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

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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.

Jenkins-led UTSA rallies from 11-point deficit to down UTEP, 78-73

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Jordyn Jenkins erupted for 28 points in the second half Saturday as the UTSA Roadrunners, down by 11 at intermission, rallied for a 78-73 victory over the UTEP Miners.

Jenkins, a senior from Kent, Wash., produced a season-high 30 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for her third double double in four games.

With the victory, the Roadrunners swept a two-game road trip. They beat New Mexico State on Thursday night and then came into El Paso for a morning tipoff on Saturday to win again.

The Miners played with a passion in the first half, registering a strong second-quarter performance to take a 38-27 lead at intermission.

Ivane Tensaie led the Miners with 27 points, including seven three-point baskets. The Miners were 9 of 14 from three.

“We didn’t look locked in, in the first half,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said on the postgame radio broadcast. “This reminded me of our exhibition game where we got so many hand-checks (fouls). We just didn’t adjust.

“The refereeing was what it was. I didn’t think, first half, like anybody on the team adjusted. I’d put one in and they’d make the same mistake as someone that was coming out.”

Aston said the Roadrunners played early like a team “that was tired of being on the road trip, ready to get home and thought it was going to be easy. I think it was a lesson learned. Hopefully we’ll be better next time we get into this type of a situation.”

Guard Nina De Leon Negron and forward Maya Linton played well. De Leon Negron had 13 points and eight rebounds. She hit five of 10 shots from the field. Linton scored 12 points on five of eight shooting.

In the third quarter, Jenkins scored 11 points and Linton had eight as the Roadrunners surged on a 26-10 spree that put the Miners on their heels.

Records

UTSA 3-1
UTEP 2-1

Coming up

Texas A&M Corpus-Christi at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

UTSA women open two-game road trip at New Mexico State

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women will start a two-game road trip at undefeated New Mexico State tonight, with tipoff at 6 p.m. at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces.

The Roadrunners (1-1) suffered shooting woes and lost their opener on the road at Texas A&M last Thursday, falling 55-51. They bounced back behind Sidney Love’s 21 points and 11 assists Saturday at home with a 74-69 victory over UT Rio Grande Valley.

Jordyn Jenkins leads the Roadrunners, averaging 18.5 points, and Love is next at 15.5. But those two may need help on the home court of the Aggies (2-0).

After rolling to a lopsided victory at home in an exhibition game against Division II Cameron, Okla., New Mexico State opened the regular season on the road on Nov. 4 and defeated UC Irvine, 57-49.

Six-foot-one forward Fanta Gassama led the way with 22 points and 16 rebounds to open her second season with the Aggies after two years in junior college. Gassama, from Mataro, Spain, is averaging 15 boards for the season.

Playing at home in their second game last Thursday, the Aggies rolled past Utah Tech 85-63 behind guard Molly Kaiser’s career-high 35 points. Kaiser has 50 points and 11 rebounds in two games.

Records

UTSA 1-1
New Mexico State 2-0

Coming up

UTSA at New Mexico State, tonight at 6 p.m.
UTSA at UTEP, Saturday at noon.

Notable

UTSA beat New Mexico State 58-55 last year in San Antonio. In recruiting, the Roadrunners on Wednesday signed three players for the class of 2025, including 5-5 guard Adriana Robles from Fort Worth Fossil Ridge HS, 6-0 forward Sema Udo from Plano East HS and 6-3 forward Sanaa Bean from Edna Karr HS in New Orleans, La.

Quotable

UTSA coach Karen Aston on starting the season, “I thought it was good to get it kicked off. We played hard and sometimes really, really well at A&M. Fell short. But I think we learned some lessons in that game. And then I thought Saturday against UTRGV was just a well-played game, by both teams. I didn’t think we made a ton of mistakes. I thought it was just two teams that shot the ball pretty well. We were lucky to come out on top on Saturday but I’m pleased to be moving forward, and we have a big week ahead.”

