By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The North Texas Mean Green entered the Convocation Center Saturday afternoon hoping to start digging themselves out of 11th place in the American Conference men’s basketball standings.
The home team UTSA Roadrunners just wanted to win a game, period.
North Texas succeeded in its mission, ripping off a 25-0 run that stretched from late in the first half to early in the second, on its way to an 81-58 victory.
As a result, the Mean Green extended the 13th-place Roadrunners’ program-record losing streak to 16 games.
The backcourt duo of Cole Franklin and Je’Shawn Stevenson enjoyed big games in helping North Texas (13-11, 4-7) snap a four-game losing streak.
Playing with energy against the struggling Roadrunners (4-19, 0-11), Franklin produced 21 points and seven rebounds.
He hit nine of 14 shots from the field, including multiple layups off UTSA turnovers.
Stevenson, who burned UTSA for 27 points in an 81-62 victory last month in Denton, scored only 10 but may have been just as much of a nuisance to the home team.
Not only did he disrupt UTSA’s offense with six steals, but he also passed for six assists and pulled down six rebounds.
Jamir Simpson scored 17 points to lead the Roadrunners. Baboucarr Njie added 11.
UTSA guard Austin Nunez was helped off the floor with 4:40 remaining in the game after he fell on a dunk attempt and hurt his knee. He
Records
North Texas 13-11, 4-7
UTSA 4-19, 0-11
Coming up
UTSA at East Carolina, Wednesday, 6 p.m.
Notable
North Texas extended its lead in the series with UTSA to 24-14. The Mean Green are 12-8 in San Antonio, including four straight victories.
UTSA’s last win at home against North Texas came on Jan. 9, 2021, with the Roadrunners prevailing, 77-69. In that game, guard Jhivvan Jackson scored 31 points.
UTSA freshman guard Dorian Hayes sat out his second consecutive game with an injury. Hayes was listed as questionable on the morning availability report and then came out of the dressing room in warmups.
Baboucarr Njie was also listed as questionable, but he started and played.
First half
Opportunistic North Texas scored the last 11 points of the first half to take a 34-26 lead on UTSA at intermission.
Trailing for almost 15 minutes in the half, North Texas stepped it up in the last five minutes with the 11-0 run.
First, the Mean Green forced an Austin Nunez turnover and advanced the ball the other way for a Cole Franklin layup.
Next, Je’Shawn Stevenson buried a three off the left wing. After UTSA’s Daniel Akitoby misfired on a couple of free throws, Franklin attacked again on a drive for two points.
He missed the ensuing free throw, but Dylan Arnett finished the play with a tip in. David Terrell Jr. completed the run for the Mean Green, hitting two free throws with 29.4 seconds remaining.
Both Arnett and Franklin finished the half with eight points for the Mean Green, who shot only 41 percent but turned nine UTSA turnovers into 19 points.
UTSA missed 10 of its last 11 shots from the field and finished the half at 35.7 percent from the field. Jamir Simpson led the Roadrunners with nine points.