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UTSA women will see a few familiar faces tonight at UIW

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Six days after the UTSA women’s basketball team defeated one regional rival, it’ll play another tonight, traveling into the central sector of San Antonio to face the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals.

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

Fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston says it’s important to schedule against UIW, the only other NCAA Division I women’s program in the city. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners and the Cardinals (both 1-2) will play at the McDermott Convocation Center on the UIW campus. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

Coming off last week’s 64-41 victory at home over the San Marcos-based Texas State Bobcats, the Roadrunners will see a few familiar faces when they face the Cardinals for the sixth time in the series between San Antonio’s two NCAA Division I women’s programs.

Cardinals guard Madison Cockrell played two years at UTSA to start her college career before entering the transfer portal after the 2023-24 season. After playing 27 games at UIW last year, the Dallas native has started all three games this season as a senior for first-year Cardinals head coach Jhasmin Player.

Player was a four-year standout at Baylor University, where she played as a sophomore in 2006-07 under a Kim Mulkey-led coaching staff that included Karen Aston, who is now the head coach in her fifth year with the Roadrunners.

“It’s crazy,” Aston said on her Monday teleconference call. “I’ve kind of forgot about that. She seems like such a (coaching) peer to me. You know, she’s been in the profession for quite some time. And she handles her coaching abilities just like she did when she was a player.

“I recruited her (as an assistant at Texas) and then had the privilege … to coach her for one year (at Baylor). She was a delight. She was a delight to coach. A delight to be around. A very positive light on our profession. And someone I think has a very, very bright future as a head coach.”

The Roadrunners and Cardinals started women’s basketball programs in the early 1980s.

While UIW opened in 1980 in the NAIA, the Roadrunners debuted in 1981 as an NCAA Division I independent. In their 45th season, they’ve established themselves as one of the top teams in the American Conference, having played in two straight national postseason tournaments.

They won the American’s regular-season title last season.

UIW, meanwhile, played initially in the NAIA before moving up to NCAA Division II in the 1990s. In 2012, the Cardinals accepted an invitation to NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference, becoming eligible for national and SLC tournaments in 2017-18.

Head to head, the Cardinals and the Roadrunners have played five times, with UTSA winning three and UIW two.

Both are undefeated at home against the other. In December of 2022, Aston’s Roadrunners led by 11 points in the third quarter and by eight entering the fourth on the home floor of the Cardinals, only to get beat, 56-53.

Madison Cockrell. Texas State beat UTSA 65-57 in overtime in women's basketball on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Dallas native Madison Cockrell, formerly of UTSA, is now a starter for the UIW Cardinals. Cockrell played two seasons at UTSA before entering the transfer portal in 2024. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“I know that it’s going to be a very challenging game at UIW,” Aston said. “It’s a rivalry-type game … We’ve experienced not so good things on the road (at UIW) before. So we’ll try to jog our players’ memory if they were there. If they weren’t, we’ll try to let ‘em know, it’s not an easy place to play. And then we’ll take another deep breath and get ready for the two games in Dallas.”

The Roadrunners will play in DFW-area Frisco next week. They’ll take on Auburn on Monday and Grand Canyon (Ariz.) on Wednesday at the Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Challenge. As for the matchup against UIW, Aston said it’s important to play the only other Division I program in the city.

“I think the (games) are natural, for us to play each other and benefit from high attendance … from community support,” Aston said. “I think that both Jhasmin and I are both trying to gain community support for our programs and really, to be honest with you, to gain support for women’s basketball in the city.”

Records

UTSA 1-2
UIW 1-2

Coming up

UTSA vs. Auburn, Monday, at Frisco, 4 p.m.
UTSA vs. Grand Canyon, Wednesday, at Frisco, 4 p.m.

UTSA women open at home with a 64-41 rout of Texas State

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Mia Hammonds. UTSA women's basketball beat Texas State 64-41 on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Six-foot-three sophomore Mia Hammonds scored 14 of her career-high 16 points in the first half. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Mia Hammonds led a rejuvenated offense in the first half. Cheyenne Rowe lit up the scoreboard after intermission.

On top of all that, the UTSA women played suffocating defense for most of the 40 minutes as the Roadrunners routed the Texas State Bobcats 64-41 in their home opener Thursday night at the Convocation Center.

Rowe, a 6-2 senior forward, scored 15 of her 16 points after intermission, as the defending champions in the American Conference cruised to their first win of the season and the 350th in the career of Coach Karen Aston.

Banners honoring the accomplishments of UTSA's 2024-25 women's basketball team are unfurled on Thursday night at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Banners honoring the accomplishments of UTSA’s 2024-25 women’s basketball team are unfurled on Thursday night at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Rowe had ample help from Hammonds, a 6-3 sophomore from Steele, who had 14 of her career-high 16 in the first half.

