Motivation: UTSA women plan to play for a gritty former teammate

Elyssa Coleman had 32 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks as UTSA earned its first American Conference women's basketball win, beating Wichita State 74-60 at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Center Elyssa Coleman, who announced her medical retirement in May, finished a three-year run at UTSA ranked first in school history in blocked shots and ninth in rebounds. She’s on the job now as director of operations for Roadrunners women’s basketball, all while working on her master’s degree in public administration. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Players on the UTSA Roadrunners may very well carry a little extra motivation into the coming women’s college basketball season just to make sure that Elyssa Coleman knows they all respect what she did for the program.

At least, that was the heartfelt message delivered on Thursday from sophomore center Idara Udo, who said following an afternoon practice that the Roadrunners hope to play as hard as they can this year for their former center and team leader.

After UTSA’s season ended in the second round of the WNIT last spring, Coleman announced her medical retirement because of chronic knee problems.

Idara Udo (No. 25) had a key blocked shot with 7 seconds left. UTSA beat New Mexico State 58-55 in women's basketball on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA sophomore Idara Udo says she thinks the Roadrunners will play this year to honor Elyssa Coleman’s commitment to team success. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The news that she wouldn’t play a fourth season for the Roadrunners hit Udo hard when it was revealed in a May 24 news post on the UTSA athletics website.

Even though it wasn’t a total surprise to Udo, it was an emotional moment for her, nonetheless.

“It was bittersweet, because I knew that was what was best for her and best for her body, and just best for her in general,” Udo said. “But it was also sad, because, as the season went on, me and Elyssa created a really strong relationship.

“She was kind of like, my mentor, my big sister. So I think it was really hard to come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to get to share the court with her another year.”

Udo made her sentiments known a week after Coleman, who now works on the UTSA staff as an operations director, sat down with the The JB Replay and outlined how her ordeal began when she hurt her right knee in February.

At the time, the injury wasn’t deemed as too serious, and she sat out a game on Feb. 12 at home against the UAB Blazers. After that, she returned to the lineup a few days later and played in the team’s last 11 contests, including two in the American Athletic Conference tournament and two more in the WNIT.

It’s no secret that Coleman, a 6-foot-3 post player from Atascocita, wasn’t nearly as productive as the team reached the postseason and played into late March. Still, she battled through it as best she could.

“She is tough,” said Udo, a sophomore from Plano. “I think it just speaks to her character, not only as a teammate, but as a player. It’s just really unselfish, to make that kind of sacrifice for your team.”

Udo said her friend deserves credit for sticking it out through the playoffs even though she wasn’t 100 percent. The Roadrunners hope to reciprocate with a strong effort of their own this season, she added.

“I think that’s a big part of my motivation today,” Udo said. “Just (to) try my best to come out and give it my all … just for her. I think everybody on this team is kind of playing for Elyssa a little bit.”

Last season was the Roadrunners’ best in 15 years. They went 18-15 and advanced to the WNIT’s second round. Coleman bowed out after three years in the program by averaging 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

A year of transition

For Coleman, the 2024 calendar year has been eventful, physically painful and, yes, heartbreaking. Also, fulfilling and exciting, because after earning her bachelor’s degree in sociology last December, she started graduate school at UTSA in January.

If all goes to plan, the 22-year-old who ranks first in school history in blocked shots and ninth in rebounding could have her master’s in public administration as early as next summer.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston says Elyssa Coleman was ‘looking for a home and some stability’ in 2021 when she transferred from Texas to UTSA. – File photo by Joe Alexander

As a member of Coach Karen Aston’s original UTSA recruiting class in 2021, it was also a thrill for her to experience postseason play in March and a trip to the WNIT with the Roadrunners.

The tough part centered on making a decision when she was confronted with a recommendation from doctors a few weeks after season’s end that she was facing a major surgery and a rigorous rehabilitation if she wanted to continue to play for the Roadrunners.

