Tag Archives: UTSA Roadrunners

C-USA tournament: Old Dominion eliminates UTSA, 65-45

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Karen Aston. The UTSA women's basketball team lost its 2021-22 season opener to Stephen F. Austin 77-50 on Tuesday at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA finished the season 7-23 under first-year UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston, but the team showed a competitive spirit that points to better days ahead. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The first season of UTSA women’s basketball under Coach Karen Aston is in the history books. The Roadrunners have finished 7-23. It’s not where Aston wants the program to be in the future but, all told, it was quite an improvement over the 2-18 season a year ago.

Amari Young produced 16 points, five rebounds and four assists on Wednesday as the Old Dominion Monarchs ousted Aston’s Roadrunners from the Conference USA tournament in the second round, 65-45.

In the game played at The Star complex in Frisco, Aziah Hudson had 14 points, Iggy Allen 12 and Mariah Adams 10 as the Monarchs won their 23rd game of the season and advanced to Thursday’s quarterfinals against the North Texas Mean Green.

The Roadrunners’ season has come to an end, but not without a big effort in the tournament.

On Tuesday, Aston’s players pulled together and knocked off the UTEP Miners, 58-57, in overtime. Less than 24 hours later, they were on the court again against one of the better teams in the league and stayed in the game for more than three quarters.

LaPraisjah Johnson led with 21 points and four rebounds. Deborah Nwakamma scored seven. Afer that, the Roadrunners just didn’t get the firepower they would need to knock off the Monarchs.

First half

Old Dominion battled to a 31-26 lead against UTSA in the first half. Trailing by eight after the first quarter, a 15-12 second-period push lifted the Roadrunners back into contention. Johnson had five of her eight first-half points in the second quarter. For Old Dominion, Hudson scored eight points, while Adams, Allen and Young chipped in with six each for the Monarchs.

Records

UTSA 7-23
Old Dominion 23-8

Coming up

Thursday, 11:30 a.m., Old Dominion (23-8) vs. North Texas (16-11).

Notable

The Roadrunners defeated the UTEP Miners, 58-57, in overtime on Tuesday. Redshirt freshman Elyssa Coleman led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The Monarchs were among teams that did not play on Tuesday, so they were playing their first game in the tournament. ODU entered the tournament led by Iggy Allen and Ajah Wayne, who were named first team All-Conference USA on Monday. An injury kept Wayne from playing against UTSA.

A championship legacy

Old Dominion is considered one of the traditional programs in women’s basketball.

Basketball was played at ODU starting in 1969-70, long before the NCAA began sponsoring sports for women. In 1974, the school became the first in the state of Virginia to offer athletics scholarships for women. The Monarchs won two national championships in 1979 and 1980 in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).

Two of the greatest players in women’s basketball history, Nancy Lieberman and Anne Donovan, played for the Monarchs. ODU won the NCAA Division I title in 1985 with a team led by Medina Dixon and Tracy Claxton.

Roadrunners on the rebound

UTSA’s greatest seasons in women’s basketball came in 2008 and 2009 under the late Rae Rippetoe-Blair, who coached the Roadrunners to back-to-back Southland Conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances.

UTSA finished 23-10 in 2008 and 24-9 in 2009. The UTSA women have been down recently. They were 9-17, 7-19, 6-23 and 2-18 in the past four years, before the arrival of Aston, a former head coach at the University of Texas.

C-USA tournament: Southern Miss eliminates UTSA, 67-64

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Tyler Stevenson scored 22 points and Walyn Napper added 19 Tuesday night as the Southern Miss Golden Eagles ousted the UTSA Roadrunners in the first round of the Conference USA tournament, 67-64.

Steve Henson. North Texas beat UTSA 59-48 on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Steve Henson’s UTSA Roadrunners finished the season with a 10-22 record. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Jaron Pierre hit a clutch 3-pointer down the stretch and finished with 12 for the Golden Eagles, who snapped a 14-game losing streak.

Jacob Germany led the Roadrunners with 28 points and 12 rebounds. The Roadrunners committed 18 turnovers and finished the season with a record of 10-22.

Southern Miss improved to 7-25 and advanced to play Florida Atlantic Wednesday night.

Admitting to a “sick feeling” over the loss and the way the season ended, UTSA coach Steve Henson nevertheless paid tribute to the players who finished out a season marked by injuries, Covid-19 disruptions and roster upheaval.

“We started out six years ago recruiting high character guys,” Henson said on the team’s radio broadcast. “There are 12 high-character guys in that locker room right there that continued to prepare the right way.

“If you had walked into practice last Monday and Tuesday, and didn’t know our record, you’d think we had a pretty good year. The guys were still fighting and practicing the right way. They stayed together. That’s a real credit to them.

“Wish we could have made some better adjustments there out of some timeouts late. Wish we could have found a way to get that win. It’s a sick feeling right now. We’re disappointed right now. The last game of the season never goes away.

“Time does not heal all wounds. That’s not true. This will feel like crap for the rest of our lives. It just does. There’s nothing we can do about that. It’s a good group of guys. I really loved ’em and cared about ’em.”