Hammonds sparked the attack in the first two quarters with six of seven shooting.

She finished with the best game of her career as UTSA bounced back from two road losses last week, at Texas Tech and Houston.

The road trip was a tough one. In Lubbock, against Texas Tech, UTSA took a 79-52 pounding last Thursday night.

On Saturday in Houston, the Roadrunners played well defensively but fell short, 52-48, because of an offense that misfired all night.

“I think it’s just good to be back home,” Aston said. “We haven’t had a true home game. We started out on the road, and it was a long week last week.

“We were all very excited about being home. We like playing here, so it was a fun day for us.”

Jordyn Jenkins (left) and Nina De Leon Negron, both members of last season's UTSA women's basketball team, watch as the 2024-25 American Conference championship banner is unfurled on Thursday at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins (left) and Nina De Leon Negron, both members of last season’s championship team, watch as the 2024-25 American Conference championship banner is unfurled at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The day held meaning on multiple levels.

Not only was it a career milestone for Aston and a coming out of sorts for a talented young player in Hammonds, it also gave the team a boost at a critical juncture, with the next three games away from home.

In addition, it lent some substance to pre-game festivities staged to commemorate last season’s 26-5 tour de force.

Free-flowing nostalgia

At the beginning of the evening, with 1,221 fans in the stands, the nostalgia flowed freely.

A video played on the big screen showing highlights of the UTSA’s run to the 2024-25 American Conference women’s basketball title.

To cap off the ceremony, banners were unfurled in the rafters, one of them commemorating the title and the other noting the program’s trip to the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament.

As the current crop of UTSA players watched, something obviously was stirring inside them.

Karen Aston. UTSA women's basketball beat Texas State 64-41 on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston hit a milestone with the 350th victory of her career. — Photo by Joe Alexander

“I almost cried,” Rowe said. “That was nice. That was a moment you just can’t get normally. Being a player, that’s all you want.”

A few possessions into the game, guard Damara Allen drained a three pointer. Then, another.

Her teammate, Hammonds, sank a couple of easy layups, one on a sweet assist from Rowe on a back-cut to the basket.

With former UTSA stars Jordyn Jenkins and Nina De Leon Negron seated at courtside, Hammonds kept on scoring, hitting one three out of the corner and once racing on the dribble past a couple of Texas State defenders to score a layup.

“Coast to coast,” the public address announcer exclaimed.

For the half, the Roadrunners shot 14 of 25 from the field and four of seven from behind the 3-point arc, a dramatic improvement from the team’s first two games of the season.

On the season-opening road trip, UTSA shot a combined 35 for 111 from the field and six for 37 from three.

Against the Bobcats, the Roadrunners’ offense started off hot but cooled off to finish 23 of 47 afield and four of nine at the arc.

Deja Jones, a guard from East Central High School, led Texas State with 11 points against UTSA on Thursday at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Deja Jones, a guard who once played at East Central High School, UTSA and Indiana State, led Texas State with 11 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“It was a fun day to celebrate the banner and kind of close the chapter on that moving forward,” Aston said. “I thought we actually played really well, in particular, defensively.

“I was pleased at how we made their shots difficult. On the other hand, we had some really good glimpses offensively and a lot that needed to be looked at.

“We’re just a work in progress on that end because we’ve got a lot of players that haven’t played together, and they’re getting to know each other and where (they) like the ball.

“We had some glimpses that were really good but we obviously have got a lot of work to do.”

Records

Texas State 0-3
UTSA 1-2

Coming up

UTSA at Incarnate Word, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Individuals

Texas State — Forward Deja Jones, who once played at East Central High School and at UTSA in San Antonio, led the Bobcats with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists. Jones was held to five of 22 shooting. Forward Kyra Anderson had 10 points and eight rebounds. Guard Saniya Burks, who was averaging 22 points, was held to seven on three of 12 shooting.

UTSA – Hammonds finished with 16 points on seven of 11 shooting. She also had five rebounds, three blocks and five turnovers. Rowe had 16 on six of eight afield and also produced eight rebounds and four assists. Idara Udo had nine points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Emilia Dannebauer had six points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes.

Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA women's basketball beat Texas State 64-41 on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Cheyenne Rowe scored 15 of her 16 points in the second half. She had the fans on their feet with a flurry of sweet post moves and short jumpers at the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth quarters. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Notable

Opening her 18th year as a head coach, Karen Aston improved to 350-208. Her teams have a 17-game winning streak going at home, dating to the end of the 2023-24 season, including 13-0 last season.

Quotable

Mia Hammonds said having Jordyn Jenkins and Nina De Leon Negron at the game and at team practices served as a boost. “They’ve been a lot of help this week at our practices,” she said. “From being from a winning team last year, like, I just wanted to win for them. I heard them on the sideline. They were talking the whole game.”