On Sidney Love’s performance against UTRGV: “I thought she was just in control. Sid has been here for three years and has been a three-year starter and someone that we definitely rely upon. But I think also you see the growth in a young lady that has sort of been in the fire and understands the sort of roller coaster you ride in a game. I thought she had some really, really good moments.

“But I thought where she was so impressive was just in her ability to stay connected with our team and to stay focused on … the task at hand … It was probably one of her best performances in what I call keeping the blinders on, and just have tunnel vision in what it was going to take for our team to win the game.”

Asked about junior Alexis Parker getting her fourth career start and freshman Damara Allen her first, “I think it goes back to the summer grind and the offseason grind. As you get ready for season, right now, from a coaching standpoint, you’re looking at who’s been the most consistent from Day One. And who has sort of put their shoes on and laced ’em up and worked every single day.

“I think those two have really shown a level of consistency with how they’re approaching practice every day. I mean, there’s others that have, too. And right now it’s a level of uncertainty, really, with our wing players. Who’s going to be who’s going to be ready to play and who understands the scout. Who understands what we expect, how to get the ball to the right person at the right time. Just a lot of things that go into playing at this level.

“I think it’ll still be kind of a week-by-week situation, just because there are some other players that I think deserve some playing time, too. Emma (Lucio) had some really good minutes and hasn’t played hardly at all. But when you go back to the question … about Lex and Damara, it’s been their level of consistency from Day One.”

Aston made her remarks on Monday on her weekly zoom conference.

San Antonio’s Sahara Jones boosts Texas A&M to victory, 55-51 over UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

San Antonio’s Sahara Jones scored five of her team-high 16 points in the last four minutes Thursday to lead the Texas A&M Aggies in their 55-51 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

In the Aggies’ second game of the season and the Roadrunners’ season opener, Jones, an A&M graduate senior from Veterans Memorial High School, hit five of 10 shots from the field and also played a solid floor game.

She had six rebounds, two assists and a steal for the Aggies, who won their first game of the season and improved to 1-1. In crunch time, Jones scored five of her points in the final 3:41 when the outcome of a tense struggle was hanging in the balance.

Jordyn Jenkins led UTSA with 18 points and 11 rebounds. But UTSA didn’t get too many other players involved as A&M did a good job defensively on the other scoring threats. In the end, the Aggies held the Roadrunners to 33.9 percent shooting from the field

UTSA had a particularly tough day behind the 3-point arc, hitting only 3 of 16 from long distance. For the Roadrunners, it was a heartbreaker that played out in front of 5,000 school kids in College Station, at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena.

Trailing by four points at intermission after a defensive struggle, the Roadrunners caught a spark in the third period. They opened the quarter with an 11-0 run. When Sidney Love hit a pull-up jumper with 5:56 left, UTSA held a 33-26 lead.

At that point, it looked like the Roadrunners might be able to beat a power conference opponent for the first time in 14 years.

But after having a three-seconds call go against UTSA, A&M guard Janae Kent hit a three to spark a 14-5 run to the end of the period. Jones scored seven points in the run for the Aggies, who took a 40-38 lead into the fourth quarter.

UTSA kept battling, and had multiple opportunities down the stretch. Two free throws by Jordyn Jenkins gave the Roadrunners a 44-42 lead with 5:34 remaining.

From there, A&M started to make all the big plays, with guard Taliyah Parker burying a three, lifting the Aggies into a one-point lead. They would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way.

The Roadrunners had a chance going into the final three and a half minutes but couldn’t pull it off. Jenkins grabbed an offensive rebound off a free-throw miss and put it back to tie the game. Her bucket knotted the score 48-48 with 3:23 remaining.

On the other end, Jones hit a driving layup for A&M.

UTSA responded by setting up in the offense but couldn’t get a good shot, with Idara Udo missing from the perimeter. Parker, in turn, responded with a couple of free throws as the Aggies pushed the lead to four.

