Tag Archives: Jordyn Jenkins

Becoming friends: UTSA’s Jenkins and De Leon Negron reflect on the journey

Posted on by
Reply
Jordyn Jenkins and the UTSA women's basketball teams celebrates at the Convocation Center after winning the 2024-25 American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins led the Roadrunners to AAC regular-season title and into the tournament as the No. 1 seed. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA point guard Nina De Leon Negron and forward Jordyn Jenkins grew up in different worlds, and yet they are so connected, so in tune with each other on the basketball court, that when they play you almost expect to hear a symphony in the background.

When fans of the Roadrunners watch these two, they see passes from De Leon Negron thrown into the post, right on Jenkins’ fingertips.

Nina De Leon Negron. The UTSA women's basketball teams celebrates at the Convocation Center after winning the 2024-25 American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA point guard Nina De Leon Negron (right) had a few things to say to broadcaster Carlie Heineman after the Roadrunners clinched the AAC regular-season title. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Or, they’re thrown from the paint to the perimeter on a drive and kick, with Jenkins set up perfectly for a three-point shot. Two wondrously talented kids, making it look easy.

Moreover, they also seem to have a tight, sister-like bond off the court. You can see it in their occasional in-public, chit-chats with one another and also in their whimsical displays of mock outrage and disagreement on the silliest little things.

For instance, De Leon Negron recently joked in a news conference about a claim that Jenkins wanted to buy a ranch in Texas one day.

She questioned irreverently the notion that her friend could run a ranch, noting that after the team’s trip to Puerto Rico last Christmas, she came away with the impression that Jenkins is afraid of animals.

“Like, which one?” Jenkins said, her eyebrows arching.

“In Puerto Rico,” De Leon Negron replied, “you were scared of everything.”

Oh, well.

One thing that is not open for debate, is that Jenkins and De Leon Negron will work as a unified force for the Roadrunners to win the American Women’s Basketball Championship this week.

They’ll lead the top-seeded Roadrunners into the quarterfinals on Monday in Fort Worth against the Rice Owls, with tipoff at noon at Dickies Arena.

Rising above adversity

To understand their connection as players, it’s best to consider their back stories, and how both faced significant obstacles in basketball and life before they became recipients last week of major awards in the American Athletic Conference.

Jenkins, from Renton, Wash., overcame ACL injuries to both knees.

The first mishap came late in her career at Kentridge High School. As a result, she sat out her senior year and part of her first season at the University of Southern California. The next one came in 2023, about a month after completion of her first season at UTSA.

Though she returned to play for the Roadrunners late in the 2023-24 season, Jenkins wasn’t quite the same player that she was a year earlier, when she was named Player of the Year in Conference USA.

This season, Jenkins returned to form, winning Player of the Year honors in the AAC, while leading UTSA to a 26-3 record, including 17-1 in conference.

De Leon Negron also endured a long road to being named AAC Newcomer of the Year and second-team all conference. When the Puerto Rico native came to the United States as a teenager, she spoke very little English.

Nina De Leon Negron, Karen Aston, Jordyn Jenkins - USTA Senior Day.

Nina De Leon Negron, Karen Aston, Jordyn Jenkins at USTA Senior Day. – Photo by Joe Alexander

First, she moved to Florida to attend Montverde Academy, then to Tennessee for a two-year stay at Austin Peay University and later to San Antonio for two more years at the University of the Incarnate Word.

She admitted at times wondering whether she might be better off just going home.

UTSA coach Karen Aston said that with everything that Jenkins and De Leon Negron have been through, she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. In terms of leadership, Aston said the two know how to play off the coaches

For instance, if coaches are upset and “getting on” the players, then the two know how to become positive to lift up their teammates.

“Our staff is like that,” Aston said. “They’ve learned how to play off of each other too, and play off of me, and I think that’s always when you have a successful team is when your players can become an extension of your coaches. That’s kind of what (De Leon Negron and Jenkins) have become.

“Our team has a lot of personalities, but they are definitely in the lead as far as that’s concerned. They’ve learned what the team needs, and I think that’s probably because of the efforts that they’ve made off the court, to get to know their teammates and spend time together, so they probably know each other’s personalities a lot better than I even know that they do.”

Recalling their first interaction

In NCAA games played against one another, De Leon Negron is 1-0 against Jenkins, a fact that is the source of discussion between the two to this day.

It was in December 2022, when the 5-foot-6 De Leon Negron was in her first season at UIW and Jenkins, a 6-foot forward, was in her first at UTSA. It was also the first time that either had come face to face with one another.

De Leon Negron described the mood in the Cardinals’ camp as “really serious” at the time, playing a game that the school “needed to win.”

“I remember the scout (on) Jordyn Jenkins, like, we need to be all over her. She’s really good. She still had a really good game. But I do remember that I went for a layup and she blocked my shot and she yelled at my face.

“I don’t know what I did to her,” De Leon Negron said. “I actually wasn’t talking trash. That was our first encounter.”

The two talked about the game in a sit-down with UTSA media staff and media before a March 1 Senior Day game against Florida Atlantic.