Women’s basketball: Houston holds off UTSA, 52-48, in a hectic final minute

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Guard Briana Peguero knocked down a 12-footer off the wing with 14 seconds left to help the Houston Cougars hold off the winless UTSA Roadrunners women, 52-48, Saturday night.

Playing at home in the Fertitta Center, the Cougars didn’t have a great night, largely because the Roadrunners played them so hard.

But the Big 12 Conference program made just enough plays in the final minute to stay undefeated after two games under first-year Coach Matthew Mitchell.

The biggest play of all came after UTSA’s Cheyenne Rowe rebounded a free throw miss and hit a layup to bring the Roadrunners to within two with 39 seconds left. At that juncture, the Cougars called time and set up a play.

Inbounding from the side, they went into a dribble weave at the top of the three-point arc. Kierra Merchant tossed it to Peguero, who was three for 15 from the field at the time, and she promptly drained the shot for the final four-point margin.

UTSA, after a timeout, couldn’t score on two chances. Sophomore Mia Hammonds missed a long three, and freshman Adriana Robles had no choice but to throw one up that was blocked to end the game.

With the loss, the Roadrunners fell to 0-2 after opening the season with two road games against power conference opponents.

UTSA, the defending conference champions in the American, took a beating in the opener. The Texas Tech Red Raiders forced 27 turnovers and routed the Roadrunners 79-52 at Lubbock on Thursday night.

With a short turnaround for the second game of the season, the Roadrunners played harder but still made too many mistakes.

In a game they could have won, they led by five points midway through the second quarter and committed too many errors the rest of the way to prevail, even against a team that also seemed to be trying to find itself.

The Roadrunners were a little better in the turnover department than they were in Lubbock — the Roadrunners committed 22 — but they misfired on too many open looks to beat the Cougars.

“Definitely a tough loss,” UTSA coach Karen Aston told Neal Raphael on the team’s radio broadcast. “I think we got a little closer tonight to playing as hard as you have to play at this level. But, we’re a work in progress. We got a lot of things we got to get a lot better at.

“You got to play the games, sometimes, to figure that out. These two games have given us a glimpse of what we need to get better at.”

Merchant carried the Cougars with 21 points, eight rebounds and one assist, which happened to be the one that went to Peguero for the game clincher. Merchant, a two-year Cougars veteran out of Houston’s Westifled High School, hit eight of 18 shots from the field.

As for the supporting performances, Texas A&M transfer Amirah Abdur-Rahim was strong in pulling down 11 rebounds. But she was limited to nine points on four of 12 shooting. Outside of Merchant and Abdur-Rahim, the rest of the Houston squad shot only 10 for 42.

But on the other end, the Roadrunners failed to capitalize, shooting a frustrating 35.6 percent from the field while turning it over 13 times in the first half and nine after intermission.

Aston said the turnovers have been “an issue” for the Roadrunners through the team’s fall training camp. “It’s been a going theme,” the coach said. “We just have to slow down. We’re young. We’re young at the guard position. We have to slow down and not think that everybody has to make a hero play.”

The return of senior point guard Ereauna Hardaway, a transfer and a former three-year starter at North Texas, calmed the team down a little. With Robles starting at the point and Hardaway coming off the bench, the Roadrunners seemed to get better looks at the basket than they did against the Red Raiders.

“I think we were better in a stretch in the second half,” Aston said. “We got a little better. Ereauna is going to help us a lot. I think her coming out after being out for so long, she gave an admirable effort tonight, considering she hasn’t practiced any.

“The more the year goes on, I think she’ll get control of what we need to do, and we’ll get better.”

Forward Idara Udo led the short-handed Roadrunners with 13 points and six rebounds. Rowe had a double double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, guard Damara Allen scored 11. Hardaway, in her UTSA debut, finished with four points, four rebounds and three assists.

Records

Houston 2-0
UTSA 1-1

Coming up

UTSA at Texas State, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

Notable

With the victory, Houston won its sixth in a row in games against UTSA and improved to 23-1 overall against the Roadrunners.

UTSA hasn’t won a game against a power conference opponent since 2010. The Roadrunners have dropped 27 in a row in that stretch, including 11 straight since Aston took over as coach in the 2021-22 season.

First half

Merchant scored eight of her 14 first-half points in the second quarter as the Cougars rallied from a five-point deficit to tie the Roadrunners, 27-27.

For the second game in a row, turnovers hurt UTSA. The Roadrunners turned it over 13 times in the half. But, unlike their opener at Texas Tech, they shot the ball with more confidence.

Sophomore Damara Allen scored nine to lead the Roadrunners, who shot 41.4 percent from the floor before intermission. Udo and Hammonds closed the half with seven apiece.