Ultimately, she elected to have the surgery. But instead of a ramped-up rehabilitation schedule with an eye on a return to the court, she called it a career, a decision that came with a more moderate rehab schedule. Coleman later was announced in July as the team’s operations director.

Reaching the decision to walk away from the game after playing competitively since grade school, she said, wasn’t easy.

“I think that first month was really tough,” Coleman said in an interview last week. “But I think the way everything happened, like, I had a scope (an arthroscopic surgery) at first and then a lot of tests (and) I started to realize gradually what was really going on, internally.

“So it wasn’t all crashing down on me at once. I talked a lot with my dad. Had a lot of prayer. Just talking to God … So, yeah, the first month was hard. But I was paying attention, and my body, it was telling me to stop.”

Coleman’s life now consists of days starting with a 5 a.m. wake-up, a trip to rehab, a trek to work in the office around 8 a.m., a visit to a mid-day practice, a return to the office and then grad school class from 5 to 8 p.m.

Her duties as operations director?

“I basically do all our travel stuff, budgeting,” Coleman said. “I’m being like a team mom … I just keep the girls in the know. If there are any changes, schedule wise, I’m on that.”

Coleman said she is actually busier now than she was at this time in previous years as a player, which is good, because she likes to stay busy. She’s also starting to see college basketball from a different vantage point.

“Being on the opposite side, you start to appreciate things more, just because you see all the work that the coaches are doing behind the scenes, and have been doing since year one, like staying late after practices,” she said. “Like, you think they just wrap up and just go home, too. But it’s constant work.

“I don’t know, the transition hasn’t really been that hard (for me) just because I’ve been having such a close relationship with our staff. So I feel like it’s flowing pretty well, actually.”

Getting into the game

Urged by an aunt to play, Coleman started in basketball competitively at age seven in the Twin Cities Little League in Sour Lake, just outside Beaumont.

She was taller than most of her friends at the time and remembered having fun on what she recalled as a competitive team, which included Ashlon Jackson, who now plays at Duke.

“I’ve always been taller than everybody,” Coleman said. “I remember a story my mom told me. Like, one time I was posting somebody up and I pushed her down (accidentally). I felt so bad. I picked her up and was like, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ ”

At the time, others at the gymnasium were chiming in: “Oh, it’s just a part of basketball.” Added Coleman, smiling and shaking her head, “That’s how sheltered I was. I just wasn’t into sports at all.”

Pretty soon, she figured it out. Once she reached Atascocita, Coleman started to blossom. Overcoming a knee injury that derailed her sophomore season, she gradually improved, and the college coaches came calling.

One of those coaches, Karen Aston from the University of Texas, she really liked. As a result, Coleman committed to Aston and the Longhorns.

“I could just tell she was a people person,” Coleman said. “There’s not a lot of coaches like that, especially in the Power Five. I could tell on my (campus) visit that she was a coach that was always there for (her players). That they could always go to her and talk about whatever was going on.”

Overcoming adversity

Officials at UT elected not to renew Aston’s contract after the 2020 season and hired a new coach, Vic Schaefer.

Coleman reported to the UT program under the new coach but didn’t stay for long. After a blown out knee sidelined her for her one and only year in Austin, she sought a transfer. By that time, Aston had just been hired at UTSA. A few contacts were made, and Coleman, just like that, became a Roadrunner.

Together again at UTSA, Aston and Coleman arrived to rebuild a program that had recorded single-digit victory totals for four straight seasons.

They didn’t turn it around immediately, winning only seven games in 2021-22. By the next season, Aston started to get it going. With Coleman playing at a higher level, Jordyn Jenkins and Kyra White entered the picture, transferring in from Southern Cal, and the Roadrunners won 13. Last season, UTSA won 18 despite a knee injury that kept Jenkins off the floor until well into the spring.

But by the time Jenkins returned, Coleman’s performances had started to plateau with her own knee issue. Regardless, the Roadrunners had their best season since 2009, when they won 24 games and reached the NCAA tournament.