Recalled Jenkins, “I honestly think that’s funny, how that was our very first interaction…like, me, getting switched on her. It was like a low clock. High ball screen switch. And, yeah, I blocked her shot. And, yeah, I don’t know what I said.”

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Florida Atlantic 60-52 on Senior Day to clinch the American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center.

In December 2022, Jordyn Jenkins and UTSA played on the road against Nina De Leon Negron and Incarnate Word at UIW. Jenkins blocked her shot, but De Leon Negron scored 18 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals won, 56-53. It was the first interaction between players who would later become teammates. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Later in the game, De Leon Negron was starting to impose her will, in more ways than one. She was on a scoring binge, bringing the Cardinals back from a deficit, leading into what she recalled as “the free-throw incident.”

With UTSA’s Sidney Love at the line and a little more than a minute remaining, the first free throw was missed.

“So I was coming in, to go to my position.” De Leon Negron recalled, “and I just, like, tap her on the back and say, ‘Good shot. Do it again.”

UTSA’s Kyra White heard the exchange and took exception to it, and apparently some words were exchanged. Ultimately, referees started to blow their whistles to sort out what was going on.

“I actually didn’t do anything,” De Leon Negron said. “I just wanted to get into her head. We ended up getting a double tech, or something. But we got the win, and that’s all that matters.”

For the record, De Leon Negron and the Cardinals, playing at home, defeated Jenkins and the Roadrunners, 56-53.

She played a major role in the outcome, scoring 18 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter. Even though the Roadrunners were upset at the time, the game also left an impression on Aston, who stepped in to recruit De Leon Negron immediately after she entered her name in the transfer portal last spring.

Becoming a Roadrunner

Today, De Leon Negron is a Roadrunner, and she has become one of Jenkins’ biggest boosters. Likewise, Jenkins said she knew from the first practices last summer that the addition of De Leon Negron to the squad was a plus.

“When Nina first got here, in the summer, I noticed how vocal she was and … knew how much of a hard worker she was,” Jenkins said. “She had already been getting shots up with one of our assistant coaches and one of our (former) players, as well. I knew that she was dedicated and that we were going to be on the same level mentally.”

The chemistry between the two developed quickly. Even in early practices last summer, De Leon Negron’s passes always seemed to be delivered to Jenkins with touch, leading to easy moves she could make around the basket.

“I mean, I kind of already kind of knew that I needed to get the ball to Jordy,” she said. “Not so we can score. But, like, kind of. It just makes everybody’s life easier, as I keep saying. But, she was just running the court and she was open, so I was just getting it to her.”

One day last summer, it looked to an outside observe like magic, as deft passes were delivered, and shots were made. It looked as if they had been teammates for months, not weeks.

“I feel like those practices in the summer, at the rec, they helped a lot,” De Leon Negron said. “Like, with our chemistry. I would see her running. It’s kind of hard sometimes with a post, because if they run, and one time you don’t give it to them, sometimes they get mad.

“Like, ‘I’m running. What are you doing? Why are you not passing it to me?’

“And I’ve never minded that. I’m like, ‘Jordyn, if you’re open and I don’t give it to you, tell me something.’ And she was kind of like, ‘I know you’re going to pass it to me every time I’m open.’ But I was like, ‘You need to tell me, because I need to know.’ Like, I like that.”

In explaining the early chemistry between the two, Jenkins said it’s always been her passion to work to get open for a shot.

“I’ve always played with a really good point guard,” she said. “I guess I know what they’re looking for and I think my IQ is really good, so … one thing I take pride in is … always trying to get open. Open in the post, however way I’m being guarded.

“You know, just trying to get my hand out. Catch any pass I can. I take pride in catching passes, as well, so I love assisting and I love catching passes.”

In the not-too-distant future, both players could be playing in the professional ranks. De Leon Negron is expected to have a chance to play pro ball, possibly in Puerto Rico. Jenkins could get a look from the WNBA.

De Leon Negron said Friday at UTSA that she wasn’t surprised her friend was named Player of the Year in the American.

“I’ve been telling Jordy all the time, ‘You’re good,’ “ she said. “Like, you should be in the league (in the WNBA). You’re going to be in the league.’ ”

Jenkins made it clear that she is focused on one thing, and that is winning the AAC postseason crown to assure a trip to the NCAA tournament.

“I’m just grateful, and just glad that we worked hard this season, and that we won all these awards,” she said. “But the job’s not finished, and we’re excited to keep going.”

Nina De Leon Negron. he UTSA women's basketball teams celebrates at the Convocation Center after winning the 2024-25 American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Five-foot-six UTSA point guard Nina De Leon Negron has been named as the Newcomer of the Year and second-team all conference in the AAC. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Jenkins named AAC player of the year as four UTSA women win postseason honors

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women’s basketball team cleaned up with four individual postseason awards Friday a year after they didn’t get any, another sign of growing respect for the Roadrunners in the American Athletic Conference.

Two of the awards were fairly obvious to everyone after the Roadrunners rolled to a 26-3 record, including 17-1 for the AAC regular-season championship, and those included Jordyn Jenkins as player of the year and first-team all conference, and Karen Aston as coach of the year.