Defending champion UTSA women are faced with injury concerns

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The defending conference champion UTSA Roadrunners were happy Tuesday night with the turnout to their annual preseason potluck supper with fans and boosters. In Coach Karen Aston’s first year on campus, she said only about 10 people attended.

Leading into her fifth season, the event has grown, with dozens of people in the stands watching practice and later gathering at tables spread out over one of the side courts at the Convocation Center.

There, they shared laughs, pasta and other assorted home-made dishes.

Clouding an otherwise light mood, a ripple of concern centered on a growing number of injuries leading into Saturday’s home exhibition against Texas A&M-San Antonio, which will be followed by a regular-season opener on Nov. 6 in Lubbock against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

In an afternoon practice that lasted less than an hour, only eight of 15 players on the roster were active and going through drills on halfcourt offense.

Among those sitting out were young standouts Taylor Ross and Sema Udo, who were both wearing leg braces and walking with the aid of crutches. Another concern is forward Maya Linton, one of the best defensive players in the American.

Aston didn’t want to go into the specifics on the injury situation.

“We’ll make some announcements,” the coach said. “We’ve got some season-ending injuries. So we’ll make probably a collective announcement before our first regular-season game.

“We don’t want to do it right now. We don’t want to disclose the information before we go to Lubbock. But we will do it. We’re not going to try and keep anything from anybody because they’re season ending.”

Junior center Idara Udo was the only starter from last year’s 26-win team to participate in practice on Tuesday.

Others working out were returning players Mia Hammonds, Damara Allen and Emilia Dannebauer, plus transfers Ereauna Hardaway and Jayda Holiman and freshmen Adriana Robles and Sanaa Bean.

Among the other notables sitting out the practice was Cheyenne Rowe, who was wearing a walking boot. Both Rowe and Linton were major contributors on a team that forged a 17-1 record in conference last season.

Starters from last year who have moved on in their careers are Jordyn Jenkins, Nina De Leon Negron and Sidney Love. While both Jenkins and De Leon Negron are pursuing professional careers, Love is now playing for UTSA’s opening-day opponent — Texas Tech.

UTSA women are picked second in the American

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

UTSA junior Idara Udo is projected as a first-team all-conference player this season, according to the coaches. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The South Florida Bulls are picked to win, and the defending champion UTSA Roadrunners have been pegged for a second-place finish in the American women’s basketball race, according to the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll.

Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. South Florida (11) 143
2. UTSA (1) 119
3. Rice (1) 113
4. Temple 107
5. Tulane 104
6. North Texas 95
7. East Carolina 82
8. Tulsa 72
9. Memphis 52
10. Charlotte 50
11. UAB 38
12. Wichita State 23
13. Florida Atlantic 16

Preseason projections/individuals
Player of the Year – Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida

All-Conference First Team – Dominique Ennis, Sr., G, Rice; Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida*; L’or Mputu, Gr., F, South Florida; Kaylah Turner, Jr., G, Temple; Idara Udo, Jr., F, UTSA.

All-Conference Second Team – Aniah Alexis, So., G, Rice; Victoria Flores, Jr., G, Rice; Amira Mabry, Sr., F, Tulane; Kendall Sneed, So., G, Tulane.

New-look UTSA women reload after a championship season

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UTSA's Ereauna Hardaway is a senior point guard from Jonesboro, Ark., and North Texas. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA newcomer Ereauna Hardaway is a senior point guard from Jonesboro, Ark. She played three seasons at North Texas, averaging 10 points and 3.5 assists last year as a junior. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With Jordyn Jenkins and Nina De Leon Negron pursuing professional basketball careers, and with Sidney Love now suiting up for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the UTSA women are forging ahead without the leadership core that led the team to a school-record 26 wins and a regular-season conference championship last season.

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

Fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston signed a contract extension through 2030 after leading the Roadrunners to the American Conference regular-season title. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“We’ll be different,” fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston said Wednesday. “We have a different team.” But, that’s not to say the Roadrunners won’t be good again. Far from it.

Nine players return, mixing with six newcomers, on the 15-player roster. The Roadrunners will have some experience to lean on with four seniors, four juniors and four sophomores, including promising returning wing players Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen.

They’ll also have athleticism and length, with four players listed at either 6-foot-4 or 6-3.

Returning starters include center Idara Udo and forward Maya Linton. Forwards Cheyenne Rowe and Nyayongah Gony also figure to be in the rotation, though the multi-skilled, 6-4 Gony is working her way back from a knee injury that limited her to 12 games last season.

Newcomers to watch are senior transfer Ereauna Hardaway and freshman Adriana Robles, who split time at Wednesday’s workout running the team at point guard.