Individually

UTSA — Jacob Germany finished with a 28 and 12 night. He sizzled with 12 of 20 shooting from the field. Some were difficult shots, too, high-arching hooks from 14 and 15 freet. Isaiah Addo-Ankrah finished with 14. He hit 4 of 8 from three. Lachlan Bofinger and Erik Czumbel scored 10 apiece. Bofinger was effective in hitting 5 of 9 shots and snaring 6 rebounds. Dhieu Deing had a tough night, scoreless on 0 for 9 shooting, including 0 of 8 from three.

Southern Miss — Tyler Stevenson, one of the Golden Eagles’ best players who had been out four games with an apparent injury, came off the bench for 22 points and seven rebounds. He was 9 of 12 from the field. Walyn Napper, Deing’s teammate last year at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, also hurt the Roadrunners with 19 points on 8 of 14 shooting. Both Stevenson and Napper hit shots in the final two minutes. Jaron Pierre hit a go-ahead three with 2:16 remaining.

First half

Jacob Germany drove for a dunk on his first touch and then went to work with some soft hooks. In all, he made five straight field goals to open the half against Southern Miss.

The Roadrunners followed Germany to a nine-point lead in the first 10 minutes en route to a 30-25 halftime advantage on the Golden Eagles.

Germany finished the half with 17 points and six rebounds. Unfortunately for the Roadrunners, they were too careless with the ball, committed nine turnovers and allowed the Golden Eagles to stay close.

Records

Southern Miss 7-25
UTSA 10-22

UTSA beats UTEP in overtime in C-USA women’s tournament

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Trailing by 13 points late in the first quarter, the UTSA Roadrunners kept plugging away and eventually edged the UTEP Miners 58-57 in overtime Tuesday in a Conference USA women’s basketball tournament opener.

With the victory, UTSA advanced to the next round to play Old Dominion on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

UTSA entered the tournament as the seventh seed in the C-USA West. Old Dominion is seeded third in the East.

Redshirt freshman Elyssa Coleman led the Roadrunners with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Graduate student Jadyn Pimentel had 14 points, six rebounds and six steals. Junior Charlene Mass hit the second of two free throws with three seconds left for the victory.

Junior Destiny Thurman scored 23 for the Miners, who were seeded sixth in the East.

Records

UTSA 7-22, 3-14
UTEP 14-15, 6-12

Roadrunners ‘fired up’ for the Conference USA tournament

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Jacob Germany. UTSA men's basketball beat Rice 82-71 on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Convocation Center in the Roadrunners' final game of the regular season. The Conference USA Tournament starts Tuesday. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA center Jacob Germany was named honorable mention on the all-Conference USA team announced on Monday.- Photo by Joe Alexander

For a team that endured a couple of agonizing multiple-week gaps between victories this season, the UTSA Roadrunners are feeling surprisingly good about themselves leading into the Conference USA tournament.

The Roadrunners will take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles Tuesday night in the tournament opener.

“We certainly got a couple of guys out for the season with injuries and other reasons, (and) we wish they were with us,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said Monday. “But with this group here, the spirits are good. Practices have been good. (We) made a pretty good run against North Texas, a great team, on Thursday. (We) played well on Saturday (against Rice) and (we’re) fired up to play tomorrow night.”

In a matchup of teams from the bottom of the C-USA West Division, UTSA (10-21, 3-15) plays Southern Miss (6-25, 1-17) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at The Star in Frisco. If the Roadrunners win, they would advance to meet the Florida Atlantic Owls (18-13, 11-7) on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.

“I think everyone in this gym would say we’re going down there expecting to win,” said center Jacob Germany, the team’s leading scorer. “I think we all want to win. I’m really proud of our guys, that we’ve fought through this year and all the difficulties we had to face and overcome. Proud of everybody and everyone who stuck through it.”

While players and coaches felt good about themselves as they boarded a bus Monday bound for Frisco, they also have no illusions about how difficult it would be to win the tournament. For the Roadrunners to claim the C-USA title, they would need to win five games in five days.

Then again, they have made strides since they started conference with a 1-12 record.

Sophomore forward Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, for instance, has come on strong. In the last five games, the walk-on from Houston Second Baptist High School has averaged 9.4 points per game and has hit nearly 50 percent (14 of 30) from three-point distance. In addition, junior Erik Czumbel has averaged 11.2 points in his last six games.

In UTSA’s 82-71 victory over Rice at home on Saturday, Czumbel led four Roadrunners in double figures with a career-high 22 points.

“He’s been awfully good,” Henson said of Czumbel, from Verona, Italy, after the Rice game. “I thought he was terrific tonight. The ball was in his hands a lot. He got downhill. He got in the paint. Every time he shot it, it looked like it was going in.”

Playing limited minutes behind Darius McNeill, Jordan Ivy-Curry and Dhieu Deing in November and December, Czumbel couldn’t get anything going offensively. In his first 11 games, he took only 24 shots and hit six of them. He was 0 for 10 on 3-point shots until making his first trey on Jan. 3.

When Ivy-Curry left the team to enter the transfer portal a few weeks ago, Czumbel stepped up and started to make some things happen.

“It’s kind of been building,” Henson said. “His minutes have gone up … Erik’s going to gauge the situation, see how we’re flowing offensively. He’s not a guy who’s going to decide, ‘Hey, I’m going to go get 20 right now.’ But he understands some plays need to be made.”

