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East Carolina rallies in the second half to down the UTSA women, 65-58

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Keanna Rembert. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina forward Keanna Rembert (left) scored six of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA coach Karen Aston had told her players coming into Tuesday night that if they could hold the East Carolina Lady Pirates to less than 70 points, then they would have a chance to beat the highest-scoring team in the American Conference.

As it turned out, the high-flying Pirates failed to hit 70 but played better defense than the defense-minded Roadrunners, claiming a 65-58 victory at the Convocation Center in a battle between contenders in the American.

“We had too many turnovers and we gave up too many offensive rebounds,” Aston said. “That’s just the story of the game.”

The other story centered on a plague of injuries that has hurt UTSA all season. The problem was exacerbated against the Pirates when Cheyenne Rowe had to sit out with an illness.

Damara Allen. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Damara Allen scored 12 points on three of nine shooting. She also had three rebounds and three assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

As a result, Rowe missed her first game of the season, joining six other players on the roster who have been out of action with assorted injuries.

Without Rowe and injured Idara Udo on the floor, the Roadrunners were extremely thin on the inside, playing sophomore Emilia Dannebauer 31 minutes and freshman Sanaa Bean 18, much more than their season averages.

East Carolina took full advantage, winning the battle of the boards, 32-26, including 17-8 on the offensive end. In the beginning, the Roadrunners shot the ball well and took an early eight-point lead.

But as the Pirates continued to trap and press, the Roadrunners turned it over 29 times, leading to 27 points for the visitors. It was just too much for the home team to overcome.

“I thought UT San Antonio had a good game plan, and that was to take the paint away from us,” East Carolina coach Kim McNeill said. “They did a really good job of that. We weren’t as clean as we normally are on offense.

“You got to credit that to the (UTSA) defense. I think we made some gutsy plays down the stretch. Down on the defensive end we got some stops when we needed … and we made some baskets when we needed them, too.”

East Carolina rallied behind forward Keanna Rembert, who scored six of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by 12 points midway through the fourth, the Roadrunners made it interesting, cutting the lead to seven with three minutes left.

In response, Rembert answered with a follow shot with 2:54 remaining to boost the advantage to nine. UTSA couldn’t get closer than six the rest of the way.

Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen scored 12 points apiece to lead the Roadrunners. Guard Ereauna Hardaway, the team’s second-leading scorer, was held to eight points on one for five shooting.

Mia Hammonds. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Mia Hammonds notched 12 points, six rebounds, one block and a steal. – Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina’s primary threat in the backcourt had an off night, as well. Kennedy Fauntleroy, who had averaged 23 points in three previous games, was held to two points on two free throws.

The Arizona State transfer also committed seven turnovers and eventually fouled out. But in Fauntleroy’s case, her teammates in the backcourt picked up the slack to win in one of the toughest places to play in the American.

Guards Savannah Brooks and Jayla Hearp both hurt the Roadrunners. Brooks had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Brooks also recorded three steals. Hearp scored 10 and pulled down five rebounds — all of them on the offensive end.

Also, Pirates guard Taylor Barner came off the bench and made an impact in defending UTSA’s Hardaway.

Records

East Carolina 14-6, 6-1
UTSA 9-8, 4-2

Coming up

UTSA at Memphis, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Third quarter

Jayla Hearp scored nine points and Savannah Brooks added six in the third period as the Lady Pirates came from a one-point halftime deficit and surged into a a 50-41 lead.

Sanaa Bean. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman forward Sanaa Bean produced four points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Pirates also played stifling defense, forcing the Roadrunners into eight turnovers as they won the period, 25-15.

When the Roadrunners did get a clean look at the hoop, they shot only three of 10 from the field.

First half

Despite making 15 turnovers in the half and playing without Rowe, the UTSA Roadrunners ran into the dressing room with a 26-25 lead on the East Carolina Lady Pirates.

Damara Allen led the Roadrunners with 10 points, including two of their four 3-pointers. Three-point shooting was a key for the ‘Runners as they hit four of five in the half. They also shot nine of 16 from the field.

Another promising sign for UTSA was its defense on guard Fauntleroy, who was held scoreless after averaging 23 points a game over her last three. Fauntleroy shot zero for two from the field and made five turnovers.

East Carolina’s best weapon was its full-court press, which forced UTSA into nine second-quarter turnovers.

Trailing by eight early in the game, the Pirates used the press to flip the momentum. They took a 17-16 lead on a Rembert jumper with 6:01 left in the half.

UTSA immediately regained the lead when the Roadrunners beat pressure and fed Allen, who hit a three out of the corner.

Jayda Holiman made another trey a few minutes later, expanding UTSA’s advantage to 25-21. Rembert knocked down a triple with 41 seconds left to tie the score. UTSA center Emilia Dannebauer hit a free throw with 10 seconds left for the final point.

Notable

UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe sat out the game with an illness. She is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds. Rowe had started and played all 16 games for the Roadrunners.

Idara Udo. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Idara Udo has been out for seven games with a lower leg injury but went through some shooting drills Tuesday afternoon before the team warmups. – Photo Joe Alexander.

The Roadrunners had six other players sitting out, five of whom haven’t played this season. Idara Udo, who has been out for the past seven games, played the first 10 and averaged 8.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Before pre-game warmups, Udo was on the floor shooting the ball, a positive sign for the team.