UTSA had perhaps its last breath of life when Siena Guttadauro drilled a three off an assist from Jenkins. As Guttadauro’s shot hit the bottom of the net, A&M’s lead had been trimmed to 52-51 with 1:53 remaining.

Once again, however, Jones answered for the Aggies

Her driving layup boosted A&M into a 54-51 lead. The Roadrunners, who missed a couple of free throws that could have made it a one-point game with 15 seconds left, never got any closer.

For the Aggies, who play in the Southeastern Conference, one of four power conferences in NCAA Division I, it was a bounce-back win after losing at home Monday to Texas A&M. UTSA, picked to finish fifth in the American Athletic Conference, will return home to play UT Rio Grande Valley on Saturday.

Records

UTSA 0-1
Texas A&M 1-1

Coming up

UT Rio Grande Valley at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners had a chance but fell short, extending their losing streak against power conference programs to 24 games. Coach Karen Aston, in her fourth season, is now 0-8 against teams from the NCAA Division I conferences that generate the most revenue. UTSA hasn’t won a game against a power program since Dec. 16, 2010, when they beat the Big 12’s Kansas State Wildcats, 72-55, at home in the Convocation Center.

Quotable

“I thought we played hard,” Aston said on the team’s radio broadcast. “I don’t think it was that we didn’t play hard or didn’t want to win. So I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed for the kids. But they just executed some things better down the stretch than we did.”

Speaking to UTSA radio voice Neal Raphael, Aston continued: “(They) got to the free-throw line more than we did. It hurt us in the first half. Got out-rebounded. That’s not normal for our team. Free throws ended up being a little bit closer, but we just didn’t shoot the ball great today.

“They were just a little bit, I don’t want to say tougher … But in some moments, they were just a little bit tougher at getting where they wanted to get on the floor than we were.”

Aston acknowledged that A&M’s defense made it difficult for players other than Jenkins to find a rhythm.

“For sure, and we’ll find that,” she said. “You know, it’s a new team. New chemistry … A lot of players are playing different roles on the team. We’ve got to be able to establish those and figure out who we can count on in different moments. That’s going to take some time, I think.”

The Aggies out-rebounded the Roadrunners, 40-37. Offensive rebounds were tied, 15-15. But it seemed that the Aggies made the most of opportunities at critical times.

For instance, when A&M’s Sole’ Williams misfired on a jumper with a little less than five minutes remaining, Parker snared the offensive board. The play led to 6-foot-5 center Lauren Ware’s put back for a two-point A&M lead.

“I just thought they did a better job down the stretch,” Aston said.

Individuals

UTSA — Jenkins, the team’s starting power forward, scored 18 points on seven of 15 shooting. Guard Sidney Love added 10 points and Siena Guttadauro eight. Idara Udo, Cheyenne Rowe and 6-foot-4 newcomer Nyayongah Gony all had tough nights offensively. Combined, they were 1 for 12 from the floor and scored three points. Point guard Nina De Leon Negron had four points and one assist. Playing 20 minutes, De Leon Negron suffered an injury late in the third quarter. She was lifted with a minute remaining in the third and didn’t play in the fourth.

Texas A&M – Jones scored 16 points on five of 10 shooting, including one of three from long distance. She made five of eight at the line. Returning all SEC second-team player Aicha Coulibaly was held to eight points on three of nine shooting, but she had seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Forward Jada Malone had six points and six boards, while center Lauren Ware had five points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

For real? Roadrunners storm past the St. Mary’s Rattlers, 90-38

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Jordyn Jenkins. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins scored 23 points on 10 of 11 shooting from the field to lead the UTSA Roadrunners to an easy exhibition victory. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA women’s basketball fans on Friday night arrived at the Convocation Center, eager to catch their first glimpse of a team with high expectations for the new season.

They apparently liked what they saw.

Showing off talent up and down the roster, the Roadrunners stormed to a 90-38 exhibition victory over the NCAA Division II St. Mary’s Rattlers.