While Czumbel has been a pleasant surprise as of late, Addo-Ankrah might have been the surprise of the year for the Roadrunners. He barely played for the first few months. He didn’t play at all in 10 of UTSA’s first 16 games.

But down the stretch, in the absence of Aleu Aleu, who is out for the year with a knee injury, Addo-Ankrah has scored in double figures three times. He torched Southern Miss for 21 points in Hattiesburg on Feb. 17.

“I’m not surprised,” Germany said. “He’s in the gym every night. He puts in the time, the hours. He’s taken advantage of this opportunity he’s gotten and everyone is just super proud of him. He deserves every bit of it. He’s a big key for us.”

Deing could be a wild card for UTSA in the tournament. At times this season, the junior transfer from Dodge City Community College in Kansas has played extremely well.

At other times, he has slumped badly. Once, in the first few days of January, he got so upset after a poor performance in Alabama against UAB that he left the team. Now he is back and is playing well.

Deing, who played for South Sudan’s national team last summer, is averaging 16.4 points while hitting 40.9 percent from three in his last five games.

For most of the season, Germany has been the rock. The 6-foot-11 junior from Oklahoma has averaged career highs of 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds. Facing pressure in a lot of games from double teams, he has shot 48.2 percent from the field.

On Monday, Germany was named to the C-USA’s honorable mention team.

“There’s a bunch of good guys in our league, so I’m not surprised,” Germany said. “In my mind, I’m up there with anybody in the league. But the guys up there (on the first and second teams), they deserve it. I’ll be there next year.”

First-team honors went to Louisiana Tech center/power forward Kenneth Lofton, Jr. The big men honored on the second team were Thomas Bell of North Texas and Austin Trice of Old Dominion. On the third team, there were no big men listed, only five guards.

Coming up

UTSA in the Conference USA tournament, at Frisco
Tuesday — UTSA vs. Southern Miss, 7 p.m.
Wednesday — UTSA or Southern Miss vs. Florida Atlantic, 8:30 p.m.
Thursday — UTSA, Southern Miss or Florida Atlantic vs. UAB, 8:30 p.m.
Friday — Semifinals
Saturday — Finals

Czumbel-led UTSA wins regular-season finale, beats Rice, 82-71

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Erik Czumbel. men's basketball beat Rice 82-71 on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Convocation Center in the Roadrunners' final game of the regular season. The Conference USA Tournament starts Tuesday. - photo by Joe Alexander

Erik Czumbel scored eight of his career-high 22 points in the final 3:42, leading the UTSA Roadrunners to an 81-72 victory over the Rice Owls at the Convocation Center. UTSA plays Southern Miss on Tuesday night in Frisco at the the Conference USA tournament. – Photo by Joe Alexander

With the Rice Owls mounting a comeback in the second half, somebody on the UTSA Roadrunners needed to step up with a big effort in the final regular-season game.

Erik Czumbel and Dhieu Deing answered the call in leading the Roadrunners to an 82-71 victory Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

Dhieu Deing. UTSA men's basketball beat Rice 82-71 on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Convocation Center in the Roadrunners' final game of the regular season. The Conference USA Tournament starts Tuesday. - photo by Joe Alexander

Dhieu Deing scored 19 points and drilled two key three-pointers in the second half after Rice had trimmed the lead to one. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Czumbel scored a career-high 22 points and Deing had 19 to help the Roadrunners break a three-game losing streak and build some momentum for next week’s Conference USA tournament.

“Feels great, man,” Czumbel said. “Third (game) in a row here (at home) and finally we get the dub. Everybody is so excited in the locker room. We just got to keep building on this.”

Deing had 16 points after intermission, including a pair of 3-pointers after Rice had trimmed UTSA’s lead to one.

Czumbel finished off the Owls with eight points and a key defensive stop in the final 3:42.

Securing their first victory since Feb. 17 at Southern Miss, the Roadrunners also had major contributions from Isaiah Addo-Ankrah with 14 points and Jacob Germany with 13.

Germany kept the Owls honest with his play in the paint and in the mid-range game, while Deing knocked down five of UTSA’s 13 3-pointers. Addo-Ankrah also hit four and Czumbel three from long range.

It was quite the turnaround from Thursday night, when the Roadrunners made only one three in a 59-48 loss to North Texas.

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah. UTSA men's basketball beat Rice 82-71 on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Convocation Center in the Roadrunners' final game of the regular season. The Conference USA Tournament starts Tuesday. - photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore walk-on Isaiah Addo-Ankrah hit four of seven 3-point shots and scored 14 against the Owls. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“We were so much better,” Henson said. “Shot a good percentage. Made threes. Shot a good 3-point percentage. That was terrific. Certainly, it makes it a lot easier. I was proud of the way we defended, too.”

On Feb. 3, in a game at Houston, the Owls shot 62 percent from the field as a team and rolled to a 91-78 victory over the Roadrunners.

In that game, center Max Fiedler and guards Carl Pierre and Travis Evee scorched the Roadrunners by combining for 57 points on 22 of 34 from the field. On Saturday afternoon, in San Antonio, those same three had a combined 37 on 13 of 25.

