Tag Archives: UTSA Roadrunners

Orloski earns opening-day start on the mound as UTSA rolls with a talented freshman

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UTSA baseball media day and practice on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

The batting cage was alive with activity Tuesday as UTSA hosted media day and prepared for Friday’s opener against the UT-Arlington Mavericks. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Last year, the UTSA baseball team relied on a time-tested veteran as its starting pitcher on Friday nights. Senior Luke Malone was the man to open most three-game series. When games got dicey, the Roadrunners called on reliever Simon Miller.

Coach Pat Hallmark. UTSA baseball media day and practice on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Pat Hallmark announced that freshman Robert Orloski will start the season opener Friday at home against UT-Arlington. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Bases loaded in the fifth? With the opponent’s cleanup man at the plate? UTSA trying to protect a one-run lead? Everyone at Roadrunner Field knew that Miller would get the ball in that situation.

Ultimately, UTSA rode the Malone-Miller combination to a 28-8 start that vaulted the Roadrunners into the national Top 25 for the first time in school history.

This season, they’ll open their first series of the season at home Friday afternoon with a different look altogether. Instead of veteran savvy on the mound, Coach Pat Hallmark will roll with a freshman. He announced Tuesday afternoon on media day that he’ll start highly-touted righthander Robert Orloski against UT Arlington.

As a matter of fact, the Roadrunners will stay young in the second game of the four-game series and in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, as well, going with sophomore righty Ruger Riojas. So, with Miller scheduled to pitch this season in the Cincinnati Reds’ minor-league system, who will take his place?

Who will fill that all-important bullpen role? Hallmark admittedly doesn’t have an answer just yet.

“I don’t know,” Hallmark said. “Multiple people at this point. Hopefully that evolves. From a pure talent standpoint, I don’t think we have a Simon Miller. Simon … had a major league breaking ball. He could keep his breaking ball from 87 to 90 miles per hour and keep it depthy. We just don’t have someone that’s going to do that, right?

Ruger Riojas. UTSA baseball media day and practice on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Ruger Riojas is set to open the season as the Roadrunners’ No. 2 starter. Riojas, from Wimberley, was 5-0 with a 4.11 earned run average out of the bullpen last year. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“We do have some guys that are pretty good. Daniel Garza’s solid. And others. But that’s an evolving role at this point.”

UTSA is banking on Orloski to have the chops to withstand all the pressure that comes with being an opening-day starter. Last spring, he was pitching in high school in Middleton, Idaho. In July, the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder with the low 90s fastball and good command was drafted by the Boston Red Sox.

Ultimately, he turned down the opportunity and decided he wanted to attend college instead. “He’s talented,” Hallmark said. “He was drafted by the Red Sox out of high school in the 20th round, so you know he’s got some talent. And he’s mature. I don’t think Rob will be rattled. I could be wrong, right? But eventually Rob’s going to be a very good college pitcher, so we might as well start finding out when right now.”

Orloski already rates as one of the most-watched pitchers on the team by the veterans. Junior third baseman Matt King said he enjoys watching him work. “I have a lot of high expectations for him,” King said. “I like watching him. He pounds the zone. He throws hard. He’s one of my favorite pitchers on this team.”

Matt King. UTSA baseball media day and practice on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Matt King is expected to play third base this season after starting most of the last two seasons at shortstop. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Honored as Gatorade Pitcher of the Year in Idaho in 2023, Orloski will hardly be the only newcomer on the field for UTSA on opening day. It is probably a safe bet that fans will see veterans Matt King, Isaiah Walker and Caleb Hill on the field somewhere. King, a preseason All-American Athletic Conference pick, likely will be at third base. Walker and Hill will be out there somewhere.

But after that, it’s hard to read Hallmark’s mind on who will be where. What is known, at this point, is that the newcomers will face expectations. UTSA won 38 games in each of the last two seasons. Both teams finished high in the Conference USA race. Everyone in the renovated ball park this spring will want to see all that, and more.

“It’s new, right?” Hallmark said. “There’s certainly expectations after the last two years, which is wonderful. We don’t shy away from it. That’s what we want. We talk about it. But (there) are new players. They haven’t done it before. So, we need to tee it up and see how they do.

“It won’t be perfect, right? We’re going to have bad games and some bad play. But I think we’ll figure it out. We just need to figure it out as soon as possible.”

Hallmark said a conference championship is the next step for his program.

“We finished second in the conference last year and third the year before,” he said. “I think it’s easy and appropriate to say the next step is to win a conference championship and to play in the NCAA tournament. Those are the two things that are the next step.”

Coming up
UT Arlington at UTSA

Game One – Friday, 4 p.m.
Games Two and Three — Doubleheader on Saturday, first game starting at noon
Game Four – Sunday, 1 p.m.

