Jackson scores 45 as UTSA wins 85-81 in OT at Old Dominion

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Record-setting Jhivvan Jackson scored nine of his season-high 45 points in overtime Thursday night, leading the UTSA Roadrunners to an 85-81 road victory at Old Dominion.

Jhivvan Jackson. UTSA beat Illinois State 89-70 on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jhivvan Jackson set Chartway Arena and Old Dominion opponent records with 45 points Thursday night. — File photo by Joe Alexander

With the performance, Jackson set both the Chartway Arena and Old Dominion opponent scoring records. His point total fell one shy of his career-high 46, established last year on the road at Western Kentucky.

Keaton Wallace scored 21 points and freshman Jacob Germany pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds for the Roadrunners, who snapped a two-game losing streak with their second straight win on the road in Conference USA play.

UTSA played its best half of the season on the road in the first half, building a 44-27 lead behind Jackson’s 28 points.

For the game, Jackson hit 17 of 33 shots from the field and 8 of 18 from three-point territory.

Included in his repertoire for the night were floaters, including one off of a dribble drive in which he split defenders and got into the lane, and another when he went baseline and hoisted a high-arcing shot over a defender.

Plus, he splashed more than a few 3-pointers that were good from 25 feet and beyond.

Malik Curry led the Monarchs with 30 points on 10 of 21 shooting. He scored 16 in the second half when Old Dominion roared from behind to force overtime. AJ Oliver also nailed three 3-pointers to aid the second-half surge.

UTSA led by as many as 20 points late in the first half.

Records

UTSA 11-13, 5-6
Old Dominion 9-15, 5-6

Notable

As Jackson lit it up early, another major development emerged as UTSA held Old Dominion to 31 percent shooting from the field in the first half.

Quotable

“It was a great win,” Jackson told Andy Everett on KTKR Radio. “In the first half, our defense was just phenomenal … We got, like, nine stops in a row. That’s why we played so great in the first half.”

By the numbers

Jackson scored in the 40s for the second time this season, following a 41-point performance on Dec. 21 at home against Illinois State. He has also produced eight games in the 30s and 11 in the 20s …

The 6-foot junior from Puerto Rico tied his career high with eight 3-point baskets. He was 8 of 18 for the game, including 6 of 10 in the first half. He followed in the overtime period by hitting 2 of 3 …

With the scoring outburst, Jackson increased his scoring average to 27.1. Marquette’s Markus Howard leads NCAA Division I with 27.9 per game, followed by Jackson.

Quotable

“He really did have it going,” UTSA head coach Steve Henson said. “To get 45, without getting the free throw line a lot, sometimes in those big scoring games, guys are shooting eight, 10, 12 free throws, he just kept after it. His floaters and mid-range were terrific. He hit some deep shots early. He just really had it going.”

More numbers

Germany was up to the task of a battle against Old Dominion forward Aaron Carver, the leading rebounder in the conference. Carver pulled down 20 boards but Germany grabbed 15, including six on the offensive end.

Out-rebounded badly in two home losses last week, the Roadrunners won the boards, 46-45…

Quotable

“He had a great game. He had 10 at the half,” Jackson said of Germany, who started for the second straight night. “Our coaches told the bigs it was all about the rebounding game. They did a heck of a job.”

Last-place Middle Tennessee State stuns UTSA, 83-80

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Jacob Germany. UTSA lost to Middle Tennessee on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Jacob Germany made his first start for UTSA and scored six points in 14 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The last-place Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders gave up a 15-point lead and then hung on Saturday afternoon to stun the faltering UTSA Roadrunners, 83-80, in Conference USA basketball.

An announced crowd of 1,389 fans at the Convocation Center watched as UTSA, trailing by the eventual final score, tried to push the ball upcourt in the last two seconds for a shot to tie.

After two quick passes, Keaton Wallace was off the mark and late with a three-point attempt, and the Roadrunners lost at home for the second time in three days.