Cheyenne Rowe. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Cheyenne Rowe came off the bench to score 17 points on six of seven shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Forwards Jordyn Jenkins scored 23 points and Cheyenne Rowe 17 for UTSA, a team that rode an 18-15 record all the way to the second round of the WNIT last March.

Coach Karen Aston was pleased with the effort to kick off the new year.

“Just happy to be playing again,” Aston said. “I think that’s the consensus probably for everyone, just excited to be back on the court again, to be back in the Convo. The players were ready to play someone else, for sure.”

Not only was Jenkins as good as advertised, but big performances off the bench from three post players — Rowe, freshman Taylor Ross and transfer Nyayongah Gony — left fans with the impression that the Roadrunners might be better than ever in Aston’s fourth season as coach.

“I think people are excited about our team,” Aston said. “I think they’re looking forward to the season starting. I hear it all the time. The fans that stuck around last year and came to the WNIT game, I think they were looking forward to our team this year, and I think the fans probably feel the same way we do, like it’s going to be a fun ride.”

Playing against smaller players in the paint, the UTSA posts enjoyed a big night. Particularly Jenkins, who hit 10 of 11 shots from the field to lead the Roadrunners to a 51.5 percent shooting performance. Rowe also was efficient by hitting six of seven afield.

Taylor Ross. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Taylor Ross had 15 points and 10 rebounds in her first college game.– Photo by Joe Alexander.

Ross, from San Antonio’s Brennan High School, emerged with a double-double in her first college game, producing 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Shooting the ball well, she muscled inside to hit four of five from the floor. Rebounding with a purpose, she also pulled down five of her boards off the offensive glass.

Gony, a transfer from Mississippi State who has also played at Miami, showed a wide variety of skills and produced 10 points, five rebounds and a blocked shot.

Standing 6-feet-4 and moving well on quick feet, she had the crowd buzzing a few times in the first half with eye-opening sequences.

On one play, she made a catch on a long pass and scored well in front of retreating defenders. On a few others, she’d either grab a rebound or force a turnover and then start dribbling up the floor.

It’s not something that UTSA fans have seen very often, if at all, someone that tall who can make a defensive stop on one end and then take off on a few dribbles to the other end of the court.

Overall, the Roadrunners just kept sending waves of long and talented athletes at the Rattlers.

Sidney Love. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA junior Sidney Love produced six points, five assists and three rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“We’ve talked about playing with more length and more active bodies that we could throw at teams for an entire game or for a majority of the game, which I think could be a positive for a lot of reasons,” Aston said.

She likes the concept because, she said, more players get to play and get involved in the game. Also, because the pressure can wear down an opponent.

“I love teams that can do that,” Aston said. “We haven’t had that here until this year. I think if everybody stays healthy and we stay on the same page, we can probably try to implement this more and more as the season goes along.”

For St. Mary’s, guard Charli Graziano came off the bench to score eight points, including a couple of three-point buckets. For the most part, UTSA’s defense stifled St. Mary’s, limiting the Rattlers to 11 field goals and 27.5 percent shooting.

UTSA will play at Texas A&M next Thursday to open the regular season.

Notable

UTSA center Idara Udo came out of the game late in the first quarter when she took contact and fell to the floor. She left the court limping and later sat on the bench with an ice bag on her knee.

In all, the Roadrunners played 14 players and 11 of them scored. Sophomore guard Aysia Proctor was the only one on the roster not to get into the game.

Guard Nina De Leon Negron, a newcomer and a transfer from Incarnate Word, started and produced four points and four assists.

Nyayongah Gony. The UTSA women's basketball team beat St. Mary's 90-38 in an exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Six-foot-four forward Nyayongah Gony raised eyebrows with a variety of skills, including the ability to bring the ball up court on the dribble. The Mississippi State transfer had 10 points and five rebounds and a blocked shot. – Photo by Joe Alexander

A ‘long, hard summer’ is over as UTSA women’s basketball prepares for exhibition play

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Sidney Love. Temple defeated UTSA 56-48 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Junior guard Sidney Love is a returning two-year starter for the UTSA Roadrunners, who finished 18-15 and reached the second round of the WNIT last season. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Finally, the UTSA women’s basketball team on Friday night will welcome fans and players from another university into the Convocation Center.