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Building a foundation of success: UTSA baseball opens a new season this week

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UTSA coach Pat Hallmark. UTSA baseball beat Houston 12-2 in 7 innings on a run rule on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark will lead the Roadrunners into a season-opening series at home this weekend against UT-Arlington. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

College baseball season has arrived, with UTSA coach Pat Hallmark and a few players expected to address the media later today to talk about their hopes and dreams.

Topics of discussion are expected to include heightened expectations in the wake of back-to-back, 38-win seasons and what’s expected in the way of a lineup for the opener Friday at home against UT-Arlington.

In addition, we will surely hear questions asked about the renovations at Roadrunner Field and the transition from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference.

The playing surface at Roadrunner Field has been fixed after it unexpectedly sustained damage during construction last month. As a precaution, the Roadrunners spent at least the first weekend of official practices in late January at off-campus locations.

“The team has been practicing and playing intrasquad games at Roadrunner Field for the past two weeks,” a school spokeswoman said in a text last Friday.

Despite the issues related to their field, the baseball program is on solid footing. A winning culture has been established. Last year’s team played much of the second half of the season ranked in the Top 25.

I had a chance to visit with Coach Hallmark a few weeks ago. In that interview we talked about the expectations this season — UTSA is picked third in the AAC — and how the personnel might be utilized.

Some of the information I have had in my notebook may be a little outdated by now in the wake of recent practices and evaluations, but I wanted to share it with you, anyway.

Given all that, here is a look at the Roadrunners, position by position:

Catcher — JUCO transfers Andrew Stucky, Broc Parmer and Lorenzo Moressi are expected to split duties through the early portion of the season, with freshman Whitt Joyce from Medina Valley waiting in the wings. The three from JUCO all enjoyed productive seasons at the plate last year. “They all look good,” Hallmark said. “They’re all fighting for the No. 1 spot.”

First base — Senior transfer Alex Olivo, a senior transfer from Texas Southern, and returning player James Taussig both hit with home run power. Also, JUCO transfer Mark Henning is in the mix. All three bat from the left side. Hallmark says first base is “fairly open” at this point. “We have multiple guys that can hit. We’re looking for that combination of hitter-best defender, and one of those guys could end up at DH,” the coach said.

Second base — Isaiah Walker, a .273 hitter a year ago who sat out down the stretch with a hamstring injury. “Isaiah,” Hallmark said, “is a guy we wish we had nine of him, because he can play anywhere on the field. Good defense everywhere.” Also, either of three newcomers, Hector Rodriguez, Zane Spinn or Diego Diaz.

Shortstop — Rodriguez and Spinn. Also, Diaz. Rodriguez played in high school at Houston Westside and at Galveston College. Spinn, from Holland, Tex., also has played at Temple JC. He was at Sam Houston State last year but did not play for the Bearkats, who won a mid-week game off UTSA at Roadrunner Field. Spinn, at 6-4 and 218 pounds, has the potential to hit home runs. Diaz is from the Rio Grande Valley, from Pharr and Sharyland High School.

Third base — Matt King is UTSA’s most accomplished returning player. Over the past two seasons, he has played in 108 games and started 99. He hit for a .318 average last year, slugged six home runs and produced 58 RBIs. “Matt had a good year last year,” the coach said. “We’re looking for him to do that again.” In case of injury, the coach said any of the players at second or third could move over.

Outfielders — Look for returning players Caleb Hill, Isaiah Walker, Tye Odom, James Taussig and Dalton Porter, plus newcomer Mason Lytle, a transfer from Oregon, to play. Hill, who hit .318 with seven homers and 41 RBIs last year, is solid in left field. “Lytle, Odom and Walker, all of ’em are terrific defenders,” Hallmark said. “Any of ’em could be in center. Any of ’em could be in right.”

Pitching — Ulises Quiroga, Ruger Riojas, Daniel Garza, Drake Smith and Ryan Beaird, in that order, logged the most innings pitched for the Roadrunners last year. Coaches are counting on those five along with Ryan Ward to step up their productivity. Also, Braylon Owens looked sharp in early workouts. Braden Smith, a standout from two years ago, is healthy again after missing all of last year.

An intriguing story is Idaho native Robert Orloski, a 6-foot-3 righthander who signed with UTSA and then was drafted in the 20th round of the major league draft by the Boston Red Sox. On Tuesday afternoon, Hallmark named Orloski as his opening-day starter, with Riojas second in the rotation.

UTSA women sizzle in blowout victory over first-place UAB

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Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat UAB 76-58 on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins (top) is hoisted in the air by freshman Idara Udo (at right) after UTSA defeated the UAB Blazers Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center. Teammate Hailey Atwood is in the foreground. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Forward Jordyn Jenkins played as hard as she could for as long as she could, and her return to basketball on Sunday afternoon following 10 months of knee rehabilitation seemed to inspire the UTSA Roadrunners to a 76-58 victory over the first-place UAB Blazers.

With the victory, UTSA improved to 3-0 at home this season against teams coming into the Convocation Center in first place in the American Athletic Conference. The Roadrunners have beaten the Charlotte 49ers, the North Texas Mean Green and now the Blazers at home in AAC play.