“Rice is a good offensive team,” Henson said. “They pose a lot of different problems. You got to guard their big guys in the post (Fiedler and Mylyjael Poteat). You got to guard their five out action. You got to guard their shooters, and they’re great in transition.”

UTSA will open play in the C-USA tournament on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. With a win, the Roadrunners would advance to play Florida Atlantic on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. All games are at The Star in Frisco.

The Roadrunners will need to win five games in five days to claim the title and a bid to the NCAA tournament.

UTSA's Phoenix Ford on senior day. UTSA men's basketball beat Rice 82-71 on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Convocation Center in the Roadrunners' final game of the regular season. The Conference USA Tournament starts Tuesday. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Phoenix Ford holds Genesis, his 2-month-old daughter, during a Senior Day ceremony. His wife, Alicia, and coach Steve Henson share the poignant moment before tip-off. — Photo by Joe Alexander

“This just boosts our confidence,” Czumbel said. “We can do it. We know it. We just got to keep playing the way we did today. Especially on defense. That was our biggest concern coming into this game, and we proved we can be a good defensive team.”

In November and December, Czumbel was not among the team’s primary offensive weapons. In his first 11 games, he took only 24 shots and hit six of them. He was 0 for 10 on 3-point shots until making his first trey on Jan. 3.

Lately, with Jordan Ivy-Curry having left the team to enter the transfer portal, the native of Vernona, Italy, has played a much more expansive role. Against Rice, he ran the point most of the afternoon, and he also hit eight of 16 from the field and three of eight from beyond the arc.

“My teammates kept telling me to be agressive,” he said of his offensive output. “It feels great, you know. It’s been a long year. I didn’t start the year shooting well. You know, just keep working on it and keep my confidence up.”

First half

UTSA started the afternoon’s proceedings with a spontaneous dunk contest in what usually is a standard layup line.

Later, just before tipoff, the Roadrunners honored seniors Adrian Rodriguez, Phoenix Ford and Darius McNeill on Senior Day.

Both McNeill and Ford started and contributed to a 12-point lead in the game’s first six minutes, and, ultimately to a 40-34 lead at intermission.

Offensively, it may have been one of the Roadrunners’ best halves in weeks. They shot 48.4 percent from the field. They had seven assists and 15 made field goals. They also hit six 3-pointers, including three of them by sophomore Addo-Ankrah.

Notable

The victory temporarily eased the pain of a tough season for the Roadrunners, who have produced only a 4-17 record in their last 21 games. UTSA has lost four players during the course of the season. In the second half, they lost two starters — power forward Cedrick Alley Jr. to academics and Ivy-Curry to the transfer portal.

Rice has lost six of its last seven games. The dropoff coincides with the loss of all-conference guard Quincy Olivari, who had 12 points and 13 rebounds in a 91-78 victory over UTSA on Feb. 3. Olivari broke his wrist on Feb. 5 and is out for the season.

UTSA leads Rice in the all-time series, 11-8. In games played as foes in Conference USA, UTSA leads 7-6. The Roadrunners have won seven of eight meetings against the Owls in San Antonio. Rice’s only victory at the Convocation Center came in 2015 in a 76-74 decision.

Records

Rice 15-15, 7-11
UTSA 10-21, 3-15

Coming up

Conference USA tournament
Tuesday — UTSA vs. Southern Miss, 7 p.m., at Frisco

Struggling Rice, UTSA play today at the Convocation Center

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Two teams searching for consistency leading into next week’s Conference USA tournament meet today at the UTSA Convocation Center in the regular-season finale.

Once regarded as a candidate to finish in the top half of the C-USA standings, the visiting Rice Owls have lost five of their last six.

Rice’s slide has coincided with the loss of all-conference guard Quincy Olivari, who broke his wrist on Feb. 5 at home against UTEP. Olivari, a third-team, all-C-USA player last season, is not expected to return this year.

The Roadrunners have lost four key players at various junctures of the season. The two major blows within the past few months came when power forward Cedrick Alley Jr. became academically ineligible and guard Jordan Ivy-Curry entered the transfer portal.

Both players were starters. UTSA has dropped three straight games and eight of nine. Long-term, the Roadrunners have struggled with a 3-14 record since mid-December.

Tipoff today is at 2 p.m.

Records

Rice 15-14, 7-10
UTSA 9-21, 2-15

Coming up

Conference USA tournament
Tuesday — UTSA vs. Southern Miss, at Frisco

Rice at a glance

The Owls lost a heartbreaker Thursday at UTEP when the Miners made a few more plays in the final minute and won, 70-67. With less than a minute remaining, a key play unfolded. With the Miners leading by one point, Owls guard Carl Pierre drove for a basket that would have given his team the lead, only to be called for a charge. A transfer from the University of Massachusetts, Pierre finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

UTSA at a glance

Battling the top team in the conference, UTSA played a solid game at home Thursday night for about 27 minutes. They were within three points twice of the North Texas Mean Green. In the end, the Thomas Bell, Tylor Perry and Mardrez McBride-led Mean Green pulled out a 59-48 victory. It was UTSA’s third game with fewer than 50 points this season. One was against Oklahoma. The two others were against North Texas.

