Tag Archives: women’s college basketball

UTSA women to face their biggest challenge against mighty UConn

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Karen Aston. UTSA women's basketball lost to Tulsa 53-41 in the Roadrunners' final home game of the season on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Karen Aston has become one of 15 coaches to guide three different basketball programs to the NCAA women’s tournament. She’s had one trip at Charlotte, six at Texas and now one at UTSA. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

(Commentary)

The 12-time national champion Connecticut Huskies rate as an almost comical 54.5-point favorite over the UTSA Roadrunners.

Connecticut is 34-0 and UTSA 18-15.

The Huskies have walloped opponents by an average of almost 39 points per game, while the Roadrunners only a few weeks ago had lost six out of nine and languished at 13-15 on the season.

So, why would anyone think the Roadrunners would have a chance in a first-round NCAA tournament women’s basketball game set for Saturday at 2 p.m. in Storrs, Conn.?

Fact is, most people think the Roadrunners have no chance to win, and a lot of folks who like to assess the betting line, if only in a theoretical sense, will go with the Huskies to beat the massive point spread.

Right up front, I have one word of advice. Don’t read any more of this and go out and bet on the game. Please, don’t.

But for the sake of analysis, I wanted to use the line as a data point in detailing some factors to consider if you’re thinking the Huskies will cover it, and a few more if you believe a 54.5-point spread might be bloated.

First, here are a few reasons to believe that Connecticut could win by a massive margin:

* The Huskies play great defense.

They’re big and quick and they hold opponents to 50.4 points on 33.3 percent shooting. They also force 24.5 turnovers. The Roadrunners have had trouble in that area, committing an average of 25 turnovers against four Power 4 opponents.

* UConn is the No. 2 scoring team in the nation, averaging 88 a game. It’s a team also ranked No. 1 in field goal percentage (52.5) and three-point percentage (39.6). UConn has three starters hitting 42.7 percent or better from three. The Huskies’ bench averages 31.1 points.

* Forward Sarah Strong might be the nation’s best player. She’s averaging 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds. Strong is also shooting .601 from the field, .427 from three and .863 from the free throw line. When UTSA’s Cheyenne Rowe was asked this week if Strong was better shooting from inside or outside, she said, “Whenever she has the ball.”

Next, here are some thoughts on why UTSA could keep it closer than some might think:

* The Roadrunners enter the game at UConn with a certain intangible element as one of the fastest-rising programs in the nation.

In the 2020-21 season, they had plummeted to a 2-18 record. In the past five seasons under Karen Aston, they are 82-77, including 62-35 in the past three years. They’ve won a regular-season conference title in 2025 and now a postseason title in 2026.

* Aston has done perhaps her best work ever this season, in her 18th as a head coach and her fifth at UTSA. The Roadrunners were without five scholarship players this season and still managed to win the tournament.

* The Roadrunners’ top three players have a certain grit and tenacity about them, in that they’ve all overcome significant personal obstacles.

Guard Ereauna Hardaway, notably, suffered a loss of hearing as a grade schooler and battled through it to become a standout athlete at both North Texas and UTSA.

Forward Cheyenne Rowe lacked confidence when she arrived as a James Madison transfer three years ago. Now, she’s the team’s leading scorer. Idara Udo was limited with injuries last summer and sat out eight games at midseason.

All three made the American’s all-tournament team last week.

* Sophomores Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen, two of the best pure athletes on the team, are playing with confidence. Hammonds, at 6-foot-3, is shooting 67 percent from the field in her last three games.

So, there you are.

Now, let’s tip it off and see how the game plays out.

ESPN projects UTSA as a No. 16 seed to the NCAA First Four

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Speculation is swirling that the UTSA women’s basketball team might be headed for the NCAA First Four.

The Roadrunners are projected by ESPN’s Charlie Creme to play the Howard Bison in a battle of No. 16 seeds, with the winner moving on to face the No. 1 regional seed Texas Longhorns in the Round of 64.

First Four games will be played either Wednesday or Thursday, with the winners advancing to face No. 1 regional seeds either Friday or Saturday.

The official NCAA women’s tournament bracket reveal is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.

The Longhorns, who have already been named as an NCAA first-weekend host, raced to a 31-3 record on the way to a Southeastern Conference postseason title.

Howard won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference postseason title with a 53-46 victory over Norfolk State (Va.), while UTSA won the championship in the American Conference by defeating Rice, 54-40.

Howard will bring a record of 26-7 into its first NCAA tournament since 2022. UTSA will be playing in the tournament for the first time since 2009.

UTSA entered the American Conference postseason tournament one game under .500, won four straight games in Birmingham and emerged with an 18-15 record for its first NCAA appearance under fifth-year coach Karen Aston.

In 18 years as a college head coach, Aston has taken three teams to a combined eight NCAA tournaments, including one at Charlotte, six at Texas and one at UTSA.

At Texas, Aston worked eight seasons as head coach and led the Longhorns to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 three other times.

Texas did not renew her contract after the 2020 season. UTSA, coming off two wins in 2020-21, hired her for the following season.

Aston is 82-77 in five years at UTSA. She is 62-35 in her last three seasons, with trips to the WNIT in 2024, the WBIT in 2025 and NCAA this year.

UTSA women hold off Memphis to snap a three-game losing streak

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Idara Udo. UTSA beat Memphis 67-55 in American Conference women's basketball on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Junior forward Idara Udo contributed 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as UTSA beat Memphis to split two games in the season series. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners executed four straight plays on the offensive end in the final minutes, scoring nine points in a row on those possessions, to down the Memphis Tigers 67-55 on Sunday afternoon in American Conference women’s basketball.

Having clinched a berth in the American’s postseason tournament on Saturday night when Tulsa beat Wichita State, UTSA (13-14, 8-8) still wanted to win on Senior Day and make amends for an earlier loss to Memphis.

Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA beat Memphis 67-55 in American Conference women's basketball on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

After recognition in a pre-game ceremony on Senior Day, Cheyenne Rowe had 16 points and nine rebounds against the Memphis Tigers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

They also wanted to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Roadrunners succeeded on all fronts by building an early lead and then holding off the Tigers (9-20, 3-13) at the end with a late push led by Cheyenne Rowe, Idara Udo and Ereauna Hardaway.

Rowe and Hardaway were two of the UTSA seniors recognized in a pre-game ceremony.

“It was good to get back home and get on the winning side of the game,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “Just a fantastic effort, I thought, on our part to see seniors go out in a winning fashion.

“But, really, just our team getting back to winning ways. I’m super proud of the way we followed the game plan and stayed composed throughout the game.”

Udo led the Roadrunners with 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots.

Rowe, a 6-2 senior from Ontario, Canada, contributed 16 points and nine boards. Hardaway, a 5-8 guard from Jonesboro, Ark., delivered 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Guard Daejah Richmond paced the Tigers with 17 points and four assists.

Amauri Williams scored 11. With the loss, Memphis was eliminated from contention for the conference tournament.

UTSA switched up personnel in the starting lineup and then pulled out to an 18-10 lead after the first quarter.

Inserted as a starter, freshman Adriana Robles added speed to the lineup. She also produced nine points and five assists against only one turnover.

Robles also pulled down six rebounds on a day when UTSA dominated on the boards, 48-28.

Records

Memphis 9-20, 3-13
UTSA 13-14, 8-8

Ereauna Hardaway. UTSA beat Memphis 67-55 in American Conference women's basketball on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Senior Ereauna Hardaway contributed 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists as UTSA avenged an earlier loss to Memphis. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Coming up

Tulsa at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Rice, Saturday, March 7, 2 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners sit in sixth place in the American Conference standings leading into their last two games of the regular season. At 8-8, the Roadrunners are two games behind 10-6 and fifth-place Tulsa and one ahead of 7-9 Temple and Charlotte.

A seeding of fifth or sixth would be advantageous for UTSA in that it would give the team a first-round bye in the tournament. Falling to seventh or lower would be perilous, in that the No. 7 through 10 seeds don’t get a bye.

In other words, finishing seventh would mean UTSA would need to win five games in five days to win the postseason title and qualify for the NCAA tournament. Finishing fifth or sixth means that the team would need four wins in four days.

UTSA’s two remaining conference games will be challenging. The Roadrunners host Tulsa (18-10, 10-6) on Wednesday. They will finish on the road against regular-season champion Rice (26-3, 16-0) on Saturday afternoon.

Third quarter

The Roadrunners opened the second half on 12-3 run, expanding their lead to 42-28.

Undaunted, the Tigers started pressing after their own field goal makes and speeding up the action. At the end of the period, UTSA led 51-44.

Udo scored nine points in the quarter for UTSA, and Williams had 11 for Memphis.

First half

The Roadrunners rode an 18-point first quarter to a 30-25 halftime lead on the Tigers.

The half ended on a bizarre note, with a foul called to prompt a stop in the action with 13.2 seconds left.

Richmond responded by flipping the ball up to hit Hardaway. Hardaway retaliated by tossing the ball back at Richmond, drawing whistles from the referees.

Both players were hit with technical fouls.

The story of the half for the Roadrunners centered on their first-quarter scoring.

Limited to 13 points or less in their last five first quarters, they shot 41 percent to take an 18-10 lead on the Tigers.

Freshman Adriana Robles started at guard for the Roadrunners along with the other regular starters, including Hardaway, Mia Hammonds, Idara Udo and Cheyenne Rowe.

Damara Allen came off the bench.

North Texas women roll past UTSA, 87-63

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Guard Andi Schissler hit six 3-pointers and scored 22 points Tuesday night to lead the North Texas Mean Green in an 87-63 romp over the UTSA Roadrunners in American Conference women’s basketball.

Starting fast in the game played at the Super Pit in Denton, North Texas built the lead to 27 late in the first half and then to as many as 38 early in the fourth quarter, before cruising to the win over its in-state rival.

In winning its fourth straight game, North Texas sent defending conference champion UTSA to its third straight loss. Roadrunners guard Ereauna Hardaway returned to the court she once called home and scored 19.

Hardaway also notched three rebounds and three assists. Cheyenne Rowe added 12 points and six rebounds. Idara Udo contributed nine rebounds and six points.

For North Texas, Chania Price knocked down five of six from the field and scored 14 points, while guards Aysia Proctor added 12 and Mekhia Chase 11. Proctor played the last two seasons at UTSA.

Records

UTSA 12-14, 7-8
North Texas 17-11, 11-5

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, 3:05 p.m.

Last-place Wichita State women hold off UTSA, 62-61

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women’s basketball team traveled to Kansas to play the last-place Wichita State Shockers on Saturday, intent on generating momentum by picking up a victory in their fifth-to-last, regular-season game.

The Shockers had other ideas entirely, breaking open a close battle behind Jaila Harding in the third quarter and then holding on to defeat the defending conference champions, 62-61, at Koch Arena.

For the Roadrunners, it was a humbling experience, losing for the third time this season against a bottom-of-the-pack team in the American Conference.

It was also frustrating. They trailed by 10 with seven minutes remaining and made a furious charge that brought them to within one in the final 40 seconds.

After a Damara Allen basket pulled UTSA within the final score, the Roadrunners made a defensive stop. Going for the win, they pushed it up the court, with guard Ereauna Hardaway on the dribble.

When she dribbled into the key, Hardaway went up for the shot, but it was blocked by Jaida McDonald as time expired.

Harding, a graduate transfer from New Mexico State, led the Shockers with 19 points. She had 12 in the third quarter as her team started to take control of the game. Abby Cater scored 12 and Diamond Richardson 11.

Cheyenne Rowe, UTSA’s leading scorer, contributed 23 for the Roadrunners for her fourth effort in the 20s this season. In the end, it was Rowe leading the comeback, as she notched 12 in the fourth period.

Idara Udo had a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

The loss, UTSA’s second straight, left the Roadrunners (12-13, 7-7) in sixth place in the American. South Florida and North Texas (both 9-5) sit just ahead of UTSA in the standings.

Charlotte (6-7) is a half game behind going into a game scheduled later Saturday at North Texas.

Ten teams qualify for the American’s postseason event, with the tournament scheduled for March 10-14 in Birmingham. Teams seeded seventh through 10th must win five games in five days to win the title.

The fifth and sixth seeds get a first-round bye and a four-game route to the championship. Teams seeded third and fourth are rewarded with a double bye and can get the title and the NCAA automatic bid with three wins.

Records

UTSA 12-13, 7-7
Wichita State 6-21, 3-11

Coming up

UTSA at North Texas, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

First half

In the first half, UTSA played a more physical style and dominated in rebounding, 23-12. But Wichita State scored eight points off 18 turnovers. By intermission, the teams went into intermission tied, 24-24.

For the Roadrunners, forward Rowe led with seven points, while Udo scored six and pulled down nine rebounds. Harding scored seven points to lead the Shockers.

Forward Treasure Thompson scored five points in the half as the Shockers outscored the Roadrunners in bench points, 11-0.

First quarter

They Roadrunners didn’t play their best in the first quarter, but they did emerge with a 12-11 lead when forward Rowe hit a long jumper from the top of the key at the buzzer.

Forward Mia Hammonds contributed six points in the period, getting one bucket on a driving layup off the fast break and also hitting four for four at the free-throw line.

The Shockers played well defensively, holding the Roadrunners to four of 13 shooting from the field and forcing four turnovers. Jaila Harding had four points in the period.

Second quarter

Wichita State continued to play with aggression defensively, forcing a spate of turnovers in the first few minutes of the second quarter.

Later, UTSA went through a two-minute scoring drought.

When Harding and Diamond Richardson knocked down back-to-back three pointers, the Shockers had their largest lead of the game at 24-20. UTSA responded with tough play under the boards.

Offensive rebounds led to the Roadrunners’ last two baskets, one by Udo and the other by Rowe, to tie the score.

Third quarter

Harding hit three 3-point baskets and exploded for 12 points in the third period as Wichita State took control of the game, 49-40.

Playing big strong in the rebounding department, the Shockers outscored the Roadrunners, 25-16 in the quarter.

Near the end of the period, guard Diamond Richardson made plays on both ends of the floor to blunt UTSA’s momentum.

After foiling a breakaway layup, she emerged on the other to hit a layup for a four-point swing.

Notable

The Roadrunners have had difficult experiences in their past two games against teams in the bottom tier of the American Conference standings. On Jan. 23, UTSA lost 52-40 at the Memphis Tigers. On Feb. 3, UTSA fell 81-69 to the UAB Blazers in Birmingham.

UTSA will play at North Texas on Tuesday, facing a team that probably wants some payback. Cheyenne Rowe produced 27 points and 11 rebounds as the Roadrunners defeated the Mean Green 66-64 in San Antonio on Jan. 28.

UTSA women host South Florida in American Conference showdown

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The South Florida Bulls and the UTSA Roadrunners will meet today at the Convocation Center in an American Conference women’s basketball showdown.

Last month, the Roadrunners traveled into Tampa, Fla., undefeated in conference play and took a pounding from the Bulls, 70-53.

South Florida buried UTSA with 10 three-pointers, including five by Jelena Bulajic and three more by Edyn Battle.

It was the start of a stretch in which the Roadrunners dropped five of seven games and basically played their way out of contention for a second straight regular-season title.

In the rematch, UTSA will have a chance to even the score from a pride standpoint. The second meeting of the schools also will have postseason implications.

Going into games today, South Florida and Tulsa (both 8-4) are tied for third in the American standings. North Texas and UTSA (both 7-5) are tied for fifth.

A victory would allow the Roadrunners to stay in the chase for third or fourth place at the end of the regular season.

Finishing third or fourth is meaningful in that those two teams would need to win only three games in three days next month in Birmingham to claim the American’s postseason title.

Fifth or sixth-place teams would need to win four games in four days.

Records

South Florida 15-10, 8-4
UTSA 12-11, 7-5

Coming up

South Florida at UTSA, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Wichita State, Feb. 21, 1 p.m.

Notable

In a 52-43 home victory over the Temple Owls Tuesday night, the Roadrunners hit only one of 15 shots from three-point range.

UTSA is 53 of 188 on threes in 12 conference games for 28.2 percent.

UTSA is outscoring opponents by an average of 60.2 to 58.5 points per game in conference. The team’s point production in conference ranks last in the league, while the team ranks first in points allowed.

UTSA sophomore forward Mia Hammonds emerged from a shooting slump in the Temple game Tuesday night, scoring 10 points on five of seven shooting.

In her three previous games, she scored only a combined nine points and shot two for 14 from the field.

An energy player who can contribute in multiple facets of the game when she’s playing well, Hammonds enters the South Florida game averaging 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Rowe scores 26 as the UTSA women down Temple, 52-43

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Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA beat Temple 52-43 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Cheyenne Rowe produced 26 points and 11 rebounds in a victory that keeps UTSA within striking distance of a top-four finish in the conference race. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners played gritty defense, they rebounded and then they passed the ball to Cheyenne Rowe.

Rowe, a 6-2 senior forward, did the rest.

She hit 11 of 19 shots from the field for 26 points as the Roadrunners downed the Temple Owls 52-43 for their second straight win in the American Conference.

Both Rowe and forward Idara Udo pulled down 11 rebounds as UTSA out-boarded Temple, 43-29. Mia Hammonds scored 10 points, including eight in the third quarter.

Rowe clinched a 2-0 season sweep of the Owls by scoring 10 points in the fourth period on five of nine shooting.

Idara Udo. UTSA beat Temple 52-43 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Idara Udo had five points and a team-high tying 11 rebounds against Temple in a performance that followed an 18-point showing at Tulsa last Saturday. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Just super proud of our team today,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “I didn’t think it was the easiest win. Both teams, you could really tell they knew each other. You could tell (we were) in the grind of conference play, and both teams knew exactly what the other was going to run.

“They were prepared, and it just got down to who could really buckle down in the second half and get the consecutive stops and maybe execute a little better offensively. I thought the difference in the game was we had 11 turnovers at the half and finished with 14.

“Taking care of the basketball and giving ourselves a chance to get a shot off was really the difference.”

For the Owls, forward Saniyah Craig produced a double double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

As for Temple’s explosive backcourt, UTSA effectively shut down guards Kaylah Turner and Tristen Taylor.

Turner entered the game averaging 17 points and leading the conference in scoring, while Taylor had been an 11-point, four-assist wizard with the ball.

UTSA held Turner to 12 points on five of 14 shooting. She scored only two in the second half when the Roadrunners secured the game.

Taylor, from Duncanville High School in the Dallas area, went scoreless in the game on zero for two field-goal shooting. Moreover, she had three assists and three turnovers.

In the first meeting between the teams, on Jan. 3 in Philadelphia, UTSA won 50-47. And even though Taylor scored 18 points, Turner was held to seven on three of 18 shooting.

Adriana Robles. UTSA beat Temple 52-43 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Adriana Robles scored four points and had three assists and two rebounds in 25 minutes. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Rowe, for her part, enjoyed two big games this year against the Owls. In Philadelphia, she produced 14 points and 18 rebounds. In San Antonio, it was more of an offensive tour de force.

She said patience was the key.

“Tried to see where I could get an open shot, where my teammates were going to open up the shot for me,” Rowe said. “I got to hand it to them for cutting. Cut assists are amazing in basketball.”

Udo said it’s “awesome” to be back with the team. For more than six weeks, she sat out with an injury. Now, after playing five games, the 6-1 power forward is starting to assert herself.

“I love getting out here and playing with my team and helping us stack wins together,” she said. “My time off was great, too. I got to be a good teammate and tried to be a leader and take on a different role.”

Records

Temple 10-13, 4-7
UTSA 12-11, 7-5

Coming up

South Florida at UTSA, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

From Jan. 13 to Feb. 3, the Roadrunners hit a slump, losing five of seven games. Now, after winning last Saturday at Tulsa and again Tuesday night against Temple, they’ve seemingly turned the corner.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Temple 52-43 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Karen Aston’s UTSA Roadrunners beat Temple and improved its record to 12-11 overall and 7-5 in the American. – Photo by Joe Alexander

It’s a push that has allowed them to stay within striking distance of a fourth-place finish in the conference, which is rewarded with a double-bye into the 10-team postseason tournament.

Teams with the double bye gain the advantage of a shorter route to the American postseason title and the automatic NCAA tournament berth.

Teams finishing from seventh through 10th must win five games in five days to claim the title.

Teams finishing fifth and sixth will need to win four games in four days, while teams in third and fourth start in the quarterfinals, needing three wins in three days.

The top two seeds start in the semifinals, two wins on back-to-back days away from the automatic NCAA berth.

Right now, the Rice Owls (11-0), East Carolina Pirates (10-2) and Tulsa Golden Hurricane (8-3) are first through third, respectively.

The South Florida Bulls (7-4) are fourth, only a half game ahead of the Roadrunners and the North Texas Mean (both at 7-5).

South Florida hosts third-place Tulsa on Wednesday night and then travels into San Antonio to play UTSA on Saturday.

With the 18-game schedule winding down, the Bulls-Roadrunners rematch should be interesting.

Incidentally, the Bulls started the Roadrunners’ five-losses in seven-games skid by winning 70-53 on Jan. 13 in Tampa.

In that game, South Florida knocked down 10 three-point baskets to hand UTSA its most lopsided loss in conference this season.

First half

Locked in a defensive struggle, the Roadrunners and the Owls battled to a 21-21 tie at intermission. Rowe hit five of six shots from the field and scored 12 points to lead the Roadrunners.

Temple coach Diane Richardson. UTSA beat Temple 52-43 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Diane Richardson’s Temple Owls led the Roadrunners 17-13 after the first quarter but couldn’t hold on. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Unfortunately for UTSA, the rest of the team made only three of 14. Also, the Roadrunners’ offense stagnated against the Owls in other ways, often passing up open shots while turning the ball over 11 times.

The Roadrunners stayed in the game with an aggressive defense that limited the Owls to nine of 27 shooting for 33 percent. Temple guard Kaylah Turner supplied most of the firepower for the visitors, scoring 10 points on four of eight from the field.

UTSA women prepare for rematch against Temple’s dynamic duo

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners women survived one meeting against Kaylah Turner and Tristen Taylor this season. They’ll need to buckle up for another challenge tonight.

The Roadrunners will host two of the most dynamic guards in the American Conference when they play the Temple Owls at 6:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Temple women's basketball coach Diane Richardson. Temple defeated UTSA 56-48 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Diane Richardson has led the Temple women to back-to-back, 20-win seasons. The Owls (10-12, 4-6) are in town for a Tuesday night matchup against the UTSA Roadrunners (11-11, 6-5). – Photo by Joe Alexander

Turner is the leading scorer in the conference. The 5-6 junior from Jacksonville, Fla., averages 17.4 points.

Twice, she has scored in the 30s this season and six more times in the 20s for the Owls (10-12, 4-6), who are one of the most respected ball clubs in the bottom tier of the American’s standings.

In a Jan. 3 meeting against UTSA at Philadelphia, the Roadrunners did a good job defensively, holding Turner to one of her worst showings this season, three of 18 shooting from the field and seven points.

As a result, the Owls let a home game get away, losing 50-47 to the Roadrunners. It was a different narrative altogether in regard to Taylor, a 5-5 junior from Duncanville High School in the Dallas area.

She produced 18 points, three assists and a pair of steals. At the end, she just missed on a three-point shot that would have sent the game into overtime.

Given the background on the first meeting of the season with the Owls, and considering that Taylor has gone on to average 11.2 points and 4.3 assists, the Roadrunners (11-11, 6-5) are approaching Tuesday night’s rematch with eyes wide open.

UTSA coach Karen Aston knows from experience that even if a team holds one of those two down, the other is capable of willing Temple to victory.

“With Tristen, it was her first game back after an injury when we played up there,” Aston said Monday. “I’m not sure we had a handle on her game. I would expect that we’d be a little more prepared for her (Tuesday).

“Everyone in the league is prepared for Turner, and she’s still the leading scorer in the conference. So that tells you of her talent right there. She can be on everybody’s top of the scout, and she still gets the job done. Just two dynamic guards.”

The Owls could use the same adjective about UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe. In the teams’ first meeting, Rowe exploded for 14 points and 18 rebounds. The 6-2 senior from Canada has been UTSA’s best player this season, averaging 13.5 and 8.8.

In the rematch, Temple will be tasked with another frontcourt challenge in dealing with forward Idara Udo.

Udo sat out the game in Philadelphia with a lower leg injury. But after missing six weeks of action, she has returned, playing the last four games for the Roadrunners.

Udo, a preseason second team, all-conference selection, scored a season-high 18 points Saturday in a 66-47 road victory at Tulsa. Aston is happy to have the 6-1 junior from Plano back on the floor and gaining confidence.

“Obviously it was a long time off for her,” the coach said. “You don’t expect someone to roll in after time off and be sharp (immediately) and be in game shape and all of that. So I think it’s a process for her. I’m proud of her patience with this. It kind of forced her to step back and mature a little bit.

“She had a lot of her own personal expectations, and it’s actually given her time to give herself some grace. She looked a little sharper on Saturday, and I think every game we play, she’ll get a little sharper and a little bit better game shape. Get her timing back.

“Again, it just takes time when someone’s missed as many games as she has.”

Records

Temple 10-12, 4-5
UTSA 11-11, 6-5

Coming up

Temple at UTSA, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
South Florida at UTSA, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

Last-place UAB women surge past defending champion UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The last-place UAB Blazers shot 64 percent in a dominant third quarter in Birmingham on Tuesday night and then cruised to an 81-69 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in American Conference women’s basketball.

Leading by five at the half, UAB (9-13, 2-8) went on an 18-4 run in the first five minutes after halftime and outscored UTSA 27-14 in the third behind the scoring of Cali Smallwood and freshman Sofia Munoz.

In the end, the Blazers’ 81 points represented a season high for a UTSA opponent.

With the win, Randy Norton-coached UAB claimed its second victory in a row and its first in the opening game of the second half of the conference slate. Defense-minded UTSA (10-11, 5-5) yielded 56 percent shooting for the game in losing its second straight.

The defending conference champion Roadrunners, who opened conference play at 3-0, have dropped five of their last seven.

The last two Roadrunners’ losses have come in the last four days. UTSA dropped a 65-55 decision to the first-place Rice Owls on Saturday in San Antonio and then had a quick turnaround for the Tuesday night game in Alabama.

UTSA will play next on Saturday in Oklahoma against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, an upper-tier team in the conference. The Golden Hurricane (16-6, 8-2) also played Tuesday night and won on the road at Wichita State, 75-65.

“It’s not going to get any easier,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said on the team’s radio broadcast. “I thought that this whole time, that every game was going to be like this, and it’s going to boil down to … ‘How hungry are you?’ and, ‘How bad do you want to win? Does it mean that much to you?’

“I mean, everybody (in the conference) is fighting, just to get in the tournament. You know, maybe we’ve hit a lull. I don’t really know. We looked like maybe we’ve hit a little bit of a wall. We got to figure out how to re-energize ourselves.”

Aston acknowledged that she doesn’t really have an answer on how to get the team to boost its energy level.

“We just don’t look like we have enough gas in our tank right now,” she said.

Forward Molly Moffitt led six UAB players in double figures with 19 points. Smallwood added 15 and Journey Armstead 13. Eleecia Carter scored 12, while Monae’ Duffy and Munoz had 11 apiece.

For UTSA, point guard Ereauna Hardaway produced 17 points and five assists. Forward Cheyenne Rowe added 16, but after halftime, the Roadrunners’ scoring leader was hounded by a collapsing UAB defense and was held to five.

Idara Udo, in her third game back after sitting out six weeks with an injury, scored 12. The Roadrunners shot 41 percent from the field.

Records

UTSA 10-11, 5-5
UAB 9-13, 2-8

Coming up

UTSA at Tulsa, Saturday, 2 p.m.

First half

The Blazers shot 48.1 percent from the field and knocked down five 3-pointers en route to a 32-27 lead on the Roadrunners.

It was a disappointing showing for the Roadrunners, who entered the game in sixth place in the American against the Blazers, who were in last (13th).

Molly Moffitt and guard Eleecia Carter both scored nine points to lead the Blazers. Moffitt connected on four of nine from the field and Carter three of five, all from 3-point distance.

UTSA women to face a UAB team ‘feeling good about themselves’

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Fighting through the “dog days” of the American Conference schedule, the UTSA Roadrunners women are looking to find some consistency when they play on the road tonight against the last-place UAB Blazers.

The Roadrunners (10-10, 5-4) tip off against the Blazers (8-13, 1-8) at 6 p.m.

UTSA split two games at home last week, building a double-digit lead against North Texas and then holding on for a 66-64 victory and then playing on even terms for a half against first-place Rice before ultimately falling, 65-55.

“I thought last week was a good week for our team, obviously a good win against North Texas and then kind of equally disappointing against Rice,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “But we’re in the dog days now and we have to turn the page and get to the next game.”

Coach Randy Norton’s Blazers (8-13, 1-8) endured hard times to start their conference schedule with eight straight losses before playing well and winning 83-65 on the road last weekend at Wichita State.

Guard Cali Smallwood scored 25 points in the performance, knocking down seven of 12 shots from 3-point distance.

“Their record is not indicative of how they’ve played,” Aston said. “They had a new team and obviously had to find some chemistry and get used to conference play, so to say. But they had a big win on Saturday, and just to get that one over for them probably gave them a lot of confidence.

“I would think we’ll roll in there with them feeling pretty good about themselves.”

Records

UTSA 10-10, 5-4
UAB 8-13, 1-8

Coming up

UTSA at UAB, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
UTSA at Tulsa, Saturday, 2 p.m.