Earning the coach’s praise

In her three years at UTSA, Coleman has added so much to the UTSA program, Aston said.

“I think her willingness to buy into our vision was something that stuck out to me the whole time,” the coach said. “In taking the operations position, I think she’s still on that same path of helping us move the needle for UTSA. I think she’s grown to really care about the program and about the people in it. I think she’s taken a lot of pride in where we started and where we’re at.”

Aston said she will be counting on Coleman to supply some intangibles outside of her office duties.

“It’s a voice,” the coach said. “It’s a voice that understands what I expect. She was a mentor to our young players last year, anyway. I think she can flip the script a little bit and become even more of a mentor because she’s not absorbed with how she’s performing. That’s the biggest piece.

“I love hiring former players. I love moving people up in the system, because they understand your expectations. It’s development. It’s giving back to the game. I think that’s what she’s doing right now. She’s giving back to the game.”

Coleman is also leading the Roadrunners by example. After all, how many Division I athletes help lead a historic program turnaround and then graduate with a bachelor’s degree in three and a half years? How many have a chance to secure a master’s by age 23?

“It’s exceptional,” Udo said. “It’s really inspiring, honestly. It just makes me inspired to keep pushing even on the days when … I’m just overwhelmed with school … and I’m like, ‘This is hard.’ It just gives me motivation to just do it. Because I know somebody who did it, and is still doing it right now.”

UTSA takes down Charlotte 81-80 in double OT on Udo’s winner

UTSA's Idara Udo celebrates after time runs out in the Roadrunners' double-overtime victory. She made the winning basket as UTSA beat Charlotte 81-80 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Idara Udo celebrates after time runs out in the Roadrunners’ double-overtime victory. She made the winning basket as UTSA beat Charlotte 81-80 in American Athletic Conference women’s basketball on Sunday at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Freshman Idara Udo rebounded a miss and hit a short follow-up for the game winner at the buzzer Sunday afternoon, lifting the UTSA Roadrunners to an 81-80, double-overtime victory over the Charlotte 49ers.

With the victory, the Roadrunners (9-7, 3-2) made a statement in the American Athletic Conference. In winning their third straight, they knocked off the 49ers (11-6, 4-1) who entered the contest leading the AAC standings.

UTSA's Idara Udo grabs an offensive rebound and goes back up to score the winning basket with one second left in the second overtime. UTSA beat Charlotte 81-80 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Idara Udo grabs an offensive rebound and goes back up to score the winning basket with one second left in the second overtime. Udo finished with a career-high 26 points. She also had nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I couldn’t be more proud of a group of girls,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “We faced a lot of adversity throughout the game … I thought we were resilient. A lot of players made plays.”

The final minute of the game became an emotional roller coaster for everyone involved at the UTSA Convocation Center.

Charlotte’s Keanna Rembert missed the second of two free throws with 48 seconds left to leave the score tied, 77-all, prompting UTSA to call a timeout.

Afterward, former Judson High School standout Kyra White drove and passed off to the side, where Hailey Atwood made the catch and calmly drained a mid-range jumper for a two-point lead.

Following a 30-second timeout by Charlotte, the 49ers came up with their own big play, with Dazia Lawrence feeding Jacee Busick, who knocked down a three. The shot with 13 seconds left lifted the 49ers into an 80-79 lead.

Pushing the ball up the court, UTSA had White coming at the Charlotte defense again. She fired a jumper and missed. In a battle under the boards, Udo snared the rebound and hit the winner from point-blank range.

“I was just thinking of giving my team an advantage,” Udo said. “I had two opportunities earlier in the regular period and the first overtime to capitalize, and I didn’t. So I knew that whenever I had a chance the third time, I was going to capitalize. Third time’s the charm.”