Two others honored included point guard Nina De Leon Negron and forward Idara Udo. De Leon Negron, a transfer from the University of the Incarnate Word, was newcomer of the year while both players were all-conference second team.

Jenkins led the AAC in scoring with 18.7 points per game. She also showed off a multi-faceted skill set with 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks. Offensively, she was efficient, hitting 48 percent from the field, 36 percent from three and 82 percent at the free-throw line.

The honor was the second for Jenkins in her UTSA career. In her first season in San Antonio after a transfer from Southern Cal, she was named in player of the year in Conference USA for the 2022-23 season.

In April of 2023, she suffered an offseason knee injury that forced her to miss most of 2023-24 season in rehabilitation.

During the time that she couldn’t play in games, she worked extensively on skill development. It led to her developing a more dependable three-point shot to add to her prowess in the post and the mid-range.

With more versatility, she ended up scoring 20 or more points in eight of 16 conference games this season.

“The only surprise to me was that she wasn’t unanimous,” Aston said.

Aston was a unanimous selection for coach of the year after leading the Roadrunners to a historic season, including their first AAC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in tournament. UTSA’s 26 wins are a program record, while their 17 conference victories are the second-most in AAC history.

De Leon Negron was a steadying influence as the team’s primary playmaker, while Udo helped make UTSA the conference’s best in rebounding.

“I told the group a few minutes ago, anytime you get an individual award, it’s based on what the team does,” Aston said. “It’s a team award, and I think that those two feel that way, that everyone’s been a part of these individual awards that are being given, but there’s no question they showed a true reflection of senior leadership this year.

“I mean, they produced and it’s always about production in this business, but their leadership skills were tremendous, along with (guard) Sidney (Love). You know, Sidney’s was tremendous and she didn’t rewarded for that, but again, she got rewarded with a championship.”

Another possible oversight in the awards was the absence of UTSA forward Maya Linton from the all-defensive team.

Notable

UTSA will play in the AAC tournament at Fort Worth as the No. 1 seed, starting Monday at noon in the quarterfinals against either the UAB Blazers or the Rice Owls.

The Roadrunners likely will need to win three games in three days for the conference’s postseason championship to get rewarded with a trip to the NCAA tournament.

In other words, even if they win twice and reach the finals and lose in the title game, it’s uncertain whether they would get an NCAA at-large bid.

If the Roadrunners fail to make the 68-team NCAA field, they are assured of a spot in the 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament.

Aston said UTSA has an automatic bid to the WBIT based on its regular-season title, and she confirmed that UTSA would play in that tournament if it is not selected for the NCAA.

Last season, the Roadrunners were ousted in the second round of the AAC tournament and played in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), reaching the second round.

UTSA women pound East Carolina for ninth straight victory

Posted on by
Reply

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.

UTSA women hope to clinch AAC title outright on Saturday

Posted on by
Reply
Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Tulsa 64-53 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Jordyn Jenkins is averaging an AAC-leading 18.7 points for the Roadrunners, who have forged a 24-3 record with two games remaining in the regular season. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

In a pre-game ceremony set for 11:40 a.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center, the UTSA Roadrunners will honor forward Jordyn Jenkins and guard Nina De Leon on a Senior Day spiced with championship implications.

Afterward, the UTSA women will tip off at noon against the Florida Atlantic University Owls, hoping to win and clinch sole ownership of the American Athletic Conference regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament.

If they beat the Owls, they could lose in the regular-season finale on Tuesday at East Carolina and still finish ahead of both the South Florida Bulls and the North Texas Mean Green in the standings.

Nina De Leon Negron. UTSA women's basketball beat Sam Houston State 79-36 on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Point guard Nina De Leon Negron has contributed 9.6 points, 5.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds for the Roadrunners, who have already clinched at least a share of the AAC regular-season title. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Earlier this week, the Roadrunners claimed at least a share of the championship, and now they want it all in front of a crowd that school officials hope will eclipse the school record attendance of 2,000.

Jenkins, who is making a strong bid for AAC Player of the Year honors, ever-so-cautiously declined to speculate on how it would feel to clinch at home.

“I would always say I’m trying to stay grounded and stay in the present, because it’s easy to get ahead of myself and already see confetti and already (see myself holding) the trophy above my head,” she said Friday afternoon. “So, I just try to think about what I’m going to have for dinner tonight.”

The AAC women’s tournament opens in Denton at the Super Pit on March 8. It will shift to Fort Worth and Dickies Arena on March 9. UTSA, with a double bye through the first two rounds, will open in the quarterfinals on March 10.

What the Roadrunners have accomplished is nothing short of remarkable. Picked in the preseason to finish fifth in the AAC, they have won 17 of their last 18 games for a 24-3 record. Their record in conference is a robust 15-1. Moreover, they’re 12-0 at home going into their final regular-season home game.

Still, they won’t be assured of an NCAA tournament berth unless they can win three in a row in Fort Worth for the automatic bid. It’s a thought that is troubling to coach UTSA coach Karen Aston.

