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Tulane wins American Baseball Championship title to claim an NCAA automatic bid

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The Tulane Green Wave will play in the NCAA baseball tournament once again.

Jackson Linn hit his second home run of the game with two out in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday, boosting the Green Wave to an 11-10 victory over the Wichita State Shockers for the American Baseball Championship title.

Powered by five home runs in the title game, the Green Wave clinched the postseason crown and an NCAA tournament automatic bid out of the American Athletic Conference for a second straight season.

In a game that went back and forth, third-seeded Tulane built a 3-2 lead after three innings. Undeterred, fourth-seeded Wichita State answered with five runs in the fifth to take charge, 7-3. In the end, though, the Green Wave had more pop in their bats.

They scored three runs in the fifth and fourth more in the sixth, building a 10-7 advantage. The Shockers had one more burst in them, crossing three runs in the seventh to tie the game.

In the top of the eighth, Tulane lefthander Luc Fladda relieved with one out and retired the next two Wichita State batters in order. Fladda would finish the ninth, as well, working around a two-out hit by pitch to shut down the Shockers again.

Wichita State lefty Hunter Holmes, throwing well in the bottom half, struck out Colin Tuft and retired Marcus Cline on a ground ball as the possibility of an extra-innings showdown loomed.

Linn had other ideas. He stepped to the plate, and on a 2-2 count, drilled a pitch that landed beyond the left field fence for the game winner. Flada (4-3) became the winning pitcher, while Holmes (1-4) took the loss.

Records

Wichita State 32-29
Tulane 35-24

Notable

The American is expected to send two of its teams into the NCAA tournament. Tulane will get the automatic bid, and East Carolina at 43-15 overall is expected to receive an at large. The 64-team bracket will be announced Monday.

The American’s tournament had a six-day run at the BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. UTSA, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, lost its first two games and bowed out last Wednesday.

The Roadrunners won seven of their nine AAC weekend series, including one in New Orleans in which they swept all three games from the Green Wave.

UTSA finished 32-24 overall and 17-10 in conference.

Wichita State, Tulane set to play for the AAC’s postseason title

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The Wichita State Shockers will play the Tulane Green Wave today in the title game of the American Baseball Championship.

They’ll throw the first pitch momentarily in a game that will be staged in Clearwater, Fla., at the BayCare Ballpark.

Let’s take a look at the teams vying for the American Athletic Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament:

Wichita State

Overall record: 32-28

In the American championship tournament: 3-1 … Beat UAB 8-2 on May 21 … beat East Carolina 14-4 on May 23 … lost to East Carolina 4-5 on on May 25 … beat East Carolina 12-2 in eight innings (run rule) on May 25.

Last 10 games: 8-2

Record in the AAC regular season: 15-12

In nine games covering the last three AAC weekend series: 7-2

Record versus Tulane: 1-2 (at Wichita, Kan.)

Versus UTSA: 2-1 (at San Antonio)

Top hitters: Camden Johnson, .328, 2 HR, 28 RBI; Derek Williams, 14 HR, 44 RBI.

Today’s starting pitcher: Tommy LaPour, 6-3, 4.12 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, .226 batting average against.

Tulane

Record overall: 34-24

In the American championship tournament: 3-0 … Beat FAU 14-2 in 7 innings (run rule) on May 21 … beat Charlotte 7-5 on May 23 … beat FAU 13-1 in 7 innings (run rule) on May 25.

Last 10 games: 8-2

Record in the AAC regular season: 15-12

In nine games covering the last three AAC weekend series: 6-3

Record versus Wichita State: 2-1 (at Wichita, Kan.)

Versus UTSA: 0-3 (at New Orleans)

Top hitters: Brady Marget, .335, 9 HR, 53 RBI; Connor Rasmussen, .324, 7 HR, 48 RBI

Today’s starting pitcher: Chandler Welch, 7-3, 4.41 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, .296 batting average against.

American conference expected to send two teams to the NCAA baseball tournament

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The American Athletic Conference is expected to send two teams to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

The Tulane Green Wave and the Wichita State Shockers will play one game for the title in the American Baseball Championship on Sunday in Clearwater, Fla. The winner will claim the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA’s 64-team field.

The East Carolina Pirates are expected to be an NCAA at-large selection based on their strong showing in the regular season.

Tulane and Wichita State emerged from the semifinals to claim spots in the American title game.