Aysia Proctor. UTSA beat Charlotte 81-80 in double overtime in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman guard Aysia Proctor produced 17 points and 13 rebounds against Charlotte. – Photo by Joe Alexander

When the horn sounded, UTSA players circled Udo and bounced up and down, with the freshman shouting in the exhilaration of the moment.

Asked about the celebration, White’s comments were measured and were delivered with some humility. She brought up the first two games that UTSA played on its AAC schedule, when the Roadrunners lost at Temple and East Carolina.

“It felt good,” White said of the celebration. “I think our first two conference games, honestly, I’m just going to come out and say that we weren’t prepared for the physicality or what the American conference looked like.

“I think now that we’ve got our feet back under us, just keep ’em rolling, to help us going into the next game against a very good team as well.”

Next up for UTSA is a Tuesday night home game against the South Florida Bulls, the preseason favorite in the conference.

Udo led the Roadrunners in scoring with a career-high 26 points, and she also pulled down nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end. Udo, from Plano, hit nine of 13 shots from the field.

Another freshman, guard Aysia Proctor from San Antonio-area Clemens High School, also produced a strong effort. Proctor had 17 points, 13 rebounds and three steals. She hit five of six from the 3-point arc. Elyssa Coleman, who fouled out, finished with 12.

White nearly pulled off a triple double with nine points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. White played a team-high 44 minutes.

For Charlotte, center Tracey Hueston enjoyed a big day of her own. Hueston scored a game-high 27 points. The 6-foot-2 transfer from the University of Pittsburgh stepped outside to make four of four from beyond the 3-point arc.

Kyra White. UTSA beat Charlotte 81-80 in double overtime in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Kyra White nearly had a triple double with nine points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. She played a team-high 44 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Lawrence and Busick had 12 points each, and Imani Smith had 11. Lawrence entered the game with some notoriety as the AAC’s Player of the Week last week.

She had 24 points in a victory at Rice on Thursday. But UTSA did a good job on her, bringing double-team help even when she was on the perimeter.

Faced with the pressure, she hit only three of 17 from the field. Lawrence’s biggest moment came at the end of the first overtime when she made a 15-footer at the buzzer to tie the game at 68.

Records

Charlotte 11-6, 4-1
UTSA 9-7, 3-2

Coming up

South Florida at UTSA, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

First half

Sparked by a Madison Cockrell-led defense, the Roadrunners outscored the 49ers by seven in the second quarter and took a 29-25 lead at intermission.

Cockrell fueled a 6-0 UTSA run in the opening minute and a half of the second quarter. After Coleman hit a jumper to open the period, Cockrell jumped in front of Olivia Porter and drew a charge.

On the other end, Udo sank a 12-foot jumper. Subsequently, Cockrell forced another turnover, which led to another bucket by Udo and a 13-12 lead for the Roadrunners, their first since early in the first quarter.

Udo led UTSA in scoring at the half with 11 points. She hit four for four from the field. Coleman also contributed with eight points on four of seven shooting.

Lawrence and Hueston led Charlotte with six points apiece. Lawrence was limited to one for seven shooting. UTSA at times ran a double team at Lawrence, even on the perimeter.

Hailey Atwood. UTSA beat Charlotte 81-80 in double overtime in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Senior Hailey Atwood took only four shots in the game but she hit a key jumper off the side with 20 seconds left in the game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women roll into Christmas break with a winning record

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Bouncing back from a tough loss at Oregon, the UTSA Roadrunners’ women played suffocating defense for three quarters and scored a road game season-high for points in a 75-64 victory Tuesday afternoon over the Seattle Redhawks.

The Redhawks, down by 23 after three quarters, rallied to within nine with 1:55 remaining but came up short against the Roadrunners, who improved to 6-5 on the season and to 4-3 on the road. Seattle, playing out of the Western Athletic Conference, fell to 1-9.

UTSA’s post play proved to be too much for the home team to handle. Starting center Elyssa Coleman produced 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Freshman Idara Udo came off the bench to contribute 15 points and nine boards. Udo scored 12 in the second quarter when UTSA broke it open.