“After going through this, I think it is tragic that conference (regular-season) champions don’t get automatic bids,” she said. “I mean, I’ve been processing all of this. Like, how do you keep us out of the tournament, if we don’t win the conference tournament?

“This is a team that has sustained excellence for a really long period of time, which is how you win a conference. You (probably need) some luck somewhere along the way. Which, we probably did at Memphis. But you also have something in you, to get through this whole 18-game process.

“I think that’s what I appreciate the most (about the Roadrunners). I want for them to win the (AAC) tournament. I want them to go to the NCAA tournament so bad, for them. But I am more proud of this. Because it’s so difficult … It takes a really special group to do what we’re doing.”

Aston said she doesn’t even want to start thinking about what it will be like once the season is over and Jenkins and De Leon Negron have moved on in their careers.

While Jenkins bounced back from a knee injury that caused her to sit out all but the final 17 games last year, De Leon Negron traveled a hard road, moving from her native Puerto Rico to the United States as a teenager, speaking mainly Spanish at the time, and then forging her college career at three schools.

Last summer, De Leon Negron joined the UTSA program as a transfer from the University of the Incarnate Word, from one San Antonio-based NCAA Division I program to another.

“I’m just trying to enjoy the journey with this group,” Aston said. “It’s one of those teams you’re going to look back on and, like, they don’t make ‘em like this very often. This is a group that I told (them) a month or two ago that they better enjoy this, because it just doesn’t come around like this very often.

“What I will appreciate most (about Jenkins and De Leon Negron) is their leadership, and it’s been constant,” the coach added. “It’s been Nina coming in and getting her feet wet and understanding what the team needed and Jordyn becoming Jordyn again, really, after what she went through (last year).

“They almost like met in the middle. In the middle of the summer, and they realized that we could be special and that they were going to take the reins of that. I mean, it’s their leadership Their numbers are great. Their performances are great, and all of that. But what I will appreciate most are the efforts they’ve made off the court to make this team really special.”

De Leon Negron lauded Aston, describing her as a caring mentor for everyone on the team.

“I want to shout out coach,” De Leon Negron said. “And I know Jordy feels the same way. Because we talk about this all the time. But with transfers … and experiencing different coaches, I always tell the girls, like, we get (to have) a good year.

“We have a coach that just cares about everybody.”

Speaking directly to the coach in the news conference, De Leon Negron told Aston, “It’s kind of like I want to tell you, I really appreciate you and every time I feel like I’m not good mentally and I come into your office, you always make me feel better. So, just never change . So always keep being that person for everybody.”

Blushing at her lead guard’s comments, Aston said, “I’m too old to change.”

Records

FAU 10-19, 2-14
UTSA 24-3, 15-1

Coming up

UTSA at East Carolina, Tuesday, 5 p.m.
(end of regular season)
UTSA in AAC tournament quarterfinals, at Fort Worth, Monday, March 10, opponent and time, TBA

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

Posted on by
2
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

UTSA women hold on to conference lead by defeating North Texas, 54-52

Posted on by
Reply
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

Sidney Love blocks a shot that seals the victory, boosting UTSA to a 19-3 record overall, including 10-1 in the American Athletic Conference. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Playing a game with conference championship implications in front of a rowdy home crowd, the UTSA women rallied from a four-point deficit in the last five minutes Tuesday night to defeat the North Texas Mean Green, 54-52.

With the win, the Roadrunners improved to 12-1 in their last 13 games and held onto first place in the American.

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 shout their approval after making a stop on the last possession to beat the North Texas Mean Green. – Photo by Joe Alexander

North Texas had a chance to tie in the final seconds and send it to overtime, but UTSA guard Sidney Love blocked a runner by Desiree Wooten on the last possession, prompting a roar of approval from an announced crowd of 1,418 fans at the Convocation Center.

In response, UTSA players stomped, waved their hands and shouted back at the crowd, with a few players rushing off the bench to hug Love.

What the game may have lacked in aesthetics — both teams shot less than 33 percent from the field; both combined to commit 44 turnovers, and UTSA misfired on all 18 three-point attempts — it may have made up for it with late-game dramatics.

Trailing 48-44 and with the game clock ticking under five minutes, UTSA came up with big plays down the stretch by the likes of Love, Jordyn Jenkins, Idara Udo and Nina De Leon Negron to claim its 19th win of the season against only three losses.

Jenkins had five of her game-high 26 points in the Roadrunners’ 10-4 closing run, including a couple of contested 12-foot jumpers. Other notable plays down the stretch included:

De Leon Negron tying up North Texas star Tommisha Lampkin to force a held ball, with the extra possession leading to a sweet right-handed scoop shot by Love that gave the Roadrunners momentum. Also, a hustle play by Udo, who rebounded a miss by De Leon Negron and scored for a two-point lead.

After Wooten sank a floater from 10 feet to tie the game with two minutes left, Jenkins responded on the other end with a 12-footer and a 52-50 lead with 1:38 remaining. The Roadrunners never trailed after that.