Jenkins, the 2022-23 Conference USA Player of the Year, scored 11 points in 12 minutes off the bench.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat UAB 76-58 on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Jenkins scored 11 points in 12 minutes Sunday in her return to basketball 10 months after she suffered an offseason knee injury. – Photo by Joe Alexander

More than just the raw statistics, it was a joyful afternoon for Jenkins, who could be seen smiling and laughing even during pre-game stretching. On her first shot attempt, she swished a three. After the victory was complete, the native of Kent, Wash., was bear-hugged and hoisted off the floor by freshman Idara Udo.

During the second quarter, Coach Karen Aston utilized Jenkins creatively, at intervals, using her on set offensive possessions and then bringing her back to the bench on defense. The coach managed the situation deftly, as the Roadrunners started to take control of the game with a second-quarter outburst.

UTSA played the game without rebounding and shot blocking leader Elyssa Coleman. Asked about Coleman’s status for a scheduled Wednesday night road contest at Tulsa, Aston said, “I think she’ll be fine. We were making sure that we’ve got her down the stretch (of the season). It really was precautionary today. I wasn’t happy about it, but it’s what’s best for our team.”

For the Roadrunners, the last three games seem to have underscored the up-and-down nature of their season.

First, they defeated the Mean Green at home by eight points in overtime on Jan. 31. Four days later, the Tulane Green Wave came into San Antonio winless in AAC road games and walloped the Roadrunners, leading by more than 20 in the second half and eventually winning by 11. Now, UTSA is riding high again after demolishing the Blazers.

Kyra White. UTSA beat UAB 76-58 on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA senior Kyra White looks to attack the basket against the UAB Blazers. White produced 12 points and five rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“I hope that we understand that every game is a big game,” Aston said. “I think that the league really has a lot of parity. I said this last week. You see a team (that is) second or third in the league, getting beat by somebody that’s in the bottom half … I just think that there’s a lot of parity. If you don’t play the way we did today, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.”

With Aysia Proctor, Jenkins, Kyra White and Sidney Love all scoring in double figures, the Roadrunners also did a number on the Blazers defensively, holding them down to 37 percent shooting. From three-point range, UAB started off well but finished eight of 26 from behind the arc for 31 percent.

UTSA also dominated the boards, as usual, winning the battle 46-33, including 18-9 on the offensive end.

In the AAC, with so many teams roughly equal in talent, Aston said it’s all a matter of playing with urgency. The Roadrunners definitely had it going against the Blazers as they kept pounding the glass and building the lead to as many as 24 points with three minutes left. Clearly, the effort was the difference.

“I’m not saying that’s easy,” Aston said. “I think it’s easier said than done to bring the type of energy and attention to detail that we did. But when we do that, I really think we can compete with anybody.”

It was a big moment for the team when Jenkins checked into the game with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter. After a few possessions, she made her presence known, swishing a three-point shot from the left wing. Her teammates stood and cheered the moment, as the fans joined in.

“I’m just excited,” said Jenkins, a USC transfer who averaged 20.6 points at UTSA last year. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve been on the court, you know … I don’t know, it was just exciting. I worked out earlier today and was getting a whole bunch of shots up on that play specifically. As soon as coach ran that play, I kind of already had it set … I said, OK, let me come off this (screen) hard and make the shot.”

Records

UAB 17-7, 8-4
UTSA 12-10, 6-5

Coming up

UTSA at Tulsa, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at North Texas, Feb. 18, 2 p.m.

Individuals

UAB coach Randy Norton. UTSA beat UAB 76-58 on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UAB coach Coach Randy Norton’s UAB Blazers came out with energy early but couldn’t sustain it, becoming the third first-place team in the American Athletic Conference to lose this season at the UTSA Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UAB – Kylee Schneringer scored 12 points to lead the Blazers. Guard Mia Moore had 11 points and six rebounds. Also, guard Denim DeShields, the team’s offensive catalyst, produced seven points and three assists. Together Moore and DeShields shot a combined 6 for 21 from the field. Moore left the game in the second half with a lower leg injury. Ashton Elley came off the bench to score nine points. She hit three from three-point range.

UTSA – Aysia Proctor scored a team-high 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Kyra White had 12 points and five boards. Jenkins and Sidney Love both scored 11 points apiece. Jenkins hit three of 12 shots from the field and one of three from long distance. She added four-for-four at the free-throw line. Idara Udo scored nine points and tied Proctor for the team-high with seven boards.

After three quarters

Playing for the first time this season with Jenkins on the floor, the Roadrunners recovered from a shaky start to build a 51-38 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Roadrunners ran an effective offense and outscored the Blazers 38-20 in the middle two periods.

By the end of the third, Proctor had 12 points, Jenkins had nine and Udo and Love six apiece.

