By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA players gathered on the floor at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., late on Friday night, chanting, “We ain’t done. We ain’t done.”

UTSA’s 5-1 record this month got started when guard Ereauna Hardaway, wearing the gold chain, led the Roadrunners past the Memphis Tigers, 67-55, on March 1 at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Ereauna Hardaway’s long, two-handed, 3-point basket sparked a late run and lifted the sixth-seeded Roadrunners to a 54-44 victory over the No. 2 East Carolina Pirates in the semifinals of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament.

Winners of four straight overall and three in three days in Birmingham, the resurgent Roadrunners (17-15) have advanced and will meet the top-seeded Rice Owls (28-4) for the title on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Rice, playing in the earlier semifinal game on Friday, secured its ticket to the championship round with a 71-67 victory over fifth-seeded North Texas.

The winner between the Roadrunners and the Owls will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

UTSA beat ECU (22-10) and held the Pirates to their lowest scoring output of the season.

The Roadrunners capped a gritty defensive struggle with a 17-5 run in the final six minutes. Hardaway scored nine of her game-high 15 points in the closing stretch.

“I just wanted to join the game with (my teammates),” Hardaway joked with an ESPN+ television reporter afterward. “They was playing so good, I had to join in. Why not?”

Asked what it will take to beat the Owls for the championship, Hardaway said, “The mindset. We ain’t done yet. That’s the mindset.”

UTSA coach Karen Aston credited her players’ resolve for just deciding that they wanted to play well in March and to make a run in the tournament.

She said it started after a dispiriting loss at home to Tulsa and before the last game of the regular season at Rice, where they beat the regular-season champions, 61-52.

“(Players) sort of flipped a switch,” Aston said, “and made some decisions to be a little bit tougher and do some of the hard stuff a little bit better.

“I say this all the time, but teams and players are not on your watch sometimes. They’re on their own.

“And when they grow up and mature, is a process, and you never know when that’s going to happen, especially for young players. So I think for some of them, the light has just kind of come on.”

Hardaway’s performance down the stretch was memorable.

With UTSA trailing 39-37 and 6:28 remaining, the senior transfer from North Texas scored seven of her team’s points in a 9-0 run.

Kick-starting the streak, Hardaway hit a layup, and after two Idara Udo free throws, the Roadrunners capitalized when Pirates freshman Olivia Hilliard turned it over.

On the ensuing possession, Hardaway misfired on a 15-footer and then a layup attempt.

After Mia Hammonds snared the offensive rebound, UTSA worked the ball back to Hardaway, way beyond the three-point arc, with the shot clock winding down.

Her teammates were yelling at her to shoot it. Once she got the message, she put up a straight-away, two-hander that swished.

After that, Hardaway turned toward the other basket, smiling, while flashing 3-point signals with both hands.

“It was great to see it go in,” she said.

When it ripped the nets, the Roadrunners had expanded the lead to 44-39 with 4:16 remaining. The Pirates would come no closer than three the rest of the way.

Records

UTSA 17-15
East Carolina 22-10

Coming up

UTSA will play Rice for the tournament championship Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

First half

The sixth-seeded Roadrunners entered the semifinals of the American Conference tournament coming off wins over No. 7 Temple and three seed South Florida.

For the No. 2 Pirates, drawing a triple bye into the semis, it was their first game of the week in Birmingham, and only their second in two weeks overall

In a first half that evolved into a tense, defensive struggle, the Roadrunners and Pirates battled to a 24-24 tie at intermission.

The second quarter belonged to the Pirates. After falling behind by six points, they kept forcing turnovers and capitalized on the Roadrunners’ mistakes with a 10-0 run.

Jayla Hearp capped the streak with a three-pointer. When it fell with 1:18 remaining, the Pirates held a 24-20 lead.

In the final minute, the Roadrunners scored the last four points as Idara Udo sank two free throws and Hammonds made an aggressive move into the paint for a 12 foot jumper.

