Tag Archives: UTSA Roadrunners

Raekwon Horton won’t play for UTSA in AAC tournament

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Raekwon Horton at UTSA men's basketball senior day 2025.

Raekwon Horton averaged 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 34 minutes per game for the Roadrunners. His most memorable moment came when he scored a season-high 23 in UTSA’s 54-50 road victory over the North Texas on Feb. 1.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If the UTSA Roadrunners men’s basketball team hopes to make noise in the American Athletic Conference postseason tournament, they’ll have to do it without senior forward Raekwon Horton.

“He won’t be with us on the trip and obviously you won’t see Raekwon for the rest of the year,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch said.

Primo Spears. Memphis beat UTSA 75-70 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Primo Spears was named second-team all conference in the AAC on Tuesday. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Claunch made his remarks on Tuesday afternoon, just before the Roadrunners boarded a bus and headed for Fort Worth.

While the AAC men’s tournament opens in Denton on Wednesday, the remainder of the tournament starting Thursday will be in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena.

The 11th-seeded Roadrunners will play their first game Thursday at 8 p.m. against the No. 6 East Carolina Pirates. It’ll be the fourth of four second-round games played that day.

Horton played a major role for the Roadrunners in his one and only year with the program, averaging 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 34 minutes.

He played 25 games, notched three games with 20 or more points, produced 13 in double figures and added four with double-figure points and rebounds.

His most memorable contribution came on Feb. 1 when he scored a season-high 23 points as the Roadrunners upset the North Texas Mean Green 54-50 in Denton.

The Mean Green went on to construct a 23-7 season, including 14-4 in the AAC, good for a No. 2 seed in the tournament.

Horton played his last game for the Roadrunners on March 2.

In his finale, he was honored on Senior Day in a pre-game ceremony. Then he started and played 19 minutes as the Roadrunners routed the Rice Owls, 84-56. Horton finished with two points and seven rebounds.

He has not played in UTSA’s last two games, including a five-point loss at home to AAC champion Memphis and a three-point road victory at Charlotte. Claunch said after the Memphis game that Horton was away from the team on personal leave.

Without Horton at the tournament, the Roadrunners likely will play with a seven-man rotation initially, though others could be pressed into action if they get hot and start to win.

“We feel good,” Claunch said. “We’ve won two out of three, and even during that losing streak, we felt like we played some really good ball. I know that’s easy to say. You got to find a way to win those games.

“That’s sort of the next progression of our program. Not just be in big games but find a way to win big games.

“It was great to finally win one of those close ones at Charlotte. We played really well against Memphis. We played great against Rice. And now we’re playing a good ECU team that we played two really competitive games against.

“So, we’re certainly excited to get on the bus and go compete.”

To win the tournament, the Roadrunners would need to win four games in four consecutive days. If they beat the Pirates on Thursday, they would play the No. 3 UAB Blazers on Friday at 8 p.m.

Potentially they would play No. 2 seed North Texas on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the semifinals. The finals would be played on Sunday at 2:15 p.m.

Records

East Carolina 10-8, 18-23
UTSA 6-12, 12-18

Coming up

UTSA vs. East Carolina, Thursday, at 8 p.m., at Fort Worth, Dickies Arena
(AAC tournament second-round game)

Notable

Guard Primo Spears was the only UTSA player honored in the AAC’s postseason awards announced on Tuesday. Spears, from Hartford, Conn., was named second-team all conference. He averaged 19.8 points and 4.0 assists.

Guard Marcus Millender enjoyed the best season of any UTSA player not named in conference’s honors list.

He averaged 14.6 points, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals. Since Jan. 11, Millender played 16 games, scored in double figures in all of them and notched at least 20 seven times.

In his first season at UTSA coach, Austin Claunch has led the Roadrunners to a 12-win season going into the tournament.

Though two of the victories came against sub-Division I competition, it’s the most total wins for a Roadrunners team since the 2020-21 season when they finished 15-11 under a previous staff led by former head coach Steve Henson.

The six conference victories are also the most for a UTSA team since the ’20-21 ball club posted a 9-7 record in Conference USA. That was the last season for former four-year UTSA standouts Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace, the Nos. 1 and 2 scorers in school history.

Rice women upset top-seeded UTSA in AAC tournament

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UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, scored a game-high 22 points as the Roadrunners fell to the Rice Owls in the AAC tournament quarterfinals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The Rice women’s basketball team cooked up some of its American Athletic Conference postseason magic on Monday in Fort Worth, upsetting the top-seeded UTSA Roadrunners, 62-58.

As a result, the No. 9 Owls will move into the semifinals with two victories under their belt, hoping to repeat last year’s four-game run that ended with a trophy for the AAC crown and a ticket to the NCAA tournament.

The loss leaves UTSA’s postseason destination in question.

At 26-4, the Roadrunners will hope for an at-large bid into the NCAA. But perhaps a more realistic path forward will lead to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, or, the WBIT.