Maya Linton, Nyayongah Gony, Saher Alizada, Sema Udo and Taylor Ross are the others who have not played this season.

Gony, Sema Udo and Ross are out for the season, while Idara Udo, Linton and Alizada were listed as out for the game, according to the official availability report.

Cheyenne Rowe’s availability in question for East Carolina

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Update: UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe is listed as questionable to play against East Carolina, according to the player availability report. A spokesman said Rowe is ill. She is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds. Rowe has started and played all 16 games for the Roadrunners.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

In the 2022-23 season, the East Carolina Lady Pirates were picked for the cellar in the American Conference women’s basketball race, and coach Kim McNeill proceeded to lead them to the NCAA tournament.

Last fall, coaches in the American pegged them in a preseason poll for a seventh-place finish.

Don’t look now, but the Lady Pirates are tied for second and challenging for the lead coming into a showdown Tuesday night in the Convocation Center against the defending conference champion UTSA Roadrunners.

Moreover, they’re incoming with one of the hottest players in the American, point guard Kennedy Fauntleroy. An Arizona State transfer, Fauntleroy is averaging 23 points and 7.7 assists in her last three games.

“They’re the leading scoring team in the conference,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said on a media zoom conference Monday. “So, start right there. They have a plethora of people that can score the basketball (and) they have a tremendous point guard (in Fauntleroy).”

Aston said the Lady Pirates are always well prepared under McNeill and also may have some intangibles working for them this season.

“I can’t speak for her by any means,” Aston said, “but they look like they have really good chemistry, and they look like they’re having fun playing the game. So, you have to start with that. We’re going to have to be really, really good on our home court.

“We’re going to have to have a sense of urgency with how we play. But, it’s not going to be easy. They turn you over and they score the ball really well. They’re one of the better teams in the conference regardless of what they were chosen.”

East Carolina averages an American-best 73.7 points and shoots 40 percent from the field. The Pirates also force 20 turnovers per game and register a league-best plus 5.68 turnover margin.

UTSA is expected to counter with the conference’s best defense, both in points and field goal percentage allowed (57.9 points and 36.8 percent).

Records

East Carolina 13-6, 5-1
UTSA 9-7, 4-1

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Memphis, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

The Rice Owls lead the American women’s basketball race with a 5-0 record, followed by East Carolina and South Florida at 5-1. Tulsa and UTSA are next at 4-1.

The Lady Pirates, playing at home last week, played well in defeating Tulsa 79-48 and Temple 81-65. In the Temple game, East Carolina led by two going into the fourth quarter when the 5-foot-7 Fauntleroy exploded for 13 of her 27 points.

The native of Upper Marlboro, Md., also finished with eight assists, three steals and two blocks. Fauntleroy, who averages 13.8 a game, has exploded 21, 21 and 27 points in her last three games, respectively.

The Roadrunners traveled to play two in Florida last week. They were humbled in Tampa by the South Florida Bulls, 70-53, after trailing by 25 at halftime. In response, they routed the Florida Atlantic Owls, 79-42.

Aston said the development of sophomore forward Emilia Dannebauer has been “incredible” to watch.

After playing only 22 minutes in eight games last year, she’s already played 276 minutes in all 16 games thus far, averaging 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. She scored a season-high 13 points last week at South Florida.

Aston said even though Dannebauer didn’t play much last season, the 6-foot-4 native of Germany learned about the pace and physicality of the game and what she needed to do to prepare herself.

She overcame an injury last summer, got herself ready to play in the fall and then stepped in to a starter’s role when Idara Udo was hurt after 10 games.

“It’s been fun to watch her develop and gain confidence,” Aston said.

UTSA ties a program record with 39th win of the season

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners held off the home team East Carolina Pirates in a hectic bottom of the ninth inning Saturday afternoon to win 7-6, claiming their 10th win in a row and their 39th overall to tie a program record for a single season.

With Pirates baserunners at first and second, UTSA reliever Robert Orloski recorded a strikeout to end the game. The 6-foot-4 sophomore from Idaho retired Ryley Johnson, who swung and missed a high fastball.

UTSA claimed the American Athletic Conference title outright Friday night with an 8-5 victory over the Pirates. But as the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader came down to the wire, the Pirates had the upper hand with a two-run lead going into the last inning.

Much to the dismay of fans in Greenville, N.C., the Pirates’ bullpen subsequently melted down with four straight walks to open the top of the ninth.

The fourth free pass brought in a run and pulled the Roadrunners to within one. With the bases still loaded, Mason Lytle doubled down the left field line off reliever Colby Wallace, clearing the bases to put UTSA on top, 6-4.

One out later, Andrew Stucky hit a ball off the end of his bat that squirted through the right side. The RBI single lifted the Roadrunners into a three-run lead.

Trailing 7-4 entering the bottom half of the ninth, the Pirates did not quit. Battling against Orloski, Michael Kalinich and Braden Burress opened the inning with singles. When Drew Downs walked, the bases were filled with East Carolina players — with nobody out.

Over the next few minutes, the Pirates scored two runs, and Roadrunners coach Pat Hallmark was ejected from the game following an argument with the home plate umpire.

