Lady Techsters veterans pay a visit to test the young Roadrunners

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The three-time national champion Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters, one of the original powers in women’s college basketball, will play in San Antonio tonight against the UTSA Roadrunners.

Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Led by Jordyn Jenkins, the leading scorer in Conference USA, UTSA (2-7) hopes to start a winning trend in its first C-USA game of the season.

Jenkins averages 20.6 points for the Roadrunners, who are undefeated at 2-0 on the home court and winless in five road games, plus two at neutral sites.

Six of UTSA’s seven losses have come by seven points or less, including a 93-89 loss in overtime at Houston on Dec. 19, the team’s last outing before breaking for Christmas.

In the game at UH, the Roadrunners erased a 21-point deficit with a stirring rally that fell short, as they dropped a 93-89 decision to the Cougars in overtime.

Louisiana Tech (7-4, 0-1) lost its first conference game, falling to the UTEP Miners 62-54 at home on Dec. 18. The Lady Techsters have been off since then.

Picked second in Conference USA, the LA Tech features guard Keiunna Walker and 6-foot-3 forward Anna Larr Roberson. UTSA coach Karen Aston also pointed out assist leader Silvia Nativi as another concern.

UTSA is a young team, with Aston expected to start a freshman point guard in Sidney Love and is likely to use three and perhaps four other first-year players in the rotation.

Love, Alexis Parker, Madison Cockrell and Maya Linton all played in the Houston game. Siena Guttadauro is a talented fifth freshman for UTSA.

Nobody is calling the Roadrunners the Baby Birds yet, but they could. They’ll be tested by the likes of Walker and Roberson, who have combined to play in 213 games at LA Tech. Walker, the preseason Player of the Year in the conference, has played in 120.

Both helped lead LA Tech last season to 21 victories, a trip to the C-USA tournament title game and an appearance in the Women’s NIT.

Notable

LA Tech was one of the storied programs in the women’s game in the 1980s. The Lady Techsters won the 1981 national title in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and then claimed NCAA championships in 1982 and 1988.

Quotable

“I know that they’re a very developed team,” UTSA’s Kyra White said of Lousiana Tech. “They have a lot of experience. Multiple guards coming back that have been there for a year, multiple years. Very strong post presence down low. And I just know that they’re going to come in to our house ready to compete. So, we just have to match that energy.”

Records

UTSA 2-7, 0-0
LA Tech 7-4, 0-1

Coming up

UAB at UTSA, Saturday at noon.