Guard Sidney Love matched her jersey number with 11 points and had five assists for the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

As the AAC’s regular-season champions, UTSA is an automatic qualifier for the WBIT and is expected to play in it should the program not receive the NCAA invitation.

On Monday morning, UTSA earned mention as a team receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in the program’s 44-year history.

In turn, Rice seemed undeterred by the prospect of facing a team that had won nine straight games and had swept through the AAC regular season with a 17-1 record.

For the most part, the Owls carried the fight to the Roadrunners in the game played at Dickies Arena.

Rice outplayed UTSA in both the second and third quarters and then withstood a UTSA charge in the fourth to salt away the victory.

“I’m just really, really proud of our fight and our preparation for this game today,” Rice coach Lindsay Edmonds said. “We had a little bit of a get-back mentality. We’ve had two battles (with UTSA) this season that we felt could have (gone) our way but didn’t.”

In the first of two regular-season meetings, UTSA roared from behind with a 24-9 fourth quarter to beat the Owls 67-58 on Jan. 8 in San Antonio.

In the rematch, on Feb. 22 in Houston, UTSA jumped out to a 22-6 lead deep into the first quarter and then held on to win 57-55 when Rice’s Dominique Ennis missed a three at the buzzer.

“Today we wanted to play 40 minutes, and we did that,” Edmonds said. “It was a well-balanced attack … a great win. Really, really impressed with our composure and poise.”

Karen Aston. Rice 62-58 in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, March 10, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston’s Roadrunners will leave Fort Worth with a 26-4 record. They’re guaranteed a bid in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament if they don’t get an at-large bid to the NCAA, – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA started a run at the outset of the fourth quarter, scoring the first eight points in an 11-3 stretch over five minutes and 20 seconds. When Jordyn Jenkins hit a driving layup, the Roadrunners pulled to within 52-51 with 4:40 remaining.

From there, Rice guard Victoria Flores nailed two three-point shots to ignite an 8-0 run, lifting the Owls into a 60-51 advantage and sending UTSA into scramble mode.

In the final 1:41, the Roadrunners could get no closer than the final margin of four, and that came with no time left on the clock when Jenkins followed in a missed three at the buzzer.

“Sometimes you need a little time to reflect on a loss like this,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “(Rice) played with a lot of intention, a lot of energy today, and we couldn’t seem to match it.

“We tried. I thought there were times that we tried to rally ourselves in timeouts, but we just couldn’t match the energy they played with.”

Senior Malia Fisher led the way for the Owls with a team-high 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Fisher assisted on the three that gave the Owls the late nine-point lead.

Also, freshman Aniah Alexis enjoyed her second strong tournament game with 15 points and nine rebounds. Ennis scored 13.

For the Roadrunners, Jenkins scored 22 points but missed her first eight field goal attempts and finished nine of 25 from the floor. The AAC Player of the Year also had seven rebounds and two steals.

Cheyenne Rowe scored 12 points on five-for-five shooting, and guard Sidney Love added 11. Nina De Leon Negron struggled, shooting zero for nine from the field. She produced two points, six rebounds, three assists and a couple of steals.

Records

Rice 16-16
UTSA 26-4

Coming up

The NCAA bracket will be revealed on Sunday. If the Roadrunners don’t get a bid, they’re expected to play in the WBIT. First-round WBIT games are scheduled for March 20.

First half

Fisher and Alexis combined for 18 points in the first half as the Owls took a 32-28 lead on the UTSA Roadrunners.

Nina De Leon Negron. Top-seeded UTSA lost to ninth-seeded Rice 62-58 in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, March 10, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA point guard Nina De Leon Negron had two points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. She shot zero for nine from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Rice held Jenkins scoreless in the first period and for much of the second before Jenkins came alive with seven before halftime.

Both teams went without scoring a point for almost the first three minutes of the game before UTSA’s Idara Udo hit a jumper with 7:14 remaining.

UTSA kept battling and forged a five-point advantage with 39 seconds left on a Cheyenne Rowe driving layup.

Fisher, who scored eight in the quarter, hit a shot at the end to bring Rice to within 13-11.

In the second quarter, the Owls picked up the pace, with Alexis stroking jumpers from the perimeter.

The freshman from Cypress Lakes High School in Waller scored eight in the quarter.

Notable

Rice played on Sunday in the second round and advanced through to the quarterfinals with a 76-63 victory over the UAB Blazers. In that game, Alexis led the Owls with 18 points and five rebounds.

UTSA was playing its first game in the tournament, as it had claimed a double bye to the quarterfinals by way of a top-four finish in the regular season.

The Roadrunners had reached the conference tournament semifinals in each of the past two seasons, in Conference USA in 2022-23 and in their first year in the American last year.