After Colby Wallace’s RBI single to left field, the Pirates pulled to within 7-6, and the Pirates’ crowd started to cheer and clap. The Roadrunners’ coach had been tossed, and Johnson, who had homered earlier in the game, was at the plate.

Orloski, trying to meet the moment, recovered from being down 2-1 in the count to throw two straight strikes for his seventh save of the season and his second in two days.

Records

UTSA 39-10, 20-3
East Carolina 27-23, 11-12

Coming up

Game 3 of the series and the second game of the doubleheader will be played today.

Notable

UTSA has tied the school record for victories established in 1994 (39-18) and again in 2008 (39-19). The Roadrunners can break the record this afternoon if they can win the series finale against the Pirates.

UTSA clinched the series with its second win against East Carolina in two days, with the third game set for later this afternoon.

As a result, the Roadrunners are now eight for eight in series victories in the American Athletic Conference this season. They have played eight and have won all eight of them. UTSA also won its 10th game in a row and its ninth straight in AAC play.

The Roadrunners won 8-5 Friday night to clinch the AAC regular-season title outright. The win in the series opener also allowed them to claim the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

UTSA wins the AAC baseball title after surviving a crazy eighth inning at East Carolina

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners have won the American Athletic Conference baseball title outright after holding off the East Carolina Pirates 8-5 Friday night in a chaotic, weather-delayed game in Greenville, N.C.

In winning its ninth straight game to secure its first regular-season conference title in 17 years, UTSA improved to 38-10 overall and to 19-3 in the AAC going into a doubleheader that has been scheduled for the Pirates’ home field on Saturday.

UTSA can tie the program’s single-season record for victories if it can win the first game of the doubleheader. With a sweep, UTSA can break it with what would be the team’s first 40-win season.

The doubleheader was deemed necessary to complete the three-game series after officials elected not to play on Sunday to avoid more issues with the weather. The Pirates, who had won the last five regular-season titles in the American, fell to 27-22 overall and 11-11 in conference.

Coming out of a 35-minute rain delay in the sixth inning with a four-run lead, the Roadrunners broke the game open with three runs in the top of the eighth as Andrew Stucky delivered a three-run double. His shot down the third-base line cleared the bases and gave the Roadrunners what appeared to be a commanding lead.

Going into the bottom half of the eighth, the game took a bizarre turn.

Righthander Rob Orloski, who threw five pitches to get the last out in the seventh, was sent to play left field to start the inning while lefthander Jake Cothran came in to pitch. After the Pirates put two runners on via a hit by pitch and a single, the Roadrunners made another pitching change, with Sam Simmons entering to replace Cothran.

Simmons immediately found trouble, giving up a single to Colby Wallace to load the bases, followed by James Herring’s two-run double to left. When Herring’s ball fell and the two runners crossed, the Pirates had cut the lead to 8-3. All of which prompted UTSA to make a few more changes. Lorenzo Morresi came in to play left and Orloski returned to the mound to try to put out the fire.

The Pirates, however, had other ideas. Pinch hitter John Collins roped a double down the left field line to score two more runs and trim the UTSA lead to 8-5. After Walker Barron singled to put runners at the corners again, Orloski settled down, retiring three straight batters to get out of it. In the bottom of the ninth, Orloski set down three in a row to end the game.

In the end, Zach Royse (8-4) earned the win and Orloski notched his sixth save.

With the victory, the Roadrunners move into their last five games in the regular season just needing to maintain momentum. After playing two at East Carolina on Saturday, they return home to host the Rice Owls for three more, from May 15-17, to close the regular season. UTSA is now the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament, set for May 20-25 in Clearwater, Fla.

UTSA is hoping, after the dust settles in Clearwater, to have done enough to warrant a bid to the 64-team NCAA tournament. The Roadrunners are on the right track, entering the East Carolina series at No. 20 in the NCAA’s ratings percentage index. UTSA hasn’t played in the NCAA tournament since 2013 when it won the postseason crown in the Western Athletic Conference.

Records

UTSA 38-10, 19-3
East Carolina 27-22, 11-11

Coming up

UTSA at East Carolina, Saturday, doubleheader, first game at 1 p.m.
Second game to follow, 45 minutes after the conclusion of the the first game

Before the weather delay

Needing only one win to clinch the title outright, the Roadrunners took a 5-1 lead on the Pirates only to have the game postponed in the sixth inning on a weather delay.

Trailing 1-0, the Roadrunners started to roll with their explosive offense. In the top of the fifth, with East Carolina starter Ethan Norby cruising, Garrett Gruell led off by slicing a single into right field. James Taussig followed by getting on top of a high fastball and pulling it to right for a two-run homer.

Television announcers called the line drive at 108-mph off the bat.

After that, Norby started to falter. On a 3-2 pitch, he walked Cade Sadler. Then, a pitch got away from him and he hit Nathan Hodge to put runners at first and second. With Mason Lytle stepping up to hit, Sadler strayed off second base, enough to draw a throw to second from catcher Walker Barron. Sadler, on a heads up play, promptly took third base for a steal.

Lytle responded with a line drive that ticked off the glove of third baseman Colby Wallace. It went for an RBI single as Sadler came in to score easily and Hodge advanced to second. After Ty Hodge was retired on a foul ball off to the right side, Andrew Stucky came to bat to set the stage for another key play.