The Roadrunners will host the St. Mary’s University Rattlers in an exhibition starting at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

“It’s been a long, hard summer,” UTSA guard Sidney Love said. “We’ve been grinding since June, so we’re ready to make our hard work pay off.”

Coming off an 18-15 run to the second round of the WNIT for their best season in 15 years, the Roadrunners will take the floor tonight with high expectations.

In the Rattlers, the Roadrunners likely will get their first test of an underdog opponent who will play with passion, trying to knock them off.

When they face a more talented team, as they will next Thursday at Texas A&M in the regular-season opener, they’ll be confronted with foes that will lock in mentally, knowing that UTSA might have the talent to spring a surprise. Even on the road, against the nation’s power elite.

Basically, everyone they play will be in upset mode, on high motor, high alert, or a combination of all of the above.

“Every year I’ve been here, we’ve been doing better each season,” UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins said. “You know, I think the challenges are just whatever we have within ourselves. You know (I think) it’s going to be us that’s going to hold us back. We have a lot of talent. We have some newcomers that really get our chemistry going.”

Notable

The game will mark the fans’ first chance to see the fourth edition of Coach Karen Aston’s Roadrunners in action against an opponent. A program that won two games in the season before Aston’s arrival won 18 games last year for the most in a season since 2008-09. The basketball program is in its 44th season overall and its second in the American Athletic Conference.

UTSA roster

Siena Guttadauro, 5-6 guard, junior from San Jose, Calif.
Alexis Parker, 5-9 guard, junior from San Antonio (Brandeis High School)
Emma Lucio, 5-9 guard, sophomore from Edinburg (Vela High School)
Damara Allen, 5-10 guard, freshman from Aurora, Colo.
Mia Hammonds, 6-3 guard, freshman from Cibolo (Steele High School)
Nyayongah Gony, 6-4 forward, redshirt senior from Lincoln, Neb., transfer from Mississippi State, also formerly of the University of Miami
Nina De Leon Negron, 5-6 guard, graduate senior from San Juan, Puerto Rico, transfer from the University of the Incarnate Word, also formerly of Austin Peay
Sidney Love, 5-8 guard, junior from Cibolo (Steele High School)
Aysia Proctor, 5-8 guard, sophomore from Schertz (Clemens High School)
Taylor Ross, 6-1 forward, freshman from San Antonio (Brennan High School)
Maya Linton, 5-11 forward, junior from Duncanville
Cheyenne Rowe, 6-2 forward, junior from Ajax, Ontario, Canada; played for UTSA last season as a transfer from James Madison
Idara Udo, 6-1 center-forward, sophomore from Plano
Jordyn Jenkins, 6-0 forward, redshirt senior from Kent, Wash., played the past two seasons at UTSA, transfer from Southern Cal
Emilia Dannebauer, 6-4 forward-center, freshman from Berlin, Germany

Jordyn Jenkins named first-team all conference in AAC preseason honors

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Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Northern Colorado 80-62 in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins averaged 17.1 points on 47.9 percent shooting in 12 games last season. She sat out most of the season while recovering from knee surgery. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins has been named as a first-team all conference selection in the American Athletic Conference’s preseason honors for women’s basketball announced Friday.

Jenkins and the Roadrunners are pegged for a fifth-place finish out of 13 teams in the AAC championship race.

On the men’s side, UTSA has been picked to finish tied for 11th out of 13 leading into Austin Claunch’s first season as head coach.

Jenkins, from Kent, Wash., arrived at UTSA in the summer of 2022 after being selected first-team all conference in the Pac 12 at Southern California.