Blue Raiders guard C.J. Jones was the difference at the end, hitting three free throws after getting fouled with 2.8 seconds left.

Roadrunners coach Steve Henson issued a stern message to his players in the dressing room.

“It wasn’t a very positive one,” Henson said. “I just told ’em they needed to sit in there and let it sink in. Lost at home. Lost to a team that’s at the bottom of the standings. It’s not OK. We can’t be OK with it.”

The Roadrunners trailed by 15 points twice in the second half before mounting a rally that nearly resulted in a victory.

They went on a 23-8 run to tie the game at 78-all. They were tied again at 80-80 when Jhivvan Jackson missed a jumper and retrieved a loose ball to sink an 8-footer with 15 seconds left.

“It was a tough loss today,” Wallace said. “We were at home today and couldn’t get it done.”

Records

UTSA — 10-13, 4-6
Middle Tennesseee — 6-17, 2-8

By the numbers

Middle Tennessee was ranked 311th in the NCAA’s NET rankings of 353 Division I programs. UTSA was 193.

The Blue Raiders were 1-8 away from home this season and 0-5 on the road in conference before registering their biggest victory of the season.

The Roadrunners had won seven in a row and were 8-1 at home before losses to the UAB Blazers (76-68) and the Blue Raiders this week.

On Thursday night, UAB punished UTSA with a combination of offensive rebounding and inside scoring. Middle Tennessee basically won the game at the 3-point line, knocking down 14 from beyond the arc to UTSA’s nine.

Individuals

Middle Tennessee — Jones and Eli Lawrence scored 27 points apiece for the Blue Raiders. Lawrence, playing off the bench, sank and 7 of 9 threes. The 6-foot-5 freshman from Atlanta was averaging only 5.9 points per game coming in.

UTSA — Jackson finished with 32 points and seven rebounds. Wallace finished with 22 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Notable

UTSA shuffled its playing rotation, as 6-foot-11 freshman center Jacob Germany made his first career start. He finished with six points in 14 minutes. After getting bullied in the paint by UAB Thursday night, the Roadrunners did a better job on that front, with Adrian Rodriguez (17 minutes) contributing. But the change might have been detrimental to Luka Barisic, who went scoreless in seven minutes.

UTSA vs. Middle Tennessee photo gallery

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C.J. Jones scored 27 points and made three free throws with 2.8 seconds left to give Middle Tennessee an 83-80 victory on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

C.J. Jones scored 27 points and made three free throws with 2.8 seconds left to give Middle Tennessee a victory.

UTSA dropped its second straight home game on Saturday, falling to Middle Tennessee State 83-80 in a Conference USA matchup at the Convocation Center.

UAB dominates on the glass in a 76-68 victory over UTSA

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Byron Frohnen. UAB beat UTSA in CUSA on Thursday. - photo by Joe Alexander

Byron Frohnen moved past Jeromie Hill to become UTSA’s career rebounding leader on a night, ironically, when the Roadrunners got out-rebounded 46-24. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The UAB Blazers on Thursday night handed UTSA its first home loss in Conference USA play this season, out-muscling the Roadrunners, 76-68.

UAB won the battle on the boards, 46-24.

The Blazers pulled down 14 offensive rebounds and outscored the Roadrunners 38-22 in the paint and 15-2 in second-chance points.

Tavin Lovan produced 19 points and six rebounds for the Blazers. Wil Butler, playing out of the low post, hit 8 of 10 from the field and added 18 points.

Guards Keaton Wallace scored 26 and Jhivvan Jackson 20 for the Roadrunners, who entered the game with a 4-0 record at home in conference.

Jackson, the nation’s second-leading scorer, hit 6 of 16 from the floor. He was 2 of 9 in the second half.

Records

UTSA — 10-12, 4-5
UAB — 13-9, 4-5

Notable

Frohnen, a senior from Las Vegas, had four points, four rebounds and two assists. The effort gave him 845 rebounds for his career, which moved him past Jeromie Hill and into the No. 1 spot in the school’s record books. He also rose to No. 2 in career starts with 122.

