Tag Archives: Jhivvan Jackson

Smart scores 22, North Texas holds on to beat UTSA, 72-71

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The North Texas Mean Green, leading by eight points with seven minutes remaining, made just enough defensive plays to hold on for a dramatic, 72-71 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners Saturday night.

Playing at home in the Convocation Center, UTSA had a couple of chances to take the lead in the last 12 seconds but came up empty on two possessions.

First, North Texas center Shane Temara, shown in the video above, blocked a shot by UTSA’s Byron Frohnen.

On the other end, the Mean Green missed a free throw, which gave UTSA one last opportunity.

Roadrunners point guard Giovanni De Nicolao rushed it up court on the left side, angled to his right and stretched out to attempt a sweeping layup, which skipped off the front of the rim.

Nick Allen had a chance to follow it, but his tap was too strong, and it went over the goal.

The buzzer sounded as the teams battled for possession under the basket (see video below).

Guard Roosevelt Smart led North Texas with 22 points. Ryan Woolridge scored 18 points and A.J. Lawson added 14.

The victory gave North Texas (9-6, 2-0) a sweep of two road games — both victories by one point — to start the Conference USA phase of its schedule.

The Mean Green also dealt the Roadrunners (8-7, 1-1) their first loss at home this year after 6-0 start.

Freshmen guards Keaton Wallace and Jhivvan Jackson scored 17 points apiece for UTSA.

“We had a bad stretch to start the second half,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “Down the stretch, we did some things right, to give ourselves a chance after being down.

“Came out of a couple of timeouts with the right mindset defensively and offensively. Cut into that lead. Got a steal. Got a run out.

“Just didn’t seal it.

“(We) told our guys, ‘That’s the way conference games go. You know, the teams that finish in the top two or three spots find a way to win all those games. The teams that finish at the bottom lose all those games.”

The details

With UTSA playing well and gaining momentum at the outset, North Texas put a stop to it, getting back into the game in the closing minutes of the first half.

The Mean Green continued to battle through the first 13 minutes after intermission. Three times in that span, the visitors opened leads of eight points.

The Roadrunners rallied with a 12-4 run to tie the game, 70-70. In retaliation, the Mean Green called on A.J. Lawson to hit a jumper for what would be the deciding basket with 1:02 remaining.

Jhivvan Jackson hit a free throw for UTSA to pull the Roadrunners to within one, but the Roadrunners would be denied on their final two possessions.

Once, Temara got the block against Frohnen. On the last play, UTSA’s Giovanni De Nicolao drove and missed a contested layup.

A tip by Nick Allen was long as the buzzer sounded.

First half highlights

Freshman Keaton Wallace led the UTSA offense in the first half.

Playing in front of the home fans, the 6-foot-3 lefty scored 11 points and hit three 3-point shots before intermission.

The Roadrunners held the Mean Green to 35 percent shooting and, at one time, led 38-25.

Leading by 13 points with 4:41 left, UTSA suffered a defensive letdown.

North Texas closed with a 9-3 run, including this buzzer-beating, bank shot by Smart over Kendell Ramlal.

Second half

The Mean Green continued to play well after halftime. UTSA would make a run on the visiting team, but North Texas would counter with a run of its own.

In the video above, freshman center Zachary Simmons dunks in front of his appreciative teammates on the Mean Green bench.

The play, set up by a Simmons steal on the other end, gave North Texas an eight-point lead (64-56) with 9:16 remaining.

UTSA made some plays down the stretch. Just not enough. In the video above, De Nicolao misses a shot on a drive but Austin Karrer is trailing the play, cleaning up with a stick-back.

UTSA beats Rice in C-USA opener, stays undefeated at home

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Most UTSA students have left campus for a holiday break between the fall and spring semesters.

In that regard, it rated as a mild surprise Thursday night to see a season-high crowd of 1,163 fans turn out for the men’s basketball team’s Conference USA opener against the Rice Owls.

