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.