Tag Archives: Alabama Crimson Tide

UTSA men look for keys to unlock offensive potential

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Four days after his team journeyed out on the road and lost by 42 points to the 12th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, UTSA coach Austin Claunch paused on Thursday morning to review the experience for what it was.

Simply put, a vastly more talented team overwhelmed his Roadrunners in the first half en route to an easy win.

Austin Claunch. Southern Illinois Edwardsville (SIUE) beat UTSA 77-60 in men's basketball on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch leads his team into road games Saturday at Colorado and next Wednesday at Southern Cal. – File photo by Joe Alexander

With the Crimson Tide crashing the offensive glass and forcing turnovers, the point differential quickly reached double figures in the opening minutes and expanded to 39 by intermission.

But then, all of a sudden, the Roadrunners took a different tack to give the second half an entirely different feel.

UTSA’s offense loosened up and played well. The Roadrunners scored 38 points in the final 20 minutes while knocking down six shots from behind the arc, including three by freshman Dorian Hayes.

“We sort of just kept it simple and played with a little bit more pace,” Claunch said in a zoom conference. “I wouldn’t say (with) more freedom … But kind of just letting our hair down and going to the hoop.”

Still searching for the keys to unlock their offensive potential, the Roadrunners will continue the toughest stretch of road games on their schedule on Saturday afternoon against the high-scoring Colorado Buffaloes.

Records

UTSA 4-5
Colorado 8-1

Coming up

UTSA at Colorado, Saturday, 3 p.m.
UTSA at Southern Cal, Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Seattle at UTSA, Monday, Dec. 22, 2 p.m.
x-UTSA at FAU, Wednesday, Dec. 31, noon
x-American Conference opener

Offensive woes

To date, UTSA’s offense has been nothing less than streaky.

Last month, it seemed to be rounding into form when the Roadrunners scored 84 points in a road win at Denver. In their next game, they followed with a 103-70 victory at home against Southwestern Christian.

On a subsequent trip to Florida, they stumbled a bit in the opener of the Jacksonville Classic, losing 61-50 to Abilene Christian, only rise up and play well again the next day against Georgia Southern.

The Roadrunners revved the offense to hit 51 percent from the field in the second half of a 77-64 victory over the Eagles. Since then, though, they’ve struggled to score.

In consecutive losses to South Alabama (at home) and Alabama, the Roadrunners have averaged only 56.5 points on a combined 29.2 percent from the floor.

Their effort includes two halves in which they shot 25 percent or less. During the two-game stretch, only in the second half against the Crimson Tide did the Roadrunners reach the 40-percent level.

“It’s more on me,” Claunch said. “I’ve got to simplify this thing for our guys. Sometimes that’s the best thing you can do, is go back to your foundation.

“It’s better to be really good at one or two things than be OK at 10 things.

“We’ve got to identify who we are, the shots that we want to take and just get really, really good at things that get us those looks.”

Help apparently is on the way. TCU transfer Vasean Allette, considered the team’s top offseason pickup in the transfer portal, has returned to workouts.

“Vasean is back practicing,” Claunch said. “Hopefully we can have him as this thing gets nearer to conference play. I think he’s starting to approach being where he needs to be.”

Without saying exactly why Allette hasn’t played yet, Claunch confirmed that the 6-2 guard won’t be with the team at Colorado or USC, hinting that he could return on Dec. 22 at home against the Seattle Redhawks.

“We’re 100 percent behind him and continue to take the steps to get him back full go as we move closer to conference,” the coach said.

Notable

As the Roadrunners try to find answers on offense, the defense has held up fairly well, limiting opponents to 38.1 percent shooting from the field for the season.

Even though South Alabama and Alabama have totaled 179 points against UTSA over the past two games, the defensive base has been solid, limiting those two to a combined 41.4 percent shooting.

That number includes holding Alabama, one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, to 39 percent.

UTSA will need to be at its best defensively against the Buffaloes, who average 88.4 points on 52.1 percent shooting.

Coach Tad Boyle’s team is sixth in the nation from 3-point range, making 41 percent. Moreover, five players average between 11 and 15 points per game and four of them range from 6-feet-9 to 7-0.

Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson leads Colorado, averaging 15.3 points off the bench.

No. 12 Alabama dominates the UTSA men, 97-55

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Jalil Bethea scored 21 points and Labaron Philon Jr. and London Jemison added 20 apiece Sunday, leading the 12th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide to an easy 97-55 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Bethea hit five 3-pointers while Philon, a sophomore from Mobile, Ala, added seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. Jemison knocked down six field goals and six free throws.

Alabama capitalized on 18 UTSA turnovers, turning them into 34 points. The Tide also dominated on the glass, 57-41, including 19-9 on the offensive end.

“Thirty four points off turnovers, and we’re a program that prides ourselves on not turning it over,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch told Andy Everett on the team’s post-game radio broadcast. “That’s the big key.”

Because Alabama entered the game shooting 49.3 percent from the field, Claunch took heart in his players’ effort in holding a high-powered team to 39 percent.

UTSA came in ranked 25th in the nation in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 37.9 percent.