Through three quarters, UTSA’s defense kept Seattle from gaining any momentum, holding the Redhawks to 42 points on 32 percent shooting.

“Obviously, the last four or five minutes were pretty ugly, but that’s probably just attention span and just trying to get the game closed off and finishing it,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said on the team’s radio broadcast. “I thought we had some ticky-tack, little fouls toward the end of it, but I thought we kept our composure. Pretty good performance, overall.”

The team’s overall record at this stage of the schedule is significant for a number of reasons.

First of all, UTSA has a winning record without its best player having stepped foot on the court. Rehabilitating a knee injury, forward Jordyn Jenkins hasn’t played at all, and the Roadrunners still had a successful pre-Christmas run.

Second, the Roadrunners have done it with freshmen and sophomores contributing in a major way. Finally, from a historical standpoint, the UTSA women haven’t been above .500 at Christmas in a decade.

“We talked about this before the game,” Aston said, “that it’s been 10 years since UTSA has gone home for the Christmas break with a winning record. That’s a big deal.

“I mean, every time we step on the floor, we’re looking to do things that haven’t been done in awhile, and as we talk about all the time, move the needle for the program.

“Again, it’s been 2013-14 since we had a winning (record) prior to conference play, so that’s a big step for our team.”

Guard Julianna Walker was the hot hand for Seattle. She hit four 3-pointers and scored 17. Mya Moore scored 14 and Makayla Moore had 12.

Notable

After 10 seasons in Conference USA, the UTSA women will open play in the American Athletic Conference on Dec. 29 at Temple University, in Philadelphia.

They’ll be at East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on Jan. 2 and then will be at home on Jan. 6 against Wichita State …

UTSA is trying to break a string of eight-straight seasons with sub-.500 records. UTSA hasn’t had a winning record since 2015 when they were 16-15 …

Although Power 5 opponents are 4-0 against UTSA this season, they haven’t blown out the Roadrunners in any of those games.

Arizona State of the Pac 12 downed UTSA 70-55 in Tempe on opening night. After that, the Roadrunners have been more than respectable in the next three meetings with teams from elite conferences.

In Lubbock, UTSA lost to Texas Tech of the Big 12 by five.

In a home game against Houston last week, UTSA’s fourth-quarter rally came up short in a 66-64 setback to another team from the Big 12.

And, finally, in Eugene, Ore., on Sunday afternoon, the Roadrunners were within five points with four minutes left before the Pac 12’s Oregon Ducks went on an 8-0 run to win, 61-48.

First half

Udo scored 12 of her 13 first-half points in a dominant second quarter for the Roadrunners, who played a more aggressive, physical style and opened a 39-28 halftime lead.

Udo, a freshman from Plano, hit four of five shots from the field and four of five also at the line in the quarter for perhaps her most explosive sequence of the season.

In less than three minutes through the 5:55 mark, Udo’s aggressive posture had the Redhawks in retreat. She hit a turnaround jumper, drew a foul and tossed in two free throws, scored on a put back and added a turnaround 12-footer for good measure.

As a result, the Roadrunners kept applying pressure and kicked the lead up to 16 points at one point. Sidney Love’s spinning layup made it 37-21 with 2:17 remaining.

Mya Moore kept the Redhawks in the game early, scoring eight of her nine first-half points in the opening period. Seattle trailed 16-15 as Moore grabbed the ball under the bucket following UTSA turnover and banked it in at the buzzer.

Freshman duo leads UTSA past New Mexico State, 58-55

Idara Udo (No. 25) had a key blocked shot with 7 seconds left. UTSA beat New Mexico State 58-55 in women's basketball on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Idara Udo (at right) blocked a shot and controlled it with seven seconds left in UTSA’s 58-55 victory over New Mexico State on Friday night at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special to The JB Replay

A women’s college basketball duel between scrappy defenses unfolded Friday night at the Convocation Center, and in the end, the UTSA Roadrunners out-scrapped the New Mexico State Aggies, 58-55.