Cheyenne Rowe. Top-seeded UTSA lost to ninth-seeded Rice 62-58 in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, March 10, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Cheyenne Rowe hit five for five from the field and scored 12 points off the bench. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Becoming friends: UTSA’s Jenkins and De Leon Negron reflect on the journey

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Jordyn Jenkins and the UTSA women's basketball teams celebrates at the Convocation Center after winning the 2024-25 American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins led the Roadrunners to AAC regular-season title and into the tournament as the No. 1 seed. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA point guard Nina De Leon Negron and forward Jordyn Jenkins grew up in different worlds, and yet they are so connected, so in tune with each other on the basketball court, that when they play you almost expect to hear a symphony in the background.

When fans of the Roadrunners watch these two, they see passes from De Leon Negron thrown into the post, right on Jenkins’ fingertips.

Nina De Leon Negron. The UTSA women's basketball teams celebrates at the Convocation Center after winning the 2024-25 American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA point guard Nina De Leon Negron (right) had a few things to say to broadcaster Carlie Heineman after the Roadrunners clinched the AAC regular-season title. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Or, they’re thrown from the paint to the perimeter on a drive and kick, with Jenkins set up perfectly for a three-point shot. Two wondrously talented kids, making it look easy.

Moreover, they also seem to have a tight, sister-like bond off the court. You can see it in their occasional in-public, chit-chats with one another and also in their whimsical displays of mock outrage and disagreement on the silliest little things.

For instance, De Leon Negron recently joked in a news conference about a claim that Jenkins wanted to buy a ranch in Texas one day.

She questioned irreverently the notion that her friend could run a ranch, noting that after the team’s trip to Puerto Rico last Christmas, she came away with the impression that Jenkins is afraid of animals.

“Like, which one?” Jenkins said, her eyebrows arching.

“In Puerto Rico,” De Leon Negron replied, “you were scared of everything.”

Oh, well.

One thing that is not open for debate, is that Jenkins and De Leon Negron will work as a unified force for the Roadrunners to win the American Women’s Basketball Championship this week.

They’ll lead the top-seeded Roadrunners into the quarterfinals on Monday in Fort Worth against the Rice Owls, with tipoff at noon at Dickies Arena.

Rising above adversity

To understand their connection as players, it’s best to consider their back stories, and how both faced significant obstacles in basketball and life before they became recipients last week of major awards in the American Athletic Conference.

Jenkins, from Renton, Wash., overcame ACL injuries to both knees.

The first mishap came late in her career at Kentridge High School. As a result, she sat out her senior year and part of her first season at the University of Southern California. The next one came in 2023, about a month after completion of her first season at UTSA.

Though she returned to play for the Roadrunners late in the 2023-24 season, Jenkins wasn’t quite the same player that she was a year earlier, when she was named Player of the Year in Conference USA.

This season, Jenkins returned to form, winning Player of the Year honors in the AAC, while leading UTSA to a 26-3 record, including 17-1 in conference.

De Leon Negron also endured a long road to being named AAC Newcomer of the Year and second-team all conference. When the Puerto Rico native came to the United States as a teenager, she spoke very little English.

Nina De Leon Negron, Karen Aston, Jordyn Jenkins - USTA Senior Day.

Nina De Leon Negron, Karen Aston, Jordyn Jenkins at USTA Senior Day. – Photo by Joe Alexander

First, she moved to Florida to attend Montverde Academy, then to Tennessee for a two-year stay at Austin Peay University and later to San Antonio for two more years at the University of the Incarnate Word.

She admitted at times wondering whether she might be better off just going home.

UTSA coach Karen Aston said that with everything that Jenkins and De Leon Negron have been through, she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. In terms of leadership, Aston said the two know how to play off the coaches

For instance, if coaches are upset and “getting on” the players, then the two know how to become positive to lift up their teammates.

“Our staff is like that,” Aston said. “They’ve learned how to play off of each other too, and play off of me, and I think that’s always when you have a successful team is when your players can become an extension of your coaches. That’s kind of what (De Leon Negron and Jenkins) have become.

“Our team has a lot of personalities, but they are definitely in the lead as far as that’s concerned. They’ve learned what the team needs, and I think that’s probably because of the efforts that they’ve made off the court, to get to know their teammates and spend time together, so they probably know each other’s personalities a lot better than I even know that they do.”

Recalling their first interaction

In NCAA games played against one another, De Leon Negron is 1-0 against Jenkins, a fact that is the source of discussion between the two to this day.

It was in December 2022, when the 5-foot-6 De Leon Negron was in her first season at UIW and Jenkins, a 6-foot forward, was in her first at UTSA. It was also the first time that either had come face to face with one another.

De Leon Negron described the mood in the Cardinals’ camp as “really serious” at the time, playing a game that the school “needed to win.”

“I remember the scout (on) Jordyn Jenkins, like, we need to be all over her. She’s really good. She still had a really good game. But I do remember that I went for a layup and she blocked my shot and she yelled at my face.

“I don’t know what I did to her,” De Leon Negron said. “I actually wasn’t talking trash. That was our first encounter.”

The two talked about the game in a sit-down with UTSA media staff and media before a March 1 Senior Day game against Florida Atlantic.