“They’re a really good team,” Claunch said. “Ninety seven doesn’t really tell the story. I thought we competed defensively and did a lot of good things.”

The Roadrunners entered the game looking to end a couple of streaks — they ‘re winless against Top 25 opponents since 1994 and against power conference foes since 2009 — but they couldn’t get it done against the Tide.

Alabama, playing on its home court in Tuscaloosa at Coleman Coliseum, held UTSA to 17 points in the first half. After building a 39-point lead intermission, they cruised to their seventh win in nine games.

Jamir Simpson led the Roadrunners with 20 points. UTSA’s leading scorer for the season made seven of 17 shots from the field and two of eight from 3-point distance. Dorian Hayes scored 12 points and hit four 3-pointers in the second half.

First half

Playing harassing defense and crashing the offensive boards, Alabama also hit 11 three-point baskets and raced to a 56-17 lead.

Crimson Tide guard Jalil Bethea led the way with 16 points by hitting four of seven from beyond the arc. Labaron Philon Jr. and Latrell Wrightsell had 10 points each.

Alabama won the battle on the offensive boards, 11-4, and also forced 11 turnovers.

The Roadrunners were limited to six field goals and 23 percent shooting from the field. Jamir Simpson had seven points on two of seven from the field.

Records

UTSA 4-5
Alabama 7-2

Coming up

UTSA at Colorado, Dec. 13, 3 p.m.

Tall task: UTSA men take on Alabama in Tuscaloosa, while the women meet Baylor in Waco

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Both the UTSA men’s and women’s basketball teams will face nationally-ranked teams from power conferences Sunday. The men will play the 12th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide at 1 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, while the women will take on the No. 14 Baylor Lady Bears at 2 p.m. in Waco.

UTSA men at No. 12 Alabama

Records

UTSA 4-4
Alabama 6-2

The skinny: Coming off a 24-point home loss to South Alabama, the Roadrunners travel to take on one of the nation’s top programs, featuring one of the best guards in the nation. Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr. averages 21.6 points and 5.4 assists. The 6-4 sophomore from Mobile tied a season high with 29 points Wednesday night at home in a 90-84 victory over Clemson.

UTSA women at No. 14 Baylor

Records

UTSA 3-4
Baylor 8-1

The skinny: After losing at home by 27 against the UNLV Lady Rebels, the Roadrunners will go on the road to meet the once-beaten Bears. Guard Taliah Scott, a transfer from Auburn, ranks as the seventh leading scorer in the nation with a 23.7 average. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is a force inside with 10.9 rebounds per game. Baylor beat UNLV 62-54 at home on Nov. 15.

Notable

Both the UTSA men’s and women’s teams are riding long losing streaks against teams from power conferences. In other words, teams from conferences that produce the most revenue.

The men have dropped 28 in a row against power foes. Their last win over such a program came in 2009 when they beat the Big Ten’s Iowa Hawkeyes 62-50 on Nov. 15, 2009 in Iowa City.

The women have also lost 28 straight, including setbacks this season to Texas Tech, Houston and Auburn. Their last win over a power program came on Dec. 20, 2010 when they defeated the Big 12’s Kansas State Wildcats 72-55 in San Antonio.

When the streaks started in 2009, there were five power conferences — the Big 12, the SEC, the ACC, the Big Ten and the Pac-12. In the past two years, the Pac 12 fractured, leaving the others to comprise what is known now as the Power Four.

Alabama holds off SFA to win 79-69 in Nacogdoches

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Senior guard Riley Norris knocked down a couple of three-point shots late in the game Sunday as the Alabama Crimson Tide escaped with a 79-69 victory over the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in Nacogdoches.

Norris told the Alabama radio broadcast after the game that the raucous atmosphere at sold-out Johnson Coliseum forced the Crimson Tide to trust its preparation.

“It’s very similar to a Wichita State-type of environment,” Norris said. “Sold out. Fans are really into the game. When they go on a run you can’t really hear anything. So, you just got to trust each other on the court. Trust the coaches, and trust our preparation.”

Announced attendance was a capacity 7,203. Afterward, SFA coach Kyle Keller thanked the fans for their support of the program in its historic first home game against an opponent from the Southeastern Conference.

“FANTASTIC atmosphere in the #Sawmill!” Keller wrote in a Twitter post.

Turning point

The biggest sequence of the second half came with about five minutes remaining. SFA had the ball, trailing by three, and the crowd was into it.

But Karl Nicholas committed a turnover. On the other end, Norris drained a three to make it a six-point game. SFA, the defending champion in the Southland Conference, never got closer than five the rest of the way.

Individual leaders

Alabama — Kira Lewis, Jr., 17 points and 8 assists. Riley Norris, 14 points and 4 three-pointers, off the bench. Donta Hall, 12 points and 14 rebounds. Tevin Mack, 12 points.

SFA — Shannon Bogues, 21 points. Kevon Harris, 14 points. Bogues and Harris combined for five three-pointers. Off the bench, John Comeaux, 13 points, 4 rebounds and Karl Nicholas, 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Records

Alabama 9-3
Stephen F. Austin 7-5