The Roadrunners willed themselves out of a five-point halftime deficit and into the euphoric realm of their first victory of the season by holding the Aggies to a combined 24 points over the course of the third and fourth quarters.

Idara Udo (No. 25) had a key blocked shot with 7 seconds left. UTSA beat New Mexico State 58-55 in women's basketball on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Idara Udo screams in celebration after she blocks what could have been a game-tying field goal attempt by New Mexico State’s Molly Kaiser in the final seconds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Another highlight of the team’s home opener centered around the play of two freshmen, guard Aysia Proctor and forward Idara Udo.

Proctor, who played in high school last season at Clemens in the San Antonio area, hit eight of nine shots from the field and scored a team-high 19 points.

Udo, from Plano East in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, contributed a steal and a blocked shot in the final minute to help fend off the Aggies.

The last 2:34 of the game was definitely a “how-about-that” type of moment for 712 fans who were watching to see what would happen down the stretch without injured Roadrunners star forward Jordyn Jenkins.

The two freshmen didn’t flinch, and UTSA ended up celebrating a significant victory against a team that won 18 games last season.

“I loved it,” UTSA senior Kyra White said. “I believe they both played well. Aysia, I’ve seen it first hand, how she can score the basketball. So, just having that element out there, it really takes a lot of pressure off me, Sid (Love) and Elyssa (Coleman).

“And Idara just being a big physical presence down there, it allows us guards to know that we can get up and pressure the ball, knowing we have somebody at the back, behind us, protecting the rim.”

With the crowd on edge near the end of the game, Proctor circled the defense, caught a looping pass from White and hit a layup for five-point UTSA lead with 2:34 remaining.

Udo saved her dramatics for the final 31 seconds. First, she made a steal and then she blocked Molly Kaiser’s shot with seven seconds left.

After the block against a driving Kaiser, the crowd erupted, with Udo and teammate Hailey Atwood jumping up for an emphatic chest-bump.

“When she got that block, I was super excited for her,” said Proctor, who sank one of two free throws with three seconds left for the game’s final point. “That’s my girl, Idara.”

Aysia Proctor. UTSA beat New Mexico State 58-55 in women's basketball on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Aysia Proctor scored 19 points on eight-of-nine shooting in her UTSA home debut. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA opened the season on Monday on the road at Arizona State. Playing without Jenkins, who is recovering from a knee injury, it was not a positive experience for the Roadrunners, who fell behind by as many as 27 points before losing 70-55.

Against New Mexico State, UTSA shot it poorly in the first half but didn’t collapse.

“It’s been a long time since we played (at home),” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “So I think it was exciting for everyone to get back in the Convo. It’s been a good place for us. Our crowds have grown. Our players get excited to play at home. We looked like a different team tonight than we did in Arizona.”

Aston said maybe the Roadrunners “took a growth step” in Arizona in learning how to deal with pressure. At Tempe, Aston said it looked like her players “played with fear.”

“Tonight I thought we stayed calm,” she said. “We didn’t look rattled by anything. It’s hard to describe how much we improved in 48 hours defensively, so I’m super proud of that. I think we’ll shoot the ball better than we shot tonight. I’m not worried about that. These kids are in the gym all the time. I know that improvement will happen.”

Records

New Mexico State 0-2
UTSA 1-1

Coming up

UTSA at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Wednesday, at 7 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners played extended portions of the game with an all-San Antonio area backcourt of Kyra White (Judson High School), Sidney Love (Steele) and Proctor (Clemens).

The second quarter opened with the game tied, but New Mexico State surged late in the period behind forward Tylie Jones to take a 31-26 lead.

Down by five at the break, the Roadrunners turned it on in the third period, outscoring the Aggies 19-9 to take a 45-40 advantage. Proctor and White had five points each in the run and Maya Linton, hustling on both ends of the floor, scored four.