In the second quarter, UTSA blew out UAB by a 19-6 count to take an eight-point lead at intermission. After intermission, the Roadrunners took control of the game. They outscored the first-place team in the AAC 19-14 in the third period.

Notable

UTSA promoted the game for cancer awareness. “I think it’s a reminder to all of us that there is a bigger battle going on for a lot of people across the world,” Aston said.

As she was leaving the interview room, UTSA’s Jordyn Jenkins announced her favorite in the Super Bowl. “Go Usher,” she said, referring to the singer/entertainer extraordinaire who was scheduled to serve as the halftime entertainment at the NFL championship game in Las Vegas.

Aysia Proctor. UTSA beat UAB 76-58 on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Aysia Proctor from San Antonio-area Clemens High School led the Roadrunners with 14 points. She hit six of nine from the field and two of four from three-point distance. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat UAB 76-58 on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins made her UTSA season debut on a minutes restriction Sunday, totaling 12 minutes for the game. Regardless, she made a significant impact on the game, coming off the bench for 11 points and six rebounds. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Breaking: Jordyn Jenkins is on the floor, warming up for UTSA

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Editor’s note: It appears that UTSA forward and 2022-23 Conference USA Player of the Year Jordyn Jenkins will make her season debut on Sunday against the UAB Blazers. Jenkins, who averaged 20.6 points a year ago, is on the floor warming up for the Roadrunners. She hasn’t played yet this year after suffering a knee injury last April. It also appears that UTSA center Elyssa Coleman will not play. Coleman didn’t practice on Saturday and isn’t in uniform.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston says she will have a conversation from time to time with forward Jordyn Jenkins.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA women's basketball lost to UTEP 74-67 in Conference USA on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins is expected to make her season debut for the UTSA women’s basketball team today. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The two will talk about the player’s pre-game routine.

“I’ve told her, ‘Don’t put your uniform on unless you’re ready to play, because I might put you in,’ ” Aston said.

The coach said the two discuss this topic “every day before warmups.”

Presumably, that conversation will take place again Sunday before the Roadrunners hit the floor a 1 p.m. game at the Convocation Center against the UAB Blazers.

On Saturday, it became apparent that a decision is looming on whether Jenkins will try to play in the last few weeks of the season, or whether she will continue her workouts with an eye on not playing, which would allow her to maintain two full seasons of eligibility.

For background, the 2022-23 Conference USA Player of the Year injured a knee last April. The mishap occurred in the weeks after the Roadrunners were eliminated in the semifinals from the C-USA tournament. It was evident then that her recovery would take time, and indeed it has.

A 20-points per game scorer last season, she hasn’t played yet through 21 games. At the same time, she has made steady progress and has stayed steady with her rehabilitation and her commitment to the program. Jenkins has attended every practice that I’ve seen all season. Every game, too.

Lately, her workouts have been encouraging. For the past two weeks, she seems to do a little more each time out. On Saturday, she was banging against male practice players in the post.

Afterward, I asked the coach, “Is No. 32 getting ready to play?

“Um, she looks better,” Aston said. “She’s definitely coming along.”

At that, I followed up with a question on whether the two have talked about the implications of playing the last few weeks of the season and having it count toward a year of her eligibility.

“We talk about it, for sure,” Aston said. “So, we’ll see. I mean, (the season) is winding down.”

Do you think she might play (against UAB), I asked.

“Day to day,” the coach replied.

At that, I glanced at the coach and smiled. The coach, who has a world-class poker face, smiled back — slightly.

“I don’t know,” she said.

With seven games remaining in the regular season remaining, it’s logical that today could be the day, considering the Roadrunners might need her scoring to avoid dropping their second home game in a row.

So, as the coach is fond of saying, “We’ll see.”

Records

UAB 17-6, 8-3
UTSA 11-10, 5-5

Coming up

UTSA at Tulsa, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

East Carolina rides early surge to an 84-73 victory over UTSA

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PJ Carter. East Carolina beat UTSA 84-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Guard PJ Carter scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half during a UTSA rally that fell short in an 84-73 loss to the East Carolina Pirates. – Photo by Joe Alexancer

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The East Carolina Pirates showed up at the UTSA Convocation Center Saturday wearing T-shirts in warmups with three letters across the front — GPM. The acronym represented the team’s mantra for a ‘Game Point Mentality.’ In other words, play every play as if it will determine the outcome of the game.

Bringing an aggressive mentality from the start, the Pirates built a 23-point halftime lead and then held off the Roadrunners 84-73 in the American Athletic Conference. Forward Brandon Johnson made seven three-pointers and scored a season high 30 points to lead the third victory for East Carolina (12-12, 5-6) in its last five games.

Sinking deeper into a hole in the AAC standings, UTSA (8-16, 2-9) lost its fourth straight game while dropping to 3-12 in its last 15. The Roadrunners had problems in giving up three pointers (13), offensive rebounds (16) and also in allowing the Pirates to capitalize on mistakes. East Carolina outscored UTSA 18-6 in points off turnovers.