What wasn’t surprising was that the Roadrunners played well again. That is getting to be a trend, especially at home, under second-year coach Steve Henson.

After UTSA beat Rice 79-66 and improved to 8-6 on the season, including 6-0 in the Convocation Center, the coach didn’t try to stamp out speculation that he is feeling a certain “mojo” working in his favor.

“I hope so,” Henson said, smiling. “I hope so. You know, we won a lot of ball games in here last year. Winning percentage is good. Our guys play with a lot of confidence at home.”

UTSA is now 17-3 at home under Henson since he took over in 2016.

“You walk out and see the band, hear the band, then see a good crowd and it gives us more energy,” the coach said. “I know our guys appreciate it, and I appreciate it.”

Fans are starting to appreciate the home team, as well. UTSA handled slumping Rice (3-11) with relative ease.

As the Roadrunners held the Owls to 39.2 percent shooting from the field, they also produced a balanced offense, with 11 players scoring.

Freshman guard Jhivvan Jackson led the way with 20 points.

For the fifth straight game, UTSA hit 10 or more 3-pointers. The Roadrunners sank 12 of them, including five by Jackson.

“It’s a fun team to watch,” Henson said. “People that haven’t seen it yet need to come check it out, because we’re going to play as fast as we can. Our guys are going to shoot threes.

“Our guys are going to play very, very free. We won’t play anybody all year that our game plan is to slow it down. That’s new to me in some regards. But we got the people to do it.

“We’re going to play fast. We’re going to shoot threes. I think we’re a fun team to watch.”

UTSA broke open a close game with a 17-3 outburst over a five-minute span early in the second half.

By the time the dust settled, Rice was down 21. The Owls, under first-year coach Scott Pera, never really recovered.

Only a hail of 3-pointers by the Owls in the last few minutes allowed the game to get as close as it did.

Jackson said UTSA needs to build on the defensive performance leading into Saturday’s home game against North Texas.

“We got to get better on the boards,” he said. “We just got to keep working on defense, like we did today, and grab rebounds.”

Employing a zone defense throughout, Rice succeeded in slowing down UTSA at times.

But the Roadrunners, averaging 87 points coming in, were never really fazed.

“They definitely slowed us in the first half, in the beginning, a little bit,” Jackson said.
“(They slowed us) until we got the groove and we started moving the ball, making extra passes.

“Then, after that, we just kept making the right plays.”

UTSA Notebook

Roosevelt Smart scored 29 points Thursday night as North Texas won its C-USA opener at UTEP, 63-62.

Smart hit 9 of 13 from the field for North Texas (8-6), while UTEP (5-8) was led by Keith Frazier with 13 points.

UTSA point guard Giovanni De Nicolao drives to the bucket Thursday night in the first half against Rice. Video: thejbreplay.com

UTSA knocks off Rice, 79-66, in C-USA opener

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Freshman Jhivvan Jackson scored 20 points Thursday night, lifting UTSA to a 79-66 victory over the Rice Owls at the Convocation Center.

In the Conference USA-opener for both teams, UTSA (8-6) broke open a close game with a 17-3 outburst over a five-minute span early in the second half.

Rice (3-11) fell behind by 21 at the end of the Roadrunners’ scoring spree and never really recovered.

A season-high crowd of 1,163 watched as UTSA hit 12 3-point baskets, the fifth game in a row that the team has made 10 or more.

Sampson’s Houston Cougars have passed early tests

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The spotlight in NCAA Division I basketball always shines a little brighter this time of year when conference play commences. In the state of Texas, the TV cameras tend to follow the power programs at Texas A&M and Texas. But the competition also promises to be fierce among the schools outside the Big 12 and the SEC, as well. Here’s a breakdown on how 18 mid-majors in the state are faring leading into conference play:

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

University of Houston

Record: 10-2

RPI: 62

Top player: Guard Rob Gray (20.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday, at South Florida

The skinny: Coach Kelvin Sampson’s team has played well so far, knocking off power programs Wake Forest from the ACC and Arkansas from the SEC.