The Green Wave advanced in only one game in the semifinal round, dispatching the Florida Atlantic University Owls, 13-1, in seven innings on the run rule. It took two games for the Shockers to eliminate the Pirates.

East Carolina claimed a 5-4 victory in a wild one, when Dixon Williams stole home with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a three-run rally. The win forced a second game between the teams, in which the Shockers rebounded to win 12-2 in eight innings on the run rule.

American Baseball Championship semifinals are underway in Clearwater

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The field in the American Baseball Championship has been trimmed to four, with the tournament semifinals set to commence today in Clearwater, Fla.

The Wichita State Shockers will play the top-seeded and regular-season champion East Carolina Pirates at 9 a.m. Central, followed by the Tulane Green Wave and the Florida Atlantic Owls 47 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

As many as four games could be contested today because the Pirates and the Owls will need to win twice to knock out their opponents.

East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin will be serving the second of a two-game suspension. If the Pirates win, he will be able to come back in the re-match.

The title game in the six-game conference tournament is set for Sunday at 11 a.m. at the BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater.

Today’s matchups

East Carolina (42-14) vs. Wichita State (31-27) – The Shockers enter the semifinals with tournament victories over the UAB Blazers (8-2) and the Pirates (14-4). Wichita State caught fire with a regular-season series win at UTSA has now won nine of its last 10 overall. The Shockers will need to win Saturday and again Sunday in the American title game to secure an NCAA tournament bid. The Pirates, based on their strong regular season, are likely a lock to make the national field. East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin will be serving the second game of a conference-mandated suspension.

Florida Atlantic (28-28) vs. Tulane (33-24) – The Tulane Green Wave look to be in good shape coming into the semis with four straight victories and a day’s rest. On top of that, the Tulane pitching hasn’t had to work quite as hard as some others this week after beating FAU 14-2 in seven innings on the run rule Tuesday. The Green Wave downed Charlotte 7-5 on Thursday. Both the Owls and the Green Wave will need to win the tournament in Clearwater to secure an NCAA automatic bid.

Notable

Both once-beaten East Carolina and Florida Atlantic stayed alive with victories on Friday.

Playing without All-American Trey Yesavage (injury) and Dixon Williams (one-game suspension), and also without coach Cliff Godwin (suspension), the Pirates beat Rice 8-7 Friday to stay alive. They opened the tournament by beating Rice, 12-4, on Tuesday and then losing to Wichita State, 14-4, on Thursday. Godwin was suspended for his actions in the 14-4 loss.

Florida Atlantic’s season has also been on the brink all week.

Sixth-seeded FAU took a 14-2 loss to Wichita State on opening day on Tuesday before bouncing back the next day to down the UTSA Roadrunners, 12-5. With new life, the Owls surged into a seven-run lead on the Charlotte 49ers Friday and then held on as Danny Trehey pitched shutout innings in the eighth and ninth to secure a 10-8 victory.

Undefeated Wichita State, Tulane reach semis in American Baseball Championship

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The Wichita State Shockers and the Tulane Green Wave have played their way into commanding position to reach the title game in the American Baseball Championship.

In the tournament being staged at Clearwater, Fla., both lead their double-elimination brackets with 2-0 records and are already slotted into the semifinals, which will be held on Saturday.

Matchups in the semifinals will be determined Friday by the outcome in two elimination games.

In one bracket, the Rice Owls play the East Carolina Pirates at noon Central time. In the other, which will start 47 minutes after the conclusion of the first game, the Charlotte 49ers will play the Florida Atlantic Owls.

The losers will be eliminated and the winners will move on to play Saturday. The Rice-East Carolina winner will play Wichita State. The Charlotte-FAU winner will take on Tulane.

A possibility exists that four games could be played in the bracket semifinals. Teams coming out of the losers’ bracket will be eliminated with one loss. But both Wichita State and Tulane would need to be beaten twice.

The championship game has been set for Sunday at 11 a.m. Central.

Thursday’s results

Wichita State beat East Carolina, 14-4
Tulane beat Charlotte, 7-5

Notable

The conference announced Friday morning that it has suspended East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin for two games and East Carolina player Dixon Williams for one following a play against Wichita State Thursday.

Godwin was ejected from Thursday’s game and assessed an additional two-game suspension for violating NCAA Rule 2-26-h, which states that “no team personnel may continue to argue or to continue to excessively express themselves with prolonged action or offensive language after an ejection,” according to a news release.