The series

UTSA leads Rice in the all-time series, 10-8. In games played as foes in Conference USA, the series is tied 6-6. The Roadrunners have won six of seven against the Owls in San Antonio. Rice’s only victory at the Convocation Center came in 2015 in a 76-74 decision. On Feb. 3, in a game at Houston, the Owls shot 62 percent from the field as a team and rolled to a 91-78 victory. Led by Jacob Germany and Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, the Roadrunners were with two points with 11 minutes left but couldn’t sustain the effort. The Rice trio of Max Fiedler, Pierre and Travis Evee combined for 57 points. Those three players hit a combined 22 of 34 shots.

North Texas downs UTSA 59-48 for its 15th straight victory

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Steve Henson. North Texas beat UTSA 59-48 on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson showed some raw emotions on a tough night, during which his team was denied a victory against the North Texas Mean Green, the No. 1 squad in Conference USA. The slumping Roadrunners host the Rice Owls in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In a record-breaking season, the North Texas Mean Green just keep grinding on opponents until they fold.

They did it to the UTSA Roadrunners Thursday night, executing with precision in the final 13 minutes to win 59-48 for their school-record 15th straight victory.

In some respects, the Mean Green beat the Roadrunners at the 3-point line.

Jacob Germany. North Texas beat UTSA 59-48 on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Germany produced 17 points and 10 rebounds but also picked up a technical foul in the second half. – Photo by Joe Alexander

North Texas, which has already clinched the best record in Conference USA, overcame less-than-stellar free-throw shooting with seven 3-pointers, all while hounding UTSA into a 1-of-11 performance from beyond the arc.

“We didn’t have our best game tonight … but, give UTSA some credit. They played with a purpose,” North Texas coach Grant McCasland told the team’s radio broadcast.

Trailing by 13 points late in the first half against a team that has lost only once since Thanksgiving, the Roadrunners enjoyed their best stretch in the first eight minutes after halftime, getting consistent scoring from center Jacob Germany and cutting the lead to three on two occasions.

A three-pointer by Erik Czumbel trimmed the Mean Green’s lead to 35-32 with 12:42 remaining.

From there, North Texas outscored UTSA 10-2 in the next three minutes, boosting their advantage to 11. Baskets by Thomas Bell and Tylor Perry capped the run for the Mean Green.

North Texas coach Grant McCasland. North Texas beat UTSA 59-48 on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

North Texas coach Grant McCasland has led his team to 23 victories, including a school record 16 of them in conference play. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After that, the Roadrunners ran out of steam. They failed to come any closer than eight the rest of the way and lost their third game in a row.

The hard-luck Roadrunners have also dropped eight out of nine and 14 of 17 in falling to 9-21 on the season.

“Good team,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “Got to give them credit. They’ve been good for a couple of years now. Their style of play is very difficult to play against. Their defense is really good. Their offense just grinds you and grinds you and shortens the game.

“They don’t play many guys. Guys they do play can all go get a bucket. They’re a good team.”

With the victory, North Texas swept two games from UTSA in the season series, increasing its lead all-time to 19-12. The Mean Green have won eight of their last 10 against the Roadrunners since 2015-16.

With the regular-season finale set for Saturday afternoon at home against Rice, UTSA doesn’t have much time to get its game together before next week’s Conference USA tournament.

“Right now we’re pretty frustrated,” said UTSA guard Erik Czumbel, who played point guard most of the night and had eight points and three assists. “I think we were close to making (a) comeback and to be able to flip the switch. (But) we were not quite able to do so.

Darius McNeill. North Texas beat UTSA 59-48 on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Darius McNeill scored 12 points for the Roadrunners against the North Texas Mean Green. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“So, I mean, right now, it’s just frustration. We just got to flip to the next page tomorrow and think about Rice.”

Over the last two and a half months, everything that could go haywire has gone haywire for the Roadrunners — everything from player defections, to injuries and at least one key defensive component lost to academics.

Not to mention a rash of Covid-19 disruptions.

“It’s hard when you have a season with so many challenges (and) you’re losing,” Czumbel said. “The most important thing is staying together. We haven’t had any fights or anything, and that’s what matters, I think.”

Records

North Texas 23-4, 16-1
UTSA 9-21, 2-15

Coming up

Saturday — Rice at UTSA, 2 p.m.
(end of regular season)

Conference USA tournament

Tuesday — UTSA vs. Southern Miss, at Frisco

By the numbers

North Texas — Thomas Bell, 16 points and seven rebounds. Five of 10 shooting from the field. Tylor Perry, 12 points. Four of eight shooting. Two 3-pointers. Mardrez McBride, 11 points, on four of nine. Also, two threes.

UTSA — Jacob Germany 17 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes. Seven of 16 shooting. Darius McNeill 12 points on five of 12 from the field. Dhieu Deing, six points on three of eight. Deing was 0-for-4 on 3-pointers. Walk-on Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, perhaps the team’s most consistent perimeter threat over the past month, was held scoreless. In 21 minutes, he took one shot and missed it.

First half

The relentless Mean Green held the Roadrunners without a field goal for the final 6:49 of the first half and took a comfortable 28-17 lead into the dressing room at intermission.