Stucky grounded to the left side, and the Pirates infield turned what was initially called as an inning-ending double play. Upon further review, umpires ruled that Stucky beat the relay throw to first base, which allowed Nathan Hodge to score and make it 4-1.

The Roadrunners scratched another run across in the sixth to make it 5-1. With East Carolina coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth, umpires stopped the game and waved players off the field for a weather delay.

To this point, UTSA starter Zach Royse had held the Pirates to one run on four hits and one walk. Royse had struck out four and had thrown 77 pitches.

Surging UTSA opens three-game series at East Carolina today

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners can clinch the American Athletic Conference regular-season baseball title outright today when they play on the road against the East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, N.C.

If they win, they get an added bonus of securing the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament. UTSA needs only one win in its last six conference games to clinch the top seed.

After extending their winning streak to eight last Sunday at South Florida, the Roadrunners enter the three-game series against East Carolina having claimed at least a tie for the regular-season crown.

It’s the first regular-season title for the Roadrunners since 2008. Sitting at No. 20 in the national ratings percentage index, they’re also hoping to qualify for their first NCAA tournament since 2013.

Friday’s game is expected to feature starting pitchers Zach Royse of UTSA against East Carolina’s Ethan Norby. Royse is 7-4 with a 4.81 earned run average in 67.1 innings pitched. Norby enters 6-4 and 3.39 with 69 innings.

The starters for Saturday and Sunday have not been announced. UTSA closes out the regular season May 15-17 at home against the Rice Owls. The AAC tournament is May 20-25 in Clearwater, Fla.

Led by an explosive offense that’s scored 428 runs in 47 games, the Roadrunners (37-10 overall, 18-3 AAC) have been relentless in punishing their opponents.

Mason Lytle and Jordan Ballin both are hitting .370. Andrew Stucky, James Taussig, Drew Detlefsen and Caden Miller have all produced an OPS above 1.000. In their last 13 games, they’re 12-1, and they’ve scored 147 runs in that span.

East Carolina has had a tough season by its own lofty standards. The Pirates (27-21, 11-10) have reached 40 victories in six straight seasons, including five straight AAC regular-season titles. A few months ago, they started fast in conference, winning three straight at home against Memphis and another three on the road at Rice.

But in the third weekend of conference, they slumped with three straight losses at home against Florida Atlantic. The Pirates have been chasing the leaders ever since.

Records

UTSA 37-10, 18-3
East Carolina 27-21, 11-10

Coming up

UTSA at East Carolina, Friday, 5 p.m.
UTSA at East Carolina, Saturday, 3 p.m.
UTSA at East Carolina, Sunday, noon

Notable

The Pirates have reached the NCAA tournament eight times under 11th-year coach Cliff Godwin. The Pirates have reached the the last six NCAA tournaments that have been played. The tournament, along with most of the season, was scratched in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The Roadrunners, in turn, have produced a more modest record, having played in only three NCAA tournaments (1994, 2005 and 2013). They played their first season in 1992.

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark is in his sixth season with the Roadrunners. In three previous seasons, his teams have been highly competitive. They finished tied for third and second in Conference USA in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Last spring, in their first year in the American, they finished second again. Hallmark’s Roadrunners beat the Pirates two out of three last March in San Antonio.

The 2022 team got hot at the end of the season and reached the finals of the C-USA tournament before losing to Louisiana Tech. In both 2023 and 2024, the Roadrunners faltered, losing their first two games in conference tournament play both times.

AAC men’s tournament: East Carolina ends UTSA’s season, 70-65

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The season is over for the UTSA men’s basketball team. The East Carolina Pirates held off the Roadrunners in a thriller that went down to the final seconds, winning 70-65 in the second round of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Fort Worth.

As a result, the sixth-seeded and 19-13 Pirates completed a 3-0 sweep of the Roadrunners this season and will advance to play in the quarterfinals Friday night against the three seed UAB Blazers.

No. 11 UTSA finished its first season under Coach Austin Claunch at 12-19 overall and 6-12 in conference. Last year’s team finished 11-21 and 5-13 and then had all but one of its scholarship players leave in the wake of Steve Henson’s dismissal as head coach.

Coming in from an assistant’s job at Alabama to rebuild from three straight losing seasons, Claunch couldn’t prevent a fourth straight, but he said he felt like the program made progress.

“I’m so proud of this step our program took this year,” said Claunch, who previously won two regular-season titles in a five-year run at Nicholls State in the Southland Conference.

“Certainly,” the coach added, “going from an increase in win total from last year, both total and in conference, I’m proud of the work not just that the record shows, but the work that these guys as a group put in.

“Our seniors, like Primo (Spears) and Damari (Monsanto), they’ve been really fun to coach. If I sit here and talk about ’em too long, I’m going to get emotional. I’m sure I will at some point anyway.”

It’s been an emotional ride all season for the Roadrunners, with two players lost to injury and three others leaving for non-injury related issues during the season. Raekwon Horton was the latest non-injury departure. A major contributor with 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds, he played his last game on March 1.