Williams was ejected from Thursday’s game and hit with a one-game suspension for violating NCAA Rule 8-7, which prohibits “unnecessary and violent collisions with the catcher at home plate, and with infielders at all bases.”

Friday’s schedule

Rice vs. East Carolina, noon
Charlotte vs. Florida Atlantic, 47 minutes afterward

Eliminated

Both the UAB Blazers and UTSA Roadrunners have lost twice and have been eliminated.

UTSA wins 12-6 to sweep three games from Tulane on the road

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Red-hot Mason Lytle homered in his fourth straight three-hit performance Sunday afternoon as the UTSA Roadrunners recorded an American Athletic Conference series sweep on the road with a 12-6 victory over the Tulane Green Wave.

Playing their inaugural season as members of the American, the Roadrunners took three games in three days against the Green Wave and moved into a tie for first with the Wichita State Shockers.

Records

UTSA 16-12, 5-1
Tulane 15-13, 2-4

Coming up

UTSA at Incarnate Word, Tuesday, 2 p.m.

Notable

For UTSA, the road sweep was the program’s first in conference play since March of 2015 at Marshall. In addition, the victory was UTSA’s fifth straight, a season high.

Lytle continued his hot hitting with a three-for-five day. The junior from Pearland High School, a transfer from Oregon, hit safely in his 14th straight game. In that span, Lytle has 32 hits in 67 at bats for a .477 average.

In a streak within a streak, he also has recorded multiple hits in 11 straight games, including four straight with three hits. For the season, Lytle’s batting average is listed at .405. He entered the day leading the American in that category.

In the series finale, Hector Rodriguez and Caleb Hill also produced big numbers at the plate. Rodriguez had three hits and three RBIs. Hill had two hits and two RBIs.

Lytle’s homer came in the fourth inning, a three-run shot that he pulled to left field. The blast lifted the Roadrunners into a 6-2 lead.

Starting pitcher Ulises Quiroga (2-0) set a career-high by working seven innings. The righthander from Baytown allowed two runs on four hits. Quiroga walked three and struck out five.

UTSA clinches its first AAC road series with an 11-7 victory over Tulane

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners scored four runs in the top of the first inning Friday night and cruised to their fourth straight win, an 11-7 road victory over the Tulane Green Wave.

With the win, the Roadrunners also clinched their first road series in the American Athletic Conference. UTSA has won two straight games in the past two nights at Tulane, in New Orleans, going into Saturday’s series finale.

UTSA, breaking out with 17 hits, won the game with offense. But the defense played well, committing only one error, and the pitching with Zach Royse and Daniel Garza seemed to get tough when it counted.

Garza (2-1) earned the victory by pitching 5 and 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out seven. Garza shut out Tulane in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

On offense, Tye Odom produced four hits and three RBIs. Mayson Lytle had three hits in extending his streak with at least one hit to 13 games, during which he has produced a .468 batting average. He has had multiple hits in his last 10 games.

Records

UTSA 15-12, 4-1
Tulane 15-12, 2-3

Coming up

UTSA at Tulane, Saturday, noon.

Notable

UTSA strung together five straight hits and scored four runs in the first inning off Tulane righthander Chandler Welch. With one out, Mason Lytle singled to left, extending his hitting streak to 13 games.

Alex Olivo followed with a long fly ball, a single, that was dropped at the wall. Since Lytle couldn’t risk running full speed, he stopped at second. At that point, UTSA started to play aggressively, executing a hit and run with Matt King, who laced an RBI single to center.

On the next play, with runners at first and second, Tulane caught a break when James Taussig’s hot shot to the right side hit King on the foot. As a baserunner, King was out automatically and Taussig was on first with a single.

From there, the Roadrunners exploded, with Tye Odom smashing a long fly ball that got over the center fielder’s head for a two-run triple. On the play, a relay throw was wild and skipped into the Tulane dugout. Odom was awarded an extra base, and he scored to make it 4-0.

Baseball: UTSA rolls past Tulane 6-3 in series opener at New Orleans

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners on Thursday kept playing winning baseball in the early days of the American Athletic Conference race, cruising to a 6-3 road victory over the Tulane Green Wave.

In the first game of a three-game series at New Orleans, UTSA took charge behind the pitching of Rob Orloski and Ruger Riojas and the hitting of Mason Lytle, Matt King and Tye Odom.

Orloski allowed only one run on five hits in the first 4 and 1/3 innings, followed by the final 4 and 2/3 from Riojas.