Jordyn Jenkins. 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

Jordyn Jenkins, the leading scorer in the American, produced 26 points on seven field goals and 12 free throws on 15 attempts. – Photo by Joe Alexander.

“I thought this was a really, really well-scouted game,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “I thought both teams were well-prepared. It was just a dog fight because of how well both teams were prepared. I told ’em at halftime it was just a defensive battle.

“We felt bad about our mistakes, but we were forcing the same ones on the other end. So, I kind of felt like this was going to boil down to some really small things, and, you know, somebody just decided to grit it out. I actually thought we would make more shots than we did.

“We uncharacteristically, couldn’t hit from three. But, man, tough. Just a tough performance from our team.”

In a matchup of two of the best forwards in the American, UTSA’s Jenkins won the battle, registering a game-high 26 points on seven field goals and 12 of 15 shooting at the free-throw line. Also, eight rebounds. Her North Texas counterpart, Lampkin, played hard and collected 16 rebounds but was held to five points.

Lampkin, averaging 16.7 points on the season at an AAC-best 57 percent from the field, couldn’t get the ball enough against a swarming UTSA defensive presence to do much damage. She finished two for five from the field and committed five turnovers.

In a sense, Jenkins may have adapted a little better to the physicality of the game, making adjustments along the way.

Asked what goes into making the adjustments, the 6-foot UTSA senior said, “Honestly, a lot of maturity. I know a couple of years ago, me, I’d be arguing with the refs or getting into my feelings. But it’s just about moving on to the next play and embracing the physicality and just reading your defender. Just worry about what they’re doing and adapt.”

North Texas Tommisha Lampkin. 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

North Texas forward Tommisha Lampkin, regarded as one of the best players in the American, was held by a swarming UTSA defense to five points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

On the last play, it almost looked like the Roadrunners knew what was coming from the Mean Green. Wooten drove down the right side and may have stumbled a bit when Love reached in and swatted the ball away.

Aston credited her coaching staff for keeping players informed on what the visitors might do. “A lot of credit to our staff,” she said. “They have responsibilities to prepare our team. We talk about this all the time. Just do your job. And I thought they were really well-prepared.

“I thought they knew what we were probably going to see. I thought they did a good job at the timeouts giving us an idea of what they might be looking for. I thought Sid handled that well. We knew they were probably going to isolate Lampkin, and she did a good job of staying loose and getting the block.

“But I thought, down the stretch … we didn’t give up a lot of easy shots in the last five minutes.”

Records

North Texas 16-7, 8-3
UTSA 19-3, 10-1

Coming up

UTSA at Wichita State, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

The Mean Green’s championship hopes have taken a hit in the past two games. Last weekend, they lost at South Florida, and after allowing a late lead to slip away at the Convocation Center, they are now two games behind the league-leading Roadrunners in the loss column. The top of the AAC standings now include: UTSA (10-1), South Florida (8-2), North Texas (8-3), Tulane (7-3) and Temple (6-4).

Idara Udo. 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

Idara Udo. 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

First half

The Roadrunners couldn’t handle the North Texas pressure very well. But they did play well defensively themselves, and then they capitalized on 12 points from Jenkins to forge a 28-24 lead at intermission.

UTSA had a strong start to the game, taking an 8-2 lead in the first four minutes and then building it to 14-7 after one quarter. When Love converted a three-point play early in the second, the crowd was getting into it, with the Roadrunners leading 17-7.

At that point, the Roadrunners became extremely careless with the ball and committed five turnovers on five possessions, leading to a 10-0 run by the Mean Green. A fast break layup by Chania Price tied the score 17-17 with 7:07 left.

UTSA held North Texas to three field goals in the last seven minutes to turn the momentum in its favor. Jenkins hit six straight free throws in the final 2:28. Jenkins finished the half two of five from the field and eight of eight at the line.

North Texas star Tommisha Lampkin, facing double- and triple-team pressure, scored one point in the half on zero for one shooting.

Nina De Leon Negron. 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

Roadrunners point guard Nina De Leon Negron gets a hug from her mother after the Roadrunners beat the North Texas Mean Green. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Maya Linton. 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

Forward Maya Linton helped hold the North Texas Mean Green to 31.7 percent shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Temple 70-61 on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center in American Athletic Conference women's basketball. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston said in the postgame that leadership has helped the team recover from fourth-quarter deficits against both Temple and North Texas. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins remains ‘day to day’ as the UTSA women host Temple

Posted on by
Reply
Idara Udo. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 67-56 in an American Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Idara Udo had 16 points and eight rebounds in UTSA’s last home game, Jan. 22, when the Roadrunners beat the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 64-53 for their 11th straight victory at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Trying to rebound after a loss for the first time since mid-December, UTSA coach Karen Aston pronounced her team ready to play for Saturday’s home game against the Temple Owls.

Asked about the mood in Friday’s practice, Aston said, “You know, you want to get right back on it. You got to look at it. You know, you can’t ignore it. You got to look and see where you went wrong and how to get better.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA women's basketball beat UAB 67-56 in an American Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins is listed as day to day for the Roadrunners. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“You sure don’t want to let one loss turn into two or whatever. You got to turn the page pretty quickly. I think we did that. We worked on some things we need to do better. Had a chance to look at film, and, yeah, ready to go.”

