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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-Corpus Christi. 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.

Claunch wins in UTSA debut, 103-77, as his Roadrunners roll past Trinity in second half

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Guard Primo Spears hit four straight shots, including three jumpers in a row, as UTSA pulled away down the stretch to register a 26-point victory over Trinity. Spears finished with a team-high 27 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The first regular-season game in Austin Claunch’s career as UTSA’s men’s basketball coach was definitely not an easy victory over a cupcake, as the final score might suggest.

For one thing, the Trinity Tigers weren’t a cupcake at all. They played a sweet offensive style that kept them in the contest well into the second half.

For another, it took all of the Roadrunners’ will and resilience to claim a 103-77 victory on Monday night at the Convocation Center.

Austin Claunch. The UTSA men's basketball team beat Trinity 103-77 on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Austin Claunch coached his first game at UTSA and got the win but said later that his team has plenty of things to correct. -Photo by Joe Alexander


Guard Primo Spears and small forward Raekwon Horton ignited a late 17-2 run by UTSA to salt the game away.

“Anytime you win, it’s good,” Claunch said. “I tell these guys all the time, I want to win every game, (by) one point, 10, whatever it is. You got to find a way to win. Give Trinity a lot of credit. They do a hell of a job. Jimmy (Smith) is an excellent coach.

“There’s a reason they’re top ten in the country (in D-III). They got a real chance to compete for a championship.”

In the first half, Trinity sophomore Christian Green and junior Ty Williams started off as hot shooters, pacing the Tigers to an early five-point lead. After a turnover, Williams drove for a layup and a 12-7 advantage five minutes into the half.

A little more than 10 minutes in, Green popped a 10-footer off the side, and Carter Ruck followed with a three to make it 25-23 in favor of the visiting Tigers, a non-scholarship program located off Hildebrand Ave. and IH 37 in central San Antonio.

In the second half, playing against the city’s major Division I program on the northwest side, the Tigers kept hanging around. With 14:42 remaining, Jacob Harvey hit a long three from the top of the circle. The shot put Trinity up by one point, and Harvey celebrated the moment by pausing to make a face at some of the UTSA fans.

A few minutes later, Trinity was still in the game. Will Brunson hit a step-back jumper, pulling the Tigers to within one with 12:14 left.

Around that time, Spears took charge. He sliced his way through the Trinity zone to find open spaces and scored eight points over the next few minutes, allowing UTSA to expand its lead to 81-65 with 6:16 left. Trinity never got closer than 14 the rest of the way.

Trinity's Christian Green. The UTSA men's basketball team beat Trinity 103-77 on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Trinity’s Christian Green is a sophomore from Veterans Memorial High School. He finished with 15 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Just attacking,” said Spears, a 6-foot-3 transfer from Florida State in his first game at UTSA. “You know, I try to get to the paint as much as I can. Not only for myself, but for others. I thought we shot the ball well at the end of the game. I opened up the floor and got to the paint and, you know, got to my spots.”

Horton helped ignite the rally, as well with a couple of steals that led to baskets. On one play, the 6-6 James Madison transfer stole an inbounds pass and hit a layup to help break the Tigers’ spirit.

“I was in his ear every huddle, every media (timeout), just saying, it starts with him,” Spears said. “He had a tough night in the paint but that’s not like him. I just wanted to emphasize that he’s a big part of this team, and he showed it. He got four or five steals in the second half, and I’m proud of him.”

Before the game started, there was a tension in the UTSA camp. Claunch went out for a two-mile afternoon run to clear his head. The players, all except Naz Mahmoud playing for the first time at home for the Roadrunners, might have been a little tight.

“Probably nerves but good nerves,” Horton said. “Everybody was excited to play. Amped up. I think it was just nerves at the beginning of the game. Like I said, we had to just settle in.”

Records

UTSA 1-0
Trinity 0-0
The game counted as an exhibition for Trinity

Individuals

Trinity – Jacob Harvey, scored 17 points and hit five of nine from three. Christian Green, had 15 points and five rebounds. He knocked down six of 10 from the field.

UTSA – Primo Spears scored 27 points, including 19 in the second half. Marcus “Smurf’ Millender had 19 points and seven assists. The two starting guards combined on 15 of 27 shooting from the field. Center Jaquan Scott produced 16 points and six rebounds. Damari Monsanto, 12 points on four of 10 shooting from three. Jonnivius Smith came off the bench for nine points, 10 rebounds and four steals.