She immediately made an impact for the Roadrunners, averaging 20.6 points in the 2022-23 season and claiming Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

Jenkins, Coleman return to UTSA women’s basketball for 2024-25

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Forwards Jordyn Jenkins and Elyssa Coleman will return to play for a resurgent UTSA women’s basketball team next season, coach Karen Aston said.

Both players opted into the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes whose careers were affected by the Covid pandemic, which wiped out the 2019-20 NCAA postseason in both men’s and women’s basketball.

“I’m so excited that these two young women have the desire and commitment to stay at UTSA and help to continue to move the needle,” Aston said in a UTSA news release.

Jenkins averaged 17.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in 12 games after returning from a 10-month knee injury rehabilitation. She also shot 47.9 percent from the field.

Jenkins played two seasons at Southern Cal before transferring. The 6-footer from Kent, Wash., became an all-Pac 12 player at USC as a sophomore in 2021-22. In 22-’23, she averaged 20.6 points in her first year with the Roadrunners and was named Conference USA Player of the Year.

Coleman spent one season at the University of Texas in ’20-21 but did not play because of an injury. Opting to leave the Longhorns, the 6-foot-3 post from the Houston area has been a fixture with the Roadrunners for the past three seasons.

Last season, she averaged 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and had 45 blocked shots in 32 games.

UTSA women’s basketball has enjoyed a renaissance over the past three seasons. In the year before Aston’s arrival, the Roadrunners finished 2-18 and 0-14 in Conference USA. With Aston at the helm, the team improved to finish 7-23, 13-19 and 18-15 over the next three seasons.

Last season, the Roadrunners ended a drought of eight years with losing records. After securing the No. 4 seed in the American Athletic Conference postseason tournament, they won a game and then lost in the semifinals.

But with the winning record, they reached the national postseason for the first time since 2009 by accepting a berth in the WNIT. When they defeated Northern Colorado in the WNIT first round, it was the first postseason victory in program history.

UTSA bowed out in the WNIT’s second round with a loss at Wyoming.

Is destiny calling for UTSA? Jenkins says, ‘It’s our year’

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins understands as well as anyone that hard work sets the table for any type of success that a basketball team might attain.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Florida Atlantic 77-61 in Conference USA women's basketball on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins has a good feeling about her team’s chances in the AAC tournament. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Same goes for individual success.

For instance, she didn’t just roll out of bed one day and become the 2023 Conference USA Player of the Year.

She didn’t just snap her fingers after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury on her right knee last April and say that, hey, she would be fine physically as her teammates prepared in summer conditioning to transition into the American Athletic Conference.

It took hours and hours in rehabilitation last summer before Jenkins could even get back on the court to practice her shot.

And then there was the strengthening and conditioning, all of which kept her out of games this season until late February.

No, Jenkins is wise to the way that the game works as the fourth-seeded Roadrunners prepare to play the South Florida Bulls today in the AAC quarterfinals.

Then again, she also has a thought or two about intangibles.

Destiny, for instance.

Is it destiny that the Roadrunners might be in line to win some games and perhaps an AAC title this week?

How else to explain events of last week, the second to last day of the regular season for the Roadrunners.

Jammed in a six-way tie for fourth place, UTSA needed a victory at home against the Rice Owls and a lot of help to pull down the No. 4 seed and a double-bye into the tournament.

How much help? Let’s just say that they needed a number of outcomes in games played around the conference to have a shot.

But, just as the Roadrunners built a double-digit lead on the Owls in the second half, the basketball gods started to shine on them.

First, the Charlotte 49ers lost. Then, the UAB Blazers also lost. With officials scrambling to sort out the final equation, the Memphis Tigers were trailing late in a game Denton to the North Texas Mean.

Then it happened. As UTSA players stood at midcourt after defeating Rice, 60-52, they learned that Memphis also had lost at North Texas. And that, from all indications, that they had secured the No. 4 seed.

Even as fans oblivious to the big picture cheered, the sounds of UTSA players shouting about their good fortune could be heard over all the other noise.