Tipoff in the American Athletic Conference contest between the Roadrunners (17-3, 8-1) and the Owls (12-8, 6-3) is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center.

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins, the AAC’s leading scorer, is regarded as day to day leading into the Temple game.

Injured after she fell to the court on Jan. 22 at home against Tulsa, Jenkins sat out for the first time this season on Wednesday night in Tampa, Fla., where the Bulls won 75-63 to snap the Roadrunners’ 10-game winning streak.

Aston said Jenkins participated in a Friday afternoon workout. “She went through some stuff,” the coach said. “She’s been going through some stuff. She’s just day to day. We’re taking this as slow as we can, to make sure she’s good.”

If Jenkins can’t play, the Roadrunners will need to adjust. Not only is she the team’s leading scorer (18.9), she’s also its leading rebounder (7.3) and one of its best defenders.

Aston said her players responded well to the adversity, for the most part, against South Florida.

“When you look at the game the other night, we were in the game, the whole game,” she said. “I just thought we didn’t rebound great. When you ask people to step into different roles, some of that is doing some of the little things that they haven’t had to do.

“We just have to be better in some areas. We got to box out. We got to try to get some extra possessions ourselves and play some people that maybe we didn’t have an opportunity to play as many minutes … You know, it’s next man up.

“You got to be ready. It’s always an opportunity for someone else to step in and do their job. I mean, that’s why they’re here. That’s why they practice. That’s why they do what they do, is for opportunity.”

Records

Temple (12-8, 6-3)
UTSA (17-3, 8-1)

Coming up

Temple at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
North Texas at UTSA, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

UTSA is 8-0 at the Convocation Center this season and is on an 11-game homecourt winning streak, tied for the longest in school history.

“I think we take a lot of pride in playing at home and winning at home,” Aston said. “But it’s getting to be nitty-gritty time now. Everybody’s digging for position and wanting to stay in the hunt. You just have to grit your teeth and get after it now.”

Previously, UTSA had an 11-game home winning streak that spanned two seasons, from Jan. 9, 2002 to Nov. 28, 2003.

Last season, the Owls won 20 games and forged a 13-5 record in the AAC to tie for the regular-season championship. They beat the Roadrunners twice last season, once in Philadelphia and once in San Antonio.

Temple, in fact, was the last team to beat UTSA in the Convo. The Owls did it on Feb. 22, 2004, when they won 56-48.

Aston said this year’s Temple team is “very similar” to last year.

“Almost a mirror image of the one we played last year, to be honest with you,” the coach said. “They defend really well. They turn you over. You can’t have a bunch of live ball turnovers against them. They rebound well.

“The point guard on their team last year (Aleah Nelson) was really, really good. Very experienced,” Aston said. “But the other guys have stepped into that role and filled it pretty well. I mean, they’re a good basketball team. Really solid team.”

South Florida women snap UTSA’s 10-game winning streak with a 75-63 victory

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Six-foot-three guard Romy Levy came off the bench to score 21 points Wednesday night as the South Florida Bulls defeated UTSA, 75-63, to snap the Roadrunners’ 10-game winning streak.

In the game contested on the Bulls’ home floor in Tampa, Fla., UTSA played without Jordyn Jenkins, a player of the year candidate in the American Athletic Conference.

Jenkins sat out the final quarter of UTSA’s last game, which was last Wednesday in San Antonio. The leading scorer in the American fell late in the third quarter against Tulsa and didn’t return.

The 6-foot senior dressed out and was on the bench at South Florida but didn’t get into the game.

A UTSA spokesman confirmed after the game that Jenkins was “banged up” in the Tulsa game. He said she sat out against South Florida for “precautionary reasons.”

The Roadrunners return home to play the Temple Owls Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Convocation Center. The spokesman said Jenkins is day to day.

Even without their leading scorer and rebounder, the Roadrunners stayed close to the Bulls for most of the night. Led offensively by Cheyenne Rowe and Sidney Love, they were within three at halftime and within seven at the end of three quarters.

After a three pointer by Nina De Leon Negron with 7:01 remaining, it was a four-point game, as South Florida looked a little rattled with only a 56-52 advantage.

From there, the Levy and the Bulls took over.

Levy scored nine points down the stretch as the home team pulled away. Sammie Puisis scored 16 and Carla Brito had 14 for the Bulls, who exacted a measure of revenge after the Roadrunners ended their season last March in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament.

Mama Dembele, a point guard, had a successful night with eight points and 11 assists for South Florida.

Not only did she run an offense that shot 58 percent from the field against the Roadrunners, she was the primary defender on De Leon Negron and played well. De Leon Negron finished with nine points on two for 10 shooting.

For the Roadrunners, Rowe started for Jenkins on the front line and scored 15 points on six of 11 shooting. Love added 14 points on a seven-for-11 night. De Leon Negron, one of UTSA’s leaders all season, had nine points, six rebounds and three assists.