Riojas gave up two runs on three hits, including a two-run homer in the ninth by Colin Tuft, to end the game. He struck out seven and walked none and picked up the win, improving his record to 5-0.

Tulane lefthander Luc Fladda (0-1) took the loss despite pitching fairly well. He yielded only three runs on six hits. Fladda had the Roadrunners swinging and missing, striking out eight.

Lytle, UTSA’s leadoff man, extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He went three for five for his ninth straight multi-hit game.

King, batting second, had four hits in five at bats, including two doubles and an RBI. Odom delivered with a solo homer in the fourth inning.

The Roadrunners entered the series on an upswing, having won two of three at home last week against the nationally-ranked East Carolina Pirates. The Roadrunners also won a non-conference road game Tuesday night, beating the Baylor Bears, 9-7, in Waco.

Records

UTSA 14-12, 3-1
Tulane 15-11, 2-2

Coming up

UTSA at Tulane, Friday, 6:30 p.m.; UTSA at Tulane, Saturday, noon.

Surprising Tulane women sink 13 threes in defeating UTSA, 75-64

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Tulane Amira Mabry

Forward Amira Mabry, a Tulane sophomore from San Antonio-area Judson High School, scored 15 points Sunday to lead the Green Wave to a 75-64 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

College basketball sometimes is just a crazy game. Sometimes, up is down and down is up. That might be one explanation for what happened Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

The Tulane Green Wave women entered the matinee at UTSA with an 0-4 record in their four American Athletic Conference road games. UTSA came in 4-0 at home in the AAC.

So, what happened? Tulane knocked down 13 three-point baskets, held UTSA to 39 percent shooting and emerged with a 75-64 victory.

Elyssa Coleman. Tulane beat UTSA 75-64 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Elyssa Coleman led the charge for UTSA with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Coleman scored nine in the fourth quarter when the Roadrunners made a push to get back in the game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Amira Mabry, a Tulane sophomore from Judson High School, led the Green Wave with 15 points. She hit six of eight from the field, including two of three from the three-point arc.

For Mabry, the day was made all the more special given she had fans cheering her on from one section of the West Side seating of UTSA’s home arena.

“It felt like a home game,” Mabry said. “You know, this is the first time that I’ve been able to play in front of my whole family and support system since I’ve been in college, and it just felt really good.”

Guard Marta Golic led five Tulane players with multiple three-point baskets made with four. Mabry, Kaylah Rainey, Chiara Grattini and Kyren Whittington sank two apiece.

Another factor in the outcome turned out to be Tulane’s zone defense and its effect on UTSA’s offense, particularly early in the game.

Struggling to find a rhythm, the Roadrunners shot 4 of 19 from the field and turned it over five times in the first quarter. In the second period, the UTSA shooters did a little better, making 5 of 12 afield. Nevertheless, the offense continued to falter with another five turnovers for a maddening total of 10 in the half.

By that time, Tulane really started get hot from the perimeter. The Green Wave hit six triples in the second period and took a 36-23 lead into intermission.

Aysia Proctor. Tulane beat UTSA 75-64 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman guard Aysia Proctor played well, producing 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I think when we play together and communicate and work together, our zone (defense) is really our man,” Mabry said. “That’s just a big asset that we have.”

For the Roadrunners, a good sign for the program emerged with an announced crowd of 990 turning out on a sunny weekend afternoon in February.

UTSA coach Karen Aston thanked the fans for their support and said she wished her team could have played better.

“It just seemed to be one of those days that we didn’t have our best in us,” she said. “I didn’t think we had a sense of urgency about us, but I think Tulane played really, really well.

“I think sometimes you have to give some credit to your opponent and how they played the game. They shot the ball really, really well and we just didn’t have an answer for them today.”

Center Elyssa Coleman led the Roadrunners with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman guard Aysia Proctor scored 14 points and Sidney Love 10. UTSA finished with 26 of 66 shooting (for 39.4 percent) and 17 turnovers.

The Green Wave, who shot 55.1 percent for the game, played particularly well in the middle two quarters. They led by 18 at the end of the third period and by as many as 22 in the fourth.

Idara Udo. Tulane beat UTSA 75-64 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Surrounded by defenders in the paint all afternoon, forward Idara Udo had eight points on four of eight shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander

For UTSA (11-10, 5-5 in the American), the loss was a tough way to open the second half of the conference schedule after winning games in the first half against the Charlotte 49ers, the South Florida Bulls and the North Texas Mean Green.