Freshman forward Sema Udo, Idara’s younger sister, is also an athlete that appears to have skills and athleticism to make an immediate contribution.

“I love all the newcomers,” Aston said. “But it is really a meshing process. It’s going to take some time.”

The Roadrunners will face a challenging early schedule. They’ll play four power conference programs, including Texas Tech, Houston, Auburn and Baylor. They’ll also play three teams — Grand Canyon, Baylor and Columbia — that reached the NCAA tournament last year.

UTSA finished 26-5 last season, including 17-1 in the American Conference. The Roadrunners registered a 13-0 record at home. Jenkins was the Player of the Year in the American, while De Leon Negron and Love supplied steady leadership as the starting backcourt.

Taking a 26-3 record into the postseason, the Roadrunners lost to Rice in the American tournament opener and then fell on the road at Gonzaga in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

UTSA's Sema Udo is a freshman forward from Plano East High School. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Sema Udo, the younger sister of junior center Idara Udo, is a freshman forward from Plano East High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Aston has put her players through three extended practices as they ramp up preparations for the Nov. 6 opener at Texas Tech.

A few injuries and illnesses have held the Roadrunners back recently, the most notable being a lower left leg injury to promising sophomore forward Taylor Ross. Aston said Ross’ availability is expected to be clarified in a few weeks.

Guard Siena Guttadauro is new mother, having given birth to a son, Dante, on July 24. She played in just five games last season before learning that she was pregnant, according to a story by Sean Cartell on the UTSA athletics website.

Aston said it’s good to have the native Californian back on the team but cautioned that “it’ll be awhile” before she is ready to play.

UTSA roster

x-Sema Udo, 6-0 freshman forward
Siena Guttadauro, 5-6 redshirt junior guard
x-Ereauna Hardaway, 5-8 senior point guard
x-Saher Alizada, 5-10 junior point guard
Damara Allen, 5-10 sophomore guard
Mia Hammonds, 6-3 sophomore guard
Nyayongah Gony, 6-4 redshirt senior forward
x-Sanaa Bean, 6-3 freshman forward
x-Jayda Holiman, 5-6 junior point guard
Taylor Ross, 6-1 sophomore forward
x-Adriana Robles, 5-5 freshman point guard
Maya Linton, 5-11 senior guard
Cheyenne Rowe, 6-2 senior forward
Idara Udo, 6-1 junior forward
Emilia Dannebaurer, 6-4 sophomore forward/center

x-newcomers

Notable

The UTSA women will participate in Rowdy Jam on Oct. 16 at the Convocation Center. It’ll be the fans’ first opportunity to see the UTSA women and men on the court.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Cupid, the Linedance King is scheduled to perform.

On Oct. 25, the women will host Texas A&M-San Antonio in an exhibition, followed on the same day by the men against Incarnate Word. The women’s game is set for 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3:30.

The season opener for the women is set for Nov. 6 at Texas Tech. Love, a three-year UTSA starter, transferred to play for the Big 12 Red Raiders last summer.

UTSA had four guards transfer out of the program, including Love, Aysia Proctor (to North Texas), Alexis Parker (to Lamar) and Emma Lucio (Southeastern Louisiana).

UTSA's Adriana Robles is a freshman point guard from Arecibob, Puerto Rico, and Fossil Ridge High School. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Adriana Robles has played internationally for her native Puerto Rico and emerged as a standout at Fort Worth’s Fossil Ridge High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Enjoying the grind: first-place UTSA women set to host the East Carolina Pirates

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Sidney Love blocked shot. UTSA beat North Texas 54-52 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA Roadrunners host the East Carolina Pirates tonight at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Relay

The UTSA women’s basketball team is in a balancing act right now, trying at once to enjoy its historic success, while at the same time staying dialed into the serious business of winning a championship.

It’s an exhilarating — yet challenging — experience for the Roadrunners. Not only are they coming off an emotional victory that yielded the first 20-win season at UTSA in 16 years, but they’re also preparing for a home game against a surging opponent, hungry for its own continued success.

With her team holding a one-game lead in the loss column over its nearest competitor, UTSA coach Karen Aston says that “it’s really tough” to know exactly how to deal with the nuances of keeping her players loose and also focused with a competitive edge.

“It’s kind of a feel,” she said. “This particular team seems to do better when your foot is kind of on the gas a little bit and you have a sense of urgency in practice, no matter how long practice is, which none of them are really very long right now.

“But I think, it’s not a science. They’re kids. They’re human. They have other stuff going on. And to be able to find some kind of balance. Yeah, get in the gym, work on your shot. Don’t lose your skill set, but keep fresh legs.”

After staging a remarkable rally in the last few minutes to win last Saturday at Wichita State, improving to 20-3 on the season, UTSA returns home to face the East Carolina Pirates tonight. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Winning is fun, yes. But the last thing Aston wants is for her players to feel mentally as if they’ve arrived, and they start to skip some steps on the practice court.