Claunch announced on Tuesday, the day UTSA left for Fort Worth, that Horton would not be available for the tournament. It left Claunch with eight scholarship players available. Against the Pirates, seven players played for the Roadrunners, including freshman walkon Baboucarr Njie.

They played hard and with heart but failed to avoid becoming the fourth straight UTSA men’s team to lose its first game in a conference postseason event. A bright spot in the postgame interview came when Roadrunners sophomore Marcus Millender said he would likely return to UTSA next season.

Millender led the Roadrunners against East Carolina with 24 points and seven rebounds.

East Carolina coach Michael Schwartz praised the UTSA coaches and players, calling the Roadrunners “dynamic” and saying that his team for the third time this season was fortunate to win.

The Pirates lost their final regular-season game against the FAU Owls and were able to bounce back, mainly because their players “locked in” during preparation for the trip to Fort Worth, the coach said.

“Everybody kept asking about playing a team for a third time, and we said that is irrelevant,” Schwartz said. “That’s not what makes this game hard, playing UTSA a third time. What makes this game hard is playing UTSA because they’re a really good team. So that’s where our focus was, preparing as if this was the first time we played them.”

Starting with a Feb. 5 home game against Tulane, UTSA played nine games decided by single-digit margins and lost eight of them. In a maddening finish to that stretch of heartbreak, the Pirates rallied from a four-point deficit with 11:47 left and rode the hot hands of Jordan Riley and RJ Felton to claim the victory.

After ECU caught up and forged a three-point advantage with 2:35 left, UTSA responded with a few defensive stops and five points from Millender to reclaim the lead. The Roadrunners had a one-point edge with 1:17 remaining when Millender drove baseline for a layup and a 63-62 lead. In turn, Felton muscled inside to spark a 6-2 run into the final seconds of the game.

East Carolina, with a three-point advantage, called time with 6.1 seconds left. As UTSA inbounded the ball to Jonnivius Smith, the Pirates elected to foul on the catch. The ploy worked, as Smith missed the front end of a one and one. The Pirates rebounded, and Jayshayne Woodard ended up dunking for the game’s final points.

Individuals

UTSA – Marcus Millender scored 24 points on nine of 20 shooting from the field. He was two of five from three. Spears, who fell late in the game and hurt his surgically-repaired left arm, went to the bench momentarily but later returned to finish it on the court. A second-team, all-conference performer, he finished with 19 points. Damari Monsanto hit five threes and scored 17. Both Millender and Monsanto pulled down seven boards each. Jonnivius Smith had three points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

East Carolina – Jordan Riley led the Pirates with 22 points and 12 rebounds. The 6-foot-4 Temple transfer sparked the Pirates in the second half with a few monster dunks. Guard RJ Felton had 17 points and Cam Hayes 16

First half

Tempers flared at the end of the half as East Carolina forward CJ Walker bumped into Njie as players were leaving the floor. Despite poor shooting, the Pirates led the Roadrunners 34-28 at the break. At the end of the halftime break, it was announced that Walker had been hit with a technical foul. The Roadrunners were awarded free throws and hit both without any time having run off the clock

Records

UTSA 12-19, 6-12
East Carolina 19-13, 10-8

Notable

UTSA entered the tournament looking for its first win in a conference postseason game since 2021 when the Roadrunners beat the Charlotte 49ers 72-62 as members of Conference USA. That was the fourth and final season for former Roadrunners stars Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace.

The Roadrunners lost their tournament openers in 2022, 2023 and 2024, all by margins of three points or less. In 2022, Southern Miss defeated UTSA, 67-64. In 2023, Rice eked out a 72-71 victory over the Roadrunners. Both of those contests came in the C-USA postseason. Last season, the Roadrunners lost to Temple, 64-61, to cap their first season in the American.

In the past four years, the Roadrunners have finished 10-22, 10-22, 11-21 and now 12-19, giving the program 10 losing seasons in its last 13. UTSA hasn’t qualified for the NCAA tournament since 2011. The 14-year drought is the longest in school history. The Roadrunners, who started play in 1981-82, made NCAA tournaments in 1988, 1999, 2004 and 2011.

UTSA guard Primo Spears fell late in the East Carolina game and injured a left arm that was badly damaged eight years ago. But, after coming out for a short time, he returned to play the final minute. After the game, he said he was OK.

In 2017, in between his freshman and sophomore year of high school, Spears had surgery following a nasty fall in a summer all-star game in New York City. Spears dislocated his left elbow, fractured the radial bone and tore ligaments, an injury that required at least three surgeries to repair and knocked him out all of his sophomore year.

This season, the Roadrunners appeared to have momentum going into February. A 54-50 road victory against 23-win North Texas capped a 4-5 record in the AAC at the halfway point of the schedule. But they struggled to hold leads in close games down the stretch and finished in a three-way tie for ninth.

UTSA women pound East Carolina for ninth straight victory

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The American Athletic Conference champion UTSA women’s basketball team rolled to a 28-point lead in the third quarter and then cruised to a 67-48 victory over the East Carolina Pirates Tuesday night.

With the win, coming in a road game at Greenville, N.C., the Roadrunners improved to 26-3 on the season. They finished their remarkable run through the AAC with a 17-1 record, tying a school mark for wins in conference. UTSA is 19-1 in its last 20 games leading into the AAC tournament.

