
Idara Udo produced 14 points and 13 rebounds in an 80-61 victory over the Memphis Tigers. Udo, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Plano, has notched three double doubles with points and rebounds in the last four games. – Photo by Joe Alexander
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The UTSA Roadrunners broke away in the second half on Saturday to rout the Memphis Tigers, 80-61, winning their 22nd game of the season, extending their school-record homecourt winning streak to 15 and clinching a double bye in the American Athletic Conference tournament.
With the double bye, UTSA will bypass the first two days and start the tournament in the quarterfinals on March 10 in Fort Worth, needing only three wins in three days to win the title.
“First of all, I just want to say thanks to everyone that came out today,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “That’s what we’ve been saying repeatedly the last few home games. But it took the cake today. I thought they were really, really good and loud and excited about being here.”

UTSA coach Karen Aston applauded the marketing team and administrators for their work in helping to bring out a crowd of 1,523. – Photo by Joe Alexander
Officials announced the crowd at 1,523, the largest of the season.
“They’re still out there getting autographs,” Aston said in the postgame media session. “So, just kudos to everyone who is making that happen. Our marketing group. Our administration. I mean, there’s been a lot of effort in getting the community to pay attention to our team.”
Naturally, the resurgence in women’s basketball at UTSA can be traced most directly to the work of the coaches and the players, who have won more games than all but two other teams in the 44-year history of the program.
Their efforts have pushed the pace since Day 1 last summer. As a result, the first-place Roadrunners (22-3, 13-1) will have a chance in the last few weeks to win a conference regular-season title, even though the second-place South Florida Bulls (18-8, 11-2) seem determined to take it down to the wire.
UTSA plays three of its last four on the road, starting with a road game at Rice next Saturday. A regular-season crown doesn’t guarantee a berth in the NCAA tournament, which is the team’s ultimate goal, but it is something that the Roadrunners would like to accomplish.
“It’s really important,” UTSA center Idara Udo said. “That was one of our goals for the season. So I think that with four games left, it’s kind of like the final stretch, like, the last lap in the race.

Nina De Leon Negron led the Roadrunners in scoring with 16 points. She also snared five rebounds and passed for six assists against only one turnover. – Photo by Joe Alexander
“Now more than ever, we’re just honed in on trying to get a ring from the conference, but also keeping our minds on the American tournament and the NCAA tournament.
“I think our team is always thinking one step ahead,” Udo continued. “So, I think we have our minds set, still locked in, in the moment, but our minds are on what’s ahead, as well.”
Trailing by 12 points at one juncture in the second quarter, the Roadrunners started to play better defense and pulled to within two at halftime. Clamping down further on the Tigers’ shooters in the second half, they turned it into a run-away.
On a day when Jordyn Jenkins spent much of her afternoon on the bench in foul trouble, guard Nina De Leon Negron led the Roadrunners with 16 points. Guard Aysia Proctor hit some big shots in the second half and finished with 15.
Udo contributed a double double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Guard Tanyuel Welch led the Tigers with 16 points and nine rebounds. Backcourt mate Tilly Boler scored 12 but was limited to five of 19 shooting from the field. Alasia Smith had 10 points and seven rebounds.
First half
Playing at a fast pace, the Memphis Tigers built a 12-point lead in the second quarter and withstood a UTSA rally in the last six minutes to take a 40-38 lead into the dressing room at intermission.

UTSA star Jordyn Jenkins scored eight points on a day when she picked up four fouls in 15 minutes. Jenkins played only six minutes in the second half when the Roadrunners blew out the Tigers, 42-21. – Photo by Joe Alexander
After the home team Roadrunners played even with the visitors in the first quarter, the Tigers broke from a 19-19 tie and forged a 14-2 run over a four-minute span.
Memphis scored nine straight points, a streak capped by a three pointer from forward Tamya Smith, to build a 33-21 advantage.
With Jordyn Jenkins on the bench in foul trouble, the Roadrunners came back. They authored a 17-4 run, highlighted by eight points from guard Aysia Proctor.
A Cheyenne Rowe layup tied the game 38-all with 43 seconds remaining. Tanyuel Welch hit a couple of free throws with 12.3 seconds left for the final points of the half.
Welch had 11 points and Tilly Boler 10 to lead the Tigers. Nina De Leon Negron had nine points and Proctor eight for the Roadrunners.
Records
Memphis 6-18, 4-9
UTSA 22-3, 13-1
Coming up
UTSA at Rice, Saturday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m.
Florida Atlantic at UTSA, Saturday, March 1, noon.
UTSA at East Carolina, Tuesday, March 4, 5 p.m.
(End of regular season)
AAC tournament
At Dickies Arena, Fort Worth
March 8 – First round (at Denton): Game One, 13 seed vs. 12 seed, noon
(All remaining games at Dickies Arena, in Fort Worth)
March 9 – Second round: Game Two, 9 seed vs. 8 at noon; Game Three, 13 or 12 vs. 5 at 2 p.m.; Game Four, 10 vs. 7 at 6 p.m.; Game Five, 11 vs. 6 at 8 p.m.
March 10 — Quarterfinals: Game Six, Game Two winner vs. No. 1 seed, noon; Game Seven, Game Three winner vs. No. 4 seed, 2 p.m.; Game Eight, Game Four winner vs. No. 2 seed, 6 p.m.; Game Nine, Game Five winner vs. No. 3 seed, 8 p.m.
March 11 — Semifinals: Game 10, Game Six winner vs. Game Seven winner, 6 p.m.; Game 11, Game Eight winner vs. Game Nine winner, 8 p.m.
March 12 — Finals: Game 12, Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 6 p.m.

Aysia Proctor, a UTSA sophomore from Clemens, matched the speed of the Memphis Tigers’ guards and scored 15 points off the bench. She scored eight in the second quarter to spark a rally. – Photo by Joe Alexander