By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The slumping UTSA Roadrunners made some strides with their offense in their last outing.
Today, they’ll try to rise up and stop their 10-game losing streak when they play on the road against the preseason American Conference favorite Memphis Tigers.
During an 89-73 loss to Rice at home on Wednesday night, the Roadrunners scored 40 points in the first half, and they rallied from a 19-point deficit to come within eight with 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Ultimately, they couldn’t sustain the momentum.
The challenge for the Roadrunners (4-13, 0-5) figures to be much tougher today against the Tigers (8-8, 3-1).
Even though Memphis likely isn’t the same team that won 29 games and reached the NCAA tournament last season, it is a group that has played an extremely tough schedule, and it’s also one that has started to play well and win lately.
The Tigers have won four out of their last five, with their only loss in that stretch on the road against the FAU Owls last Sunday.
In the non-conference phase of their schedule, the Tigers played five games against ranked teams and lost all five. They played nine games against Power Four opponents and went 1-8 in those contests.
Notable outcomes in those games include an 80-71 loss to then No. 1 Purdue in the Bahamas on Nov. 20 and also a 77-70 loss to then No. 13 Vanderbilt at home on Dec. 17. The Tigers defeated the Big 12’s Baylor Bears 78-71 at home on Dec. 6.
Records
UTSA 4-13, 0-5
Memphis 8-8, 3-1
Coming up
UTSA at North Texas, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Notable
UTSA’s Babourcarr Njie has come a long way since he arrived on campus as a walk on in the summer of 2024. Today he’s a scholarship player who produced 23 points and nine rebounds against Rice. It was his second 23-point game of the season.
Njie, the younger brother of UTSA center Mo Njie, is averaging 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds.
Seven-foot-one Memphis center Aaron Bradshaw is out for today’s game, according to the player availability report. He suffered knee and ankle injuries in a 55-53 victory over Temple on Wednesday in Memphis. UTSA center Stanley Borden, suffering from a hand injury, also will not play.
The Tigers’ top player is 5-11 point guard Dug McDaniel, a Kansas State transfer who averages 13.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds.
UTSA losing streaks
Eight games or more
Year – consecutive losses – streak broken against – UTSA coach
2025-26 – 10 – TBA – Austin Claunch
2022-23 – 11 – Rice – Steve Henson
2015-16 – 9 – Southern Miss – Brooks Thompson
1985-86 – 8 – St. Mary’s – Don Eddy