Guard Ereauna Hardaway produced 15 points and eight assists Monday as the UTSA Roadrunners overwhelmed the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas, 82-40. – Photo by Antonio Moreno, from UTSA athletics
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Hundreds of giddy elementary school students on Monday afternoon playfully ushered the “6-7” phenomenon into the halls of higher education at UTSA.
On a day billed as “Rowdy’s Fast Break Field Trip,” school kids in attendance at a Roadrunners’ women’s basketball game waited patiently for an opportunity to celebrate the latest pre-teen fad.
Their chance came two minutes into the fourth quarter at the Convocation Center when UTSA forward Sanaa Bean tossed a pass out of the post. Her teammate, Adriana Robles, caught it and calmly swished a three pointer.
As soon as the scoreboard flashed to 67-31, in favor of the Roadrunners, kids seated on the east side of the Convo’s lower section of seats erupted in cheers.
Remarkably, the celebration lasted pretty much to the end of UTSA’s 82-40 victory over the Division II Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas, their second win in three days.
UTSA players rekindled the positive vibes afterward, taking a few minutes after the school song to walk as a group to an area right in front of their new fans.
Mia Hammonds, a sophomore from San Antonio-area Steele High School, led an impromptu cheer, thanking them for coming out. She said later that she likes playing in front of kids.
“I just love the energy,” Hammonds said. “Like, that’s our best crowd … kids full of energy. I think they were really into the game, and I think that really helped us, especially with our 6-7.
“We all had a good time when we hit 67.”
According to published reports, the nationwide fad among young people apparently started with a rap song by Skrilla, entitled, “Doot Doot (6-7),” with it gaining viral attention via TikTok.
In media interviews after the game, Hammonds was asked about it and tried to explain what it was all about, with coach Karen Aston and guard Ereauna Hardaway seated next to her and listening in.
“As a young adult and as children,” Hammonds said, “that 6-7 is such an important number to us. I don’t know how we got here. But we love it, and we cheered for it. Right coach?”
Replied Aston, “I can’t tell you what it is. I don’t even know how it originated. But it’s a craze right now, so we just went along with it.”
The UTSA women started the season with their toughest schedule in years, playing four Power Four conference opponents among six games away from home out of their first eight.
Returning home to play twice in the past three days against teams they should beat, they took full advantage of the situation, rolling to two easy victories and evening their record at 5-5.
After powering past the Division I Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers 86-40 on Saturday, they played a game against the Javelinas that was similar in some respects.
Like the Lady Panthers on Saturday, the Javelinas hit a few shots early and started fast but soon gave way to the Roadrunners, who dominated with their size and quickness over the last three quarters to win easily.
Hardaway produced 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds to lead the Roadrunners. Cheyenne Rowe and Hammonds scored 12 apiece, and Damara Allen had 10.
For the third straight game, Hardaway, a senior transfer from North Texas, scored in double figures.
In that stretch, she’s scored 40 points combined against Baylor, Prairie View and Kingsville, while nailing 16 of 33 from the field and five of seven from three.
Records
Texas A&M-Kingsville 0-7
UTSA 5-5
x-The game counts on UTSA’s record but not on Kingsville’s.
Coming up
UTSA at Columbia (N.Y.), Dec. 20, 1 p.m.
x-Tulane at UTSA, 1 p.m., Dec. 30, 1 p.m.
x-American Conference opener
Freshman guard Adriana Robles hit a three in the fourth quarter to give UTSA 67 points, prompting a cheer from fans who have taken to a social media fueled ‘6-7’ fad among children. – Photo by Antonio Moreno, from UTSA athletics
A one-point quarter
The Javelinas had problems on the offensive end of the floor long before they showed up at the Convocation Center. They were averaging 47 points a game in an 0-7 start.
The Roadrunners added to the visitors’ woes by building a 38-17 halftime lead.
As they won the second quarter, 14-1, they held the Javelinas to zero for eight from the field.
Kingsville was held without a point for more than nine minutes before Landri Richey was fouled and hit the second of two free throws with 16 seconds left.
The Roadrunners also struggled offensively, especially early, though they warmed up to finish with more than 80 points for the second straight game.
In the end, UTSA shot 41.7 percent from the field and 48 percent (12 of 25) from three. Defensively, the Roadrunners dominated, forcing 30 turnovers that led to 34 points.
UTSA sophomore guard Mia Hammonds scored 12 points, including nine in the second half on three of three shooting. – Photo by Antonio Moreno, UTSA athletics
Notable
Six scholarship players out of 15 on the UTSA roster have not played this season.
Five of them regularly attend all home games, including forwards Taylor Ross and Sema Udo, plus guards Maya Linton, Siena Guttadauro and Saher Alizada.
Another, Nyayongah Gony, hasn’t been seen in warmups or on the bench at home games this season.
UTSA has said that Ross and Udo have suffered season-ending injuries, while Guttadauro gave birth to a son in July. The others are presumed to be dealing with injury rehabilitation or other unspecified issues.
It’s uncertain if any among the six will be available to play in the Roadrunners’ 18-game conference schedule, which commences on Dec. 30 against Tulane.
Linton emerged last season as one of the best defensive players in the American Conference for the Roadrunners, who won the league title at 17-1.