Recalled Jenkins, “I honestly think that’s funny, how that was our very first interaction…like, me, getting switched on her. It was like a low clock. High ball screen switch. And, yeah, I blocked her shot. And, yeah, I don’t know what I said.”

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Florida Atlantic 60-52 on Senior Day to clinch the American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center.

In December 2022, Jordyn Jenkins and UTSA played on the road against Nina De Leon Negron and Incarnate Word at UIW. Jenkins blocked her shot, but De Leon Negron scored 18 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals won, 56-53. It was the first interaction between players who would later become teammates. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Later in the game, De Leon Negron was starting to impose her will, in more ways than one. She was on a scoring binge, bringing the Cardinals back from a deficit, leading into what she recalled as “the free-throw incident.”

With UTSA’s Sidney Love at the line and a little more than a minute remaining, the first free throw was missed.

“So I was coming in, to go to my position.” De Leon Negron recalled, “and I just, like, tap her on the back and say, ‘Good shot. Do it again.”

UTSA’s Kyra White heard the exchange and took exception to it, and apparently some words were exchanged. Ultimately, referees started to blow their whistles to sort out what was going on.

“I actually didn’t do anything,” De Leon Negron said. “I just wanted to get into her head. We ended up getting a double tech, or something. But we got the win, and that’s all that matters.”

For the record, De Leon Negron and the Cardinals, playing at home, defeated Jenkins and the Roadrunners, 56-53.

She played a major role in the outcome, scoring 18 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter. Even though the Roadrunners were upset at the time, the game also left an impression on Aston, who stepped in to recruit De Leon Negron immediately after she entered her name in the transfer portal last spring.

Becoming a Roadrunner

Today, De Leon Negron is a Roadrunner, and she has become one of Jenkins’ biggest boosters. Likewise, Jenkins said she knew from the first practices last summer that the addition of De Leon Negron to the squad was a plus.

“When Nina first got here, in the summer, I noticed how vocal she was and … knew how much of a hard worker she was,” Jenkins said. “She had already been getting shots up with one of our assistant coaches and one of our (former) players, as well. I knew that she was dedicated and that we were going to be on the same level mentally.”

The chemistry between the two developed quickly. Even in early practices last summer, De Leon Negron’s passes always seemed to be delivered to Jenkins with touch, leading to easy moves she could make around the basket.

“I mean, I kind of already kind of knew that I needed to get the ball to Jordy,” she said. “Not so we can score. But, like, kind of. It just makes everybody’s life easier, as I keep saying. But, she was just running the court and she was open, so I was just getting it to her.”

One day last summer, it looked to an outside observe like magic, as deft passes were delivered, and shots were made. It looked as if they had been teammates for months, not weeks.

“I feel like those practices in the summer, at the rec, they helped a lot,” De Leon Negron said. “Like, with our chemistry. I would see her running. It’s kind of hard sometimes with a post, because if they run, and one time you don’t give it to them, sometimes they get mad.

“Like, ‘I’m running. What are you doing? Why are you not passing it to me?’

“And I’ve never minded that. I’m like, ‘Jordyn, if you’re open and I don’t give it to you, tell me something.’ And she was kind of like, ‘I know you’re going to pass it to me every time I’m open.’ But I was like, ‘You need to tell me, because I need to know.’ Like, I like that.”

In explaining the early chemistry between the two, Jenkins said it’s always been her passion to work to get open for a shot.

“I’ve always played with a really good point guard,” she said. “I guess I know what they’re looking for and I think my IQ is really good, so … one thing I take pride in is … always trying to get open. Open in the post, however way I’m being guarded.

“You know, just trying to get my hand out. Catch any pass I can. I take pride in catching passes, as well, so I love assisting and I love catching passes.”

In the not-too-distant future, both players could be playing in the professional ranks. De Leon Negron is expected to have a chance to play pro ball, possibly in Puerto Rico. Jenkins could get a look from the WNBA.

De Leon Negron said Friday at UTSA that she wasn’t surprised her friend was named Player of the Year in the American.

“I’ve been telling Jordy all the time, ‘You’re good,’ “ she said. “Like, you should be in the league (in the WNBA). You’re going to be in the league.’ ”

Jenkins made it clear that she is focused on one thing, and that is winning the AAC postseason crown to assure a trip to the NCAA tournament.

“I’m just grateful, and just glad that we worked hard this season, and that we won all these awards,” she said. “But the job’s not finished, and we’re excited to keep going.”

Nina De Leon Negron. he UTSA women's basketball teams celebrates at the Convocation Center after winning the 2024-25 American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Five-foot-six UTSA point guard Nina De Leon Negron has been named as the Newcomer of the Year and second-team all conference in the AAC. – File photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men down Charlotte 83-80 in regular-season finale

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners will take some momentum into the American Athletic Conference tournament after registering an 83-80 road victory over the Charlotte 49ers on Sunday.

UTSA finished the regular season with two wins in its last three games.