The tournament opens on Saturday in Denton and continues the rest of the way in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena. Second-round games are Sunday, and then UTSA will open play on Monday in the quarterfinals as the tournament’s top seed.

Jordyn Jenkins had 26 points and six rebounds to lead the Roadrunners. Jenkins, a player of the year candidate in the AAC, hit 11 of 14 shots from the field. Forward Idara Udo contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Point guard Nina De Leon Negron had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists as the Roadrunners swept two games this season from the Pirates, who eliminated the Roadrunners at the AAC tournament last year.

East Carolina men survive hot-shooting UTSA to win 96-89 in overtime

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The East Carolina Pirates made four straight defensive stops, leading to eight points in a row, as they broke open a hotly-contested tie game and defeated the UTSA Roadrunners 96-89 in overtime Sunday at Greenville, N.C.

It was the sixth straight loss for UTSA going down the stretch of the regular season in the American Athletic Conference.

Records

UTSA 10-17, 4-11
East Carolina 16-12, 8-7

How it happened

The Roadrunners played and shot the ball well for most of the night. They built a nine-point lead with 13:34 left in regulation. But they couldn’t make a few plays on the offensive end to close the second half, and the game went to overtime.

Once there, the Roadrunners continued to carry the fight to the Pirates, who were playing in their home at Minges Coliseum. UTSA’s Damari Monsanto quieted the crowd by knocking down a three-point shot with 3:08 remaining, tying the score, 86-86.

From there, East Carolina ratcheted up its defense behind Jayshayne Woodard, turning away UTSA without points on four possessions in a row.

On the other end, the Pirates converted with RJ Felton scoring on a drive to start a decisive 8-0 run. After Cam Hayes hit two free throws, Jordan Riley sank a 12 foot jumper.

Woodard, who made a steal and blocked a shot on the defensive end to kick start the rally, added a dunk with 39 seconds left to make it 94-86 with 39 seconds left.

UTSA couldn’t get any closer than five the rest of the way.

Another heartbreaker

For the Roadrunners, it was another heartbreaker in a late-season swoon that’s been marked by lost leads and lost games. This one was at least their fifth conference loss after leading by nine or more points in the second half. In their previous five setbacks, all came by five points or less.

East Carolina was responsible for one of them in an 80-79 victory at UTSA on Feb. 8. Now, the Pirates have swept the two-game series in contests that came down to only a few possessions each time.

On the offensive end, the Roadrunners played well, shooting 47 percent from the field and hitting at a 48 percent clip from three (13 of 27).

Guard Primo Spears contributed 24 points and seven assists. Marcus Millender scored 21 with five rebounds and four assists.

Monsanto and Tai’Reon Joseph both reached double figures, as well. Monsanto scored 14 and Joseph, who came out of the game momentarily in the first half with a cut near his eye, added 11.

Raekwon Horton returned after sitting out a game with an injury and worked hard at the end to slow down Felton, who led all scorers with 30 points. Riley had 17 points and Hayes 16.

For the Pirates, Felton hit 10 of 15 from the field and made all five of his attempts from the three-point line.

As a team, East Carolina shot 53 percent from the field and 56 percent from three against a UTSA defense that ranks near the bottom of the AAC in both of those categories.

For the season, the Roadrunners were allowing 46 percent field goal shooting and 35.8 percent from three leading into Sunday’s games.

Coming up

Rice at UTSA, Sunday, March 2, 5 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Tuesday, March 4, 6 p.m.
UTSA at Charlotte, Sunday, March 9, 3 p.m.

First half

The Roadrunners shot 59 percent from the field and withstood a scoring binge by guard RJ Felton to take a 39-38 lead on the Pirates.

In the opening 20 minutes of the game played at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, N.C., the momentum flowed back and forth with 11 lead changes and seven ties.

The Roadrunners trailed by as many as five at one juncture but always stayed competitive with a sweet flow on offense. They made 16 of 27 shots from the field and six of 11 from three.

UTSA women beat East Carolina 60-46 to stay undefeated at home this season

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Sidney Love. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Teammates hoist UTSA guard Sidney Love into the limelight with the gold ‘Cash In’ chain for her efforts against the East Carolina Pirates. Love scored 15 points on six of eight shooting, and she also had three steals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women kept alive their chances for an undefeated season at home Wednesday night with a 60-46 victory over the East Carolina Pirates in a physical American Athletic Conference encounter at the Convocation Center.

Jordyn Jenkins produced 23 points and six rebounds as first-place UTSA (21-3, 12-1 in the AAC) improved its home winning streak to 14 games, dating back to last year. The Roadrunners are 11-0 at home this season.

East Carolina (13-12, 5-8) came into San Antonio having won two in a row and three of four, including a road win at UAB. But UTSA was relentless with a defensive effort that held the visitors to 26 percent shooting from the field.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins contributed 23 points and also six rebounds. She shot 10 of 17 from the floor, as UTSA stayed one game in the loss column ahead of South Florida in the AAC title race. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Pirates guard Khia Miller was ejected from the game early in the second half for an intentional foul on Roadrunners’ forward Maya Linton. Linton also was assessed a technical, her second, which disqualified her for the remainder of the game.