SMU

Record: 10-3

RPI: 67

Top player: Guard Shake Milton (17.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.8 apg)

Conference opener: Wednesday, at home, vs. Central Florida

The skinny: SMU probably isn’t as strong as last year’s 30-win team. But the Ponies have registered impressive victories over the Arizona Wildcats and the USC Trojans. The win over USC avenged a loss to the Trojans last spring in the NCAA tournament’s round of 64.

CONFERENCE USA

UTSA

Record: 7-6

RPI: 242

Top player: Guard Jhivvan Jackson (17 ppg, 41 pct., 3-pt shooting)

Conference opener: Thursday at home vs. Rice

The skinny: Offense averages 87.2 ppg, but can the Roadrunners rebound and play defense? Jackson, Keaton Wallace, Deon Lyle and Nick Allen all have been shooting the ball well lately. UTSA lost by four at Tulsa, by 12 at Oklahoma and by 10 at Nebraska. If UTSA wins 10 conference games, fans would be happy. NCAA chances? Probably a long shot.

Rice

Record: 3-10

RPI: 304

Top player: Guard Connor Cashaw (16.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday at UTSA.

The skinny: It’s a new season for the Rice Owls, who open conference play this week. But Rice is in a tailspin, on a three-game losing streak, and needs to turn things around quickly. Could be a long season for first-year head coach Scott Pera.

North Texas

Record: 7-6

RPI: 192

Top player: Guard Roosevelt Smart (17.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday at UTEP

The skinny: First-year coach Grant McCasland led his team to three straight wins, including two in overtime, before losing at Georgetown 75-63 last week. Lost by 10 recently at Oklahoma and by 19 at Nebraska. Middle of the pack finish in C-USA would be considered a success after last year’s 2-16 record.

UTEP

Record: 5-7

RPI: 273

Top player: Guard Keith Frazier (14.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday at home vs. North Texas

The skinny: Season took a bizarre turn on Nov. 28 when veteran coach Tim Floyd announced his retirement following a home loss to Lamar. Assistant Phil Johnson has moved up to interim head coach. Miners are 4-2 under Johnson. UTEP could make some noise in conference if healthy, but 7-foot center Matt Willms is battling a wrist injury.

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE

Incarnate Word

Record: 5-5

RPI: 293

Top player: Forward Simi Socks (15 ppg, 51.5 pct FG, 5.5 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday, at McNeese State

The skinny: UIW has posted only a 1-5 record against Division I opponents. Turnovers have been a major problem lately in losses at UTEP and Florida. But the Cardinals have shot the ball much better than they did earlier at Houston and Gonzaga. Eligible to play in the Division I postseason for the first time, goal should be to finish top eight to qualify for SLC tournament.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Record: 3-7

RPI: 345

Top player: Guard Joseph Kilgore (16.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday, at Central Arkansas

The skinny: A&M-CC had a 24-12 record an reached the CIT tournament final a year ago. But this season has been a struggle, as the Islanders remained winless against Division I competition (0-7) with an 85-63 loss at Ole Miss last week. A&M-CC averages 66 ppg.

Stephen F. Austin

Record: 11-2

RPI: 61

Top player: Guard/forward Kevon Harris (19 ppg, 50 pct 3-pt shooting, 5.7 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday, at Southeastern Louisiana

The skinny: The Lumberjacks appear to be primed for an SLC title run. They have won close games at Louisiana Tech and at LSU, a power conference team in the SEC. They also lost by one point in SEC country at Missouri.

Lamar

Record: 8-5

RPI: 191

Top player: Forward Colton Weisbrod (15 ppg, 9 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday at home vs. Houston Baptist

The skinny: Coming off a 19-win season last year, the Cardinals raced to an 8-1 start before losing their last four. In their latest games, the Cards lost close ones in Las Vegas to UC Davis and North Carolina A&T. Lamar played well early in the season with wins against Tulsa, Coastal Carolina and UTEP. Veteran coach Tic Price is in his fourth full season at Lamar.