The Roadrunners had beaten North Texas, the leader in the American, in overtime on Wednesday. A victory over Tulane would have elevated them into a six-way tie for fourth place. Instead, they fell back to ninth.

For Tulane (10-11 overall, 3-7 in the American), the victory represented a step forward. Last Sunday, the Wave lost at home to Temple by 18 points for their fourth straight loss. Since then, they have pushed ahead, winning at home against the 49ers on Wednesday and now on the road against the Roadrunners.

Records

Tulane 10-11, 3-7
UTSA 11-10, 5-5

Coming up

UAB at UTSA, Sunday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m.

Karen Aston. Tulane beat UTSA 75-64 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston’s Roadrunners had notched victories over Charlotte, South Florida and North Texas in conference before they fell on Sunday to the hot-shooting Tulane Green Wave. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Notable

UTSA outrebounded Tulane 39-21, including a 22-6 margin on the offensive glass. Coleman was a force on the offensive boards with nine. UTSA finished the game by hitting only six of 22 from the three-point arc. Tulane sank 13 of 28 triples.

First quarter

Much to the Roadrunners’ chagrin, the Green Wave scored the last eight points of the period and took an 11-10 lead after the game’s first 10 minutes.

Guard Marta Galic sparked the outburst with two threes, one from the top of the arc and the other from deep off the left wing.

Tulane’s zone defense was effective, limiting UTSA to 4 of 19 shooting from the field. The Roadrunners also turned it over five times.

Second quarter

Tulane’s inspired play at the end of the first period carried over into the second. The Green Wave hit eight of 13 from the field and knocked down six of of nine from three-point distance.

In the last three minutes, Tulane made four straight three balls to take a stunning, 36-23 lead on UTSA’s home court.

First, Kyren Whittington dropped back-to-back triples on the Roadrunners. Later, to end the half, Chiara Grattini did the honors with two straight.

All told, Tulane knocked down nine triples in the first half. Defensively, the Green Wave executed a zone defense that held the Roadrunners to nine of 31 shooting for 29 percent.

Third quarter

Even though the Roadrunners started off well, with Kyra White and Proctor making consecutive three-pointers to trim the lead to Wave’s lead to seven, Mabry and Galic answered with consecutive triples of their own to push the lead back to 13.

Later, UTSA constructed a 7-0 run capped by Siena Guttadauro’s corner three. When Guttadauro’s shot found the mark, UTSA was within eight with 4:27 to go. But Tulane promptly went on a 12-2 burst to take a 56-38 lead into the final period. Galic knocked down two threes in the streak.

Ivy-Curry sinks game-winning shot as UTSA edges Tulane, 89-88

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UTSA’s Jordan Ivy-Curry inbounds to Christian Tucker, who brings it up court. After a handoff, Ivy-Curry launches the game-winning, three-pointer with two seconds remaining. – Video by Joe Alexander.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Three days after scoring 38 points on the 23rd-ranked team in the nation, UTSA guard Jordan Ivy-Curry struggled to get anything going Wednesday night against the Tulane Green Wave. “Throughout the whole game, I couldn’t hit a shot,” Ivy-Curry said. “I just had to stay confident.”

In the game’s final, frantic moments, Ivy-Curry’s calm demeanor paid off. He took a hand off from Christian Tucker and sank a three-pointer from the right wing of the arc with two seconds left, lifting the Roadrunners to a pulsating 89-88 victory over the Green Wave.

Carlton Linguard Jr. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Carlton Linguard Jr. (No. 2) scored a career-high 31 points on 10 of 16 shooting from the field and six of 10 from three-point range. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I just knew it was going in when I shot it,” Ivy-Curry said. “I had put a lot of work in, (so) I knew the game was going to come back to me.”

After Ivy-Curry hit the mark on his shot, Tulane had one last chance with 2.3 seconds left. An announced crowd of 1,281 at the Convocation Center erupted in cheers as UTSA intercepted a three quarters, length-of-the-court pass.

It was over. The Roadrunners (8-12, 2-5) had snapped a troublesome four-game losing streak with their most prominent victory of the year, thanks in large part to the play of center Carlton Linguard Jr., who carried his team offensively and defensively for most of the night.

The 7-foot-1 center from Stevens High School notched a double double with a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds. He also had three blocks. The Green Wave (12-7, 3-4) had no answer for Linguard, who scored 20 in the second half.