Then again, that’s something that could have happened before now and it hasn’t, likely because the players enjoy the work as much as they enjoy being around each other.

“Again, it’s not a science,” Aston said. “We kind of take every week as it goes. Every day as it goes. Kind of looking at what the week looks like and try to lighten some of their load, for some that have maybe logged a lot of minutes.

“You know, you want to keep the other guys … in game mode on practice days, the ones that don’t log as many minutes. They have to stay ready, and I think this group has done a great job with that. They enjoy practice for the most part, which makes it fun.

“And I appreciate how they’ve approached whatever we’ve given them. They don’t seem to question whatever the day is going to bring. I appreciate that about this group.”

Records

East Carolina 13-11, 5-7
UTSA 20-3, 11-1

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, tonight, 6:30 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Notable

UTSA has won 13 of its last 14 games, including three straight victories since it dropped a 75-63 decision on the road at South Florida on Jan. 29.

The Roadrunners (11-1 in the AAC) have six games left on their regular-season schedule and lead the Bulls (9-2) by a game in the loss column.

One area of concern for UTSA lately is perimeter shooting. UTSA has hit only 16 percent (nine of 56) from the three-point arc over its last three games.

East Carolina started conference by losing three straight and six of its first eight, but has rebounded to win three of its last four, including a five-point road win at UAB last Wednesday. Coach Kim McNeill’s Pirates won at home on Saturday, defeating the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 73-64.

Two years ago, the Pirates won 23 games and the AAC’s postseason title on their way to the NCAA tournament.

Last year, they reached the AAC title game by rallying in the fourth quarter of the semifinals to beat the Roadrunners, 55-54. Amiya Joyner, who had 13 rebounds in the victory, is ECU’s top player this season.

Joyner, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, is averaging 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds. Freshman point guard Devin Hagemann leads the team with 59 assists. Hagemann passed for eight assists in the victory over the Golden Hurricane.

AAC standings

UTSA 11-1, 20-3
South Florida 9-2, 16-8
North Texas 9-3, 17-7
Tulane 8-4, 15-8
Temple 8-5, 14-10
Tulsa 6-6, 12-12
UAB 6-7, 15-10
Rice 5-6, 12-11
East Carolina 5-7, 13-11
Memphis 4-7, 6-16
Charlotte 2-9, 7-15
Florida Atlantic 2-10, 10-15
Wichita State 2-10, 8-17

Wednesday’s games

Wichita State at Charlotte
Rice at South Florida
East Carolina at UTSA
Memphis at North Texas

UTSA beat North Texas 54-52 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Tonight, the UTSA women will face the East Carolina Pirates, a team that eliminated them from the AAC tournament last season. – File photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA women take a 10-game winning streak into South Florida

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The stakes keep rising for the UTSA women as they ride a 10-game winning streak into an American Athletic Conference road game against the South Florida Bulls.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA women's basketball beat Rice 67-58 in American Athletic Conference action at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Jordyn Jenkins averages 18.9 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Roadrunners, who beat the Bulls twice last season, including once in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The first-place Roadrunners (17-2, 8-0) lead the Bulls (13-8, 6-2) by two games in the standings with 10 to play in the regular season. Last fall, the Bulls were installed as the preseason favorites to win the AAC, and they battled through a rugged non-conference schedule, including seven games against Power 4 competition.

Playing at home on Dec. 21, they knocked off the top-10 Duke Blue Devils, which has allowed them to leap over the Roadrunners in the NCAA Evaluation Tool ratings. Even with six more losses, South Florida is the top AAC team in the NET at No. 67, five spots ahead of No. 72 UTSA, leading into tonight’s game in Tampa.

With the NET used to calculate teams’ strengths as they’re considered for the NCAA tournament, the ratings are not too much on anyone’s radar right now. But it surely would be a good thing for the Roadrunners to beat the Bulls for ratings points that could come in handy going into March.

If the Roadrunners are feeling any “big game” vibes, they didn’t really show it in a week of preparation since Jan. 22, their last game, when they beat Tulsa at home.

“I was curious if they would feel that way,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “To be honest, they didn’t look a whole lot different, which is, I think, a good sign.”

Consistent preparation has been a hallmark for a Roadrunners team off to its best start after 19 games in school history.

“Their habits are who they are,” Aston said. “I’m not sure that they’re approaching this game much differently than they have any of the other ones that we’ve played. I think they’re all big. You clearly can see anybody can beat anybody on a given night. I think it would be a mistake to treat one game bigger than the other.”