UTSA played well defensively for most of the half, holding the Pirates to five of 25 shooting at one point. The Pirates went into the dressing room nine of 32 for 28 percent.

Offensively, the Roadrunners failed to figure out a way to attack the Pirates’ pressure, turning the ball over 12 times. The miscues led to 11 East Carolina points.

UTSA shot nine of 19 from the field for 47 percent in the half.

Roadrunners forward Cheyenne Rowe came out of the game at the end when she was hit in the nose by the forehead of Keanna Rembert, who was called for a charge.

Third quarter

East Carolina freshman Olivia Hilliard buried a 15-foot jumper with four seconds left, boosting the Pirates into a 34-33 lead going into the fourth.

Fourth quarter

During UTSA’s late push, East Carolina found hope when Kennedy Fauntleroy dribbled into the lane and hit a 10-foot floater, trimming the Roadrunners’ lead to 47-44 with 1:15 remaining.

On the inbounds, UTSA experienced trouble against the defensive pressure. A pass from the backcourt into the frontcourt went awry, but Hammonds tracked it down.

After Hardaway air-balled a 3-point attempt, Rowe snagged the ball and sank a short follow shot.

Surging and leading by five, the Roadrunners forced a three by Pirates forward Anzhane’ Hutton that missed.

Damara Allen rebounded, drew a foul, and hit two free throws for a 51-44 lead with 33 seconds left.

The Pirates went scoreless the rest of the way, while the Roadrunners closed it out with three free throws, two by Hardaway and another by Rowe.

Notable

UTSA and Rice split the season series. On Jan. 31 in San Antonio, Victoria Flores scored 33 points to lead the Owls, 65-55.

On March 7, the last day of the regular season, UTSA answered with a 61-52 victory in Houston to snap the Owls’ 22-game winning streak.

If the Roadrunners can beat them again Saturday night, they would advance to the NCAA tournament in women’s basketball for the first time since 2009.

The UTSA women won the Southland postseason titles in both 2008 and 2009 — still the program’s only NCAA bids in 45 seasons.

A win tonight not only would break the NCAA drought, but it would put this team in the record book as the only one in program history to claim a conference tournament title with four victories in four days.

Even if the Roadrunners lose, their season might not be complete as they will be under consideration for a bid to the WNIT, a school spokesman said.

Among UTSA individual standouts against East Carolina, Ereauna Hardaway had 15 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Forwards Cheyenne Rowe scored 11 and Idara Udo 10. Though both combined for 15 rebounds, the major contributor on the boards was guard Damara Allen, who snared 10.

Small forward Mia Hammonds played well again with nine points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.

Also, with UTSA holding a three-point lead late, she retrieved an errant pass from a teammate to save a possession.

For East Carolina, guard Kennedy Fauntleroy scored 12 points to lead three players in double figures. Guard Jayla Hearp contributed 11 and forward Keanna Rembert 10.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (1) Rice defeats (5) North Texas 71-67
Game 8 — (6) UTSA beats (2) East Carolina, 54-44

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — (1) Rice vs. (6) UTSA, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 28-4, 17-1
x-(2) East Carolina 22-10, 14-4
x-(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
x-(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
x-(5) North Texas 19-14, 11-7
(6) UTSA 17-15, 9-9
x-(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
x-(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
x-(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
x-(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

x-eliminated

UTSA senior Jamir Simpson produced a team-high 22 points, 10 assists and five steals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Senior guard Demitri Gardner grabbed an offensive rebound and hit three free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining Wednesday night to lift the East Carolina Pirates to an 82-81 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in American Conference men’s basketball.

“Really tough loss,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch said. “Really proud of the six guys that played. Obviously we’re really banged up right now. Those six really battled and gave us a chance to win.

“Got to make one more play to win.”

In a game played in front of an announced 1,037 at the Convocation Center, the Pirates trailed by 11 points early in the second half and scored 11 in a row to get back into contention.

