Tag Archives: South Florida Bulls

UTSA’s Diaz must sit out against Baylor on Tuesday night

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners will play the Baylor Bears in Waco on Tuesday night without infielder Diego Diaz, Coach Pat Hallmark announced Monday.

Pat Hallmark. East Carolina beat UTSA 3-0 in American Conference baseball on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Pat Hallmark’s UTSA Roadrunners will try to beat the Baylor Bears for a second time this season when they meet Tuesday night in Waco. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Diaz will serve an automatic one-game suspension after he was ejected from UTSA’s game against South Florida on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.

Umpires ejected Diaz at the end of the second inning during the Roadrunners’ American Conference series finale against the Bulls.

The play that caused tempers to flare in both dugouts began with Diaz on third as a baserunner, and with teammate Aidan Eshelman at bat.

With one out, Eshelman lofted a pop fly into shallow center field that was caught by Bulls second baseman Jack Lutz.

Hallmark, coaching at third base, signaled to Diaz to tag up and try to score.

As the ball came into home plate, Diaz tried to slide and crashed into South Florida catcher Lance Trippel, who put the tag on him for the third out of the inning.

After the tag, Diaz hit the ground, with Trippel standing over him. Pretty soon, UTSA’s Caden Miller entered the area and confronted Trippel.

In response, Hallmark ran down from his post in the third-base coaching box and moved Miller back from the fray.

Hallmark, speaking to the media on his weekly zoom conference with the media, took part of the blame for the dust up.

“D was a little high going into the plate,” Hallmark said. “They felt like he needed to be lower (going) into the slide. I thought he was trying to slide. Maybe he was trying to slide late.

“But I didn’t argue it much. Those guys, the umpires, are in a tough spot.

“There’s a lot of direction from the NCAA, and rightfully so, to keep the game clean and not have any altercation, physical fights, or anything like that.

“So I didn’t have a problem with it.”

Hallmark said he didn’t have a problem with Diaz, either.

“You know how we run the bases,” Hallmark said, referring to UTSA’s aggressive style. “I put the guys in some tough positions, and I put Diego in a tough position. Right?

“He’s out by 12 feet or something because I sent him. But, yeah, that’s the way I saw it.”

After calm was restored, umpires took several minutes to review the incident on replay.

They came back on the field and informed both coaches of their decision, that Diaz had been ejected.

In addition, South Florida had five players tossed, apparently for coming onto the field.

“I thought we handled it great,” Hallmark said. “Nobody on our team got an ejection after the fact. Nobody left the bench. Or, left their position.”

“Caden Miller was there because he was behind home plate, telling Diego where to slide, which was why he was in there.

“They lost a few people for leaving the bullpen, which is against the rules. So I was proud of our guys, frankly.

“I thought the umpires handled it well.”

Hallmark said he contacted South Florida coach Mitch Hannahs after the game.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” Hallmark said. “I think he’s a sensational coach. So I just sent him a message and said, ‘Hey, I’m sorry about Diaz, kind of a high slide. I think I screwed up by sending him.

“He replied, ‘Pat, it’s just a baseball play. I haven’t even thought about it.’ So, it’s all good.”

In the aftermath, Hallmark said he didn’t say anything directly to Miller, one of his hottest hitters.

“I just tried to get in there quick,” the coach said. “Just tried to get in there, so there wasn’t a dust-up, where we’d lose Miller.

“Any player ejection, they have to serve one more game (on suspension). So I didn’t want to lose Miller for that game or another one. But I didn’t have anything to say to Caden.”

As for his message to his players? He told them to be careful, explaining that the umpires are under scrutiny for keeping the games under control.

Also, Hallmark wanted to remind them that indiscretions against the rules could be costly, given the Roadrunners are in contention for a second-straight conference title.

“We don’t want to lose players,” he said. “… It’s one thing to lose a player for an inning or two late in the game.

“But it’s the next game, in my experience, is where you really miss people,” he said. “(It’s) the following game. Like, we’re going to miss Diego on Tuesday.

“I just wanted to make sure we didn’t lose people for multiple games.”

Hallmark and pitching coach Zach Butler were also ejected later in the game.

The head coach of the Roadrunners said he didn’t want to say too much about his own ouster.

“Those guys are good umpires,” he said. “They’re good people. They’re doing a heck of a job. Sometimes I have a little more to say than they want to hear.”

Coming up

Non conference
UTSA at Baylor, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

American Conference
Charlotte at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Charlotte at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Charlotte at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Records

UTSA (25-11)
Baylor (20-15)

UTSA wins the series but can’t complete a sweep of South Florida

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Conor Myles pitched into the seventh inning, leading the UTSA Roadrunners past the South Florida Bulls for the second time in two days. Later, the Bulls bounced back to win the second game of a doubleheader at Roadrunner Field. In all, nine individuals combined from both teams were ejected during the two games.- Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Kaden Smith pitched into the sixth inning and Ethan Sutton finished off a combined six-hitter Saturday afternoon as the South Florida Bulls downed UTSA 7-1 in an American Conference series finale at Roadrunner Field.

The series opened on Friday afternoon with UTSA downing South Florida, 11-3.

