By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The short-handed UTSA Roadrunners traveled to Lubbock for their season opener hoping to claim a victory over a power conference opponent.

Texas Tech’s Lady Raiders had other ideas entirely.

Staying within a few baskets for most of the first half, the Roadrunners — using only eight players — couldn’t sustain the effort after intermission.

As a result, the Lady Raiders kept forcing poor offensive possessions, started to hit shots at a high rate of efficiency and pulled away on Thursday night for a 79-52 victory at United Supermarkets Arena.

Tech proved to be extremely dangerous from behind the 3-point arc, knocking down 11 for the game.

UTSA, winners of a school-record 26 games and the regular-season title in the American Conference last year, never could find much of an offensive rhythm.

The Roadrunners shot 26.9 percent from the field and turned it over 27 times. UTSA will continue its first road trip of the season Saturday at the Houston Cougars.

Bailey Maupin led the Big 12 Conference’s Lady Raiders (2-0) with 19 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter.

Snudda Collins added eight of her 16 points in the fourth, when the Lady Raiders broke from a 12-point lead in the game and then ran away with it, 28-13, to the final buzzer.

Junior Idara Udo, who was second team all conference last year when the Roadrunners won the American, led the Roadrunners with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. Guard Damara Allen scored 12 while hitting two 3-pointers.

Also, freshman point guard Adriana Robles added 10 points, three rebounds and one assist. Ball movement was a problem all night as Udo, Robles, Allen and Mia Hammonds all had six turnovers.

Notable

Guard Sidney Love sat out her second game for the Lady Raiders because of what was announced on television as a medical condition. Love started the last three years at point guard for the Roadrunners.

Seven scholarship players did not play for the Roadrunners, who have announced that sophomore forward Taylor Ross and freshman forward Sema Udo have suffered season-ending injuries.

Others not playing against Texas Tech included:

–Senior point guard Ereauna Hardaway, a transfer from North Texas who split point guard duties with Robles during preseason practices. Hardaway played on Oct. 25 in UTSA’s 106-51 victory over Texas A&M-San Antonio in an exhibition

–Three returning players from last season, including senior guard Maya Linton, 6-4 forward Nyayongah Gony and guard Siena Guttadauro.

–Also, guard Saher Alizada, a junior college transfer.

With the victory, Texas Tech improved to 15-0 against UTSA all time. The loss extended a long streak for the Roadrunners, who have now dropped 26 games in a row against power conference programs. Aston is now 0-10 against teams from the power conferences going into her fifth year at UTSA. The Roadrunners will play three more power teams in non conference this season, including Houston, Auburn and Baylor.

Quotable

UTSA coach Karen Aston told broadcaster Neal Raphael in the postgame: “I thought we played as hard as we could through some things. Then I think the bucket got a little bit bigger for them in the second half. You know, we couldn’t make shots. We got a young group that is going to have to learn ball reversal, playing inside out. There’s just some stuff that we’re going to go through. I can’t rush what’s going to happen with this team.”

First half

The Lady Raiders knocked down five 3-point shots in the half en route to a 34-26 lead at intermission. Playing to the buzzer with poise, Tech hit from beyond the arc at the end of both the first and second quarters.

In both opening quarters, the Roadrunners played well defensively, rebounded and stayed within one or two possessions the Lady Raiders. But at the end of the first period, Tech’s Denae Fritz buried one out of the corner to make it 17-11.

As the game moved into the second period, the Roadrunners kept coming at the home team. The Lady Raiders led by seven, but UTSA scored six of the next eight points.

Idara Udo hit from inside. Adriana Robles split the defense with a driving layup and Cheyenne Rowe buried a 15-footer from the free-throw line. When Rowe’s shot went down, the Roadrunners pulled to within 27-24 with 3:03 remaining.

From there, the Lady Raiders ratcheted up defensive pressure and forced a series of empty possessions by the Roadrunners. On the other end, Bailey Maupin sank a 12 footer off a drive. Gemma Nunez made a couple of free throws and then Adlee Blacklock sank a triple from the corner.

When Blacklock’s shot splashed, the Red Raiders held an eight-point halftime spread. Tech ‘s defense set the tone in the half, holding UTSA to 29.6 percent shooting and forced 14 turnovers. Udo led the Roadrunners at the half with seven points and six rebounds.

The Roadrunners, with several athletes unavailable, had eight players log minutes in the first half.

For the Lady Raiders, forward Jalynn Bristow led in scoring at the half with eight. She hit three of eight from the field, including a three. Maupin, a veteran guard, scored six. Guard Sidney Love did not play for Tech. Love transferred in the offseason after starting three seasons at UTSA.