According to the AAC website, the Roadrunners will be the 11th seed in the tournament and will face No. 6 East Carolina on Thursday at 8 p.m.

Records

UTSA 12-18, 6-12
Charlotte 10-21, 3-15

Coming up

UTSA vs East Carolina, AAC tournament, Thursday at 8 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth

Tournament glance

By winning twice in the last few weeks of the season, the Roadrunners avoided having to play Wednesday on the opening day of the tournament. At the same time, they will not have it easy, by any means, needing to win four games in four days for the title, starting with the East Carolina Pirates on Thursday.

East Carolina swept two games from UTSA this season, both in close battles that went down to the final seconds.

On Feb. 8 in San Antonio, the Roadrunners made a couple of turnovers and allowed a four-point lead to slip away in the final 48 seconds. The Pirates won 80-79 when C.J. Walker hit a turnaround jumper from 15 feet with four seconds left. On Feb. 23 at Greenville, N.C., RJ Felton scored 30 points and the Pirates claimed a 96-89 victory in overtime.

Notable

Playing with a seven-man rotation, UTSA was good on the offensive end, hitting 52 percent from the field and 50 percent from three, and Marcus Millender led the Roadrunners with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Primo Spears scored 19 to go along with six assists. Damari Monsanto also scored 19, knocking down a team-high four three-point shots in the process. Tai’Reon Joseph scored 11. Millender and Spears played 40 minutes and Monsanto 38.

The Roadrunners finished the last few minutes of the game without anyone taller than 6-foot-6 on the floor after both Jonnivius Smith and David Hermes fouled out. Raekwon Horton, announced last week as away on personal leave, did not play.

Six-foot-five freshman Baboucarr Njie played center for the last 1:58 of the game and made a big play to help secure the victory.

With UTSA leading by three, the Roadrunners put the ball in the hands of Spears, who dumped a pass off to Joseph cutting to the basket. Joseph missed the layup, but Njie crashed the offensive glass. He passed out to Spears, who was fouled and made two free throws with 11 seconds left for a five-point lead.

Kylan Blackmon scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half for the 49ers. Florida Atlantic transfer Nik Graves had 16 of his 21 in the first half.

Baseball: UTSA routs Texas Southern to set a school record with 13 straight victories

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

A game that started in warm and breezy conditions in the early innings turned into a struggle against the elements late as the sun went down, the temperature dropped and the wind kicked up into a bitter bluster.

UTSA baseball head coach Pat Hallmark. At UTSA media day at Roadrunner Field, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2005. - Photo by Joe Alexander.

Coach Pat Hallmark’s UTSA Roadrunners are 14-3 on the season after winning 13 games in a row. – File photo by Joe Alexander

For the UTSA Roadrunners, they took it all in stride as they broke a 31-year-old school record with their 13th straight victory. The previous record was 12 wins in a row established during the 1994 season.

“It’s nice to set records,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said after a 14-5 victory over the Texas Southern Tigers at Roadrunner Field. “We weren’t talking much about it. I didn’t even know until yesterday. (UTSA baseball information director) Kaden (Chumbley) told me about it yesterday.

“My wife asked me yesterday before I left the house. She said, ‘How many more until the record?’ I said, ‘I don’t know,’ and she didn’t believe me. I said, ‘I really don’t.’ But it’s wonderful. Yeah, setting records is a good thing.”

Drew Detlefsen scored four runs and Ty Hodge added three, while both of them matched Cade Sadler with three hits apiece for the Roadrunners. Sadler, Detlefsen, Mason Lytle and James Taussig each notched two RBI.

UTSA (14-3, including 12-0 at home) also benefited from slick defensive plays in the late innings, when weather conditions were at their worst, by freshman infielders Caden Miller and Jordan Ballin.

With three runs in and the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, the Tigers were rallying. Miller, at first base for the Roadrunners, gloved a one-out Jaden Jones ground ball and threw home for the force out to prevent a run.

Reliever Connor Kelley then finished the inning with a strikeout, fanning Jaden Flores, to end the threat. The sequence allowed UTSA to maintain an 11-5 lead and not give Texas Southern any more momentum.

In the top of the seventh, Ballin delivered with an athletic play to stuff the Tigers once again.

With a runner at first base, the UTSA shortstop ranged toward the middle to glove a Jonathan Trejo ground ball, stayed on his toes to tag the bag at second and then fired to first to complete a double play.

“Two freshman that are good defenders,” Hallmark said, “and they’re good hitters, too. Happy to have them. We need that good defense all year, so hopefully we keep getting it.”

Roadrunners’ pitching held the Tigers to seven hits — all singles — and survived a few rough patches to aid the cause.

Conor Myles, Sam Simmons, Connor Kelley and Kendal Dove combined to strike out 12 while walking only four. Dove (1-0) earned the victory by pitching scoreless ball and fanning two over the last two innings.