After weather issues forced officials to complete the three-game series on Saturday, the Roadrunners won the first game of the day, 7-3.

In winning two of three from South Florida, they clinched their fourth series victory this season and their 15th straight since 2024. But in the finale, the Bulls averted the sweep.

In the top of the fifth, they scored four two-out runs to take a 6-1 lead en route to their 25th win of the season.

South Florida coach Mitch Hannahs. UTSA beat South Florida 7-3 on Saturday in the first game of an American Conference baseball doubleheader at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

South Florida coach Mitch Hannahs directed his team to its 25th victory over the season with a 7-1 win over UTSA on Saturday afternoon. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Jackson Geiger supplied the big blow with a two-run homer to right off UTSA reliever Cody DeMont.

Smith (4-1) earned the victory after working 5 and 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on six hits and four walks while striking out four.

In relief, Sutton posted his seventh save by pitching 3 and 2/3 hitless and scoreless innings.

UTSA freshman Christopher Gutierrez (1-1) took the loss. He gave up four runs on four hits in 2 and 1/3 innings.

Roadrunners had three individuals ejected during the game.

The three included third baseman Diego Diaz at the end of the second inning, head coach Pat Hallmark in the sixth and pitching coach Zach Butler in the ninth.

Diaz was tossed after making the last out in the second inning.

Trying to score from third base on a pop up to shallow center field, Diaz was tagged out as he collided with South Florida catcher Lance Trippel.

Tempers flared momentarily before others arrived to calm the situation. After a lengthy review of replay video, five South Florida players were also ejected.

In the sixth, Hallmark was tossed after he came onto the field to make a pitching change.

UTSA fans cheered the coach as he walked down the third base line on his way back to the clubhouse.

Butler was ejected in the ninth after South Florida scored its last run of the game on a balk.

With Trippel at third base, he was awarded home when a balk was called on UTSA reliever James Hubbard.

In the wake of South Florida’s victory, the UAB Blazers held the lead in the American with an 8-3 record, followed by the Roadrunners at 8-4.

The Blazers are scheduled to complete their home series with the Wichita State Shockers on Sunday.

The Shockers tied the series at one win apiece after beating the Blazers 5-4 in 10 innings on Saturday.

Records

South Florida 25-10, 6-6
UTSA 25-11, 8-4

Coming up

UTSA at Baylor, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

First game

The Roadrunners built an early seven-run lead and held off the Bulls 7-3 to clinch their 15th straight series victory in the American Conference.

Aidan Eshelman. UTSA beat South Florida 7-3 on Saturday in the first game of an American Conference baseball doubleheader at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman shortstop Aidan Eshelman went two for four at the plate with two RBIs in Saturday’s first game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The teams were scheduled to play the second game of a doubleheader and the series finale later Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.

Officials elected to schedule the third game Saturday instead of trying to play Sunday because of weather concerns in San Antonio.

Rain pelted the field in the first and the fourth innings and then later in the eighth and ninth.

The weather didn’t slow the Roadrunners, who won their fifth game in a row, including their second in two days against the Bulls, and their 25th overall on the season.

UTSA scored one run in the first inning, two in the second and four in the fourth against South Florida’s Michael Senay, one of the top pitchers in the American.

Senay (6-1) suffered his first loss of the season, giving up seven runs, including six earned, in 3 and 2/3 innings.

UTSA’s Caden Miller delivered the big hit against Senay with a two-run homer in the fourth. Senay entered the game with a 1.34 earned run average.

Conor Myles (5-1) picked up the win for the Roadrunners, as the lefthander from Australia pitched into the seventh without much trouble.

In all, he worked 6 and 2/3, allowing two runs, one of them earned. Miles also yielded only two hits with no walks and one hit batter for his third straight victory.

Sam Simmons relieved Miles in the seventh. He escaped jams in the seventh and eighth and gave up a run in the ninth before escaping further trouble.

UTSA extends streak

UTSA’s string of series victories in the American stretches back to the 2024 season.

Pat Hallmark. UTSA beat South Florida 7-3 on Saturday in the first game of an American Conference baseball doubleheader at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Pat Hallmark’s UTSA Roadrunners extended their streak of series victories in the American Conference to 15 this weekend in taking two of three games from South Florida. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA won its last two conference series in 2024, won all nine en route to the league title in 2025 and now has won its first four this season.

The Roadrunners have won two out of three games this season against American foes Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, Rice and South Florida.

The series against FAU and Rice were on the road.

Against both East Carolina and Rice, UTSA lost the opening game and then bounced back to win the next two. Against South Florida, UTSA lost the series finale for the first time this season.

Eshelman’s day

UTSA shortstop Aidan Eshelman had two hits, including a double, with two RBIs in the first game of the day.

On the defensive side, the game was an adventure for the freshman from Houston Episcopal High School.

Eshelman made one spectacular play and helped turn an inning-ending double play in the eighth, but he also committed two errors.

South Florida coach is tossed

South Florida coach Mitch Hannahs was ejected in the seventh inning of the first game, apparently in disagreement with the home plate umpire on what was called as a check-swing strike three.

