior guard from Ohio scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half to lead six UTSA players in double figures.
Simpson also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and passed for seven assists.
At the end of a 20-0 run, Simpson scored back-to-back buckets, one on a drive against a 7-foot-2 center and another on a put back that boosted UTSA into a 77-70 lead with 2:45 remaining.
In the second half, guarded as the focal point of the Roadrunners’ offense by the 49ers, he connected on four of seven from the field and seven of eight from the free throw line.
Brent Moss and Baboucarr Njie scored 16 points apiece, while Daniel Akitoby contributed 12 and Matheo Coffi 10.
Guard Ben Bradford led the 49ers with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Major Freeman scored 13 and Damoni Harrison 11. Guard Dezayne Mingo, one of Charlotte’s leading scorers, was held to seven points.
Records
UTSA 5-20, 1-12
Charlotte 13-12, 7-5
Coming up
FAU at UTSA, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Notable
Walkon guard LJ Brown, the son of program great Devin Brown, started his first game of the season and made a major contribution during the rally.
Brown, from San Antonio’s Johnson High School, nailed a long three-pointer that gave UTSA the lead, 73-70, with 3:56 remaining. It was the first lead in the game for the Roadrunners since the 6:04 mark of the first half.
Coming into the day, UTSA had six players listed as out for the game or out for the season. One of them was Austin Nunez, the starting point, who was listed as out for the game. He sat out his second game in a row.
Guard Dorian Hayes, nursing a shoulder injury, was listed as questionable on the player availability report. He hasn’t played since Jan. 28 against UAB. He has sat out four straight.
Coming into Sunday, the 49ers had lost two straight games, both on the road, falling at Wichita State and Memphis. Charlotte is one of the surprises in American men’s basketball this season, rebounding from a 11-22, 3-15 record a year ago.
First half
Bradford propelled the 49ers to a 44-38 halftime lead with a 12-point, 10-rebound double double.
UTSA, with only eight players active, did well in the early going by forging a five-point lead after 11 minutes.
Kaidon Rayfield sank a three with 10:54 remaining to push UTSA into a 21-16 advantage.
From there, Charlotte retaliated immediately with a put back by forward Raul Villar and a three by Damoni Harrison.
Daniel Akitoby responded with two straight baskets, forging a 25-24 lead for UTSA with 8:25 remaining. Two minutes later, Baboucarr Njie sank a free throw as the Roadrunners continued to lead by one.
But in the last six minutes, the 49ers outscored the Roadrunners 15-8 to take control going into intermission. Bradford took over in the run with seven points, including a long three.