Linguard hit 10 of 16 shots from the field and six of 10 from three.

“Carl showed up big-time for us,” Ivy-Curry said. “Without him, we wouldn’t have won. He kept us in the game. He hit some tough shots. He rebounded for us. He blocked a lot of shots for us today. I appreciate Carl.”

Tulane carried swagger into the game. Last year, the Green Wave broke through with a 20-11 season and a 12-6 record in the American Athletic Conference. It was the second straight winning record in conference for the Wave under coach Ron Hunter. The Wave also brought some momentum in, having knocked off 10th-ranked Memphis, 81-79, on Sunday in New Orleans.

As the game got underway, some of that good energy carried over as the Wave’s matchup zone defense created problems. It held UTSA to 1 for 17 shooting from the 3-point line in the first half. At one juncture, the visitors led by nine with six minutes left.

In the end, it wasn’t quite enough to beat UTSA, though guard Jaylen Forbes and forward Kevin Cross were a problem all night. Forbes sank five triples, while Cross was a constant nuisance, hitting eight of 15 from the field. Both scored a team-high 23 points.

Chandler Cuthrell. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Chandler Cuthrell pulled down a team-leading 11 rebounds as UTSA beat Tulane on the boards, 48-33. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners arrived at the arena with a businesslike attitude, intent on making amends for a 2-8 stretch in which they lost four close games to quality opponents, including overtime losses to Top 25 teams Memphis (107-101) and Florida Atlantic (112-103).

“We needed this one bad,” Linguard said. “We’ve had a lot of close games. We just had to figure out a way to win. We came together today and fought to get the (victory) … Coach kept talking about it. He’s telling us, ‘It’s going to happen. Just believe. Just keep coming to practice. Just keep fighting’ and come with the right mindset.”

UTSA coach Steve Henson was beaming in his postgame news conference, talking about how he enjoyed the night for his players, who have been through some tough times already this season.

“Really happy for our guys,” Henson said. “They’ve been fighting, hanging in there. Attitudes have been terrific. Kept their confidence as a group. We’ve been in several close games. Close games against good teams.

“I mean, Tulane’s a very good team … I think their conference record is a little bit deceiving. They’re a terrific offensive team, (and) what they do on the defensive end creates a lot of stress.”

For the Roadrunners, forward Trey Edmonds finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Forward Chandler Cuthrell came off the bench for 11 rebounds and nine points in a little more than 13 minutes. Not to be outdone, Ivy-Curry, totaled nine points, five assists and five rebounds. He finished 3 for 13 from the field and 1 for 7 from three.

Good thing for UTSA his only three-point make was the last one of the night.

First half

Following an officials review after the teams left the floor for halftime, the Roadrunners were awarded two additional points.

Tulane coach Ron Hunter. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Tulane coach Ron Hunter enjoyed a 20-11 season with a 12-6 record in the American Athletic Conference last year. His team was picked third earlier this fall in the 2023-24 preseason poll, and it had just defeated 10th-ranked Memphis on Sunday. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Initially, officials decided that a tip-in by Linguard in the last minute was interference inside the cylinder. After the review, Linguard was awarded the basket and the two points.

As a result, the Tulane Green Wave had a 41-40 lead on the Roadrunners at the break.

Flummoxed from the beginning by Tulane’s matchup zone, UTSA couldn’t get anything going from the 3-point arc. The amoeba-like defense covered up all the primary shooting areas behind the arc, leaving UTSA to shoot only 1 for 17 from distance.

At the same time, the Roadrunners did some things well, such as get themselves to the free-throw line. From there, they knocked down 11 of 13 and used their accuracy to stay within striking distance throughout the half.

Tulane had a 38-29 lead with 3:30 remaining when Kevin Cross knocked down a jumper from the side. Cross turned to face the UTSA players on the bench and ran downcourt. If he said something to the Roadrunners, it may have lit a fire.

UTSA promptly went on an 11-3 run to the intermission buzzer.

Records

Tulane 12-7, 3-4
UTSA 8-12, 2-5

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Trey Edmonds. UTSA beat Tulane 89-88 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Trey Edmonds dunks two-handed and takes a blow from an opponent. from behind. No foul was called. Edmonds finished with 11 points and eight rebounds as the Roadrunners beat the Tulane Green Wave by one. – Photo by Joe Alexander