Bulls pinch hitter Jackson Geiger was at the plate with his team trailing 7-2 and with base runners at second and third. Geiger was called out to end the inning on a breaking pitch.

As Hannahs came out of the dugout and walked toward home plate, he was ejected by home plate ump Blake Felix.

South Florida pitcher Michael Senay. UTSA beat South Florida 7-3 on Saturday in the first game of an American Conference baseball doubleheader at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

South Florida pitcher Michael Senay suffered his first loss of the season in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA wins 11-3 to open the digital scoreboard era at Roadrunner Field

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Caden Miller scores on Drew Detlefsen's three-run double in the bottom of the second inning. UTSA beat South Florida 11-3 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Caden Miller scores on Drew Detlefsen’s three-run double in the bottom of the second inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Playing in the shadow of a new scoreboard above the left field wall, the UTSA Roadrunners obliged by lighting it up on its first day in use Friday afternoon in an 11-3 victory over the South Florida Bulls.

Caden Miller scores on Drew Detlefsen's three-run double in the bottom of the second inning. UTSA beat South Florida 11-3 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Caden Miller comes up smiling after scoring on a head-first slide. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Roommates and team offensive standouts Drew Detlefsen and Andrew Stucky did the honors in leading the charge.

Detlefsen crashed a three-run double to highlight a four-run second inning and Stucky added a monstrous home run — a three-run shot — in the fourth.

When Stucky’s blast cleared the wall just to the left of the batters’ eye in center field, it just kept on going, with the computerized data indicating that it traveled 431 feet.

As it landed, the Roadrunners had secured a 7-2 lead and firm control of the first game in a three-game series with the Bulls.

Stucky acknowledged afterward that UTSA players sensed the fans’ anticipation of the board’s installation.

“I know we definitely saw it on social media,” he said. “Once it was finally up, and we showed up at the field – I think it was Wednesday – we kind of turned into little kids.”

Was there a group selfie?

“I don’t think we did (it) yet,” he said, smiling. “But we probably should. That would be funny.”

Even more fun was the fact that the Roadrunners reached double figures in runs for the 17th time in 34 games this season.

In trying to explain the team’s productivity on offense, Stucky said he thinks it’s because of players’ versatility.

“I think it’s just (because) we can score in different ways,” he said. “Today, early on, we were drawing a lot of walks. Kind of being patient, which turned into runs.

“Some of the innings we had the homers or the doubles, and all that, that’s mainly it. We can score in different ways. Which is helpful.”

With one out in the fourth, South Florida starter Edwin Alicea hit Detlefsen with a pitch. UTSA’s Garrett Gruell followed by drawing a walk.

At that point, South Florida coach Mitch Hannahs visited the mound. Ultimately, Alicea would be replaced with righthander Jonah Sarabia to pitch to the right-side swinging Stucky.

Drew Detlefsen. UTSA beat South Florida 11-3 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Drew Detlefsen lashed a three-run double in the second inning to cap a four-run uprising. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I didn’t really know much about him,” Stucky said. “So, I was just really trying to get a good pitch to hit. He kind of fell behind in the count (at 2-1). So, at that point, I was just looking for a fastball.

“He gave it to me, and I was making sure I didn’t miss it.”

Records

South Florida 24-9, 5-5
UTSA 24-10, 7-3

Coming up

South Florida at UTSA, Saturday, doubleheader with the first game starting at noon. Two nine-inning games are scheduled separated by a 45-minute break.

Notable

Gunnar Brown started and pitched four innings and Connor Kelley, who got the win, finished by hurling the last five.

Kelley (2-1) looked particularly sharp in shutting out the Bulls on two hits. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. Edwin Alicea (5-3) took the loss. Alicea lasted only three and a third innings.

He walked four and hit five batters with pitches. In all, Bulls pitching totaled seven walks, six hit by pitches and one wild pitch.

Drew Detlefsen had one hit, a three-run double, in four at bats. His batting average is .400 after the 34th game of the season. Stucky went one for two, including his 10th homer. Both finished with three RBI.

New video board expected to debut today as UTSA hosts South Florida

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA is expected to play baseball today under a new video board at Roadrunner Field.

First pitch in the opener of a three-game series between the Roadrunners and the South Florida Bulls will be at 2 p.m.

The video board, a 24-by-42-foot display, replaces the old scoreboard and is expected to enhance the fan experience.

Not only will it function as a full digital scoreboard, it also will have capability to show live video, sponsor recognition and fan engagement.

Meanwhile, the Roadrunners and the Bulls will provide the on-field entertainment in a matchup of programs sitting in the upper tier of the American Conference standings.

Records

South Florida 24-8, 5-4
UTSA 23-10, 6-3

Coming up

South Florida at UTSA, today, 2 p.m.
South Florida at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
South Florida at UTSA, 1 p.m.

Notable

The UAB Blazers lead the American with a record of 22-11 and 7-2. As for the Roadrunners, they’re tied with East Carolina, a game behind in the standings at 6-3.

UTSA has played good defense recently, playing error-free baseball for five straight games, including two wins to close out a road series at Rice last weekend and a 6-2 victory Tuesday at Tarleton State.