For the remainder of the game, UTSA held a one- or two-possession lead for most of the rest of the way. With 7.2 seconds remaining, Jamir Simpson knocked down two free throws to give the Roadrunners an 81-78 edge.

Coach Austin Claunch said the Roadrunners played with only six healthy scholarship players. – Photo by Joe Alexander

From there, the Pirates inbounded and rushed it up the court. ECU guard Corey Caulker was fouled with 5.1 seconds left. With Caulker at the line, he made the first free throw and missed the next one.

The ball caromed high above the lane, where it appeared a UTSA player tipped it outside.

Gardner grabbed it and went up for a shot and was fouled by UTSA’s Dorian Hayes. Because he was outside the 3-point arc when he shot it, he was rewarded with three free throws.

At the stripe with ECU down by two and the game on the line, the former Division II player at Augusta (Ga.) made the first two to tie it.

At that point, UTSA called time. When the teams returned to the floor, Gardner hit the go-ahead free throw for the final point of the game.

UTSA inbounded and threw the ball to the other end, but a three by Hayes was defended well and off the mark. With the win, the Pirates (10-18, 5-10 in the American) kept alive their hopes for a conference tournament bid.

The Roadrunners (5-23, 1-15) have already been eliminated from tournament contention, but with the setback, they fell deeper into the cellar in the American. They have lost three in a row and 20 of their last 21.

In addition, they have dropped 10 straight at home, with the home finale set for Sunday night against Wichita State.

Their last win at the Convocation Center came on Nov. 18 when they defeated sub-NCAA Southwestern Christian, 103-70.

Claunch said that on Caulker’s missed free throw, the Roadrunners “had guys that had rebounds in there, and we’ve got to find a way to come up with that.

East Carolina coach Michael Schwartz has seen his team rally to beat UTSA in San Antonio by one point in each of the last two seasons. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Again, I don’t know who was where, exactly, and how it got tipped around,” he added. “I know we had the ball in our hands. It looked like the ball was up. You got to squeeze it … go make your free throws and win the game.

“And so, just a learning experience for some young guys. A tough one. A tough one to learn.”

With the win, East Carolina swept the season series against UTSA. Two weeks ago, the Pirates beat the Roadrunners 88-72 in Greenville, N.C.

Individuals

East Carolina – Jordan Riley, the second-leading scorer in the nation, produced 27 points. Riley connected on seven field goals, including three 3-pointers. He also made 10 free throws in 14 attempts. Gardner finished with 13 points, while Caulker had 12 and Giovanni Emejuru 11.

UTSA – Jamir Simpson led the Roadrunners with 22 points on eight of 11 shooting. He also passed for 10 assists. Hayes had 18 points and knocked down four three pointers. Daniel Akitoby scored 17 and made eight of 11 from the field, including three first-half dunks. Brent Moss finished with 10 points.

Records

East Carolina 10-18, 5-10
UTSA 5-23, 1-15

Coming up

Wichita State at UTSA, Sunday, 7 p.m.

UTSA forward Daniel Akitoby enjoyed a big game with 17 points and nine rebounds. He threw down three dunks and shot eight for 11 from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Notable

UTSA’s heartbreaking loss felt a little like last year. On Feb. 8, 2025, the Roadrunners hosted the Pirates at the Convocation Center and had them beat, leading by four points in the final minute.

But after they committed two turnovers in the last 21 seconds, the Roadrunners gave up a three-point play to Jordan Riley and then a turnaround jumper to C.J. Walker. Ultimately, they fell to the Pirates, 80-79.

East Carolina is 8-0 all time against UTSA.

East Carolina guard Demitri Gardner joined the team at the semester break after spending the past three seasons at NCAA Division II Augusta University (Ga.)

He entered the UTSA game averaging 11 points and shooting 87.5 percent at the free-throw line. He was four of five at the stripe against the Roadrunners.

Claunch mentioned in his postgame news conference that UTSA is down to six healthy scholarship players.