Individuals

New Mexico State — Six-foot forward Tylie Jones scored 17 points and stepped out to hit four of five from the three-point arc. Guards Molly Kaiser and Sabou Gueye had 13 points apiece. Gueye was busy in many facets of the game, gathering seven rebounds (four on the offensive glass) and making four steals. Ene Adams led the Aggies with nine boards.

UTSAAysia Proctor scored 19 points and pulled down five rebounds in a little more than 22 minutes off the bench. She scored on drives, from the mid range and at the three-point line, where she knocked down two of three. Kyra White was all over the place on the box score, including scoring (13 points), rebounding (eight), assists (three) and steals (three). Idara Udo snared a team-high 11 rebounds, blocked two shots and scored two points. Elyssa Coleman, who was held scoreless before fouling out at Arizona State, bounced back with a seven-point, seven-rebound and four-block showing against New Mexico State.

Idara Udo (No. 25) had a key blocked shot with 7 seconds left. UTSA beat New Mexico State 58-55 in women's basketball on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

A moment to celebrate came late in the fourth quarter as UTSA players held on for their first victory of the season. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women in home opener Friday against New Mexico State

By Jerry Briggs
For The JB Replay

The UTSA basketball teams return to action Friday, with the women hosting the New Mexico State Aggies and the men hitting the road to meet the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Here is a look at the matchups:

New Mexico State at UTSA women

At a glance: The Aggies (0-1) and the Roadrunners (0-1) will play Friday at 7 p.m. at the UTSA Convocation Center.

New Mexico State: The Aggies lost 68-57 at home Monday night to the Arizona Wildcats. Falling behind by 13 points after one quarter, New Mexico State rallied to make it close but couldn’t overcome 49 percent shooting by Arizona. Senior guard Molly Kaiser produced 22 points and six rebounds for the Aggies. Kaiser hit four of six from 3-point distance. Junior guard Sabou Gueye scored 13 points. New Mexico State has joined a revamped Conference USA, and in the C-USA preseason poll, the Aggies were picked sixth out of nine teams. Coach Jody Adams has entered her second season with the program, after leading New Mexico State last year to records of 18-17 and 10-8 in the Western Athletic Conference.

UTSA: Playing without injured star forward Jordyn Jenkins, the Roadrunners lost 70-55 at Arizona State on Monday night. Jenkins, the reigning Player of the Year in Conference USA, is likely out for the New Mexico State game and is considered week-to-week as she continues rehabilitation. On Monday, playing on the road in the Pac-12 in her absence, the Roadrunners fell behind 25-12 after one quarter and could not recover. Though they out-rebounded the Sun Devils by 10, a few of their interior players found themselves in foul trouble and two of them, Elyssa Coleman and Maya Linton, fouled out. Offensively, UTSA shot 34.5 percent from the field and 15.4 percent from three. Freshman power forward Idara Udo debuted with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Coming up: UTSA at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m.

UTSA at Minnesota men

At a glance: The Roadrunners (1-0) and Golden Gophers (1-0) will meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Minneapolis.

UTSA: The Roadrunners won 78-68 in overtime Monday night against Western Illinois. Playing at home, they called on Christian Tucker and Trey Edmonds to make big plays in the extra period, when they outscored the Leathernecks, 13-3. Tucker finished with 18 points and eight assists. Edmonds had 15 points and eight rebounds. Roadrunners now look to carry the momentum into Minneapolis. In facing the Gophers, the Roadrunners are looking to snap a 25-game losing streak against Power 5 competition. They haven’t won a game against a team from the Big Ten, the Big 12, the ACC, the SEC or the Pac-12 since November of 2009 when the defeated Iowa (of the Big Ten) on the road. UTSA coach Steve Henson is 0-13 against the P5 in his seven previous seasons.