“I think defense is really the key,” UTSA pitcher Conor Myles said. “We’re always going to hit. We’re always going to put up good at bats.

“But when our defense is good and when our pitchers are throwing pitches over the plate, we’re a pretty tough team to beat.”

Pitching rotations

Righthander Gunnar Brown is expected to start for the Roadrunners today against lefty Edwin Alicea.

On Saturday, it’ll be Myles against South Florida freshman phenomenon Michael Senay.

Starters for Sunday’s finale haven’t been announced.

American women’s basketball: UTSA upsets South Florida in the quarterfinals

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Cheyenne Rowe celebrated her 22nd birthday in style Thursday, helping the sixth-seeded UTSA Roadrunners upset the No. 3 South Florida Bulls 62-51 in the American Conference tournament quarterfinals.

In the game played at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Rowe led the Roadrunners with 25 points and 11 rebounds as they pushed past the Bulls and into the semifinals against the second-seeded East Carolina Pirates.

“Just a tremendous performance for our team,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “It’s hard, not to let ’em get too high, and all that kind of stuff. But it was such a great performance and a total commitment to four quarters of basketball.

“We were pretty relentless defensively, and I thought our team shared the ball well. Made the right decisions and they hung in there defensively all night long. You know, I couldn’t be prouder.”

Rowe put on a performance reminiscent of former UTSA standout Jordyn Jenkins. Meaning, she did just about everything and was extremely efficient.

The 6-foot-2 forward didn’t take a three-point attempt, instead working around the basket and in the mid-range with a variety of drives, turnarounds and face-up shots.

Rowe hit 11 of 17 shots from the field.

Her performance punctuates the Roadrunners’ rise from inconsistency to a 4-1 record in their last five, including victories over 27-win Rice on the final day of the regular season and then tournament wins over Temple and 20-win South Florida.

After helping defeat Bulls, who had beaten the Roadrunners twice during the regular season, Rowe talked about what it meant to see her team fight through so much adversity and then make such a robust turnaround in March.

“We have faced adversities and it’s just amazing to see how we’ve pushed through them,” she said. “It’s great to see everyone, like, playing together. Playing with each other. Playing to have fun.

“Basketball is supposed to be fun. We play with each other to have fun. And we want to win. Everyone does. So, I’ve got to say, I’m very proud of everyone.”

South Florida had beaten UTSA twice in the regular season but could not get it done for the third time in a row.

The Roadrunners (16-15) made it happen mostly with defense, holding the Bulls to 33.9 percent shooting from the field.

The Bulls (20-12) were completely stifled at the end of the game, outscored 11-2 in the final 4:44.

After Roadrunners sophomore Mia Hammonds slashed to the basket for a bucket with 3:08 remaining, the Roadrunners led 53-49 and then had a couple of lapses on their next two offensive possessions.

One was an offensive foul call and the other a turnover by Ereauna Hardaway.

“As far as that timeout,” Aston said, “(the message) was just finish. We played so well the whole game. Let’s not get rattled or get down on ourselves at this point. Let’s just finish the job.”

Coming out of the timeout, Hardaway responded with a 14-foot jumper, boosting the lead to six points. Following that, UTSA knocked down three of four free throws for a nine-point lead.

On the next South Florida possession, Hammonds blocked a shot by Bulls star Carla Brito, setting up another offensive possession for the Roadrunners.

Hardaway sank one of two free throws with 37.5 seconds remaining for a 10-point lead. South Florida never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

For the game, Hardaway produced 12 points and five rebounds. Idara Udo had 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Among the younger UTSA players, Hammonds had eight points on three of four shooting and four rebounds. She also had the key block at the end of the game.

Sophomore Damara Allen had nine rebounds.

Freshman point guard Adriana Robles started for the fifth straight game and had two points, five rebounds and two assists. UTSA is 4-1 in those five games.

Records

UTSA 16-15
South Florida 20-12

Notable

UTSA women’s basketball has advanced into a conference tournament semifinal for the first time since the 2024 (in the American) and for the 12th time overall.

If they win, they’ll make their sixth conference championship appearance.

The Roadrunners have won two games in a tournament for the first time since 2023.

Against East Carolina, UTSA will try to win a third game in the same tournament for the first time since 2009.

In both the 2008 and 2009 Southland Conference postseasons, the Roadrunners went 3-0 each time to reach the NCAA tournament.

This week, the Roadrunners will need to win four games in four days for the NCAA automatic bid.

First half

Rowe had 14 points and seven rebounds in the first half as the UTSA Roadrunners took a 30-22 lead at halftime against the South Florida Bulls.

UTSA’s strong performance came in the quarterfinals of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament at Birmingham, Ala.

While South Florida, with a double bye, was making its debut in the tournament, UTSA was playing its second game in two days after eliminating Temple, 59-51, on Tuesday.

From the outset, UTSA seemed to have a better rhythm than South Florida. Riding Rowe’s hot shooting hand, the Roadrunners moved out to a 14-9 lead after the first quarter.

It was a team effort in that the Roadrunners cut down on turnovers, ran efficient offense and kept the Bulls out of their bread and butter, the transition game.