With the loss, the Roadrunners fell to 8-2 at home in the Convocation Center. They had won seven straight at home. Their last loss at the Bird Cage came on Nov. 30 against the Prairie View A&M Panthers (79-72).

UTSA vs. UAB photo gallery

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Byron Frohnen became UTSA's career rebounding leader on Thursday at the UTSA Convocation Center. UAB beat the Roadrunners in a CUSA game. - photo by Joe Alexander

Byron Frohnen became UTSA’s career rebounding leader on Thursday.

Alabama Birmingham (UAB) beat UTSA 76-68 in a Conference USA game on Thursday at the UTSA Convocation Center.

UTSA makes a key defensive play late, defeats Rice, 90-88

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The UTSA Roadrunners spent most of Saturday night trying unsuccessfully to keep the Rice Owls from scoring.

Led by guard Ako Adams, Rice was hitting from everywhere, building an 11-point advantage with 12:35 remaining.

But down the stretch, the Roadrunners kept playing.

And then they got the stop that they needed, forcing a turnover on an inbounds play and racing the other way for the winning basket and a 90-88 victory over the slumping Owls in Houston.

After Rice inbounded, UTSA’s Byron Frohnen came up with a loose ball and passed ahead to freshman Erik Czumbel, who out-ran the defense and drove for a layup with one second remaining.

In response, the Owls threw up a desperation shot from three quarters of the court but the clock had expired, giving a much-needed Conference USA road victory to the Roadrunners.

Records

UTSA 10-11, 4-4
Rice 9-13, 1-8

Crazy ending

UTSA had a chance to break a tie score with less than a minute remaining when Jhivvan Jackson misfired on a long three. With the game deadlocked at 88-88, Rice called time with 32 seconds left.

The play went to Ako Adams, who was unstoppable for most of the game. But as Adams drove to the bucket Keaton Wallace blocked the shot, sending it out of bounds. Rice had possession under its own goal.

At that point, Drew Peterson inbounded. Frohnen came up with it for the Roadrunners and sent it out in a winning transition play that Czumbel, a freshman, finished with a left-handed drive.

Road success — at last

With the victory, UTSA improved to a modest 2-10 in games played away from home this season, including 2-6 on the road and 1-4 in Conference USA.

By the numbers

UTSA — Jackson, the nation’s second-leading scorer, tallied 14 of his game-high 25 points in the second half. He also had seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Keaton Wallace kept UTSA in the game in the first half with 14 of his 24 points, and he added four rebounds and three assists.

Czumbel scored 11 on four of four shooting, including three of three from 3-point distance. He scored eight points after halftime.

Rice — In a devastating shooting display, the Owls hit 11 of their 18 three-pointers in the second half. Adams hit six of them. Payton Moore and Quincy Olivari three apiece. All told, the Owls were 18 of 35 from distance. Adams led the Owls with 21 points, while Josh Parrish had 17.

Streaks

UTSA had lost its last five games away from home — a neutral-site loss to Oregon State in Houston and four C-USA road games at Florida Atlantic, Florida International, UTEP and North Texas.

The Roadrunners’ last victory outside of San Antonio came on Dec. 7 in non-conference play at Texas State.

Rice has lost five games in a row overall and nine of its last 10.

Jackson scores 37, but North Texas beats UTSA, 98-78

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Umoja Gibson scored 27 points to lead five players in double figures, and the North Texas Mean Green withstood a 37-point effort from guard Jhivvan Jackson Thursday night, beating the UTSA Roadrunners, 98-78, in Denton.

It was the seventh straight victory in Conference USA play for the first-place Mean Green. The Roadrunners fell to 1-10 in games away from home this season, including 1-6 on the road.

UTSA is 0-4 on the road in C-USA with a game at Rice coming up on Saturday night.

The Mean Green took charge by making 10 of their first 11 shots. Three North Texas perimeter players — Gibson, Javion Hamlet and James Reese — nailed three-pointers in the streak.