“I’m really proud of how they fought,” the coach said. “Two guys (Dorian Hayes and Jamir Simpson) played 40 minutes. We’re down to six scholarship healthy players right now. And they deserved to win. But you got to finish. You got to finish everything.

“Played well enough to put ourselves in position, and like I say, you got to go make one more play. I’m proud of those six guys competing, the way they’re competing through everything.

“Really says a lot about who they are.”

UTSA guard Dorian Hayes scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. He hit four 3-point baskets. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, the American Conference’s player availability report listed six UTSA players as not available, either out for the game or for the season.

Two players who were not on the inactive list did not play against the Pirates. Those two were forward Kaidon Rayfield, a freshman forward who is on scholarship, and guard LJ Brown, a walk on point guard.

Both Rayfield and Brown played in UTSA’s last game, a 100-77 road loss on Sunday at Tulsa. Claunch said the 6-foot-9 Rayfield aggravated an ankle injury at Tulsa.

Moss, one of UTSA’s best players over the past month, suffered an apparent ankle injury in the second half against East Carolina.

“Right now he’s kind of playing on adrenaline,” Claunch said. “I’m sure he’ll be walking gingerly tomorrow.

“We won’t be doing anything tomorrow. Got to see about Friday. Probably do something (like) walk through. Same thing Saturday at this point. We got to make sure we’re at our highest energy level on Sunday night.”

After hosting Wichita State on Sunday, UTSA’s season finale is set for the following Sunday, March 8, at Rice University.

First half

The Roadrunners shot a sizzling 62 percent from the field and surged behind Akitoby and Hayes to a 43-24 halftime lead.

Akitoby knocked down a three-pointer and had three dunks against the East Carolina zone defense en route to 13 points.

Hayes also scored 13 on four of seven shooting. The freshman from Houston hit three from beyond the 3-point arc.

Riley, the second leading scorer in the nation, scored nine. He also had a couple of assists and three steals.

East Carolina’s Jordan Riley, the second-leading scorer in the nation, produced 18 of his 27 points in the second half as the Pirates rallied for an 82-81 victory at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Even with the UTSA men’s basketball team eliminated from a chance to secure a berth in the American Conference tournament, Coach Austin Claunch has a goal with three games left to play in a dismal season.

“We intend to win all three,” he said.

Claunch’s quest starts Wednesday night at the Convocation Center when the Roadrunners (5-22, 1-14) host Jordan Riley and the East Carolina Pirates (9-18, 4-10).

The Pirates beat the Roadrunners 88-72 two weeks ago in Greenville, N.C. It was the 17th straight loss for UTSA in a program-record skid.

Since then, UTSA broke the streak with an 88-79 victory at Charlotte and then dropped two games, losing 60-52 at home to the Florida Atlantic University Owls and then getting blown out 100-74 at Tulsa.

Riley is the leading scorer in the American and No. 2 in the nation, averaging 23.6 points per game.

The Roadrunners did a respectable job on Riley in Greenville, holding him to 19 points on five of 14 shooting. But the Pirates compensated by shooting 46 percent as a team and had three other players in double figures.

Guard Isaiah Mbeng hit four 3-pointers and scored 18.

The Pirates won the game in the first half when they held the Roadrunners to 28 percent shooting and bolted to a 46-31 lead.

According to the conference’s player availability report, both Austin Nunez and Mo Njie are out for Wednesday night’s game, bringing to six the number of players on the roster inactive for the third-to-last game in the regular season.

UTSA will have eight players available to play against East Carolina.

Records

UTSA 5-22, 1-14
East Carolina 9-18, 4-10

Coming up

Wichita State at UTSA, Sunday, 7 p.m.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The lowly East Carolina Pirates entered Wednesday night’s game in Greenville, N.C., with 16 losses on the season and without a win at home against an American Conference opponent.

The Pirates rectified the situation by cruising to an 88-72 victory, delivering a program-record 17th straight loss to the beleaguered UTSA Roadrunners.

UTSA point guard Austin Nunez sat out after taking a hard fall in a game played at home Saturday night.