In the second period, UTSA’s offense went cold. But at the same time, its defense stayed solid. Then, late in the period, UTSA’s Hammonds and Udo asserted themselves offensively.

Hammonds hit two straight buckets on aggressive moves toward the basket. She also knocked down a couple of free throws.

After Rowe hit a couple of shots, Udo connected on a 14-foot turnaround jumper for a 30-22 lead.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (5) North Texas vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — (6) UTSA vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
(5) North Texas 19-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 16-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

South Florida women win 69-63 to sweep season series from UTSA

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Ereauna Hardaway. South Florida beat UTSA 69-63 in American Conference women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Ereauna Hardaway shrugged off her 17-point, 8-assist performance, noting, “We didn’t win. Winning is all that matters to me.’ – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Carla Brito and the South Florida Bulls controlled the action in the middle quarters Saturday night and held on at the end for a 69-63 road victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in American Conference women’s basketball.

Katie Davidson and Edyn Battle scored 17 points apiece and Brito produced her fourth straight double double (with 13 points and 12 rebounds) as the Bulls moved into sole possession of third place in the American.

Taking a big step toward securing a top-four finish and a double-bye into the postseason tournament, South Florida (16-10 overall and 9-4 in the American) also established an edge over sixth-place UTSA (12-12, 7-6).

South Florida's Katie Davidson. South Florida beat UTSA 69-63 in American Conference women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. - Photo by Joe Alexander

South Florida guard Katie Davidson scored 10 of her 17 points in the second quarter, when the Bulls started to pull away from the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The edge for the Bulls came in knowing that they are now 2-0 against the defending conference champions this season.

Last month, on Jan. 13 in Tampa, Fla., the Bulls built a 25-point halftime lead en route to a 70-53 victory over the Roadrunners.

In the first game, they knocked down 10 threes. On Saturday, they made only three, but they also shot 50.9 percent from the floor to compensate.

UTSA couldn’t keep up with that accuracy, as the Roadrunners hit only 31.9 percent on 23 of 74 shooting. The Bulls shut down Roadrunners forward Cheyenne Rowe, holding her to 10 points on five of 17.

“It was a hard-fought game,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “The difference was their transition game and their ability to get easier shots than what we were able to get.

“I thought we had to work extremely hard for every shot opportunity and bucket we got. On the other end of that, I thought they got a ton of easy buckets in transition.”

Ereauna Hardaway led UTSA with 17 points and eight assists. In addition, UTSA forward Idara Udo contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds. In the second quarter, Udo snared a rebound that gave her 500 for her UTSA career.

Down by two after the opening period, the Bulls rode the hot shooting of Davidson into a 33-26 halftime lead.

After the Roadrunners made a push after halftime, the Bulls outscored them 11-5 at the end of the third quarter, with Brito hitting two baskets in the surge.

Idara Udo and Katie Davidson. South Florida beat UTSA 69-63 in American Conference women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Idara Udo contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Down by 12 going into the fourth, the cold-shooting Roadrunners couldn’t get any closer than double digits until the last two minutes of the game.

Hardaway capped a frantic late push with a three-pointer with 34.7 seconds left. When the shot swished, it sliced the South Florida lead to four points.

But after a timeout, the Bulls inbounded and worked 17 seconds off the clock before Battle was fouled. She sank the ensuing two free throws, plus two more with 6.7 seconds remaining, to secure the victory.

In the UTSA postgame news conference, Hardaway was asked about her own performance. She shrugged and noted, “We didn’t win. Winning’s all that matters to me.”

Udo was asked about UTSA’s run on South Florida that made it so close at the end. Specifically, whether the late push could give them confidence to beat the Bulls in the postseason tournament in a possible third matchup.

“It does,” she said. “But I don’t even think it’s about the runs. Like coach said, their transition games were killers. If we stop their transition game and contain (them) at the beginning of the game, it would have been a different outcome.

“I don’t think we’d have even needed to go on a run at the end of the game. I have a lot of confidence in our defense and our execution on the offensive side. So I think when we put both of those together, that’ll be good for us.”

Aston said if there is a third matchup with the Bulls, then the Roadrunners will have made a deep run in the tournament, and she said she’d be happy with that.

Comments that followed from the coach were delivered, with some passion, in regard to what needs to happen with her team moving forward.

Karen Aston. South Florida beat UTSA 69-63 in American Conference women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston said she’d be happy for a third meeting against the Bulls this season because that would likely mean her Roadrunners would be deep in the American Conference tournament bracket. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“There were times tonight when I didn’t think we were as competitive as we needed to be,” Aston said. “Because, when you play a team like South Florida, that transitions the way they do, you can’t even pause. You can’t take a break and feel sorry for yourself because something didn’t go right.

“It’s play to play. High-level games are supposed to be like that. But when you look at the stat sheet (tonight), we got more shot attempts. We beat ’em on the three-point line. We beat ’em on the free-throw line. We beat ’em in rebounding. And they turned the ball over more than we did.”

At that point, she drew a contrast in what happened Saturday night on UTSA’s home court, as compared to the earlier meeting in Florida.