Playing on UTSA’s home floor at the Convocation Center, North Texas limited the home team to only five field goals, while forcing eight turnovers.

Pre-game

Coming in, the streaking Mean Green had won 14 games in a row and had posted a 20-1 record since Thanksgiving.

In their last outing, they had clinched the Conference USA regular-season title by beating the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 56-49 in Denton.

With the victory, coming last Saturday before an announced crowd of 8,522 at the Super Pit, North Texas set a school record with its 15th conference win and matched the school record for the longest winning streak.

Slumping UTSA is coming off a 68-56 loss at home last Thursday to UAB. The Roadrunners have lost two straight and seven of eight.

After losing two players to season-ending injuries, another as an academic casualty and a fourth to the transfer portal, they have dropped 13 of their last 16.

UTSA and North Texas played on Feb. 5 in Denton, with the Mean Green winning 69-45.

North Texas is 18-12 against UTSA in the all-time series.

The Mean Green have prevailed consistently through the last few years, winning 7 of 9 against the Roadrunners since the 2015-16 season.

Sixth-year UTSA coach Steve Henson is 2-6 against North Texas. Fifth-year UNT coach Grant McCasland is 4-2 against UTSA.

Family life has always shaped UTSA forward Phoenix Ford

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Phoenix Ford. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 73-64 on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

After three seasons at UTSA, Phoenix Ford is set to play his last two games at home for the Roadrunners this week. UTSA hosts North Texas on Thursday night and Rice on Saturday afternoon. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special Report for The JB Replay

UTSA senior Phoenix Ford is a family man in more ways than one. He grew up in a loving home in Florida as one of 11 siblings. When the 6-foot-7 power forward arrived in San Antonio in 2019, he said he had the same feeling on his first day with the Roadrunners.

He said it felt like everyone embraced him. Now, Ford has a family of his own. On Christmas Eve, his wife Alicia gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter named Genesis. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind ever since.

Phoenix Ford. UTSA beat Lamar 79-73 in men's basketball on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Phoenix Ford became a father for the first time on Christmas Eve. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Between school and practice and games and road trips, not to mention a few late nights with a crying infant on his shoulder, life for the Roadrunners’ resident girl dad has been a bit hectic.

“Ah, just changing hats every hour,” Ford said Wednesday. “When I’m home, I put my dad hat on. When I come here, I got to put my student-athlete hat on. It’s fun, a lot of time management.

“I (get) back home from practice, and (I’m) pretty tired. But coming home to my family every day gives me a boost of energy to keep going.”

Allowing the nostalgia to flow freely, Ford reflected on his UTSA career as he prepared to play his last two games at home with the Roadrunners, against North Texas on Thursday night and against Rice on Saturday afternoon.

“My favorite memories?” Ford asked rhetorically. “Umm, I mean, there’s a ton, I would say.”

Mostly, he’ll remember all his teammates, who he claimed he will have relationships with for the rest of his life. Even this year, as the Roadrunners struggle with a 9-20 record, Ford pointed out the positives.

Specifically, he praised the way Head Coach Steve Henson and his staff have carried themselves through a down season.

“When things are hard, and we’re not having the season we would (like) … they still come in every day with the right approach, with a positive attitude,” he said. “That takes a lot of character. I really respect all the coaches for that.”

A little more than one calendar year ago, things were different. This time last season, the vibe was lit. The Roadrunners had Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace, and the two senior guards were starting to heat it up on offense. The team was winning.

At the same time, Ford’s world off the court had turned upside down with news from Florida – his father was seriously ill. After the C-USA tournament, Henson urged him to go home and be with his dad and then return in the fall.

That way, he could play another year and finish up with his work on a multidisciplinary studies degree. It was an emotional time for everyone involved.

“Last spring, during the second half of the season, I got word that my dad had gotten pretty sick,” Ford recalled. “He was dealing with heart issues, congestive heart failure. I’d come in (to practice), and I tried to leave my personal stuff off the basketball court.

“When the season ended, I decided to go back home because things were getting worse. I wanted to see him before he passed. So, I got a chance to say goodbye before he passed in April.”

Alfredo Luis Ford III, a member of the Mt. Zion Progressive M.B. Church, was 64 when he died last April 17. Phoenix’s father, who was born in Colombia, had worked for the U.S. government at the Veteran’s Administration. Together, Alfredo and Denise Ford raised 11 kids. Yes, 11.

How did they do it? “I don’t know,” Phoenix said, grinning at the question. “I don’t know. I still have questions now, especially having my own child. I don’t know how they did it … but they did it.”

Basically, while Alfredo worked at the V.A., Denise would look after the home front. She home-schooled all the kids. Five of them played sports, so getting to and from practices and games was always an adventure.

“We had an 11-passenger van, a white van,” Phoenix said. “I was so embarrassed by it when I was younger. But it got us from Point A to Point B. They loaded us all up, and wherever we had to go to, they dropped us all off. Then they picked us up at the end of the day.”

As fraternal triplets, Phoenix and Keanu and Griffin Ford were the youngest in the family. All of the brothers played ball, and they became teammates at St. Petersburg High School.