When Gibson knocked down a two with 14:04 remaining, North Texas was rolling, leading 23-10. The Mean Green went on to shoot 62.5 percent in the first half and in building a 50-36 lead.

Records

North Texas 13-8, 7-1
UTSA 9-11, 3-4

Notable

Trailing by 18 points early in the second half, the Roadrunners surged 26-13 over a seven-minute stretch to trim the Mean Green’s lead to five (68-63).

Both Jackson and Keaton Wallace came alive for 11 points during the run.

From there, North Texas turned it on, outscoring UTSA 30-15 in the last 11 minutes of the game to run away with it.

Quotable

“Disappointed in a couple of the aspects of this game. (But) I still feel like we’re close. (North Texas) is one of the best teams in the league. I feel like we’re close. I think the schedule is set up for us right now.

“If we can keep our head up, have a good practice (Friday), have a good game on Saturday (at Rice), I still think we’re in position to do something special … We’re playing at a high level at times.

“We’re not going to get discouraged. We’re going to sit around and think about what we could have done better in this one. But we’ll bounce back.” — UTSA coach Steve Henson, in a post-game interview on the team’s radio broadcast (KTKR,The Ticket, AM-760).

Moving up the charts

Senior Byron Frohnen, the No. 2 rebounder in school history, pulled down six boards to give him 832 in 120 games over nearly four seasons.

He moved to within 10 rebounds of Jeromie Hill, who had 842 in 122 games from 2010-15.

Jackson, a junior, moved into second place on UTSA’s all-time scoring list.

Jackson has 1,725 points in 78 games. He surpassed forward Derrick Gervin, who had 1,691 in 80 games from 1982-85, in the second, third and fourth year of the program.

Gervin was selected on the fourth-round of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was the 90th pick overall. Gervin played two years in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets from 1989-91.

Guard Devin Brown is the school leader in points with 1,922 in 105 games from 1998-2002. Brown played in parts of eight seasons in the NBA.

Powered by transfers

Three junior college transfers in their first season with the Mean Green combined to help destroy the Roadrunners.

Hamlet (a guard from Northwest Florida State College) had 22 points and six assists. He hit 8 of 11 from the floor. Forward Thomas Bell III (Kaskaskia College) had a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Reese (a guard from Odessa College) hit four 3-point shots and scored 18.

Henson: Two UTSA standouts set for NBA Draft process

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While most of the focus within the UTSA basketball program in the past few days has centered on tonight’s Conference USA game at first-place North Texas, coach Steve Henson on Wednesday also discussed an intriguing off-season plan for both Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace.

Steve Henson. UTSA beat UTEP 86-70 on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson says NBA teams are likely keeping tabs on both Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Henson said his two high-scoring junior guards are scheduled to enter the upcoming NBA Draft evaluation process, which comes with an option to withdraw and return to play as seniors for the Roadrunners in 2020-21.

The coach said the plan was formulated after last season in talks with both players.

“Our message is just that, by having those conversations prior to the season, these two guys don’t have to worry about it,” Henson said. “Very specifically, one of the (pro) scouts told us that we need to win games.

Jhivvan Jackson. UTSA beat Southern Miss 80-70 on Saturday for the Roadrunners' second straight Conference USA victory at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jhivvan Jackson is averaging 25.8 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“The scouts know who they are. They’re aware of them. How can they not know? The numbers are too big.”

Jackson and Wallace stand out as the highest-scoring duo in NCAA Division I, averaging a combined 43.2 points per game. Jackson is second in the nation in scoring at 25.8, with Wallace at 17.4. Both averaged better than 20 per game last year as sophomores.

Henson played seven years in the NBA in the 1990s, but he said the league has evolved dramatically in terms of how it tracks talent.

“Like what I was talking about on the radio last night,” Henson said, “the (pro) scouting staffs are huge now. The ability to get information – the film, the stats — is just at your fingertips. I’m sure every (NBA) team has got a file with those two guys’ names on it.”