“We got our ass kicked in Tampa,” she said. “And, as to Ereauna’s credit for noticing, the difference in the game (tonight) was that the ball went in the basket more for them, and I understand why. That was (their) transition, and we’ll have to figure out how to slow that down if we have to play ’em again.

“But, we got whipped in every category in Tampa. So, I’m extremely pleased with the progress we’ve made. We just got to get back to work. We got games to win. We got to get in the tournament.”

UTSA will have five more games remaining to clinch a spot in the 10-team tournament, which is scheduled March 10-14 in Birmingham, Ala.

Records

South Florida 16-10, 9-4
UTSA 12-12, 7-6

Coming up

UTSA at Wichita State, Feb. 21, 1 p.m.

Notable

South Florida pushed the pace at every opportunity, outscoring UTSA 25-4 in fast break points.

UTSA junior Idara Udo became the 18th player in program history to reach 500 and the first since Elyssa Coleman in 2024.

Additionally, Udo also became the fourth UTSA player to record double-digit offensive rebounds in a game — she had 10 against the Bulls — and the first since Tesha Smith set the program record with 12 in 2017.

First half

The Bulls turned up the intensity and rallied from down two after the first quarter to a 12-point lead late in the second.

UTSA, in turn, rallied in the last two minutes on a 7-0 run to cut into the deficit. But the damage had been done, and the Bulls went into the dressing room at intermission with a 33-26 lead.

For South Florida, Davidson led the charge in the second period when she scored 10 of her 12 first-half points.

South Florida's Carla Brito. South Florida beat UTSA 69-63 in American Conference women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. - Photo by Joe Alexander

South Florida’s Carla Brito produced 13 points and 12 rebounds for her fourth consecutive double double. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women host South Florida in American Conference showdown

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The South Florida Bulls and the UTSA Roadrunners will meet today at the Convocation Center in an American Conference women’s basketball showdown.

Last month, the Roadrunners traveled into Tampa, Fla., undefeated in conference play and took a pounding from the Bulls, 70-53.

South Florida buried UTSA with 10 three-pointers, including five by Jelena Bulajic and three more by Edyn Battle.

It was the start of a stretch in which the Roadrunners dropped five of seven games and basically played their way out of contention for a second straight regular-season title.

In the rematch, UTSA will have a chance to even the score from a pride standpoint. The second meeting of the schools also will have postseason implications.

Going into games today, South Florida and Tulsa (both 8-4) are tied for third in the American standings. North Texas and UTSA (both 7-5) are tied for fifth.

A victory would allow the Roadrunners to stay in the chase for third or fourth place at the end of the regular season.

Finishing third or fourth is meaningful in that those two teams would need to win only three games in three days next month in Birmingham to claim the American’s postseason title.

Fifth or sixth-place teams would need to win four games in four days.

Records

South Florida 15-10, 8-4
UTSA 12-11, 7-5

Coming up

South Florida at UTSA, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Wichita State, Feb. 21, 1 p.m.

Notable

In a 52-43 home victory over the Temple Owls Tuesday night, the Roadrunners hit only one of 15 shots from three-point range.

UTSA is 53 of 188 on threes in 12 conference games for 28.2 percent.

UTSA is outscoring opponents by an average of 60.2 to 58.5 points per game in conference. The team’s point production in conference ranks last in the league, while the team ranks first in points allowed.

UTSA sophomore forward Mia Hammonds emerged from a shooting slump in the Temple game Tuesday night, scoring 10 points on five of seven shooting.

In her three previous games, she scored only a combined nine points and shot two for 14 from the field.

An energy player who can contribute in multiple facets of the game when she’s playing well, Hammonds enters the South Florida game averaging 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds.

South Florida wins 109-88 as UTSA loses its 15th straight

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Trailing by five points late in the first half and by two at intermission, the South Florida Bulls shot 68 percent the rest of the way and rolled to a 109-88 victory Wednesday night, dealing a 15th straight loss to the UTSA Roadrunners.

Brent Moss. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Brent Moss, shown here in a file photo from last fall, exploded Wednesday night for a season-high 32 points against South Florida. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Izaiyah Nelson scored 25 points on 11 of 14 shooting from the field, including multiple dunks, to lead the Bulls in front of their home crowd in Tampa, Fla.

South Florida entered tied for third place in the American Conference men’s basketball race, while UTSA came in as the last-place team.

But in a surprise, it didn’t turn into a runaway until deep in the second half, when the Roadrunners, down by double digits, started to gamble on defense.

Regardless, South Florida (15-8, 7-3) kept pace with the leaders in the American and sent last-place UTSA (4-18, 0-10) to its 16th loss in 17 games.

Junior college transfer Brent Moss scored a season-high 32 points to lead the Roadrunners. Moss, who played the last two seasons at Barton Community College in Kansas, finished 10 of 16 from the field. He also hit seven of nine from three.

In the second half, the Bulls did a good job on Moss, keeping him from attempting a shot from the field for 10 minutes. Down the stretch, Moss hit three of seven after South Florida had started to run away with it.

UTSA coach Austin Claunch said in his postgame radio interview with Andy Everett that he knew South Florida would make a run in the second half. But a 12-2 run in the first six minutes seemed to super-charge an already talented team.