East Carolina coach Michael Schwartz. East Carolina beat UTSA 84-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina coach Michael Schwartz worked at UTSA in the 2004-05 season as an assistant coach under Tim Carter. – photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners turned it over only 12 times, but each time, it seemed that the Pirates would capitalize with a breakout or an easy look at the basket.

For second-year East Carolina coach Michael Schwartz, it was not only a big win for his program, but also a homecoming of sorts. Schwartz, who played a bit part as a player in the Texas Longhorns’ 1999 Big 12 regular-season title under Rick Barnes, snagged his first full-time assistant coaching job in 2004 at UTSA under former Roadrunners coach Tim Carter.

He worked one season (2004-05) under Carter with the Roadrunners in the Southland Conference.

“I was a video coordinator at Texas,” he recalled. “I spent two years at Texas and a year at Long Beach State, and then I came back to UT for two years. (Then) coach Carter gave me my first opportunity to be a full-time assistant. So I will always be indebted to him. I love him. I think he’s an incredible human being, husband and father. I learned so much from him.

“I just have great respect for him and I’m very thankful to him.”

It was a surprise for Schwartz when he came out on the floor for tipoff and saw Carter seated at the press table in his headset, preparing to do commentary on the UTSA radio broadcast. “We stay in contact, but I did not realize (he worked the games),” Schwartz said. “I saw him before the game, and I’m looking forward to saying goodbye to him before I leave.”

The other major surprise for Schwartz centered on his team’s three-point shooting. The Pirates made four of their first five shots from the field — all threes. A few were more than a few steps behind the arc. As the shots continued to fall, East Carolina gained confidence. The Pirates finished nine of 19 from behind the arc in the half, as they took a 48-25 lead.

Jordan Ivy-Curry. East Carolina beat UTSA 84-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 14 points on six of 11 shooting from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“It means a lot for any team, home or away,” Schwartz said. “But it really meant a lot for us because we had struggled shooting the basketball, particularly the last four games. We won a couple of the games, in rock fights (with) scores in the 50s and the game with Temple, when we got 70, but it was in overtime. But, we had really struggled on offense.”

One other factor might have tilted the game to the Pirates, and that was preparation. East Carolina last played seven days ago at Charlotte. After losing 67-52 last Saturday, the Pirates had a short trip home to Greenville, N.C., and then had all week to work, to rest and to work some more. UTSA, meanwhile, had a long couple of days travel to Kansas where the Roadrunners lost on Wednesday night to Wichita State, 84-64.

After a long trip home and with less than two days to prepare, the Roadrunners just came out flat.

“Just really a disappointing start,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “They came out, I think, and knocked down four straight three pointers on us. Dug ourselves a hole again. (We) withstood that run and then they put another one on us. We just weren’t good enough in the first half, on either end of the floor … Johnson was terrific. (He) made tough threes, (grabbed) offensive rebounds.

“He was fantastic. But there was more to it than that. Their offensive rebounding was huge. They scored in the paint and they made 13 three pointers.”

Adante' Holiman. East Carolina beat UTSA 84-73 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Roadrunners guard Adante’ Holiman moved into the starting lineup and finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry led the Roadrunners with 14 points, followed by PJ Carter with 12 and Adante’ Holiman with 11. In the first half, the offense was so sporadic, it seemed that the team would go a minute or two without even getting a good look at the basket. Part of that was East Carolina’s defense on Ivy-Curry, UTSA’s best offensive player, who was swarmed each time he touched it.

Ivy-Curry took only three shots in the opening half and made two. He finished the game six of 11 from the field and one of four from three.

Even though the Roadrunners are struggling, they do have seven games left in the regular season, which is ample time to find some chemistry, get hot and prepare for the AAC tournament in Fort Worth. PJ Carter said he and his teammates have a big week coming up with a trip to Charlotte and Temple. They don’t play at home again until Feb. 21 against South Florida.

“We got to just move on to the next opponent, because this is an important stretch for us,” Carter said. “We’re not going to be home for (awhile). As a unit, we have to buy in in practices. Stick close together.”

First half

East Carolina played one of its best halves of the season, shooting 55 percent from the field, in rolling to a 48-25 lead against UTSA.

Forward Brandon Johnson led the charge with 21 points. Johnson made five of the Pirates’ nine three-point baskets. In one stretch, he knocked down three from long distance in three possessions to spark a 15-0 run late in the half.

Records

East Carolina 12-12, 5-6
UTSA 8-16, 2-9

Coming up

UTSA at Charlotte, Thursday, 6 p.m.

It was a special day on Saturday at the Convocation Center. After the State of Texas Senate and House of Representatives issued a resolution proclaiming February 10 as “UTSA 210 Day,” fans gathered in the parking lot for a tailgate. An announced crowd of 1,535 attended an afternoon men’s basketball game.

The day is regarded as a celebration of the strong bond between UTSA athletics and the City of San Antonio.