Records

UTSA 17-2, 10-0
South Florida 13-8, 6-2

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, tonight, 6 p.m.
Temple at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
North Texas at UTSA, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Wichita State, Saturday, Feb. 8, 1 p.m.

Notable

Aston said the break in the schedule, without having to play a game last weekend, came at a good time. “We had some kids dinged up a little bit,” she said. “Fatigue was starting to set in just from the length of the schedule, travel, all of that, school starting again. So it was a good time for us to push a re-set button.

“The kids got acclimated a little bit in going back to school. It’s always kind of a learning curve when they all start back to school again, especially for the freshmen that have never really experienced the Christmas break and then back into classes again. So I think we’ve settled in. Just a time to take a deep breath and have an extra day off.”

UTSA beat South Florida twice last year, once by a 65-42 score in San Antonio and again by a 58-56 count in Fort Worth at the AAC tournament in Fort Worth.

Tonight will be the first time UTSA will face 6-foot-1 South Florida sharpshooter Sammie Puisis, who had to sit out most of last season with a knee injury. Puisis, who averages 14.7 points, shoots 43.2 percent from the three-point line. The Bulls are No. 1 in the conference at 36.2 in three-point accuracy.

UTSA women hear the roar of the home crowd en route to their 10th straight win

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Nina De Leon Negron. UTSA beat Tulsa 64-53 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Point guard Nina De Leon Negron, wearing the gold chain awarded for her impact in a home victory over Tulsa, says the UTSA Roadrunners remain focused on ‘the ultimate goal’ of a conference championship.- Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Once the UTSA women felt the rush of adrenaline and then heard the roar of their own fans during a third-quarter outburst Wednesday night, it was all over for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Point guard Nina De Leon Negron produced 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Roadrunners won their 10th straight game, holding off the Golden Hurricane 64-53 at the Convocation Center.

Idara Udo. UTSA beat Tulsa 64-53 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Idara Udo (left) helped spark a 15-2 UTSA run in the third quarter. – Photo by Joe Alexander

An announced crowd of 1,345 watched as Idara Udo contributed 16 points and eight rebounds for the Roadrunners, who improved to 17-2 on the season and to 8-0 in the American Athletic Conference.

Udo, a sophomore from Plano, also had a couple of steals and two blocked shots. AAC player of the year candidate Jordyn Jenkins, who took a spill at the end of the third quarter and came out of the game, did not play in the fourth.

The Roadrunners’ star power forward, who leads the conference in scoring, finished with seven points and five rebounds in 25 minutes.

Senior guard Delanie Crawford, another AAC postseason honors candidate, led Tulsa with 17 points. In doing so, she set the school record for three pointers in her career. Crawford hit three of seven from deep.

With the victory, UTSA kept its name alive in the postseason conversation, as it’s now one of only 18 teams in the nation with two or fewer losses. The list was trimmed by one when Minnesota lost at home to Michigan and fell to 17-3.

Additionally, UTSA extended its homecourt winning streak to 11 dating back to last season, which ties a school record. The Roadrunners are 8-0 in the Convo in what is evolving into a magical run of success in 2024-25.

“Super proud of the team (for) just holding court in the Convo and fighting through a little adversity — foul trouble, you know, shots not going in tonight the way we would expect them to go in,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “I mean, we’ve made a lot of the shots we missed tonight.

Delanie Crawford. UTSA beat Tulsa 64-53 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Tulsa senior guard Delanie Crawford (left) scored a team-high 17 points, but she was held to four after intermission by Maya Linton (middle) and others. – Photo by Joe Alexander.

“But, just being able to stay focused and not panic when they made a run. Just thought we were really composed tonight. Super proud of our team.”

Aston said a 15-2 UTSA run in the third quarter, fueled by a full-court press, was the difference in the game.

“I thought it was huge,” the coach said. “Our team, they were kind of looking at how to make a run, and we jumped in our press, got our blood flowing a little bit and then the crowd got excited. You know, that really was the difference in the game, that one run.”

During UTSA’s streak, the team is gradually starting to attract attention from more and more media outlets.

At least three local television stations were filming the action and one of them, KSAT, an ABC affiliate, has attended postgame media sessions the last two home games.

De Leon Negron, a graduate transfer from Incarnate Word, was asked in the postgame media session about the “outside noise,” or the hype, that has accompanied the team’s rise to first place in the AAC.

“I mean, every single time that we talk, even off the court, and we’re all together … we’re always talking about the end goal, which is winning conference,” De Leon Negron said. “Yeah, cool, we’re like 8-0 or whatever right now.

“But we always talk about just winning here (at the Convocation Center) and defending our home court, and just the ultimate goal.”

Aston fielded a postgame question about Jenkins, who fell to the court in late in the third quarter, received attention from trainers for the first six minutes in the fourth and then returned to the bench, seemingly ready to play, with a little more than four minutes left.