Meanwhile, the Tigers walked 14, hit a batter and threw three wild pitches in a game that lasted three hours and 30 minutes. Texas Southern starter Kewan Braziel (1-4) took the loss after yielding five runs in two and a third innings.

UTSA will try for a series sweep against Texas Southern on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.

Records

Texas Southern 4-11
UTSA 14-3

Coming up

Texas Southern at UTSA, Sunday, 2 p.m.

Notable

The 1994 UTSA baseball team, coached by Jimmy Shankle, finished with a 39-18 record in the program’s third year of existence. The Roadrunners won the postseason title in the Southland Conference and became the first in school history to play in the NCAA baseball tournament.

UTSA has won four games against Long Island, one each against Houston Christian and Oakland, Mich., four against Youngstown State, one against 14th-ranked Texas A&M and now two against Texas Southern in its 13-game streak.

In the Roadrunners’ 12-0 streak at home, they’ve outscored opponents 138-36.

Baseball: UTSA wins 12-2, rolling past Texas Southern for school record-tying 12th straight win

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Mason Lytle.

UTSA leadoff man Mason Lytle clubbed a three-run home run to highlight a five-run second inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Mason Lytle, Drew Detlefsen and Ty Hodge all homered in a 14-hit attack Friday night, allowing the UTSA Roadrunners to tie a 31-year-old school record with their 12th straight win, a 12-2 decision over the Texas Southern Tigers.

The game was called on the run rule in the seventh inning after back-to-back homers from Detlefsen and Hodge.

With the victory, the Roadrunners improved their record to 11-0 at home at Roadrunner Field. They have outscored opponents 124-31 in games played at home, including seven ended on the run rule.

Zach Royse. UTSA baseball beat Texas Southern 12-2 in seven innings on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA starter Zach Royse struck out nine in five innings. Allowing one run on three hits, he picked up the first win of his three-year UTSA career – Photo by Joe Alexander

Starting pitcher Zach Royse pitched five innings to notch the first win of his college career.

Throwing a nasty slider, he struck out nine and walked one while allowing one run on three hits. Royse is turning heads this season with 28 strikeouts in 21 and 2/3 innings, not to mention an earned run average that has dipped to 2.70.

Offensively, the Roadrunners were electric once again, with five players picking up multiple hits. Lytle, the leadoff man, went two for five and had five RBI.

He belted a three-run homer to left off Texas Southern starter Calvin McClendon to highlight a five-run second inning. McLendon lasted only two and a third innings and took the loss. He allowed nine runs, seven of them earned, on eight hits.

Records

Texas Southern 4-10
UTSA 13-3

Coming up

Texas Southern at UTSA, Saturday, 4 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners returned to open a three-game series against Texas Southern in the wake of a 7-4 road victory at 14th-ranked Texas A&M on Tuesday night.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi transfer Garrett Gruell went three for four with two RBI in his first game of the season for UTSA. Gruell batted in the No. 9 spot as the designated hitter.

Jenkins named AAC player of the year as four UTSA women win postseason honors

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women’s basketball team cleaned up with four individual postseason awards Friday a year after they didn’t get any, another sign of growing respect for the Roadrunners in the American Athletic Conference.

Two of the awards were fairly obvious to everyone after the Roadrunners rolled to a 26-3 record, including 17-1 for the AAC regular-season championship, and those included Jordyn Jenkins as player of the year and first-team all conference, and Karen Aston as coach of the year.

Two others honored included point guard Nina De Leon Negron and forward Idara Udo. De Leon Negron, a transfer from the University of the Incarnate Word, was newcomer of the year while both players were all-conference second team.

Jenkins led the AAC in scoring with 18.7 points per game. She also showed off a multi-faceted skill set with 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks. Offensively, she was efficient, hitting 48 percent from the field, 36 percent from three and 82 percent at the free-throw line.

The honor was the second for Jenkins in her UTSA career. In her first season in San Antonio after a transfer from Southern Cal, she was named in player of the year in Conference USA for the 2022-23 season.

In April of 2023, she suffered an offseason knee injury that forced her to miss most of 2023-24 season in rehabilitation.

During the time that she couldn’t play in games, she worked extensively on skill development. It led to her developing a more dependable three-point shot to add to her prowess in the post and the mid-range.

With more versatility, she ended up scoring 20 or more points in eight of 16 conference games this season.

“The only surprise to me was that she wasn’t unanimous,” Aston said.

Aston was a unanimous selection for coach of the year after leading the Roadrunners to a historic season, including their first AAC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in tournament. UTSA’s 26 wins are a program record, while their 17 conference victories are the second-most in AAC history.

De Leon Negron was a steadying influence as the team’s primary playmaker, while Udo helped make UTSA the conference’s best in rebounding.

“I told the group a few minutes ago, anytime you get an individual award, it’s based on what the team does,” Aston said. “It’s a team award, and I think that those two feel that way, that everyone’s been a part of these individual awards that are being given, but there’s no question they showed a true reflection of senior leadership this year.