A few days later, I asked Jenkins sort of a convoluted question. I asked her about so many dominoes having to fall for them to get the fourth seed and the double-bye, is it possible that something special is in the cards for UTSA this year?

“Honestly, yeah,” Jenkins said. “After we beat Rice and coach told us we might end up being the fourth seed, it was kind of like, it was meant to happen.

“Even though we had a lot of ups and downs this year, I’ve always felt like this was our year. Even when I was out and even now, I feel like it’s ours to win. And, like, we can do it. Getting that fourth place makes me feel like it’s going to happen.”

She said her own road back to playing in games has been a journey. Initially, it was a shock to learn about the injury’s severity.

“I’m just grateful for our staff and everyone who has been helping me, my teammates. Yea, it’s been a lot of long days in rehab and working out,” she said. “But I wanted to be here and I wanted to play, and I love this team. Yeah, it feels good to play with them, finally.”

Anyone who has been around the Roadrunners knows how much Jenkins loves to play in games. So, when the season started and she couldn’t play, she said she had to rely heavily on those around her.

“There were a lot of days of me being around here, long days, just being surrounded by my team,” she said. “My athletic trainer (Tam Nguyen) and my coaches. They put up with me a lot, even though I may sometimes have a bad attitude.

“But they put up with me and they want what’s best for me. I’ve seen a lot of support towards me. And I recognize that people care about me. I want to make people proud. I want to do them proud. It just feels good to try to return the favor, I guess, and just do everything I can for the sport.”

Regardless, when the medical staff cleared her to play, she had a decision to make. Did she want to play only part of a season? Or, would it be best to save the eligibility and try next season?

“It was mainly about me and how I felt,” she said. “I didn’t want to take any chances or any risks. I did what my body felt like was right to do. I came back on limited minutes and everyone was very careful, just (to) make sure my safety was priority. You know, things have been working out.

“And, I’ve always wanted to play. I feel like if I’m able to play, why not?”

Jenkins smiled when she was reminded that, before the season, during her rehabilitation, that she predicted she would play.

“You know, I wanted to, and basketball is my life,” she said. “I want to win and I want to be here for this team, and I think I’m doing just that.”

Jenkins was a dominant force last year, averaging 20.6 points and shooting close to 50 percent from the field. Last year, it wasn’t unusual to see her out-running guards down the floor, catching long passes and shooting uncontested layups.

This year, it’s been a little different, as she has come off the bench averaging only 20 minutes a game. In that reduced time, she’s still been effective, averaging a team-best 14.5 points and also 7.5 rebounds.

UTSA coach Karen Aston said Jenkins is “in great shape” and praised the training staff for its work during rehabilitation.

“They did a great job in getting her in physical condition (to play),” the coach said. “It’s just game mode, getting used to how teams, you know, one team will play her one way. One will play her that way. If you’ve been away from the game that long, it’s something mentally that you have to get used to.”

Asked about the importance of Jenkins staying engaged with team activities during her comeback, from a team standpoint, Aston said it was more important for Jenkins to do that for herself.

“Injured players have a difficult time feeling engaged,” she said. “I think for her, she would tell you, she had a lot of dark times. Injuries are tough, especially if you came off the year she had last year … (but) staying engaged, for her, was important.”

Even though roles for other individuals on the team changed somewhat following her return, Aston said players have adjusted.

“Our team has an understanding that Jordyn has a real passion for the game,” Aston said. “She loves playing basketball. She loves the competition. The camaraderie. So it’s hard not to welcome back someone who loves the game as much as she does.”

With Jenkins, it’s clear that she understands how the game works. How playing the game requires certain sacrifices. How winning requires chemistry and camaraderie. In that regard, it’s also fun to learn that in spite of all the painstaking realities of preparation for a championship run, that she also believes in things like destiny.

Just as we ended our conversation the other day, I had to ask her about it again. She responded with a smiled and a compelling notion. “It’s our year. It’s our year.”