Notable

UTSA shot 52.4 percent from the field in the second half. For the game, the Roadrunners shot 47.4 percent, had 21 steals and forced the Tigers into 28 turnovers. UTSA outrebounded Trinity 37-35 but dominated on the offensive glass with 17 boards.

The Roadrunners played without two key players, guard Tai’Reon Joseph and 6-foot-11 center Mo Njie. Joseph is ineligible over what is believed to be academic issues. It’s uncertain how many games he will need to sit out. Njie, with a groin injury, did not suit up. Guard Paul Lewis missed some practice last week but rallied to play 12 minutes.

Coming up

North Dakota at UTSA, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Halftime

The UTSA Roadrunners arrived at the Convocation Center ready to run for first-year Coach Austin Claunch. Surprisingly, the Tigers were more than up to the task. Trinity held its own for the first 20 minutes of the game before the Roadrunners forged a 43-41 lead at intermission.

Scott, Spears and Millender carried the load offensively for the Roadrunners. Scott, a 6-8 forward, made five of six from the field and scored 12 points. Spears had nine points and Millender eight. Millender passed for five assists and Spears three.

Green led the Tigers with 10 points. He hit four of eight from the field for the Tigers, who shot 48 percent from the field and 60 percent from three. In three-point shooting, Trinity was more effective and more efficient, hitting six of 10 to UTSA’s six of 19.

UTSA center Jaquan Scott works inside for a basket late in the first half. Scott led the Roadrunners with 12 points at intermission. – Video by The JB Replay

Austin Claunch set to coach his first regular-season game for UTSA tonight

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Austin Claunch. The UTSA men's basketball team on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

First-year UTSA coach Austin Claunch spent last season working for the Final Four-bound Alabama Crimson Tide. Previously, he worked five seasons as head coach of the Nicholls State Colonels. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The introductory press conference is now old news. The first summer conditioning session has been completed. Preseason fall camp? It’s been relegated to the history books.

Austin Claunch will make his regular-season debut as coach of the UTSA Roadrunners tonight when they host the Division III Trinity University Tigers.

Tipoff is set for 7 o’clock at the Convocation Center for what will be the opener of the 44th season of men’s college basketball at UTSA.

“Seems like just yesterday I was here for the (first) press conference,” Claunch said in a Zoom call Monday morning. “It’s certainly flown by. Exciting time for our guys who have been battling and competing against each other for the last couple of months. It’s good it’s here. (Tipoff) can’t come fast enough.”

Claunch arrived on campus in April after helping the Alabama Crimson Tide reach last year’s NCAA Final Four. In a nearly complete roster overhaul, most of the players from last year’s team hit the transfer portal to play for other schools.

As one of the youngest coaches in the nation at age 34, Claunch didn’t flinch at the challenge. He responded by signing 12 transfers to scholarships over the summer. Most said the reason they picked UTSA was the coaching staff.

“He’s like one of those coaches I can relate to,” UTSA small forward Raekwon Horton said. “You go ride around (with him). Get a bite (to eat). Just chat. We’re always talking, inter-acting. (He’s) very cool.”

Observers have noted an amped-up competitive spirit among the coaches and players. One practice recently had players rolling on the floor battling for loose balls and knocking each other out of bounds while going for rebounds.

The Roadrunners’ plan calls for them to play a physical style defensively, with the idea that the stops will lead to a fast-paced offensive attack.

“Pace,” senior guard Primo Spears said. “That’s just what we’ve been preaching all summer and all offseason, just playing with pace. We’re definitely going to shoot a lot of threes. And we’re going to defend at a high level.

“Our offense is going to be there because of our defense and how we guard. If we can get stops and get out on transition, we’re going to be hard to deal with.”

Center Mo Njie also said he likes the idea that the Roadrunners will attack with players who have a variety of skills.

“We have a lot of versatility and depth on this team,” Njie said. “I think that’s a lot of strength that we have, you know, that we can go anywhere and play all 40 minutes with different guys, different lineups.
And, just, our ability to come out and compete every time. Like, that’s our competitive edge.”

The Roadrunners will need the depth to come through as they are scheduled to play tonight without high-flying guard Tai’Reon Joseph, a transfer from Southern University. Joseph is sitting out for an undetermined number of games for unspecified reasons, though coaches feel confident he will be available before conference play starts.