For the Roadrunners’ men’s basketball program, it was another dubious moment as it clinched a 20-loss season for the fourth time in the last five years. Last season, in Austin Claunch’s first as head coach, they finished 12-19.

This year, the hard-luck Roadrunners sit at 4-20 and 0-12 in the American. To make matters worse, there’s probably no chance for redemption in March, either. In a new twist, the conference has whittled the tournament down to 10 teams.

Going into Wednesday night’s late games, North Texas, Rice and East Carolina were locked in a battle for the 10th spot.

North Texas and Rice have seven losses East Carolina eight, meaning that UTSA, barring a miraculous turnaround in the last few weeks, likely is on the verge of elimination with six games to play.

The Pirates, who improved to 8-14 on the season and 3-8 in the American, looked like a team that could have been beaten. They entered Wednesday night with an 0-5 record at home in the American and with a track record for losing in a variety of ways.

But with the Pirates racing to a 46-31 halftime lead, and with star guard Jordan Riley finishing with 19 points to lead six players in double figures, the Roadrunners were left again wondering when, or if, it will ever end.

“These guys battled,” Claunch said on his postgame radio interview with Andy Everett. “Just didn’t get it done.”

For Nunez, indications are that he could be ready on Sunday at Charlotte, but it’s uncertain how that will play out considering that he crash-landed so hard on a drive to the hoop last Saturday night at home against North Texas.

Against East Carolina, with seven players inactive, UTSA started Jamir Simpson and Brent Moss in the backcourt, with Baboucarr Njie on the wing and Daniel Akitoby and Kaidon Rayfield on the front line.

Simpson played 38 minutes, with Rayfield and Moss getting 36 and Daniel Akitoby 31. Akitoby, a spot player in the first few months of the season, produced 16 points and 11 rebounds. Moss had 15, with Rayfield scoring 12 and Simpson 11.

But, as so often happens with the Roadrunners, they shot the ball poorly. They hit 37 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. At the free throw line, their inconsistency was maddening as they made only eight of 16.

In contrast, the Pirates attacked the rim and got fouled enough to make 18 of 20 free throws. From the field, they hit 46 percent, including 53 percent in the first half when they broke the game open.

Records

UTSA 4-20, 0-12
East Carolina 8-16, 3-8

Coming up

UTSA at Charlotte, Sunday, 11 a.m.
FAU at UTSA, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6 p.m.

Notable

UTSA men’s basketball remains tied for second for the longest active losing streak in NCAA Division I. The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils have dropped 22 in a row, while the Roadrunners and the Air Force Falcons have lost 17 straight.

East Carolina’s Jordan Riley, with three straight 30-points plus games coming in, was limited to 19. But Isaiah Mbeng and Co. more than made up the difference. He scored 15 of his 18 in the first half.

Demitri Gardner had 15, with Eli DeLaurier going for 13 and Giovanni Emejuru 12. Emejuru, a 6-foot-10 senior, protected the paint with three blocked shots while also pulling down 12 boards.

The Pirates entered the game with five players inactive, second in the conference in numbers only to the Roadrunners.

First half

Mbeng hit three 3-point buckets and scored 15 points, lifting the Pirates into a 46-31 lead.

In the game played at the Williams Arena at Menges Coliseum, in Greenville, N.C., Mbeng tied his career high in scoring by connecting on four for five from the field and three for four from beyond the 3-point arc.

Averaging 23.3 points for the season, Riley played secondary role in the opening half, scoring six points with three assists and three rebounds in 19 minutes.

UTSA entered the American Conference contest without the services of seven players, including Nunez, who has played 22 games as the team’s No. 1 point guard this season, and also without center Mo Njie.

Leading 9-6 in the first five minutes, UTSA started to falter as East Carolina started a 26-7 surge.

When Mbeng nailed a three with 6:02 left in the half, the Pirates had opened a 32-16 lead. Three minutes later, a Gardner triple gave East Carolina its largest lead of the half at 39-21.