Addressing the media afterward, UTSA coach Karen Aston wasn’t happy that one of her players was ejected. She didn’t love the idea that her team turned it over 21 times, either, or that East Carolina won the rebounding battle (41-39).

But she will take a 14-point victory in which her team led for almost the entire 40 minutes and led by as many as 20 in the second half.

“Happy to get another win here in the Convo, for sure,” Aston said. “(The season is) winding down and (it’s) hard to believe we just have two more of these (home games) in here. I thought we played really well, for the most part.

“We’ll look back on it and nit-pick a little bit about some careless turnovers. Obviously, the rebounding was a big one that we’ve got to clean up before we play (Memphis, at home) on Saturday. But I thought we had a better aggressiveness about ourselves today. A better tempo for the way we played offensively.

“That’s really what I was hoping for tonight. So, we’ll clean up the rest of it.”

UTSA forward Maya Linton picked up technical fouls in the second and third quarters. By rule, she was disqualified after the second one and was sent to the dressing room. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In what is shaping up as a possible dream season for the Roadrunners, they have won four straight overall and 14 of their last 15, with five to go in the regular season.

Sitting on 21 wins, they are tied with the 1983-84 Roadrunners for the third most in a season in school history, behind only the 2007-08 team with 23 and the ’08-09 team with 24.

Defeating ECU also allowed them to stay a game in the loss column ahead of the second-place South Florida Bulls (17-8, 10-2) and two games ahead of the third-place North Texas Mean Green (18-7, 10-3) in the AAC regular-season title race.

South Florida and North Texas both won at home Wednesday night to keep the pressure on the Roadrunners, with the Bulls downing the Rice Owls, 82-77 in three overtimes, and the Mean Green pounding the Memphis Tigers, 97-57.

In the UTSA postgame, Jenkins talked about what it was like to be on the floor, at home, and to be able to hold East Carolina to four points in a 17-4, second-quarter show of force.

“The home crowd obviously helps, really getting into it and chanting ‘D-Up,’ ” Jenkins said. “But it comes with communication on the court. When we’ve got solid communication, it’s fun, and it makes things easier.

“We have trouble with that a lot during practice. We need to be better at that so we can consecutively have good possessions.”

Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Cheyenne Rowe came off the bench for eight points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. — Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s second quarter was a defensive clinic. The Roadrunners held the Pirates to one for 16 shooting from the field and forced five turnovers.

In addition, two UTSA forwards off the bench, Cheyenne Rowe and Taylor Ross, had a major impact. Both had five rebounds in the period alone and Ross, a freshman from Brennan, also blocked a shot.

Rowe (eight points, 10 rebounds for the game) and Ross (three and seven) both played 18 minutes total and allowed the Roadrunners to cruise to an easy victory, even with foul-plagued starters Idara Udo and Linton not being major factors in the game.

Asked about Rowe and Ross’ contributions, Aston said, “That’s what I’ve been looking for.”

Another narrative coming into the game centered on what happened between the Roadrunners and the Pirates the last time they played.

Last March 12 in Fort Worth, East Carolina rallied from a pair of 11-point deficits in the fourth quarter to beat UTSA, 55-54, in the AAC semifinals, ending the Roadrunners’ quest for the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Love and Jenkins both chuckled at a question about whether there was any talk among players in the last few days about last year’s disappointment against the Pirates.

“No, we kind of wanted to leave that in the past,” Love said. “I don’t know. I think we just moved on and focused on being in the present and being where we are right now.”

Forward Amiyah Joyner led the Pirates with 18 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-2 forward hit six of 13 shots from the field. The rest of her teammates shot a combined 11 of 52.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston has led UTSA to a 21-3 record, with five games to play before the AAC tournament. The program record for wins in a season is 24. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Records

East Carolina 13-12, 5-8
UTSA 21-3, 12-1

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m.
UTSA at Rice, Saturday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m.

First half

Dominating with physical play in the paint and effective position defense on the perimeter, the Roadrunners held the Pirates to four points in the second quarter. Consequently, they surged to a 29-17 lead at halftime.

UTSA shrugged off a sluggish start and outscored ECU 17-4 in the second. ECU got flustered at the end of the period after Love tied up Joyner.

Trying to hang on to the ball, Joyner was pulled down to the floor. Once there, she tossed the ball and hit UTSA forward Maya Linton in the midsection. Linton tossed it back, prompting officials to stop play and go to the replay monitors.

After it was sorted out, both Joyner and Linton were hit with technical fouls.

Notable

Early in the third quarter, emotions boiled over once again. It started with Miller bringing the ball over halfcourt on the dribble, with Linton meeting her to contest. Trying to clear space, Miller swung her arms while clutching the ball.

Kim McNeill. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina coach Kim McNeill led the Pirates to 23 wins and a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2023. Her team beat UTSA last March in the AAC semifinals and then lost to Rice in the title game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

She appeared to land an elbow on Linton, who held her head with both hands momentarily. Afterward, she looked up and appeared to say something in frustration. Referees stopped the action again and went to the monitors to assess what happened.

Miller was hit with an intentional foul and an automatic ejection. Linton also got a technical. Combined with the one she had in the first half, she was sent to the dressing room.

Quotable

Aston said she didn’t see what caused the flaring of tempers between Joyner and Linton in the second quarter.