In addition, Njie, a 6-11 center, is regarded as questionable for the Trinity game with a groin injury. Guard Paul Lewis, who had been limited in practice recently with a sore foot, is expected to play.

Njie came out of a scrimmage in Houston against McNeese State hobbling. He hasn’t practiced much since. Claunch said he “looks much better” lately. “He did some non-contact stuff yesterday,” the coach said.

Claunch didn’t announce his starters for tonight, but he could go with 6-8 Jaquan Scott and 6-9 Jo Smith in the post, flanked by Damari Monsanto on the wing, with Spears and Marcus Millender at guard.

The reserves might include David Hermes in the post, with both Horton and Skylar Wicks, a transfer from Incarnate Word, on the wing. Horton, one of the team’s best athletes, is expected to play heavy minutes this season.

Coming up

North Dakota at UTSA men, 6 p.m.

Notable

For Trinity, the game is an exhibition and won’t count on the Tigers’ record. Trinity finished 23-4 last year and lost in the first round of the NCAC Division III playoffs. The San Antonio-based Tigers are led by fifth-year coach Jimmy Smith.

UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston said sophomore guard Aysia Proctor “has taken a step away from the program. “She’s going to take care of some off-court challenges,” the coach said. “I do not have a timetable on her return to play.” Aston’s Roadrunners will open the season Thursday in College Station against the Texas A&M Aggies.

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

Roadrunners haven’t spent much time worrying about an AAC preseason slight

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners didn’t get much love from coaches in the American Athletic Conference during the league’s media days a few weeks ago. The coaches picked UTSA in a tie for 11th place in the 13-team AAC.

UTSA center Mo Njie says that players haven’t spent much time discussing it.

“People don’t really believe in us,” said Njie, a 6-foot-11 SMU transfer. “They don’t think we have the talent or the skill to come out and perform. But, I mean, I think that’s the beauty of it, honestly. Now we have the chance to come together and really show what UTSA basketball is all about.”

The Roadrunners will conduct an intra-squad scrimmage on Wednesday and then will make final preparations over the weekend in advance of the season opener against Trinity University on Monday, with game time set for 6:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

“It’s time to get out here and see where we are, see where we need to get better,” first-year coach Austin Claunch said . “I expect us to play well (in the opener), but I also don’t expect that to be the team you see in March, either.

“We’re going to have to make strides throughout the course of the year on both sides of the ball and really lean into know who we are and figure out our identity as we go. But, no, we’re excited to get out here and compete.”

Notable

Guard Tai’Reon Joseph’s playing status for the season opener remains in question because of a waiver request to the NCAA that remains unsettled. Joseph, a 20-point scorer at Southern University last season, is believed to be sidelined for the first seven games unless UTSA gets a reprieve.

“He’ll play at some point for UTSA,” Claunch said. “You’ll certainly see him in the AAC (games) and hopefully sooner than that.”

Joseph, one of the team’s most explosive offensive players, was held out of UTSA’s 21-point exhibition setback at Southern Cal because of the eligibility question. In a scrimmage against McNeese 10 days ago, he scored 11 points, knocking down a couple of three-pointers.

Center Jaquan Scott finds his rhythm with UTSA basketball

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Jaquan Scott. The UTSA men's basketball team on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Mississippi State transfer Jaquan Scott is expected to play center and power forward for the Roadrunners. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Center Jaquan Scott rebounded above the rim, defended and also made his fair share of shots from the field Thursday afternoon at UTSA.

Afterward, a visitor was waiting for Roadrunners coach Austin Claunch as he left his office, asking, “So Jaquan decided to take over practice today?”

Claunch didn’t disagree with the premise to an obviously leading question.

“He had a great day,” the coach replied, noting that a good week of work for Scott started last Saturday in Houston.

That was the day that UTSA played the McNeese State Cowboys, the defending champions in the Southland Conference.

The Cowboys, who won 30 games and made an NCAA tournament appearance last March, had to rally from a 12-point deficit in the second half to beat the Roadrunners by three. Claunch confirmed that Scott played well against McNeese.

“Scored and rebounded and guarded at a high level,” Claunch said. “He’s just really confident right now. He’s getting into a rhythm of how he’s going to be effective for us. I really like where he’s at. I think he’s just starting to scratch the surface.”