“I mean, they produced and it’s always about production in this business, but their leadership skills were tremendous, along with (guard) Sidney (Love). You know, Sidney’s was tremendous and she didn’t rewarded for that, but again, she got rewarded with a championship.”

Another possible oversight in the awards was the absence of UTSA forward Maya Linton from the all-defensive team.

Notable

UTSA will play in the AAC tournament at Fort Worth as the No. 1 seed, starting Monday at noon in the quarterfinals against either the UAB Blazers or the Rice Owls.

The Roadrunners likely will need to win three games in three days for the conference’s postseason championship to get rewarded with a trip to the NCAA tournament.

In other words, even if they win twice and reach the finals and lose in the title game, it’s uncertain whether they would get an NCAA at-large bid.

If the Roadrunners fail to make the 68-team NCAA field, they are assured of a spot in the 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament.

Aston said UTSA has an automatic bid to the WBIT based on its regular-season title, and she confirmed that UTSA would play in that tournament if it is not selected for the NCAA.

Last season, the Roadrunners were ousted in the second round of the AAC tournament and played in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), reaching the second round.

UTSA women open in AAC quarterfinals on Monday at noon

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The top-seeded UTSA Roadrunners will play either the UAB Blazers or the Rice Owls on Monday at noon in Fort Worth in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship, according to the bracket released by the AAC.

Defending tournament champion Rice is the No. 9 seed, and UAB is No. 8.

Should UTSA win in the quarterfinals it would advance to Tuesday’s semifinals, scheduled for 6 p.m., against either Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, Tulsa or Temple. The highest seeds out of that group would include No. 5 Tulsa or No. 4 Temple.

If the other side of the bracket plays out according to seed, No. 3 South Florida would meet No. 2 North Texas in the other semifinal on Tuesday. Tipoff would be at 8 p.m.

The finals are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, with the winner of the title game earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Games in the AAC tournament will open on Saturday in Denton, with Sunday through Wednesday matchups at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Rice and UAB are scheduled to play Sunday at noon.

The Roadrunners, who enter the postseason at 26-3, finished 17-1 in the regular season. They are undefeated against everyone in the 13-team tournament field except for South Florida.

UTSA beat UAB 67-56 at home on Jan. 1.

UTSA is 2-0 against Rice, having beaten the Owls 67-58 at home on Jan. 8. On Feb. 22 in Houston, the Roadrunners escaped with a 57-55 victory over the Owls when Dominique Ennis missed a three at the buzzer.

Last year, Rice entered the tournament as the No. 10 seed and won four games in four days to win it all. The Owls hoisted the trophy after defeating the ninth-seeded East Carolina Pirates in the finals.

A day earlier, East Carolina ended No. 4 seed UTSA’s season in the semifinals.

The Roadrunners haven’t won a conference tournament in women’s basketball since they did it in both 2007-08 and 2008-09 in the Southland.

No. 16 Memphis men beat UTSA 75-70 to claim share of AAC crown and No. 1 tournament seed

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Jonnivius Smith. Memphis beat UTSA 75-70 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jonnivius Smith led the Roadrunners with 18 and hit three shots from behind the 3-point arc as UTSA played Memphis to the wire, only to fall in the final seconds. The Roadrunners dropped to 11-18 on the season and to 5-12 in the American Athletic Conference. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

This time a year ago, the Memphis Tigers were in the midst of a frustrating collapse.

With one of the most talented rosters in the American Athletic Conference, they started the season 15-2, only to drop eight of their last 15 games.

In the AAC tournament, they entered as the No. 5 seed and then lost to the 12th-seeded Wichita State Shockers in the second round.

Memphis coach Penny Hardaway. Memphis beat UTSA 75-70 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Memphis coach Penny Hardaway has guided his team to a 25-5 record, including 15-2 in the AAC. — Photo by Joe Alexander.

Before the NIT even offered them a chance to continue their season, Tigers coach Penny Hardaway stated that they would not play, despite having 22 wins on their ledger.

With a revamped roster and coaching staff this season, the Tigers have made amends. Ranked 16th in the nation in both polls, they claimed at least a share of the AAC men’s basketball title Tuesday night with a 75-70 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners at the Convocation Center.

“It’s a great feeling, coming from where we were last year,” Hardaway said. “Great feeling to have the opportunity to go back home for one more game and have it all.”

If the 25-win Tigers can beat the South Florida Bulls on Friday at home, they will lock up the title outright, a first for the program in 12 years and a first for Hardaway in his seven years as the Memphis head coach.

A close battle, down to the wire, unfolded in the last minute. With Memphis leading a UTSA team playing without senior forward Raekwon Horton by only two points, players from both teams couldn’t capitalize on opportunities to score.

For the Tigers, forward Nicholas Jordain missed a couple of free throws and Dain Dainja turned it over against an aggressive Roadrunners’ defense.

For UTSA, guard Primo Spears missed a driving layup in traffic with about 50 seconds left and hit only the rim on a three-point attempt with 12 seconds remaining.