Notable

The 10-game streak was tied for the second longest in UTSA program history, with the team’s last loss coming on Dec. 16 at Stanford.

Quotable

“They were better than us tonight,” UTSA coach Karen Aston told the team’s radio broadcast. “Sometimes you just don’t match the moment. And, they were just better than we were. They’ve played like this some. Obviously I watched a lot of film on them, and there were games when they looked like this and there were games that they didn’t. This is just one of those games they played really well. Kudos to them. They played better than we did.”

Records

UTSA 17-3, 8-1
South Florida 14-8, 7-2

Coming up

Temple at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

North Texas won at home Wednesday night, edging Temple 70-67. As a result, UTSA and North Texas are tied for first in the AAC at 8-1. South Florida is 7-2, followed by Temple and Tulane, both 6-3. Tulane also won at home Wednesday, knocking off FAU, 68-52.

First half

With Jenkins watching from the bench, the Roadrunners played two quarters of solid defense. But the Bulls also did well on the defensive end and took a 28-25 lead into the break at intermission.

Puisis, who sat out with an injury in two losses to UTSA last season, led all scorers with nine points on three of seven shooting from the field. She hit one of two from three.

Love led the Roadrunners with eight points on four of five shooting. Without Jenkins on the floor, the Roadrunners shot 40 percent from the field.

UTSA women are among 20 teams nationally with two or fewer losses

Posted on by
Reply

Editor’s note: UTSA announced Monday that 6-foot-4 forward Nyayongah Gony is out for the season with a knee injury. Gony plans to exercise her COVID year to play a fifth and final collegiate season with the Roadrunners in 2025-26, according to a news release.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women have joined elite company.

The Roadrunners emerged after Saturday’s games as one of 20 teams in the nation — and only one of six from outside the Power 4 conferences or the Big East — with two or fewer losses, according to records posted on Sunday morning at ncaa.com.

The six so-called ‘mid-major’ programs include Grand Canyon, UTSA, Montana State, Quinnipiac, Buffalo and Harvard. (Please see the list below).

The Roadrunners won their their ninth straight game and improved to 16-2 on the season Saturday afternoon, downing the UAB Blazers, 73-63, on the road in Birmingham, Ala.

In the contest played at UAB’s Bartow Arena, forward Jordyn Jenkins scored 21 points, and the Roadrunners hit nine 3-point shots to remain perfect in the American Athletic Conference at 7-0.

With the victory, UTSA swept a two-game road trip through Memphis and Birmingham, extending a remarkable winning streak to nine for the first time since the 2008-09 season.

Another historical note suggests that good things could be on the horizon, since ’08-’09 was also the last time the Roadrunners made the NCAA tournament.

UTSA controlled the action from the start, building a 35-26 lead at halftime and then increasing it gradually in the second half.

At one point, the Roadrunners surged ahead by 23 points late in the third quarter before they slowed the pace.

Jenkins, a player of the year candidate in the American, hit six of 13 shots from the field and two of five from three.

She was also seven of eight at the free-throw line to lead the Roadrunners, who hit 16 of 21 freebies as a team. Jenkins played hard on both ends, blocking one shot and making a couple of steals.

Nina De Leon Negron and Sidney Love, UTSA’s starting backcourt, each scored 14 points. Both players knocked down a pair of threes.

Forward Jade Weathersby led the Blazers with 15 points and six rebounds. Weathersby was five of nine from the field. Three of her rebounds came on the offensive end.

Forward Maddie Walsh, UAB’s leading scorer at 12 points per game, was held to five. Guard Journey Armstead, who played well in San Antonio on Jan. 1, also was held to five.

The Roadrunners beat the Blazers 67-56 at the Convocation Center on New Years night.

Records

UTSA 16-2, 7-0
UAB 12-7, 3-4

Coming up

Tulsa at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

Forward Maya Linton was scoreless in 19 minutes, returning to the team after a family matter prevented her from making the trip to Memphis.

UAB center Rayne Tucker did not play for the Blazers. Tucker had 16 points and seven rebounds against UTSA on Jan. 1 in San Antonio.

Two or fewer losses

Here is a list of NCAA Division I women’s basketball teams with two or fewer losses after games of Saturday, Jan. 18:

x-LSU 19-0
x-Ohio State 17-0
x-UCLA 17-0
x-TCU 19-1
x-Kansas State 18-1
x-South Carolina 17-1
x-Maryland 16-1
x-USC 16-1
x-Kentucky 15-1
x-Texas 17-2
y-Grand Canyon 17-2
y-UTSA 16-2
z-Connecticut 16-2
y-Montana State 16-2
x-Minnesota 16-2
x-Notre Dame 15-2
y-Quinnipiac 15-2
y-Buffalo 15-2
x-Tennessee 15-2
y-Harvard 13-2

x-From Power 4 conferences
y-From sub-Power 4 conferences
z-From the Big East

UTSA turns up the defensive pressure and downs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 62-43

Posted on by
Reply
Nina De Leon Negron. UTSA beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 62-43 in non-conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Graduate senior Nina De Leon Negron tied Jordyn Jenkins with 16 points as the Roadrunners won their fourth straight game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With most of their shots clanging off the rim, the UTSA Roadrunners turned to a couple of old staples — defense and rebounding — to down the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders 62-43 in women’s college basketball Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.