Keaton Wallace. UTSA beat Louisiana Tech 89-73 in Conference USA on Thursday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Keaton Wallace is averaging 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The move toward tapping into the pre-draft evaluation process with Jackson and Wallace is in keeping with Henson’s management style.

He likes to take time to talk to his players about their long-range goals. A few years ago, the coach knew that former starting point guard Giovanni De Nicolao was way ahead on his academic plan.

Because of the circumstances, De Nicolao expressed an interest in finishing school in three years, which would allow him to cash in on his basketball skills back home if he could find a good situation. That’s what happened, as he signed a deal to play in Italy’s second division.

“He ended up getting the option that made sense for him,” Henson said. “So, yeah, we miss him. But, it’s a good thing for him. Jhivvan and Keaton, right now, they don’t have to think about that stuff (in the coming off-season). They know that’s the plan.”

Henson said he brought it up on his Tuesday night radio show to explain the issue so that “fans don’t panic,” because it’s a new concept for some of them. “If you put their name in the draft, it doesn’t mean they’re leaving,” he said.

The NCAA rules on early entry candidates have changed in recent years, according to a story published last April by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

From 2009-15, NCAA athletes who submitted their names before their senior year automatically gave up their option to return as college players, according to the report.

Since 2016, athletes have been allowed to enter the evaluation process and then withdraw before the actual draft is held, so that they can discover their market value while also maintaining their eligibility.

If Jackson or Wallace, or both, make it through the evaluation process and elect to stay in the draft, then it will be a good sign for the athletes, Henson said.

“It means that they’ve got some pretty good feedback (from the NBA),” he said. “(But) if they need to gain some weight, and work on pick and rolls, whatever it might be … then they can sit down with their families and make that decision. Right now, we need to lock in on winning games.”

Deja vu? Not quite, as UTSA rolls late to beat UTEP, 86-70

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Atem Bior. UTSA beat UTEP 86-70 on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Atem Bior produced a career-high 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds as the Roadrunners improved their record in Conference USA to 3-3. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson was grinning slightly as he walked around the perimeter of a media scrum and moved into position for his post-game interview session Saturday afternoon.

Before taking a single question, he had one declaration to make.

Steve Henson. UTSA beat UTEP 86-70 on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson said it felt good to make enough plays at the end to beat the UTEP Miners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Fire away,” Henson said. “A dollar for the first one that says, ‘Was that (game) just like Wednesday?’ Yes.”

True enough.

The teams were the same — the UTEP Miners against Henson’s Roadrunners. The flow of the game was also about the same, with the Miners executing a thrilling second-half rally for the second time in four days.

But, with all due respect, this one was different in an important way.

The Roadrunners won this one, even though they did fritter away most of a 23-point lead before steadying themselves at the end to nail down an 86-70 victory over the Miners.

With the decision, the Roadrunners improved to 8-1 at home and gained a measure of redemption after blowing a 24-point lead and then losing 80-77 to the Miners in overtime at El Paso.

After the game in West Texas, the Roadrunners returned to San Antonio in a funk, having squandered their second golden opportunity in two weeks to win on the road in Conference USA.

Coming home, they knew they had to make amends.

“Just glad our guys bounced back the way they did,” Henson said. “Had two good days of preparation. Weren’t real long practices, but we worked real hard on keeping our legs fresh and making a few adjustments.

Jacob Germany. UTSA beat UTEP 86-70 on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman center Jacob Germany went 4 for 4 from the field, including a highlight-reel dunk. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Came out and re-established what we’d established in the first half (in El Paso).”

In the first half at El Paso, UTSA looked very good.

After that, everything unraveled, as the Miners roared from behind with separate runs of 17-0 and 8-0 en route to the biggest comeback in school history and the biggest in NCAA Division I this season.

Less than 72 hours later, both teams tipped off in San Antonio, and a season-high crowd of 1,684 fans watched curiously as deja vu started to set in.