Scott, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound transfer from Mississippi State University, is expected to play both power forward and center as a senior this season for the Roadrunners.

He seemed to revel in extra work Thursday that came his way because of an injury that has sidelined center Mo Njie. Especially at the defensive end, Scott seemed to have a bounce in his step.

Springing for rebounds and guarding the paint, he made his presence known. For the Roadrunners, it’s a good time for the big man to emerge, with the season opener scheduled Nov. 4 at home against Trinity University.

Asked where Scott would play once the season starts, Claunch indicated that coaches will have options.

“To be honest, he was really good as a small-ball five (at center) against McNeese,” Claunch said. “But also, if we want to go bigger, we can play him at the four. We’re still trying to figure out our best lineups. But, certainly, we feel confident with him on the floor regardless.”

In closed scrimmages, fans aren’t allowed to watch and statistics aren’t posted, so it’s hard to assess the team’s play objectively.

But coaches seemed pleased with the way the Roadrunners battled from behind, trailing by double digits at the half and then surging into a double-digit lead down the stretch.

“I thought we played really well,” Claunch said. “Obviously that’s a good team over there. Well coached. They have tournament experience. They have a coach (Will Wade) who’s coached at a high level.

“They have really good players. They’re an older group that has NCAA tournament aspirations like us.

“I thought we played well. We were down a little bit. Then we went on a run. Got up a little and it was a dogfight. A close game at the end.”

Scott grew up in the DFW area and played at Mansfield Timberview for one season. He also played two seasons for Universal Academy in Irving and one season at the TLAP Academy in Tallahassee, Fla.

Out of prep school, he spent two years at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville, Utah, where he averaged 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds as a sophomore.

At Mississippi State last season, he played sparingly, appearing in only 11 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.5 rebounds.

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UTSA’s Claunch sees a ‘positive light’ in lessons learned at USC

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Austin Claunch. UTSA men's and women's basketball teams at Rowdy Jam at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch, encouraged by his team’s competitive spirit in a 21-point loss at USC on Tuesday night, nevertheless said he wants his team to learn from their mistakes. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Competing with a fiery purpose against a Power 4 team and playing their first exhibition game on the road, the UTSA Roadrunners finally started to unravel in the last 12 minutes Tuesday night.

They trailed by only three points at halftime and by four when floor leader Primo Spears popped in a 13-foot jumper with 12:13 remaining. From there, the USC Trojans kicked it into gear, obviously intent on winning big for first-year coach Eric Musselman on their home court at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

The Trojans took advantage of a few poor possessions by the Roadrunners and ignited a 31-14 run to the end of the game, en route to an 84-63 victory.

On Wednesday night, first-year UTSA coach Austin Claunch sat in his office, trying to unpack all the emotions emanating from his debut game with the Roadrunners.

His team, playing without guard Tai’Reon Joseph, one of its top athletes, stayed within striking distance for almost three fourths of the game.

“Overall, I thought the experience was great,” Claunch said. “I thought there were more things to take away in a positive light than not.”

Before the team left the arena, the coach told his players a story. He told them how the Alabama Crimson Tide failed to win in the preseason last year.

“And we made the Final Four,” said Claunch, who worked as an assistant last year in Tuscaloosa. “So these games, win or lose, you got to learn to get better.”

More than anything, he stressed that if a team wants to be good in March, it needs to learn how to handle pressure situations.

“We got to learn to be tougher in those moments and not break down and not give them easy baskets,” he said. “They didn’t give us anything easy. Everything that we got in that game was earned. They made us work.

“And on the flip side, there were just moments where we didn’t make them work for baskets. At the highest level of basketball, you can’t do that.”

Claunch said he held Joseph out as UTSA awaits word from the NCAA on a waiver.

“There’s a waiver process that we’re waiting on,” the coach said. “I’m not going to dig into the details of it. A lot (happened) over the last couple of months, and we realized we needed to file this waiver for him. He’s going to get it, is what it looks like. He hasn’t gotten it yet. We were expecting to hear at the end of last week (and) we didn’t. We were hoping to hear Monday. By the time the game started (Tuesday), we didn’t.”

Joseph is a transfer from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. A jet-quick, 6-foot-3 guard, he has played extremely well in preseason practices at UTSA. Last year, Joseph led the Southwestern Athletic Conference in scoring, averaging 20.5 points per game.