As a result, the Roadrunners improved to 4-1, winning four of their first five games in a season against Division I opponents for the first time since 2007-08. That year, the Roadrunners went 23-10 and reached the NCAA tournament.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 62-43 in non-conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Karen Aston’s Roadrunners play next week in Puerto Rico, on Thursday against UNC Greensboro and on Friday against Towson. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Islanders, with early road wins over Texas A&M and Texas State, lost their second straight and fell to 3-2.

Afterward, Roadrunners coach Karen Aston talked about her respect for the Islanders and coach Royce Chadwick, who led his team to the NCAA tournament last year. She also said she felt like the Roadrunners played “really solid” defensively.

“Didn’t shoot the ball great,” Aston said. “I think we’ve been shooting it better and we are a lot better shooting team than we shot tonight. But I think sometimes that happens. I was most proud of the way we buckled down defensively.

“You know, you have to do that sometimes when the ball’s not going in the hole. We offensive rebounded really well. Pretty good team effort.”

On a night when the UTSA offense went cold with 31.9 percent shooting, Nina De Leon Negron and Jordyn Jenkins led the Roadrunners with 16 points each. De Leon Negron also had three assists and two steals. Jenkins, held to six of 15 from the field, had seven rebounds, four blocks and five steals.

Jenkins entered the game averaging 23.5 points, good for a tie for 11th in the nation. She averaged 28.5 points in wins last week at New Mexico State and UTEP but couldn’t get it going offensively until late in the game.

In the first half, Jenkins missed her first six shot attempts and finally hit one at the end. In the third quarter, she shot two for four from the floor. In the fourth, when the game’s pace quickened as UTSA forced the tempo, she was three for four.

“Whenever shots aren’t falling for me, or whatever, I try to just not let it get in my head and just know that they’re eventually going to fall,” Jenkins said. “Like, you can’t go zero percent unless you stop shooting.

“So I just have to think more and be more logical with my shots whenever I’m being doubled. Maybe catching in the post and throwing out or just try to get more assists and more rebounds. That’ll also get me points.”

De Leon Negron, a newcomer who transferred in the offseason from Incarnate Word, won the “Cash In” gold chain, a team award for playing well and reaping the fruits of your hard work in practice.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 62-43 in non-conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Jordyn Jenkins, who on Monday earned national player of the week mention from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, scored 16 points against the Islanders. She also had seven rebounds, four blocks and five steals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“This is fun,” she said. “It’s really different to where I was at. I can say that for sure. It’s a different environment … Our teammates, they make the game so much (more fun). When we’re down, we’re like, ‘Let’s pick it up. We’re better than this.’ I don’t know. It’s just fun.”

Defensively, the Roadrunners humbled the Islanders in the second half, holding the visitors to 12 points on 5 for 21 shooting. A&M-Corpus Christi, leading 31-30 at intermission, was promptly stifled in the third quarter and held to three points.

UTSA dominated the rebounding battle all night, sending Idara Udo and Maya Linton to the glass and finishing with a 54-29 advantage. The Roadrunners out-rebounded the visitors 30-8 on the offensive glass. Udo had 10 rebounds, nine on the offensive end. Linton finished with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Forward Paige Allen led the Islanders with 10 points and six rebounds.

Third quarter

Stepping up the defense and crashing the boards, the Roadrunners held the Islanders to 1 of 11 shooting, forced 10 turnovers and carried a 48-34 lead into the final period.

With Idara Udo and Maya Linton on the boards, Sidney Love scored six points and Jordyn Jenkins five in the quarter.

First half

Trailing by 11 points in the first six minutes of the game, the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders packed in their defense, forced the UTSA Roadrunners to take outside shots and watched them, mostly, clang harmlessly off the rim. As a result, the Islanders gained momentum and rallied into a 31-30 advantage at intermission.

Guard Jaeda Whitner led the Islanders offensively with nine points on three treys. Forward Paige Allen shook off a slow start and scored six points. Mireia Aguado, playing the role of distributor, passed for four assists.

Defensively, the Islanders did an admirable job on Jordyn Jenkins and limited the Roadrunners to 30.3 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from the 3-point arc.

Jenkins, who received national player of the week recognition on Monday, missed her first six shots from the field and finished one for seven. She managed only four points. Nina De Leon Negron, who had 10 first-half points, did most of her damage early as UTSA took a 14-3 lead.

Records

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3-2
UTSA 4-1

Coming up

UTSA vs. UNC Greensboro, Nov. 28, at Puerto Rico
UTSA vs. Towson, Nov. 29, at Puerto Rico

Notable

UTSA entered the game on a hot streak, shooting 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range. They shot 23 of 72 from the field for a season-low 31.9 percent against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a veteran team that won 23 games last year and played in the NCAA tournament. UTSA’s previous low field goal percentage game came in the season opener at College Station, against Texas A&M, when the Roadrunners shot 33.9.