“I honestly didn’t see anything until the tail end,” Aston said. “They called a jump ball, and I’m trying to figure out whose possession it is. There’s only five seconds left. I’ll have to look at these situations on film and see if we can handle ourselves a little differently than what we did.

“I thought we re-grouped at halftime. We talked about it and then the little episode in the third quarter (between Miller and Linton) I thought really hurt us, to be honest with you, because it took away our aggression, because we didn’t quite know what to do with that, and we tried to monitor what was going on. I thought it took away from the flow of the game for us, definitely.

“So, we got to learn some lessons from that.”

AAC contenders

Basketball teams in the AAC play 18 games in the regular season. Here is a look at the top five in the AAC women’s title chase:

UTSA 12-1, 21-3
South Florida 10-2, 17-8
North Texas 10-3, 18-7
Tulane 8-4, 15-8
Temple 8-5, 14-10

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated UTSA’s record in the AAC regular season. UTSA is 12-1 in conference.

Taylor Ross. UTSA beat East Carolina 60-46 at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman Taylor Ross contributed three points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in 18 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Enjoying the grind: first-place UTSA women set to host the East Carolina Pirates

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Sidney Love blocked shot. UTSA beat North Texas 54-52 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners host the East Carolina Pirates tonight at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Relay

The UTSA women’s basketball team is in a balancing act right now, trying at once to enjoy its historic success, while at the same time staying dialed into the serious business of winning a championship.

It’s an exhilarating — yet challenging — experience for the Roadrunners. Not only are they coming off an emotional victory that yielded the first 20-win season at UTSA in 16 years, but they’re also preparing for a home game against a surging opponent, hungry for its own continued success.

With her team holding a one-game lead in the loss column over its nearest competitor, UTSA coach Karen Aston says that “it’s really tough” to know exactly how to deal with the nuances of keeping her players loose and also focused with a competitive edge.

“It’s kind of a feel,” she said. “This particular team seems to do better when your foot is kind of on the gas a little bit and you have a sense of urgency in practice, no matter how long practice is, which none of them are really very long right now.

“But I think, it’s not a science. They’re kids. They’re human. They have other stuff going on. And to be able to find some kind of balance. Yeah, get in the gym, work on your shot. Don’t lose your skill set, but keep fresh legs.”

After staging a remarkable rally in the last few minutes to win last Saturday at Wichita State, improving to 20-3 on the season, UTSA returns home to face the East Carolina Pirates tonight. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Winning is fun, yes. But the last thing Aston wants is for her players to feel mentally as if they’ve arrived, and they start to skip some steps on the practice court.

Then again, that’s something that could have happened before now and it hasn’t, likely because the players enjoy the work as much as they enjoy being around each other.

“Again, it’s not a science,” Aston said. “We kind of take every week as it goes. Every day as it goes. Kind of looking at what the week looks like and try to lighten some of their load, for some that have maybe logged a lot of minutes.

“You know, you want to keep the other guys … in game mode on practice days, the ones that don’t log as many minutes. They have to stay ready, and I think this group has done a great job with that. They enjoy practice for the most part, which makes it fun.

“And I appreciate how they’ve approached whatever we’ve given them. They don’t seem to question whatever the day is going to bring. I appreciate that about this group.”

Records

East Carolina 13-11, 5-7
UTSA 20-3, 11-1

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, tonight, 6:30 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA has won 13 of its last 14 games, including three straight victories since it dropped a 75-63 decision on the road at South Florida on Jan. 29.

The Roadrunners (11-1 in the AAC) have six games left on their regular-season schedule and lead the Bulls (9-2) by a game in the loss column.

One area of concern for UTSA lately is perimeter shooting. UTSA has hit only 16 percent (nine of 56) from the three-point arc over its last three games.

East Carolina started conference by losing three straight and six of its first eight, but has rebounded to win three of its last four, including a five-point road win at UAB last Wednesday. Coach Kim McNeill’s Pirates won at home on Saturday, defeating the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 73-64.

Two years ago, the Pirates won 23 games and the AAC’s postseason title on their way to the NCAA tournament.

Last year, they reached the AAC title game by rallying in the fourth quarter of the semifinals to beat the Roadrunners, 55-54. Amiya Joyner, who had 13 rebounds in the victory, is ECU’s top player this season.

Joyner, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, is averaging 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds. Freshman point guard Devin Hagemann leads the team with 59 assists. Hagemann passed for eight assists in the victory over the Golden Hurricane.

AAC standings

UTSA 11-1, 20-3
South Florida 9-2, 16-8
North Texas 9-3, 17-7
Tulane 8-4, 15-8
Temple 8-5, 14-10
Tulsa 6-6, 12-12
UAB 6-7, 15-10
Rice 5-6, 12-11
East Carolina 5-7, 13-11
Memphis 4-7, 6-16
Charlotte 2-9, 7-15
Florida Atlantic 2-10, 10-15
Wichita State 2-10, 8-17

Wednesday’s games

Wichita State at Charlotte
Rice at South Florida
East Carolina at UTSA
Memphis at North Texas

UTSA beat North Texas 54-52 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Tonight, the UTSA women will face the East Carolina Pirates, a team that eliminated them from the AAC tournament last season. – File photo by Joe Alexander