UTSA Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lisa Campos presented the resolution at halftime. The resolution was signed by State Sen. José Menéndez (District 26) and State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (District 116).

East Carolina forward Brandon Johnson gets loose for a breakout and a dunk against UTSA on Saturday afternoon.

Wichita State rides fast start to an 84-64 victory over UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The Wichita State Shockers sank their first eight shots from the field Wednesday night, setting the tone for a fairly easy 84-64 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in the American Athletic Conference.

In a matchup of struggling teams in the AAC, the Shockers raced to a double-digit lead in the first six minutes of the game at Wichita, Kan.

UTSA tried to play with tempo but kept turning it over and eventually fell behind by 20 points at halftime. The Shockers, who entered the night tied for last place in the AAC, led by as many as 26 late in the second half.

“We got whooped tonight, no way around it,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s radio broadcast. “Guys are dejected, frustrated. It’s the way they should feel. It was bad. We got to go back, get to class in the morning get in the weight room. Get in the film room and work. We need two good practices to play better on Saturday.”

UTSA hosts East Carolina on Saturday at 3 p.m.

In the team’s first visit to Wichita as a member of the AAC, it was a frustrating night for everyone. Henson, a Kansas native and a former star guard at Kansas State University, grew weary of the officiating in the second half and drew a technical foul with 7:15 left in the game.

The Roadrunners’ problems were plentiful. The Shockers’ played well defensively, holding the visitors to 32 percent shooting from the field in the first half and 38 percent for the game.

UTSA’s bread and butter, the 3-point shot, was not falling even with open looks. The Roadrunners hit only 5 of 22 from deep.

Dre Fuller Jr. led the Roadrunners with 13 points, including 11 in the second half. Adante’ Holiman had 12 points and Trey Edmonds 10.

Guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, UTSA’s leading scorer, was held to five points on one for 10 shooting. Christian Tucker, the team’s second leading scorer and the assist leader in the AAC, had a tough night. He finished with two points, five rebounds, one assist and six turnovers.

UTSA’s Carlton Linguard Jr. hit his first shot attempt, a long three, to give the Roadrunners a 3-0 lead.

From there, Linguard could not keep it going as he finished one for four from the field and one for three from long distance. The Roadrunners’ stretch power forward finished with five points and five rebounds.

For Wichita State, guard Colby Rogers led a balanced Shockers offense with 18 points and six rebounds. Backcourt mate Harlond Beverly, a transfer from the University of Miami, Fla., added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists. Big man Quincy Ballard finished with 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Guard Xavier Bell also had 11 points.

Records

UTSA 8-15, 2-8
Wichita State 10-13, 2-8

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Notable

Wichita State center Jacob Germany, a former four-year player at UTSA, played four minutes off the bench. He went scoreless on zero for two shooting. It was only his seventh game played for the Shockers this season. When Germany entered the transfer portal last spring, the lefty from Kingston, Okla. left UTSA ranked among the school’s career leaders — ninth in points with 1,293, fourth in rebounds with 779 and tied for third in blocks with 105.

Men’s basketball: UTSA takes to the road to play Wichita State

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The UTSA Roadrunners will play on the road tonight against the Wichita State Shockers, with both teams looking for brighter days after a difficult first half in the American Athletic Conference men’s basketball race.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in Wichita, Kan., at the 10,506-seat Charles Koch Arena.

UTSA has dropped two straight and six of its last seven games to fall into 12th place in the 14-team American. Wichita State is also struggling.

The Shockers have dropped two in a row and 10 of their last 11. Wichita State is tied for 13th (and last) in the conference with the Temple Owls. For the Shockers, five of their eight conference losses have been by single digits.

Coming up

UTSA at Wichita State, 6:30 p.m.

Records

UTSA 8-14, 2-7, Wichita State 9-13, 1-8

Notable

UTSA coaches will see a familiar face in warmups. Wichita State senior forward Jacob Germany played four seasons for the Roadrunners, earning honorable mention All-Conference USA honors in each of the last two.

The lefty from Kingston, Okla. ranks among the UTSA’s career leaders, ranking ninth in points with 1,293, fourth in rebounds with 779 and tied for third in blocks with 105. He averaged 12.3 points during the 2022-23 season and was second in the C-USA in both rebounding (8.3) and double-doubles (9).

Germany entered the transfer portal last spring and signed with Wichita State. Germany has played in six of 22 games for first-year Shockers coach Paul Mills. He’s averaging 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Mills came to Wichita State from Oral Roberts, where he worked for six seasons. He led the Golden Eagles to the NCAA tournament two of the last three years. In his first season at Wichita State, his leaders include the likes of Colby Rogers and Xavier Bell, Harlond Beverly, Kenny Pohto, Dalen Ridgnal and Quincy Ballard.

Rodgers leads the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game. Ballard plays in the post and averages 7.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. Ridgnal, Pohto and Ballard rank as the Shockers rebound leaders.