With 61 percent shooting, the Roadrunners bolted to a 48-31 halftime lead, and then they emerged from the dressing room after intermission with equal intensity.

They continued to apply pressure on the Miners, hiking the advantage to 62-39 when Atem Bior scored on a bucket in the paint.

At that point, just as they did a few nights ago, the Roadrunners got careless with the ball, started turning it over at an alarming rate and allowed the Miners to rally.

Nevil Shed was at Saturday's UTSA vs. UTEP men's basketball game. Shed is a basketball legend in both San Antonio and El Paso.

Texas basketball legend Nevil Shed takes in Saturday’s game at the Bird Cage. He played for the 1966 NCAA champion Miners of Texas Western College (now UTEP) and later became an assistant coach and an administrator at UTSA. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTEP capitalized on five turnovers, blitzing the home team with a stunning 19-2 run over the next five minutes.

All of a sudden, in a game that looked lost, the Miners had life — down by six with 7:25 remaining.

“To be honest, it felt worse tonight, than it did on Wednesday,” Henson said of the UTEP comeback. “On Wednesday, it wasn’t like we totally lost our composure.

“Tonight, it was. We were throwing that ball around, making weak plays. It was very, very similar.

“…What happened (in El Paso) was in our minds a little bit. So, yeah, the wheels came off. But, we regrouped and finished the game better.”

Aided by big plays from Jhivvan Jackson, Keaton Wallace, Luka Barisic and Makani Whiteside, the Roadrunners constructed a 17-6 run to put the game away.

A couple of Jackson free throws with 1:54 remaining capped the streak and widened the lead to 81-64.

Records

UTEP 11-8, 2-4
UTSA 9-10, 3-3

Coming up

Winless on the road in the C-USA at 0-3, UTSA plays next at North Texas (on Thursday) and at Rice (next Saturday.) Both with a tip off at 7 p.m.

By the numbers

UTEP — Bryson Williams produced 21 points on 9 of 17 shooting, 7 rebounds. He had 34 points Wednesday night. Souley Boum scored 18 points. Not counting Williams, the Miners hit only 16 of 53 shots from the field (30.1 percent). Guard Daryl Edwards, who hurt the Roadrunners in El Paso, scored only three on 1 of 10 shooting.

UTSA — It’s notable that the Roadrunners beat a good team on a day when they made only six three-point shots. Known for their long-distance artistry, they were 6 of 20 from three. They made up for it with strong play from big men Atem Bior (13 points, 7 rebounds), along with Jacob Germany and Luka Barisic (both with 9 points).

Jackson and Wallace

The highest-scoring tandem in Division I combined for 44 points. Jackson produced 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Wallace scored 21, and also had eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jackson was off the mark with his shooting touch (5 of 14), including a missed layup late in the game, but he sank 12 of 12 at the line. Wallace hit 8 of 18 from the field.

First-half recap

Wallace scored 16 points and Bior came up big with 11 points and five rebounds, leading the Roadrunners to a 48-31 advantage at the break. UTSA played strong defense, limiting the Miners to 35.3 percent shooting. UTSA also won the battle of the boards, 23-16. On the offensive end, the Roadrunners sizzled at 61.3 percent. UTSA hit eight of its last nine shots before intermission.

Second-half summary

After the Miners pulled to within six, Barisic stopped the run with a three-point play. Later, the Miners had it down to nine when Whiteside nailed a three from the arc to make it a 12-point game with 4:30 remaining. From there, UTSA never allowed UTEP to cut the lead under 10. Jackson made sure of it by hitting six of six at the free throw line in the last two minutes.

UTSA vs. UTEP photo gallery

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UTSA coach Steve Henson offers encouragement to sophomore forward Atem Bior, who scored a career-high 13 points. UTSA beat UTEP 86-70 on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson offers encouragement to sophomore forward Atem Bior, who scored a career-high 13 points.

UTSA built a big lead early in the second half and held on down the stretch to beat UTEP 86-70 in a Conference USA game on Saturday at the UTSA Convocation Center.