Abilene Christian

Record: 8-5

RPI: 208

Top player: Guard Jaren Lewis (13.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.5 spg)

Conference opener: Thursday at the University of New Orleans.

The skinny: Like the UIW Cardinals, the Wildcats can play in the SLC tournament this year for the first time after completing a four-year transition to NCAA Division I. ACU looked good recently, winning four in a row, including victories over Bowling Green, Air Force and Texas State. But they have since lost two of their past three. Losses have been on the road at Lipscomb and at nationally-ranked Texas Tech.

Sam Houston State

Record: 6-7

RPI: 266

Top player: Forward Christopher Galbreath, Jr. (15.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg)

Conference opener: Saturday night at Abilene Christian.

The skinny: Coach Jason Hooten has registered winning records in five of his seven seasons at Sam Houston. The Bearkats have won 89 games over the past four. So, nobody should count them out just yet. But they are struggling, having lost four of its last five coming into SLC play.

Houston Baptist

Record: 4-9

RPI: 284

Top player: Forward Josh Ibarra (16 ppg, 10 rpg)

Conference opener: Thursday at Lamar.

The skinny: Houston Baptist’s fortunes took an unfortunate turn in San Antonio when forward Josh Ibarra went down with an injury. He has been out three games since. For the Huskies to contend in the SLC, they will need Ibarra’s double-double presence on the floor.

SUN BELT CONFERENCE

UT Arlington

Record: 9-4

RPI: 82

Top player: Forward Kevin Hervey (23.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg)

Conference opener: Friday at Coastal Carolina

The skinny: Hervey, who ranks sixth in the nation in scoring, has lived up to billing as the preseason choice for Sun Belt player of the year. The Mavs should contend for the title and an NCAA berth. Posted non-conference wins vs. BYU, Rice and North Texas. Dropped close games at Alabama, Northern Iowa.

Texas State

Record: 7-6

RPI: 334

Top player: Guard Nijal Pearson (14.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.2 spg).

Conference opener: Friday at Appalachian State

The skinny: An up and down non-conference performance by the Bobcats raises questions about their viability as an NCAA contender. But don’t count out Coach Danny Kaspar, who knows how to get the best out of his team when it counts.

SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Texas Southern

Record: 0-13

RPI: 164

Top player: Demontrae Jefferson (23.4 ppg, 3.4 apg)

Conference opener: Monday, at home, vs. Southern (La.)

The skinny: Despite being winless at this juncture in the season, coach Mike Davis’ Tigers should contend for the SWAC title and the conference’s NCAA automatic berth after playing a tough schedule, including road games at Gonzaga, Ohio State and Kansas.

Prairie View A&M

Record: 2-11

RPI: 167

Top player: Zachary Hamilton (18.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg)

Next game, conference opener: Friday at home vs. Jarvis Christian; conference opener Monday at home vs. Alcorn State

The skinny: Prairie View is expected to challenge Texas Southern in the SWAC after playing close on the road at New Mexico State, Hawaii, Tulsa and New Mexico.

WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

UT Rio Grande Valley

Record: 6-8

RPI: 276

Top player: Guard Nick Dixon (20.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Next games: Non-conference home games Saturday vs. Hampton and next Tuesday vs. Our Lady of the Lake, followed by WAC opener Jan. 6 at Missouri-Kansas City.

The skinny: With New Mexico State, Utah Valley and Cal State Bakersfield looking strong, coach Lew Hill’s team is a long-shot to win the WAC title.

UTSA routs Bethany as offense continues to roll

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UTSA forward Nick Allen hits a three-pointer out of the corner in the second half Saturday night against Bethany College. Video: thejbreplay

UTSA guard Jhivvan Jackson told reporters Saturday night that coach Steve Henson delivered a mostly positive message in the dressing room after the Roadrunners scorched the NAIA Bethany College Swedes, 95-67.