The coach was asked if she considered putting Jenkins back in the game, with UTSA leading by only four points at the time, and she said, “Honestly, I don’t know quite what happened (when she fell). But it’s a situation where you definitely don’t want to risk anything.

Sidney Love. UTSA beat Tulsa 64-53 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Sidney Love.(middle) battles for a loose ball against Tulsa. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Honestly, I don’t know if I can answer that. She probably didn’t need to go back in with (me) not really knowing what her status was. It was better to let her not play and then know that we had some time ahead of us before (we play again).”

The Roadrunners have six days to prepare before they play in Tampa on Jan. 29 against the South Florida Bulls, one of the strongest teams in the AAC.

Records

Tulsa 9-10, 3-4
UTSA 17-2, 8-0

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, Jan. 29, 6 p.m.

Notable

UTSA’s 10-game winning streak ties for the second longest in the school’s 44-year women’s basketball history. The team won 10 straight previously in 1986-87 and again in 2007-08. UTSA set the school record of 13 straight wins in 2002-03. The 2002-03 team also won 11 straight at home.

First half

The Roadrunners struggled offensively against a tricky Tulsa zone defense, but they did enough on the other end and on the boards to take a 28-25 lead at halftime.

Gathering 10 offensive rebounds, the Roadrunners dominated in second-chance points with a 9-0 advantage. They also held a 14-0 spread on points in the paint.

Jordyn Jenkins. UTSA beat Tulsa 64-53 in American Athletic Conference women's basketball at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Jordyn Jenkins scored seven points in 25 minutes before crashing to the court and coming out of the game late in the third period. After attention from the training staff, she returned to the bench seemingly ready to play with four minutes left. Coach Karen Aston elected not to play her down the stretch with a game at South Florida looming next Wednesday. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Love says ‘it’s a blessing’ to be alone atop AAC standings

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Sidney Love. UTSA beat Northern Colorado 80-62 in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sidney Love and the UTSA Roadrunners have won 14 of their first 16 games this season, including seven in a row, going into an American Athletic Conference game at Memphis Wednesday night. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If women’s basketball teams in the American Athletic Conference haven’t paid much attention to the UTSA Roadrunners before now, they’re probably starting to take notice.

The Roadrunners (14-2, 5-0) stand alone in first place in the AAC standings going into tonight’s game in Tennessee against the Memphis Tigers.

Last week, UTSA was locked in a two-way tie with South Florida in the early stages of the conference race. But since the Bulls lost on Saturday and again on Tuesday night, the Roadrunners now sit by themselves atop the standings.

Which means, starting tonight, the mindset of UTSA opponents like the Tigers (3-12, 1-3) likely becomes more focused on knocking off the leaders, especially with Memphis fans at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse cheering them on.

“I feel like it’s a blessing to be at the top position,” Roadrunners guard Sidney Love said. “It’ll humble you. It’ll make you want to be consistent, want to stay at the top.

“We’re not really focused on rankings. We’re just playing our basketball, doing what we do best. I feel like if we keep that mentality, then it doesn’t really matter.

“We’re just going to go out there and play our hardest, leave our hearts on the floor and be a winning team at the end of the day.”

Since losing at Stanford on Dec. 16, the Roadrunners have won seven in a row, notching victories over UT Arlington and Texas State in nonconference play, before taking down Charlotte, UAB, Tulsa, Rice and Wichita State in the AAC.

Records

UTSA 14-2, 5-0
Memphis 3-12, 1-3

Coming up

UTSA at Memphis, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
UTSA at UAB, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notable

In starting the season with a program-best 14-2 record after 16 games, the UTSA women’s basketball team has approached a new milestone in terms of the school’s record book – fastest start in conference play.

After winning two games at home last week against Rice and Wichita State, the Roadrunners improved to 5-0 to lead the AAC.

UTSA has been 5-0 in conference only one other time, in 1983-84, in the program’s third season of play and the first in the Oil Country Athletic Conference.

That year, the Ginny DeHaven-coached and Starlite Williams-led Roadrunners lost at West Texas A&M in Game No. 6 on the OCAC schedule and fell to 5-1, before winning three more for an 8-1 record and the league’s regular-season championship.

So, if UTSA wins at Memphis tonight, it would have both records — the best start to a season and in conference.

Record watch

The school record for the longest winning streak is held by the 2002-03 team, which won 13 in a row.

Eye on Memphis

Tilly Boler, DeeDee Hagemann, Alasia Smith and Tanyuel Welch lead the Tigers. Boler averages 16.9 points and shoots 36.3 percent from three. Hagemann, a Michigan State transfer, averages 12.2 points and 6.2 assists. Smith contributes 12.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Welch (10.4 points) and Elauna Eaton are shooting better than 42 percent from three.