Claunch said he hopes to be able to play Joseph on Saturday in Houston against the Will Wade-coached McNeese State University Cowboys. The contest is a closed scrimmage, and no fans are allowed to watch. It is the final scrimmage of preseason for the Roadrunners, who open at home on Nov. 4 against Trinity University.

The coach said he planned to start Joseph against the Trojans in Los Angeles. “He’s been playing great in practice, obviously,” Claunch said. “You’ve seen it, and how he plays.”

Even without Joseph, the Roadrunners held their own for the first half, trailing only 35-32 at the intermission break. After reviewing the game tape twice, Claunch described the team’s defense on USC as “pretty elite” for the first 20 minutes of the game.

“To go into their place in the first half and to keep it close, we felt good,” Claunch said.

Offensively, it was another story. The Roadrunners misfired on eight of their first 11 shots from the field against the switching style of the Trojans defensively.

“We felt like the lid was going to come off that rim (for us) at some point,” the coach said. “But you know, they actually did a great job. They made it hard on us. They were switching one through five., which was tough, especially with their length and their athleticism.”

Spears, unofficially, was 0 for 6 from the field in the first half. Heating up after halftime, he finished 5 of 16 for 14 points. He also had two assists and two steals. Marcus “Smurf” Millender finished with 12 points and four assists. As a team, the Roadrunners shot 38 percent from the field and 24 percent from three (7 of 29).

On Monday, Spears was in the Dallas area speaking with reporters at an American Athletic Conference media event, so he didn’t get to practice the day before the game. The only chance he had to shoot in the arena was at shootaround on Tuesday morning, which could have affected his rhythm, Claunch said.

Near the end of the first half, when he was on the bench in foul trouble, coaches noticed that he seemed engaged and into the game.

“When I took him out, I told him, “We’ll see how the half goes’ ” Claunch said. ” ‘Maybe I’ll put you back in. Maybe I won’t.’ And he was great. I think he showed leadership over there on the bench, keeping guys positive. Good energy. That, to me, is good for just the long-term success for this program, with guys understanding that some moments are their (moments) and some are their teammates.

“I think Primo is doing a fantastic job at being a leader and a pillar of this program.”

Having some fun and gearing up for a new season at Rowdy Jam

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UTSA men's basketball team at Rowdy Jam at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men’s basketball team players cheer on a teammate at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After a grueling summer of conditioning, followed by fall practices, athletes and coaches for the UTSA men’s and women’s basketball teams kicked back and had some fun Wednesday night at the Convocation Center. In an event billed as Rowdy Jam, coaches took the court and said a few words on a cordless mic to a smattering of fans. Players were introduced, one by one. Finally, the athletes showed off in some shooting games, highlighted by a couple of halfcourt heaves that found the bottom of the net. It won’t be long before the campaign gets underway for real. The UTSA women open with a Nov. 1 exhibition against St. Mary’s University and then a Nov. 7 regular-season opener at Texas A&M. The men open Nov. 4 at home against Trinity University.

UTSA men's and women's basketball teams at Rowdy Jam at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men’s and women’s basketball teams, showing off for the fans. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Damara Allen. UTSA men's and women's basketball teams at Rowdy Jam at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA freshman Damara Allen celebrates after drilling a shot from halfcourt. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Damari Monsanto. UTSA men's and women's basketball teams at Rowdy Jam at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Damari Monsanto – photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA men's and women's basketball teams at Rowdy Jam at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins – Photo by Joe Alexander

Rowdy Jam primer: UTSA women earn their respect in the American

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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

High-scoring forward Jordyn Jenkins returns to play for a UTSA team that hopes to improve on last year’s 18-15 finish. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women’s basketball program is slowly starting to gain respect around the American Athletic Conference. This time last year, there wasn’t much buzz about the Roadrunners. This year, entering their second season in the AAC, they’re picked to finish fifth among 13 teams despite the loss of two key players, Elyssa Coleman and Kyra White.

Coleman has retired medically with knee problems, while White took the opportunity to turn pro.

In Coleman, a 6-foot-3 post, the Roadrunners had a steady scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. With White, a 5-9 guard who works now for a pro team in Ireland, they had a do-it-all backcourt performer who played defense, rebounded and also split time with Sidney Love in running the offense.