“He said we played great, but we got to get better on the defensive end,” said Jackson, who led UTSA with 19 points. “Going into Nebraska, (we need to) have some good hard practices and play our best game.”

The Roadrunners (7-5) play at Nebraska on Wednesday night.

Thirteen UTSA players played against Bethany and 13 scored in Dan O’Dowd’s return to campus.

A former 10-year assistant with the Roadrunners, O’Dowd is the first-year head coach of the Swedes.

In spite of the lopsided score, O’Dowd took away a few positives from his first game back to the arena where he worked with former coach Brooks Thompson for a decade through 2016.

No. 1, the game didn’t count on his record.

No. 2, Bethany freshman point guard and former St. Anthony standout Isiah Saenz scored 21 points on seven three-pointers.

Saenz showed off a flashy game that included one-handed, no-look passes.

“He’s going to be good,” O’Dowd said.

Bethany point guard Isiah Saenz brings the ball up and drains a three-pointer. Video: thejbreplay.com

Oklahoma beats UTSA, 97-85, as Jackson scores 31

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Oklahoma broke from a five-point lead at halftime Monday night to knock off UTSA 97-85 in Steve Henson’s return to the OU campus.

Henson, UTSA’s second-year head coach, worked for five seasons on OU’s staff before taking the job in San Antonio in 2016.

Freshman Jhivvan Jackson scored 31 points for UTSA. Trae Young, the nation’s leading scorer, produced 28 for Oklahoma.

“We had some good stretches,” Henson told the team’s radio broadcast. “Kind of the same theme. We know we can score in bunches and score in transition.

“We showed that tonight. Just had stretches where we didn’t get enough stops, enough rebounds. The three-pointers (for OU) were killer in the second half on some of the possessions that we guarded pretty well.”

OU (6-1) produced a couple of offensive streaks in the second half that put away the visitors.

Trailing by two, UTSA (5-5) allowed an 8-0 run in a two minute stretch to fall behind 58-48.

The Roadrunners retaliated with back-to-back, three-pointers from Jackson to cut the OU lead to four.

Later, UTSA was within five when Oklahoma produced a 11-0 streak that was fueled by five points from 6-foot-10 sophomore Jamuni McNeace.

Leading scorers

UTSA: Jhivvan Jackson 31, Keaton Wallace 17, Deon Lyle 16, Nick Allen 10.

Oklahoma: Trae Young 28, Jamuni McNeace 15, Christian James 14.

Henson toiled from 2012 through 2016 on Lon Kruger’s staff at OU. Together, Kruger and Henson led the Sooners to at least 20 wins four times.

OU broke through with a trip to the Final Four in 2016.

Tonight, Henson’s Roadrunners (5-4) will play against Kruger’s high-scoring Sooners (5-1) at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

UTSA is playing well. Staying with Oklahoma on the boards early, UTSA is within five points with five minutes left in the half. OU star Trae Young has already scored 15. George Willborn III has six points and five rebounds for UTSA.

As the first half comes to a close, OU takes a 42-37 lead into the dressing room. UTSA will take it. The Roadrunners outscored the Sooners 6-0 in the final 1:38.

Young has scored 18, which is no surprise. He’s averaging a nation-leading 28.8. Freshmen Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace have scored 9 each.

UTSA leads OU 27-25 on the boards at the break. But the Roadrunners haven’t found a rhythm yet offensively, hitting only 13 of 39 from the field.

Fortunately for UTSA, the Sooners aren’t shooting it much better, connecting on 15 of 37.

The pace of the game has picked up quite a bit early in the second half.

Both teams have started to hit shots. Pace could favor the Sooners, who average an NCAA third-best 94 points per game.

But UTSA is hanging tough with the Big 12 opponent. OU leads 67-59 with 11:55 remaining.