From there, the Bulls went from a 69-59 lead to 83-68 in only four minutes. The Roadrunners responded with a push of their own, pulling to within 83-74 with 8:27 remaining on a Daniel Akitoby stick back.

But that was as close as they would get to a Bulls team that would eventually widen the lead to 24 points in the last 20 seconds.

“The way they play, and as well as they move it and shoot it, if you play 30 seconds of bad basketball, it can lead to a 7-0 run,” Claunch said. “They really do a good job. They had 25 assists. They have great shooters.”

Claunch said he still feels good about his team even though it hasn’t won a game since Nov. 25 and several key players are out for the season.

“Let’s go,” Claunch said in the postgame interview. “We got eight more (games left in the regular season). Wins are coming. We feel good about our (preparation) and our work with the guys we have in our locker room.”

Other positives for the Roadrunners included Jamir Simpson, who scored 24 points. As Simpson created his own shots off creative drives to the hoop, he knocked down eight of 15 from the field and finished with his eighth 20-point game of the season.

Akitoby also enjoyed a big night with 14 points and eight rebounds. South Florida defended well against two other UTSA threats, with Austin Nunez scoring seven points to go with six assists. Forward Baboucarr Njie went scoreless with two rebounds in 16 minutes.

Records

UTSA 4-18, 0-10
South Florida 15-8, 7-3

Coming up

North Texas at UTSA, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notable

Later Wednesday night, Trae Broadnax and Nick Anderson scored 22 points each as the Rice Owls held on at home to beat the North Texas Mean Green, 86-83, in double overtime.

Rice improved its record to 4-6 in the conference and to 10-13 overall. North Texas will come into San Antonio for Saturday’s game against UTSA with a record of 3-7 and 12-11.

Despite the program-record losing streak, the Roadrunners traveled to Florida with some momentum.

Last week, playing at home, they led the Temple Owls with four minutes remaining and ended up losing by six. They stayed with the UAB Blazers for 38 minutes before losing by 10.

UTSA’s Brent Moss and Jamir Simpson both attended high school in Lima, Ohio. Moss, who played on a national title team at Barton, is a native of the Bahamas.

Freshman guard Dorian Hayes and Baboucarr Njie were both listed as questionable in the pre-game player availability report.

Hayes didn’t play against South Florida, while Njie logged 16 minutes, missed all three of his shots from the field and pulled down only two rebounds.

Njie, another Ohio native, occasionally has emerged as one of the best players on the floor for UTSA.

Twice since Jan. 14 he has scored 20-plus points. The 6-5 forward recorded blocked shots in seven straight games before failing to get one against the Bulls.

First half

Moss erupted for 23 points on five of five shooting from 3-point distance, leading the Roadrunners to a 50-48 lead on the Bulls.

It was a surprising development for South Florida fans in Tampa, as UTSA came into the game on a 14-game losing streak and averaging only 68 points a game.

Tied for third place in the American, the Bulls initially didn’t have a defensive answer for the Roadrunners, who shot 62.1 percent from the field in the half.

Two UTSA players who played their high school ball in Lima, Ohio, sparked the Roadrunners.

Moss knocked down seven of nine from the field and five of five from three.

With three minutes left in the half, he scored his 20th point, which gave him a season-high. He buried his fifth three with 35 seconds left, lifting UTSA into a 50-45 lead.

Simpson, who has led the Roadrunners in scoring all season, brought an aggressive attitude to the floor. Driving and creating space with a large frame, the 6-6 Simpson hit five of nine shots for 14 points.

High-flying Nelson led the Bulls with 15 points. Point guard CJ Brown added 12.

Aiming to stop a 14-game skid, UTSA men play at South Florida

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Update: UTSA guard/forward Baboucarr Njie and guard Dorian Hayes are both questionable to play Wednesday night against South Florida, according to the player availability report.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA Roadrunners men’s basketball will play in Tampa tonight against the high-scoring South Florida Bulls, hoping to put an end to a program-record 14-game losing streak.

The Roadrunners haven’t won a game since Nov. 25 in Jacksonville, Fla, when they defeated Georgia Southern, 77-64. They haven’t won a road game since Nov. 15 when they downed the Denver Pioneers, 84-79.

UTSA has played more competitive basketball recently, losing by six to Temple and by 10 to the UAB Blazers in San Antonio last week.

Over the two games, Jamir Simpson has started to shoot the ball at a higher percentage, making 15 of 29 from the field while averaging 16 points.

Transfer Brent Moss also is getting more playing time, averaging 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds against Temple and UAB.

Guard Austin Nunez from San Antonio is averaging 13.4 points and 2.4 assists in conference. The former all-state player at Wagner High School scored in double figures in UTSA’s first eight conference games.

South Florida ranks 10th in the nation and leads the American Conference in scoring offense, averaging 89.5 points. The Bulls are No. 1 in scoring in conference games only at 87.3 points.

Izaiyah Nelson, Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion are the Bulls’ top offensive threats. Nelson averages 15 points and a conference-leading 10 rebounds.

Enis (15 points) and Pinion (14.8) rank as the Bulls top two perimeter scorers. Enis and Pinion have knocked down 146 three pointers between them.