Sidney Love. 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

Junior guard Sidney Love averaged 9.6 points on 36.1 percent shooting from the field last season. – File photo by Joe Alexander

White ranked among AAC leaders with 34 minutes per game.

Even with those two stalwarts no longer on the team, the new-look Roadrunners that fans will see Wednesday night at Rowdy Jam could very well have more upside than the ones that finished 18-15 last season. By the time conference season rolls around in late December, they could be more dangerous than the group that finished 10-8 and took a No. 4 seed into last season’s AAC tournament.

More than a few offseason developments have allowed the Roadrunners to dream even bigger this season.

First, forward Jordyn Jenkins is working her way back into peak conditioning. Jenkins, who sat out the first 21 games last year rehabilitating a knee injury, is expected to be a stronger player than the one that averaged 17.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 12 games at season’s end.

She’s had a full summer of conditioning to get stronger, which according to the plan, at least, should help her return to the level of play that allowed her to become the Conference USA Player of the Year in 2022-23. Recently, she was named as a preseason, first-team all-conference pick.

“I think for Jordyn, her focus just needs to be getting back physically,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said earlier this summer. “When I say physically, I’m talking about conditioning (and) being able to withstand night after night of high-minute games.”

In addition to an improved Jenkins, the Roadrunners’ returning players have stepped up their games, as well. This would include high usage players last season, such as Love, Aysia Proctor and Idara Udo, who all played more than 30 games and started 20 or more. Love had 32 starts and averaged 30 minutes. Among players who didn’t play heavy minutes last season, Siena Guttadauro has been playing extremely well in practice lately.

Giving UTSA even more firepower are six new players, notably, transfers Nina De Leon Negron and Nyayongah Gony. De Leon Negron is a 5-6 point guard who can run the offense, score and rebound. Gony, a long-armed, 6-4 forward with speed and jumping ability, has shown flashes of becoming an impact defender.

It wouldn’t be a major surprise, either, to see one or two of Aston’s four incoming freshmen push for playing time. With depth at all positions, a group highlighted by 6-foot-3 shooting guard Mia Hammonds from Steele is a luxury for Aston, who is entering her fourth season at UTSA.

“I think we have a lot of potential to be great,” Jenkins said Monday at the AAC media day. “We have so much talent. We’re all trying to fit into one team and one working offense. We have potential to start off strong and be undefeated (early in the season). It’s just about building our chemistry and keeping up the good work.”

Love said she thinks UTSA has “a very high ceiling,” adding, “We have a lot of versatility in lineups and different areas that we can be good at. So, I don’t know. I think this team has a lot of potential.”

Stepping in to fill the void left by Coleman, the UTSA program’s all-time shot block leader, Udo is a likely starter at center with Jenkins at power forward. Off the bench, Gony and returning forward Cheyenne Rowe should figure prominently into the mix in the frontcourt. Two freshman, Ross and freshman Emilia Dannebauer, will supply depth.

As for the minutes vacated by White, Aston is looking at using Love, De Leon Negron and Guttadauro either as point guards or shooting guards. Any one of the three, paired with Proctor, an explosive shooting guard, should give the Roadrunners a dynamic backcourt.

“I think what we have added is going to work in our favor,” Jenkins said.

The difference in UTSA from last year to this year may be in style. Last year, the Roadrunners sometimes got bogged down into slower-paced games, scoring in the 50s and 60s. Players have talked about an emphasis on playing faster to take advantage of the team’s speed.

“There’s a lot of good teams out there,” Love said. “Good teams look different. I feel like, last year, we had a good team. Kyra White, key players like her, of course they’re missed. But this year we have a chance to do something like make some noise in the American conference with the new additions to our team.

“Everybody adds,” Love said. “They don’t take away from the team. I think it’ll be interesting for the people to see.”

Notable

Rowdy Jam, marking the tip-off to the 2024-25 UTSA men’s and women’s basketball seasons, is set for Wednesday at the Convocation Center. Start time is 7 p.m., and admission is free.

The event will feature free pizza for UTSA students, an introduction to the players and coaches on the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and interactive games involving players and UTSA students in attendance.

The UTSA women play an exhibition on Nov. 1 at home against San Antonio’s St. Mary’s University, a Division II program. They’ll open the regular season on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, a power-conference program from the Southeastern Conference. The Roadrunners will return home on Nov. 9 to face the UT Rio Grande Vaqueros.