“We were (teammates),” he said, grinning again, “(even though) some of us got more playing time than others … But it’s definitely awesome getting to play with your brothers. I played with the triplets and then I played with a brother ahead of us. It was nice.”

At UTSA, Ford’s calling card is his defense and his ability to knock taller players off their spot on the low post.

“I think he’s enjoyed knowing he’s going to play every night this season,” Henson said. “Some nights more than others. Started him at the four a few nights (when) he and Jacob (Germany) played alongside each other. For the most part, he’s been Jacob’s backup at the center.”

Henson said Ford is healthy now but has struggled with issues in the past.

“Previous years, he’s struggled with some tight back issues,” he said. “He hasn’t really had any issues with that in several weeks. He’s feeling pretty good. He dunked in a game the other night. Might be the first dunk he’s had in a game.

“He just doesn’t dunk very often in practice. Our guys were excited for him in that regard. He’s just such a good teammate. Very mature. All about team. Very unselfish.”

Henson said that since the baby was born, he hasn’t noticed that much of a change in the way Ford carries himself at practices or games.

“It’s been great,” the coach said. “Again, he’s so mature. We knew he’d be a great father. For the most part, I don’t think there’s been any detriment to it at all (in his basketball). He came in the other day and looked like he hadn’t slept. Baby was up most of the night.

“A day later, he came in and looked refreshed. That’s part of parenthood.”

In terms of his future, Ford has no illusions about pro basketball. The likelihood that he will see much interest from pro franchises is not high. Scheduled to graduate in May, he said he hopes to go into real estate, and he hopes to pursue that dream in Texas.

“I want to stay here for a few years,” he said. “I really like San Antonio. I’ve fallen in love with the city, with the culture. I do like Florida. I do miss the beaches and stuff like that. But I like San Antonio a lot, so I think I’ll start out here first and then see what’s next.”

As for life at home, Ford has a mental road-map on how to approach fatherhood through his own experiences years ago.

“Umm, just trying to do what’s best for my child,” he said. “My parents did make a lot of sacrifices, so seeing them, and the way they raised us (was a good example). Even though we had a lot of kids, they gave us each our own individual attention and love. I don’t think anyone was left out of the picture.”

Coming up

Thursday — North Texas at UTSA, 7 p.m.
Saturday — Rice at UTSA, 2 p.m.

Conference USA tournament

Tuesday — UTSA vs. Southern Miss, at Frisco

UTSA edges second-ranked Stanford, 6-5, in 10 innings

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UTSA's baseball team upset No. 2-ranked Stanford 6-5 in 10-innings on Leyton Barry's walk-off hit at Roadrunner Field.

The UTSA Roadrunners mob Leyton Barry in the outfield after his game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th inning. — Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA baseball game at Roadrunner Field on Monday seemingly had it all. Quality weather and sunshine, with temperatures in the 60s. An elite-level opponent, with the nation’s second-ranked Stanford Cardinal in the house. Even quality trash talk in a spirited performance by fans of the home team.

UTSA's baseball team upset No. 2-ranked Stanford 6-5 in 10-innings on Leyton Barry's walk-off hit at Roadrunner Field.

How sweet it is. Leyton Barry reacts to his jubilant teammates after stroking a 3-1 pitch from Tommy O’Rourke into center field for an RBI single, lifting UTSA over a team that reached the 2021 College World Series. — Photo by Joe Alexander

Sometimes, it seemed as if the talk generated heightened performance on the field. For instance, when the Roadrunners loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth inning and Stanford reliever Max Meier threw three straight balls to UTSA’s Ian Bailey, the fans started a chant.

“One more ball,” they intoned. “One more ball.”

Meier wouldn’t have it. He reached back to find great stuff, and he struck out Bailey. The next batter, Leyton Barry, hit into a double play, ending a threat that could have expanded a two-run UTSA lead to four or five.

Instead, the Cardinal turned everything around. They tied the game with a monster two-run homer in the eighth, and their bullpen kept throwing strikes and frustrating the Roadrunners — until Barry came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning, that is.

With runners at first and third and nobody out, Barry ripped a liner that dropped behind center fielder Brock Jones, allowing Shane Sirdashney to race home with the winning run in a 6-5 victory.

Just like that, the Roadrunners, who had let so many one-run games get away from them last year, beat a team that played in the 2021 College World Series. And they beat them by one run, with a key hit to back their own quality relief pitching.

“Good ball game,” Stanford coach David Esquer said. “I thought they played a great game. They did a good job. All their pitchers they brought in threw strikes and kept us off balance. That’s a good club. It looks like (an NCAA) regional team to me.”

How it happened

Sirdashney led an 11-hit attack with three hits and two RBI. UTSA (7-1) also got two-hit performances by Jonathan Tapia and Garrett Poston and a 2-RBI double from Chase Keng to down Stanford (6-2) and end the Cardinals’ five-game winning streak.

In the process, they extended their own streak to five.

As for the defense, well, the Roadrunners didn’t make an error, and their seven pitchers held an explosive Pac-12 team to six hits, the biggest blow coming in the eighth on the two-run homer by Carter Graham.

But in the end, it looked as if the Stanford bullpen, featuring lefty Ryan Bruno, who was throwing 95 mph fastballs that tailed away from right-handed hitters, might lock down the Roadrunners and allow the Cardinal to escape with the victory.