Later, Memphis guard PJ Haggerty sank six straight free throws in the final 10 seconds to seal it.

“Just a great battle,” Roadrunners coach Austin Claunch said. “First of all, congratulations to Memphis. I do think they clinched a share tonight. A regular season championship. It’s a great accomplishment.

“Coach Hardaway’s done a great job. So to them and their fan base, congrats.”

In facing Memphis, UTSA was attempting to become the first team at the school in 30 years to beat a ranked opponent. The Roadrunners did it in December of the 1994-95 season, when they upset No. 13 Arizona State on the road, 87-85 in overtime, at Tempe.

Claunch said he’s extremely proud to have taken a team that has lost only twice during the AAC schedule right down to the wife.

“That’s a good feeling when you battle a team that is as (highly) regarded as Memphis is, and we’re right there,” he said. “You know, just a couple of shots at the end. One of those goes in and we’re sitting here feeling so different.”

UTSA sophomore Marcus Millender supplied some drama at the end when he hit a pull-up three with a second left to make it a three-point game, giving the Roadrunners hope if they could steal the inbounds.

But Memphis inbounded successfully to Haggerty, who was fouled and made both freebies with five tenths of a second left for the last points of the game.

“It’s one of those things,” Claunch said. “It never feels good to lose, but we understand what lies ahead, and we’re extremely confident, and we’re starting to play our best ball right when we knew we wanted to.”

The Roadrunners will play Sunday at Charlotte to close out the regular season before turning their attention next week to the conference tournament.

“Not exactly how we wanted to finish out in the Convo,” the coach said. “But I know these guys are ready to get back out here and get ready for Sunday and then get to Fort Worth and make some noise.”

Records

Memphis 25-5, 15-2
UTSA 11-18, 5-12

Coming up

UTSA at Charlotte, Sunday, 3 p.m.

Notable

UTSA senior forward Raekwon Horton apparently did not attend the game, with Claunch saying he was “away on personal leave.”

Asked if he knew whether Horton would be available for the regular-season finale and the tournament, Claunch said he’d have more information in a couple of days.

Playing without a key player in the lineup has been nothing new for the Roadrunners this season. It’s happened at least a half dozen times, when the team has needed to adjust the starting five and the rotation for someone unavailable to play.

Through it all, the team never seems to lose its competitive edge. And, for the most part, things run smoothly with the available players. UTSA could have used Horton against Memphis, for sure. But the Roadrunners played hard and were in it until the end without him.

Claunch, flanked by Jo Smith and Primo Spears in the post-game, said the resilience to play through the setbacks is a product of his players’ collective will.

“It’s these guys,” the coach said, nodding at Smith and Spears. “It’s these guys’ commitment to work and their maturity and their character. Listen, we have a really good team. When someone is out, these guys are capable.

“Like you said, we’ve had different guys out, and we’ve stepped up. That’s a testament to these guys’ commitment to work and belief in each other. And certainly, yeah, you want it always to be 100 percent. But that’s just not realistic.”

Individuals

Memphis — Forward Dain Dainja, a 6-9, 255-pounder, wowed the crowd with a flying dunk off a turnover in the second half and finished with a team-high 19 points. Dainja also was efficient, hitting eight of 12 from the field, and he was physical, pulling down eight rebounds. Guard PJ Haggerty scored 18, making 12 of 13 at the free-throw line. Forward Nicholas Jourdain had a solid line with 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Guard Colby Rogers scored 10.

UTSA — Forward Jonnivius Smith came off the bench to lead the Roadrunners with 18 points. With Memphis paying special attention to Primo Spears, Marcus Millender and Damari Monsanto, Smith stepped out and knocked down three of four from the 3-point line. He also had seven rebounds and two blocks. Millender scored 16, Spears 14 and Tai’Reon Joseph 12. UTSA’s three-point specialists — Monsanto, Millender and Spears – hit a combined five of 23 from beyond the arc against the Tigers.

UTSA women pound East Carolina for ninth straight victory

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The American Athletic Conference champion UTSA women’s basketball team rolled to a 28-point lead in the third quarter and then cruised to a 67-48 victory over the East Carolina Pirates Tuesday night.

With the win, coming in a road game at Greenville, N.C., the Roadrunners improved to 26-3 on the season. They finished their remarkable run through the AAC with a 17-1 record, tying a school mark for wins in conference. UTSA is 19-1 in its last 20 games leading into the AAC tournament.

The tournament opens on Saturday in Denton and continues the rest of the way in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena. Second-round games are Sunday, and then UTSA will open play on Monday in the quarterfinals as the tournament’s top seed.

Jordyn Jenkins had 26 points and six rebounds to lead the Roadrunners. Jenkins, a player of the year candidate in the AAC, hit 11 of 14 shots from the field. Forward Idara Udo contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Point guard Nina De Leon Negron had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists as the Roadrunners swept two games this season from the Pirates, who eliminated the Roadrunners at the AAC tournament last year.