Wichita State’s latest heartbreak was at Memphis on Saturday. For the second straight game, the Shockers lost after leading by double figures, falling, 65-63, on David Jones’ game-winner with 2.3 seconds left. Wichita State held a 14-point lead with less than 10 minutes remaining.

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

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Tulane Amira Mabry

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

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Records

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

Coming up

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

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

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

Notable

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

First quarter

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

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

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

Second quarter

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

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

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

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

Third quarter

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

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

Are the UTSA women ready for heightened expectations?

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Alexis Parker made 1-of-2 free throws with 30 seconds left in OT to give UTSA a 71-64 lead. UTSA beat North Texas 75-67 in overtime in American Conference women's basketball on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Alexis Parker produced six points and four rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench in UTSA’s win over North Texas on Wednesday. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

When the UTSA women romped to a 9-4 finish to last season, the novelty of the team’s success came as a pleasant surprise to their fans. Close followers of the Roadrunners’ program knew that Coach Karen Aston had a chance to turn around a program that had been mired in losing records for years.

But, to do it in Year 2 of the rebuild? It was a sweet feeling, no doubt. Now that the Roadrunners have continued on their upward trajectory in Aston’s third season, the team might be approaching an inflection point.

As the Roadrunners (11-9, 5-4 in the American Athletic Conference) prepare to host the Tulane Green Wave, it’s possible that their own fans might be congregating at the Convocation Center at 2 p.m. today fully expecting to win. Call it happy expectations, or whatever.

At the same time, it’s probably also true that opposing teams like the Green Wave (9-11, 2-7) have also received the same message. A few years ago, teams that arrived in San Antonio in February expected to play a leisurely game and leave with a road victory. Now, they’re aware that winning at UTSA will take an all-out effort.

Roadrunners guard Alexis Parker said she thinks her teammates are prepared to face heightened intensity from opponents looking for an upset victory on the road.

“For sure,” Parker said Friday. “Coach just told us in the locker room the other day, teams would tell her (last year) that, ‘Hey, your team plays really hard.’ Now, they’re saying, ‘You’re team is really good.’ That’s a big compliment, and we’ve got to own up to that.”

Parker grew up just a few miles from UTSA. Her neighborhood, she said, is about 10 minutes away from the Convocation Center. Brandeis High School, where she made a name for herself, is closer than that. She said she saw her first UTSA home game when she was 15 years old.

In that regard, she said it’s a special feeling to be on sort of the ground floor of the program’s rebuild. Parker recalled the conversation she had with Aston during recruiting. The coach told her that coaches were committed to “moving the needle,” and then she was challenged.

“Do you want to be a part of that?” Aston asked, in so many words.

“Yeah, for sure,” Parker replied.

At that, she signed on to become part of a 2022 recruiting that included Sidney Love, Madison Cockrell, Siena Guttadauro and Maya Linton, all of them out of high school. Also, transfers that year included Jordyn Jenkins and Kyra White, two impact players from Southern Cal.

In a little more than one season with the Roadrunners, Parker has played in 38 games, averaging 11.3 minutes, primarily off the bench. She enjoyed perhaps her biggest moment as a UTSA athlete earlier this week. On Wednesday night, the Roadrunners toppled the North Texas Mean Green 75-67 in overtime.

Parker played 17 minutes, including a couple of minutes in the extra period, during which UTSA outplayed the first-place team in the American.

“I honestly think she’s been practicing really well, leading into that game,” UTSA assistant coach Jamie Carey said. “She was very locked in to the game plan. Obviously, she provides some great length and athleticism, in particular on the defensive end. I thought she came in and did a tremendous job defending their hard-to-guard guards.”

For the past two months, Parker had not played much for the Roadrunners. She logged single-digit minutes in six games and did not play in six others. But against North Texas, UTSA needed a defensive presence with length on the perimeter, so coaches went to her in all four quarters in regulation and in overtime.

“Again, her length is really special,” Carey said. “Combine that with her athleticism. Then you start locking in in practice and things start clicking a little bit. (We’re) just really proud of her. She’s been putting in a lot of extra work. She’s been in the gym. It’s nice to see it pay off, when somebody spends (so much) time in the gym.”

Parker said she tried to stay focused on the little things on and off the floor during the past few months.

“Really just putting in work every day,” she said. “You never know when you’re jersey’s going to be called. Just getting into the books, paying attention to scout, the other team’s tendencies, it’s just really important. So, I took that serious.”

In that regard, Parker said it was a special feeling for her to the team to contribute to the win.

“I felt great,” Parker said. “That was a big win for us. North Texas is at the top. We knocked ’em off. Just felt like, ‘This is not it for for us. There’s still more.’ We’re still hungry. We’re going to keep working, because, that’s what we do.”

Coming up

Tulane at UTSA, Sunday, 2 p.m.