Jenkins scores a season-high 29 as the UTSA women beat first-place North Texas, 66-63

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Fast-improving forward Jordyn Jenkins scored 12 of her season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter Sunday as the UTSA Roadrunners defeated another first-place team in the American Athletic Conference women’s basketball race, downing the North Texas Mean Green 66-63 at the Super Pit in Denton.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Florida Atlantic 77-61 in Conference USA women's basketball on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins scored a season-high 29 points Sunday afternoon in her third game back after sitting out the first 21 in rehabilitation for a knee injury. – Photo by Joe Alexander

With the victory, UTSA (13-11, 7-6) split a two-game AAC road trip and swept a two-game, regular-season series against North Texas (19-6, 9-4).

UTSA, aided by 16 points from freshman guard Aysia Proctor and nine points and nine rebounds from junior center Elyssa Coleman, also improved to 4-0 on the season against first-place AAC teams. The Roadrunners are 3-0 at home and 1-0 on the road against squads leading in the standings.

The Mean Green were in first place both times they played the Roadrunners and were turned away twice in close games. On Jan. 31, UTSA won in its on-campus arena, downing North Texas 75-67 in overtime.

In that game, Jenkins had not yet been cleared to play. She sat out the first 21 games this season while rehabilitating a knee injury. Since her return, the Roadrunners have won two out of three, claiming the two victories against AAC contenders Alabama-Birmingham and now North Texas.

UTSA’s road win against its in-state rivals, at the Super Pit in Denton, may have been the team’s best of the season. The Mean Green had been 10-0 at home this season. They were also 5-0 in AAC games at home — until Jenkins, a high-scoring forward from Kent, Wash., showed up to play.

Jenkins hit 11 of 17 shots from the floor, including three of five from three-point distance. In the fourth period, she was at her best, hitting four for four from the floor and knocking down her only three-point attempt.

On one of her shots, she had the ball on the right side of the floor, about eight feet from the basket, when she turned and flipped in a left-handed scoop shot. The bucket gave UTSA a three-point lead with 40 seconds remaining.

Coming out of a time out, North Texas guard Dyani Robinson hit a shot to cut the UTSA lead to one. On the other end, Jenkins was fouled and sank two free throws with 27 seconds left for the game’s final points.

North Texas called time with 20 seconds left needing a three to tie. The Mean Green failed to get off a clean shot, as Shamaryah Duncan’s three from the right wing was deflected by UTSA’s Kyra White, clinching the victory for the Roadrunners.

Six-foot forward DesiRay Kernal paced North Texas with 16 points and 12 rebounds. As UNT’s top offensive threat, she wasn’t as effective as she has been, making five of 12 from the field. Another Mean Green threat, center Tommisha Lampkin, was hindered by foul trouble and played only 20 minutes. She finished with six points and six rebounds.

In the second and third quarters, the Mean Green started to play better team basketball. They hit six of 11 from the field and eight of nine at the free throw line in the second, outscoring the Roadrunners 21-16 in the period and taking a 34-30 lead at the intermission. After halftime, they came out energized and once again got the better of the visitors, opening the advantage to 52-46.

North Texas guard Jaauckland Moore made a three with three seconds remaining in the third, lifting the Eagles into their six-point lead.

Records

UTSA 13-11, 7-6
North Texas 19-6, 9-4

Coming up

Temple at UTSA, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

After missing so much of the season, Jenkins is fast improving her conditioning. In her first two games, she played 11 minutes against UAB and 14 in a Wednesday-night loss at Tulsa. Against both UAB and Tulsa, she scored 11 in each game. Combined in those two games, she hit seven of 25 shots from the field. Jenkins followed with 24 minutes against North Texas and finished 11 of 17 from the floor. Her 29-point performance left the Mean Green faithful with long memories dismayed, as she scored 40 in the Super Pit last February in UTSA’s 68-67 overtime victory. The two games were played nearly one calendar year apart — from Feb. 20, 2023 to Feb. 18, 2024.