Stung in New Orleans, Claunch’s Roadrunners return home to face the Tulsa Golden Hurricane

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Routed by 29 points a few days ago in New Orleans, Austin Claunch’s UTSA Roadrunners return home looking for redemption as they prepare to take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tuesday night at the Convocation Center.

Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

Raekwon Horton. The UTSA men's basketball team beat Houston Christian 78-71 on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Raekwon Horton is averaging 10.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals this season. He had 15 points and nine rebounds at Tulane last weekend. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners have won four out of five at home this season, including three in a row, but UTSA’s first-year coach is still haunted by a 92-63 loss at Tulane in their American Athletic Conference opener.

In that game, they gave up 63 percent shooting from the field and 46 points in the paint. But with Tulsa, a ball club that is also struggling, the Roadrunners will play the first of two home games this week and three of the next four overall.

It’s a chance to turn the page on the team’s most lopsided loss of the season.

“Yeah, I’m excited, our first conference game at home,” Claunch told reporters Monday on a zoom call. “But we got to come out and play better. We got to play better than we did the other night in New Orleans, or, it doesn’t matter if we’re playing here, on the road, outside, (on a) different planet. We got to prepare today to step out and beat a good Tulsa team.”

Tulsa basketball has a proud tradition with a list of distinguished coaches having elevated the program over the years. Nolan Richardson in the 1980s, followed by J.D. Barnett, Tubby Smith, Steve Robinson and Bill Self, all made regular appearances in the NCAA tournament through the turn of the century.

It’s been awhile since the Golden Hurricane have made those kind of headlines, however, with the program’s last NCAA trip coming in 2016. Third-year coach Eric Konkol, who had a long and successful run at Louisiana Tech, is in his third season at Tulsa with mixed results.

Last year, the Golden Hurricane started to make progress with freshman guard PJ Haggerty leading them to a 16-15 record. But Haggerty is now at Memphis and is one of the top players for the highest-rated team in the AAC. Meanwhile, Tulsa is 6-9, having lost its first two in AAC play — by six at home to the Rice Owls and by 32 on the road to UAB on Saturday.

“They’ll be ready to go when they come in here on Tuesday,” Claunch said. “They really guard. They really compete defensively. They’re not quite as big as some of the teams in our league, sort of like us. But they really fly around and compete.”

Tulsa mens basketball coach Eric Konkol. UTSA beat Tulsa in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Third-year Tulsa coach Eric Konkol leads his team into the Convocation Center tonight. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Both UTSA and Tulsa feature strong guard play, with the Roadrunners relying on Primo Spears, Marcus Millender and Tai’Reon Joseph and the Golden Hurricane countering with Keaston Willis, Dwon Odom and Tyshawn Archie.

Speaking on the UTSA basketball radio show Monday night, Spears described the Hurricane as “a great team” that relies on strong guard play. “So we just have to be the better three backcourt guys, to be able to take over the game and lead our team to victory,” he said.

Both teams are also limited at the moment with injury concerns. For Tulsa, forward Isaiah Barnes has been out with a fractured hand since Dec. 7. UTSA center Mo Njie has sat out the last two games with a foot injury. His return timeline is uncertain as Claunch describes it as “a couple of weeks” to a month.

Records

Tulsa 6-9, 0-2
UTSA 6-7, 0-1

Coming up

Tulsa at UTSA, today, 7 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.

‘Bad Bird’ call: Henson hopes fans turn out for LA Tech at UTSA

Steve Henson. Old Dominion beat UTSA 65-64 on Thursday night in a Conference USA game at the UTSA Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson on Wednesday thanked the fans for their continued support even through a slow start. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Coming off a lost week in Florida and preparing to host the powerful Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, UTSA coach Steve Henson issued an appeal to the Roadrunners Nation.

He said Wednesday that he’d like to see as many UTSA supporters as possible attend Conference USA home games on Thursday night against Louisiana Tech and on Saturday afternoon against Southern Miss.

“It’s early on in the race,” Henson said, “but we know that if we want to do something special, we’ve got to win our home games.

“We feel like LA Tech is one of the best teams (in the C-USA) … If they’re not the best team, at least they’re playing at that level, so it’s a very, very important game for us, to get back home.

“Home court advantage is really, really helpful.

“When the band is here, when the students are here, we feed off that. Because of the size of our building, it doesn’t have to be 100 percent full. We get that lower bowl filled up over there, it’s good.”

UTSA ranks 12th in the 14-team, C-USA in attendance, averaging only 899 (announced) through six home games.

Henson thanked the fans for their support even though the team hasn’t played as well as expected to this point.

“The season-ticket holders, the fans that sit behind us, have been out in pretty good force for us early in the year, particularly, considering we haven’t had a great start,” he said. “But our loyal supporters have been here.

“The students, we know they’ll get here when school starts. But, you know, they can come even when school’s not in session.”

With the first day of classes set for Jan. 21, UTSA students are still on break.

Nevertheless, Henson said he’s counting on the “Bad Birds,” a boisterous student group that sits behind the media on press row and travels to games in the local area, to give the team a lift.

“The Bad Birds helped us out at Texas State, I know that,” Henson said. “We just need a bunch more Bad Birds.”

Coming up

LA Tech (11-3, 2-0) at UTSA (6-9, 0-2), 6 p.m. Thursday

UTSA update

UTSA opened its C-USA schedule with losses last Thursday at Florida Atlantic (79-64) and at Florida International (90-83, overtime) … The Roadrunners allowed a three-point lead to slip away in the final eight seconds of regulation at FIU on Saturday night …

It is the first time in seven seasons of C-USA competition that UTSA has started conference with an 0-2 record…the Roadrunners haven’t started 0-3 since their one and only season in the Western Athletic Conference in 2012-13 …

Forward Eric Parrish practiced in team drills with the Roadrunners for the first time this week … UTSA is waiting on a ruling from the NCAA to determine whether he can play this season … Henson said guard Adokiye Iyaye is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a broken right thumb … Forward Phoenix Ford went home to Florida to attend a funeral but is expected to be available against LA Tech.

Louisiana Tech update

LA Tech extended its winning streak to five games by routing Southern Miss at home (80-49) and on the road (78-50) to open conference last week … McNeese State transfer Kalob Ledoux comes off the bench to lead the Bulldogs in scoring (13.1). Starters DaQuan Bracey (12.6) and Amorie Archibald (11.9) also average in double figures … The Bulldogs are No. 62 in the NCAA’s NET ratings, the highest rating for a C-USA team.

The series

LA Tech leads UTSA 12-5 in the all-time series. However, under Henson, the Roadrunners hold a 3-2 edge against the Bulldogs over the past three seasons. All five games have been decided by 10 points or less … Here’s a look:

Feb. 16, 2019, at Ruston — Louisiana Tech 72, UTSA 67. DaQuan Bracey scores 23, and lead changes hands 13 times, with nine ties.

Feb. 24, 2018, at San Antonio — UTSA 74, Louisiana Tech 64. Deon Lyle scores 11 of his team-high 17 in the second half.

Jan. 4, 2018, at Ruston — UTSA 78, Louisiana Tech 76. Giovanni De Nicolao hits game-winning layup with one second left.

Feb. 11, 2017, at San Antonio — Louisiana Tech 72, UTSA 66. Erik McCree produces 25 points, 9 rebounds and a block for the Bulldogs.

Jan. 7, 2017, at Ruston — UTSA 69, Louisiana Tech 68. Jeff Beverly scores 27 and Giovanni De Nicolao hits a three in the last minute for the Roadrunners.