Records

Tulane 9-11, 2-7
UTSA 11-9, 5-4

Notable

UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins, who has yet to play this season, continues to work out in full-contact practices. She participated in a five-on-five segment of Friday afternoon’s workout. It’s a noticeable increase in her activity from the fall, when she would be seen engaged only in light running and individual shooting drills. No word yet on whether she’ll try to play this season. But if she does, her return would yield a significant boost in talent for the Roadrunners. Jenkins averaged 20.6 points last season and earned Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

Mason scores 30 as Rice holds off UTSA down the stretch, 80-76

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Adante' Holiman. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Adante’ Holiman hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points off the bench in his first game since Jan. 2. Holiman sat out the last seven games with a sprained ankle. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Mekhi Mason scored 17 of his season-high 30 points in the second half and Anthony Selden knocked down two free throws in the last minute Saturday, lifting the Rice Owls to an 80-76 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Jordan Ivy-Curry led the Roadrunners with 19 points.

UTSA lost its second straight game and fell to 1-6 in its last seven despite a spirited comeback in the final five minutes that fell short.

Mekhi Mason. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Arizona native Mekhi Mason hit 11 of 19 from the field and scored a season-high 30 points for the Rice Owls. – Photo by Joe Alexander

With 5:02 remaining, Rice took a commanding 73-58 lead as Mason pulled up to knock down a jumper.

From there, the Roadrunners rallied with an 18-5 run over the next four and a half minutes to pull within two.

Guard Adante’ Holiman, playing his first game after missing most of January with a sprained ankle, swished a three-pointer off the wing to make it a 78-76 game with 33 seconds left.

After the timeout, UTSA pressured the ball, trapping just as Rice brought it past halfcourt. The ball was swung around to Selden, and UTSA fouled him with 21 seconds left.

Selden, a 73 percent free-throw shooter who was one for two at the line at that point, made both free throws to give the Owls a four-point lead.

On the other end, the Roadrunners came up empty with four straight misses before the buzzer sounded.

The difference in the game was Mason, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Gilbert, Ariz. Mason entered the arena averaging 14 points for the season on 41 percent shooting, including 32 of 97 from the three-point arc. He torched the Roadrunners by hitting 11 of 19 from the field. Mason made three of seven from distance.

Jordan Ivy-Curry. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 15 of his team-high 19 points in the second half. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Point guard Travis Evee also hurt the Roadrunners, scoring 18 points and sinking four of eight from the arc. In all, the Owls made 12 of 29 from distance, getting the best of the 3-point shooting Roadrunners, who managed only seven of 25 on the afternoon.

In the teams’ last meeting, played in Houston on Jan. 6, the Roadrunners won it 89-82 in overtime and slowed down the Owls with a 2-3 zone.

They tried to mix it up a little in the rematch, throwing out a 1-3-1, but Evee, Mason, Alem Huseinovich and Noah Shelby took turns shooting over it with success.

“I thought the 1-3-1 matched up,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s broadcast, on KTKR AM-760. “At times it had the effect that we needed it to have. Guys embraced that this week. I thought they did a good job with that. But, long way to go. We got to play harder. Got to play harder. There (are) loose balls we’re not getting. Rebounds we’re not getting. We got to play harder.”

Records

Rice 9-13, 3-6
UTSA 8-14, 2-7

Scott Pera. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Scott Pera’s Rice Owls improved to 3-2 over their last five games. The Owls have notched victories over Temple, Memphis and UTSA in that stretch. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Coming up

UTSA at Wichita State, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

The Owls nearly completely turned the tables on the two Roadrunners who hurt them the most last month. Center Carlton Linguard Jr. scored 24 points and Dre Fuller Jr. had 23 in the first meeting. In the rematch, Linguard scored six and Fuller was shut out. Both were 0 for 3 from long distance in the first half, when the Roadrunners went 3 for 17 as a team.

Linguard battled hard to the end, making some plays down the stretch and finishing with 10 rebounds.

Leading the Roadrunners were Jordan Ivy-Curry, Christian Tucker, Adante’ Holiman and Trey Edmonds. Ivy-Curry, the team’s leading scorer, hit for 19 points on 6 for 16 shooting in 27 minutes. Tucker produced 14 points, eight assists and four steals.

Holiman, a UTSA sophomore from McAlester, Okla., scored 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench. He injured his ankle on Jan. 2 late in a home game against the UAB Blazers. The 6-foot transfer from UT Rio Grande Valley sat out the next seven games in rehabilitation before starting to work out full speed earlier this week.

“I thought he was really good considering how much time he’s missed,” Henson said. “He got three practices in this week, (on) Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He stepped right in like hasn’t missed a beat.”

Edmonds, one of UTSA’s big men, scored 10 points on four of five shooting. Massal Diouf, a power forward off the bench, contributed six points and seven rebounds.

Trey Edmonds. Rice beat UTSA 80-76 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA center Trey Edmonds scores on a breakaway dunk. Edmonds finished with 10 points on four of five shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander