Tag Archives: women’s college basketball

UTSA women set to open at home today against Abilene Christian

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Kyra White at UTSA women's basketball practice at the Convocation Center on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA junior Kyra White is leading the team in averaging 34 minutes through the team’s first two games. White, a transfer from Southern Cal, played in high school at Judson. — Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston’s UTSA Roadrunners are looking for their first win of the season today. In their home opener, they’ll host the Abilene Christian University Wildcats of the Western Athletic Conference at 2 p.m. in the Convocation Center.

In the Wildcats (2-1), the Roadrunners (0-2) will look to defeat a team that won by 19 points in last season’s matchup at Abilene.

Not only is it the first home game in Aston’s second season at UTSA, it’s also the first at home for Southern Cal transfer Jordyn Jenkins, an all-Pac 12 player last season. The 6-1 junior forward is one of eight newcomers on the Roadrunners’ roster.

Additionally, former San Antonio-area athletes Kyra White, Sidney Love and Alexis Parker will get their first opportunity to play in front of the home fans.

White, also a USC transfer, is from Judson. Love (from Steele High School) and Parker (Brandeis) are two of five UTSA freshman on this year’s team.

The Roadrunners have played two games on the road and have dropped both to in-state opponents. They fell 68-63 at Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 7, and then they dropped a 74-67 decision at TCU last Wednesday.

Programs in transition

As UTSA prepares to transition from Conference USA and into the American Athletic Conference next year, Abilene Christian is also going through changes.

Julie Goodenaugh is entering her 11th season as coach of the Wildcats. A former coach at Hardin-Simmons, she returned to Abilene in 2012, and in her first season at ACU, she guided her team to an NCAA Division II regional.

As the Wildcats moved into Division I and the Southland Conference in 2014-15, she continued to have success, leading ACU to 20-win seasons and into the Women’s NIT in two straight years, in 2016 and 2017.

In 2019, Goodenaugh’s team became the first in school history to reach the D-1 NCAA tournament. In 2019-20 season, when the Covid pandemic forced a suspension of play in the playoffs, the Wildcats finished 24-5.

Last season, the Wildcats finished 17-13 in their first year in the WAC. They defeated the Roadrunners 72-53 in Abilene.

Signings

UTSA announced that three players have signed letters of intent for the 2022-23 season:

Idara Udo — 6-1 forward, Plano, Plano East High School
Emma Lucio — 5-9 guard, Edinburg, Robert Vela High School
Aysia Proctor — 5-9 guard, Schertz, Samuel Clemens High School

Taiwo, TCU women turn back the UTSA Roadrunners, 74-67

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The TCU women’s basketball team knew it had been in a game Wednesday night after spending 40 minutes on the painted floor at Schollmaier Arena with the UTSA Roadrunners.

Playing at home in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs held the Roadrunners to four of 15 shooting in the third quarter to take control of the proceedings, en route to a 74-67 victory.

Tomi Taiwo’s fourth 3-pointer of the game with 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Frogs a 12-point lead. The Roadrunners never got closer than six the rest of the way.

Saddled with foul trouble early, Jordyn Jenkins led the Roadrunners with 16 points. Elyssa Coleman had 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. Off the bench, freshman Siena Guttadauro scored 11 and Deb Nwakamma 10.

Kyra White, playing point guard most of the night for the Roadrunners, had a solid all-around game with eight points, five assists and four rebounds.

Taiwo had 18 points and three steals to lead the Horned Frogs.

All told, it was a solid effort for the Roadrunners, who are two games into their second season under Coach Karen Aston.

The Roadrunners, despite foul trouble, played the Frogs of the Big 12 Conference on even terms in the first half. Guttadauro and Nwakamma each had eight points and a couple of three-pointers off the bench before intermission.

TCU led 23-16 after the first period and, after a competitive second period, held a 37-36 edge on UTSA. Playing better defensively, the Frogs boosted the lead to 54-47 entering the final quarter.

Records

TCU 2-1
UTSA 0-2

Coming up

Abilene Christian at UTSA, Sunday, 2 p.m.