Minnesota: The Gophers played at home Monday and scored an 80-60 victory over Bethune-Cookman, Fla. Forward Dawson Garcia produced 23 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. The 6-foot-11, 230-pound Garcia hit 14 of 16 at the free throw line. Minnesota led by 24 points at intermission and by 27 early in the second half, only to see Bethune-Cookman chip away and pull to within 10 with five minutes remaining. With Garcia leading the charge in the opener, the other frontcourt starters were 6-7 Joshua Ola-Joseph and 6-9 Pharrell Payne. In the backcourt, the Gophers went with 5-11 Howard transfer Elijah Hawkins and 6-4 Braeden Carrington. Minnesota finished 9-22 and 2-17 in the Big Ten last year. The Gophers, led by third-year coach Ben Johnson, are picked 14th (last) in the league.

Coming up: UTSA at Lamar, Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.

Trey Edmonds. UTSA beat McMurry 125-84 in a men's basketball exhibition game on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

With a physical style, forward Trey Edmonds is emerging as one of the most significant newcomers on UTSA’s roster. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women win, 67-46, in exhibition against St. Mary’s

Kyra White. UTSA beat St. Mary's 67-46 in a women's basketball exhibition game on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Kyra White hit three 3-point baskets in the fourth quarter Wednesday as UTSA pulled away and downed San Antonio’s St Mary’s University, 67-46, in an exhibition game at the Convocation Center. White finished with a team-high 19 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Idara Udo. UTSA beat St. Mary's 67-46 in a women's basketball exhibition game on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman forward Idara Udo produced 16 points and eight rebounds in her first game at home. Seven of her rebounds came on the offensive glass. – Joe Alexander

Sidney Love. UTSA beat St. Mary's 67-46 in a women's basketball exhibition game on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore guard Sidney Love had 11 of her 14 points in the first quarter as UTSA took a 20-11 lead.. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Newcomers hope to make their mark in UTSA women’s basketball

Idara Udo at UTSA women's basketball practice on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Idara Udo hoists a shot at UTSA women’s basketball practice Wednesday afternoon at the Convocation Center. Udo, a 6-foot-1 forward, played in high school at Plano East. – Photo by Joe Alexander

With less than a month remaining in preseason camp, the UTSA Roadrunners are hard at work. Here are some images of new faces on the team, including freshmen Idara Udo, Aysia Proctor and Emma Lucio and also sophomore transfer Cheyenne Rowe, all first-year players in the program. Nissa Sam-Grant was with the team last year but did not play, and so she, too, hopes to make her debut as the Roadrunners work toward a Nov. 1 home exhibition game against St. Mary’s University and a Nov. 6 regular-season opener on the road at Arizona State.

Aysia Proctor

Aysia Proctor at UTSA women's basketball practice on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Aysia Proctor, a 5-foot-8 freshman guard from Clemens High School in Schertz, emerged last year as one of the top players in the San Antonio area. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Emma Lucio

Emma Lucio at UTSA women's basketball practice on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Emma Lucio, a 5-9 guard, arrives at UTSA coming off a standout career in the Rio Grande Valley at Edinburg Vela High School – Photo by Joe Alexander

Cheyenne Rowe

Cheyenne Rowe at UTSA women's basketball practice on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Cheyenne Rowe, a 6-2 forward who played in high school in Ontario, Canada, spent last season at James Madison University. She transferred to UTSA in the spring. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Nissa Sam-Grant

Nissa Sam-Grant at UTSA women's basketball practice on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Nissa Sam-Grant also played her high school basketball in Canada. She comes from Toronto. Sam-Grant played at Arkansas-Pine Bluff for two seasons and at Panola College for one before coming to UTSA, where she practiced but did not play in 2022-23. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Idara Udo

Idara Udo at UTSA women's basketball practice on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Idara Udo was an all-district player four years in a row at Plano East, including first-team in her last three years. She was defensive player of the year twice, once as a sophomore and again as a senior. – Photo by Joe Alexander