Nelson and Pinion transferred into South Florida from Arkansas State.

Records

UTSA 4-17, 0-9
South Florida 14-8, 6-3

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Wednesday, 6 p.m.
North Texas at UTSA, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notable

The Bulls are playing under their fourth head coach in four years in Bryan Hodgson, who worked previously at Arkansas State.

After four straight losing seasons under Brian Gregory, South Florida hired Amir Abdur-Rahim, whose first team went 25-8. Abdur-Rahim died in October of 2024 after suffering complications following a medical procedure.

Last season, the Bulls forged ahead with a staff led by interim coach Ben Fletcher, a member of Abdur-Rahim’s staff. Rocked by their coach’s death, the Bulls finished 13-19, including 6-12 in the American.

Hodgson, hired at South Florida last spring, arrived in Tampa having posted records of 20-17 and 25-11 in the last two seasons at Arkansas State.

With a road test looming at South Florida, UTSA’s Claunch brushes off questions about his job

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UTSA coach Austin Claunch. Tulane beat UTSA 85-52 in American Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch dismisses the idea that he would like to turn the season around so that he can quiet speculation about his job status. Rather, he says he wants it as a reward for his players, who have worked hard enough to deserve it. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The questions for UTSA men’s basketball coach Austin Claunch keep getting tougher and tougher.

Even though his team played a more competitive brand of ball twice in the past 10 days, the Roadrunners lost twice at home, once by six points to Temple, and then by 10 to UAB, extending a troublesome, program-record losing streak to 14 games.

By the weekend, a story was published in the San Antonio Express-News that suggested his job might not be secure. Claunch, in the second year of a five-year contract, said Monday he wasn’t surprised to be asked about it.

“We’re in a competitive sport,” said the coach, who is 16-36 with the Roadrunners. “We’re at a high level (in the American Conference). Our expectation is to win, especially coming off (our first year). We thought we were really close. Where we were, I think we finished tied for ninth.

“But a lot of those games were in the balance. You felt like you were closer, in the middle of the pack (in the standings). Certainly, we felt like we did things in the offseason that put us in a position to take a step (forward), and so far we haven’t, right.”

After a 12-19 season a year ago, with a 6-12 record in the American, the Roadrunners are currently 4-17 and 0-9, respectively, going into the second half of the conference slate. It’s a nine-game stretch that starts with a road contest against the South Florida Bulls on Wednesday.

“For me, it’s all about figuring out how to improve where you are,” Claunch said. “At the end of the day, when you’ve lost however many we have in a row, and your record is where it is, you deserve to get those questions.

“Trust me, I hope everybody’s frustrated, fans … we want to win. We’re here to win and we’re here to win championships at UTSA. That goal is never going to change. So, that’s certainly still our goal. And, of course, we want that to happen right now.”

Claunch said he doesn’t take being the head coach of the Roadrunners lightly.

“It’s a privilege anywhere you’re a head coach in the country,” he said. “There’s only 365 of these things. So you better have an urgency every time you come in here, to figure out how to take the next step.”

The next step is figuring out how to slow down the high-scoring Bulls, now 14-8 and 6-3, who average a league-best 89 points per game.

Led by first-year coach Bryan Hodgson, the Bulls play a crowd-pleasing style. In conference, they have scored triple figures once, in a 109-106 double-overtime home loss to UAB, and they have twice notched 90 or more in wins at Tulsa and Tulane.

UTSA will travel with the second-longest active losing streak in the nation, but Claunch is a competitor, and he wants more than anything to lead off the second half of the conference slate with a victory.

Asked what it would mean to him, to win at South Florida a few days after he has fielded questions about whether he thinks he’ll be given a chance to return in his job next season, Claunch answered carefully. He said the South Florida game is not about him.

“I don’t think about it in terms of my job security,” Claunch said. “I think about it more for these (players). The way they’ve been working, they certainly deserve to finish the regular season on a high note. The way they’ve worked and continued to fight.

“And so, South Florida, North Texas, East Carolina, Wichita (State), whoever it is, we want to continue to work and win as many games as possible and see where that puts us here in the next nine games. It doesn’t really have anything to do with me.

“We knew that this was a process and we knew that we had an uphill battle. And, certainly, I love to coach. And I’m going to show up and be who I am every single day. Right? And these guys (the players) have done the same thing, which is why we believe their success for this program is right around the corner, in some way, shape or form.

“Whether that’s Wednesday or Saturday, whatever it is, these kids will deserve it, and that’s the biggest thing that I’m focused on and why we continue to work the way we do.”

Records

UTSA 4-17, 0-9
South Florida 14-8, 6-3

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Wednesday, 6 p.m.
North Texas at UTSA, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notable

Last summer, after almost all of his roster entered the transfer portal, Claunch and his staff re-stocked the roster with 10 new scholarship athletes. Vasean Allette, the top player recruited out of the portal, has not played and is out for the year for personal reasons.

Three others, Macaleab Rich, Stanley Borden and Pierce Spencer, have all sat out long stretches of the season with injuries. Rich and Spencer are out for the season. With only half the conference slate to be played, Claunch said it’s possible Borden will be redshirted.