“I agree, their bullpen was fantastic,” said Barry, who was 1 for 6 with the winning hit. “But ours was, as well. That’s really the reason why we were able to win this game. Looking up at the scoreboard, Stanford only getting six hits against our pitchers, it’s what led us to the win.

“So you know, our bullpen was, frankly, better than theirs today. Which was fantastic for us.”

Last year, the Roadrunners boasted one of the most explosive offensive teams statistically in the nation and finished 22-26 because the pitching and sometimes the defense would falter. A lot of times it happened in the late innings.

On UTSA’s fifth game in four days, pitchers who carried the load included starter Ryan Beaird, plus Grant Miller, Drake Smith, Allen Smith, Daniel Shafer, Reece Easterling and John Chomko. Chomko pitched shutout ball in the ninth and tenth innings to earn the victory.

He didn’t allow a hit, walked only one and struck out four.

Touting a ‘new energy’

“We did have a lot of situations similar to this last year, that ended up going the other way,” Barry said. “We have a new team this year. But a lot of the guys are the same. For those of us who were here last year it feels fantastic to have a new energy in games like this.”

The victory was gratifying for UTSA coach Pat Hallmark. His Roadrunners won three games against top 25 teams last year. But, in beating a team ranked No. 2 in Monday morning’s Baseball America rankings, it was the best UTSA victory by opponent ranking since a 2012 game in which it defeated No. 1 Baylor at Wolff Stadium.

“It’s a good win, something to build on,” Hallmark said. “It’s a long season. But, I’m super happy for the players. More excited for them.”

Grateful for the opportunity

Hallmark said UTSA and Stanford made the deal to play at UTSA’s home field last October. Stanford, based in Palo Alto, Calif., had a three-game series scheduled for Feb. 25 through Feb. 27 in Round Rock.

“I knew one of their assistants, and he wanted to play before they flew out (to California),” Hallmark said, “and I said, ‘Heck yeah.’ We’d be more than happy to play. You tell me the time, and we’ll play.’

“So I’m grateful (to) them for wanting to play,” the coach added. “You know, this time of year, we need to play. People need to pitch, and we got about 13 hitters that I think deserve to play. It’s a challenging job, because they all deserve to play.

“Things are going great. Super happy for them.”

Records

UTSA 7-1
Stanford 6-2

Coming up

Friday — Southern at UTSA, 6 p.m.
Saturday — Southern at UTSA, 2 p.m.
Sunday — Southern at UTSA, 1 p.m.

Correction: Stanford’s double play to end the bottom of the fifth went 4-6-3 in the scorebook.

UTSA baseball to host the fourth-ranked Stanford Cardinal

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Kody Darcy. The UTSA baseball team playing Seattle in Game 2 on opening day Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA newcomer Kody Darcy has played in six of the team’s seven games and has produced a .400 batting average, a .480 on base percentage and a .600 slugging percentage. Darcy (shown here playing last Friday) had three hits in Sunday’s 13-0 victory over Seattle. – File photo by Joe Alexander

A big day in the history of the UTSA baseball program looms on Monday with the Roadrunners set to host the nationally-ranked Stanford Cardinal.

First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.

The fourth-ranked Cardinal will be the highest-ranked team in any sport to play on UTSA’s campus in the modern era since 2006, according to the Roadrunners’ athletic department.

Both UTSA and Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford enter the game with 6-1 records. UTSA has won four in a row and Stanford five straight. Both teams have registered shutout victories in their last two outings.

Stanford won 39 games last year and advanced to the College World Series for the 17th time in program history. This season, the Brock Jones and Cody Huff-led Cardinal started the season by winning two of three at home against Cal State Fullerton.

Last week, the Pac-12 conference power played at home on Tuesday andf beat Santa Clara, winning 5-0. Traveling to Texas to play in the Karbach Round Rock Classic, the Cardinal defeated the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns 5-1 on Friday.

On Sunday, Stanford completed its stay in Central Texas by winning twice at Round Rock’s Dell Diamond, beating Indiana 13-0 and then downing second-ranked Arkansas 5-0.

During the Cardinal’s five-game winning streak, coach David Esquer’s pitching staff has yielded only two runs.

The Roadrunners, meanwhile, have also started fast under third-year coach Pat Hallmark.

They won two of three to open the season at Tarleton State and then swept four games in the last three days at home against the Seattle Redhawks.

After winning 7-3 and 3-2 on Friday, the Roadrunners rolled to an 11-0 victory on Saturday and then a 13-0 decision on Sunday.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Roadrunners’ pitching staff limited the Redhawks to a combined six hits.

Meanwhile, the offense feasted on Redhawks pitching Sunday for 20 hits, including three hits by Jonathan Tapia, Sammy Diaz, Leyton Barry and Kody Darcy.

Included in the outburst was a three-run home run by Tapia, a senior from O’Connor, his first of the season.

Records

Stanford 6-1
UTSA 6-1

Coming up

Monday — Stanford at UTSA, 1 p.m.
Friday — Southern at UTSA, 6 p.m.
Saturday — Southern at UTSA, 2 p.m.
Sunday (March 6) — Southern at UTSA, 1 p.m.