UTSA forward Idara Udo came off the bench for eight points and four rebounds Wednesday in a two-point victory over North Texas. Udo had been out since Dec. 15 with a lower-leg injury. – File photo by Joe Alexander
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Boosted by the return of forward Idara Udo, the UTSA Roadrunners women will host the Rice Owls on Saturday afternoon, hoping to take down the leaders in the American Conference title race.
On Wednesday, Udo played for the first time since Dec. 15 and provided a steadying influence on the team in holding off the North Texas Mean Green, 66-64.
The 6-foot-1 junior from Plano, who had been sidelined with a lower leg injury, scored eight points and pulled down four rebounds in nine minutes.
“The biggest thing is, she has experience,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “Even in those last timeouts, she’s a voice that’s been there and done it before. So I think (it’s) just the confidence that we have in her, because she’s experienced and she understands those moments.”
Another factor is that Udo’s return to active status gives the team 10 scholarship players and the strategic flexibility that another post player provides.
Rice is 18-3 and 8-0 in conference play under Coach Lindsay Edmonds. – File photo by Joe Alexander
Also, it might take some pressure off Cheyenne Rowe, who has led the team all season in scoring and rebounding but has probably had to play more minutes than coaches would like.
“It’s been a challenge rotationally for us,” Aston said. “Having her back allows everybody to sort of stay in their position. It allows Cheyenne to get some breaths.
“But, I also think that in the midst of that, our two young players (Emilia Dannebauer and Sanaa Bean) have gotten better.
“That’s exciting, because if we can get everybody in a rotation and stay healthy, then we have a chance to have an inside game that can be effective. I mean, (Cheyenne) was huge tonight but we just can’t depend on her every night.”
For the Roadrunners, defeating the Owls won’t be easy, even with Udo back in the lineup. Rice has won 13 games in a row and has forged a 16-1 record in its last 17 games.
But in the UTSA camp, players who have been in the program over the past few seasons may have a little more motivation than usual.
In 2024, the Owls entered the American’s postseason event in Frisco as an underdog. The Roadrunners, with forward Jordyn Jenkins returning from injury, were hopeful of winning it after beating the Owls in San Antonio on the last day of the regular season.
As it turned out, fourth-seeded UTSA was ousted in the semifinals by East Carolina, while 10th-seeded Rice was on its way to four straight wins, the conference postseason title and a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Last season, UTSA swept Rice in two games in the regular season en route to a 17-1 record and the American’s regular season championship.
In the tournament, however, the ninth-seeded Owls ended the No. 1 Roadrunners’ NCAA dreams with a 62-58 victory in the quarterfinals.
Even though Rice reached the finals and lost to the South Florida Bulls, the team’s re-formation over the spring and summer proved to be successful.
Rice brought back veterans Dominique Ennis, San Antonio’s Hailey Adams, Aniah Alexis, Victoria Flores and Shelby Hayes.
Ennis, Alexis, Flores and Hayes average double figures in scoring. Adams, a junior from Clark, ranks as one of the nation’s best rebounders. She also leads the Owls in assists.
Adams is coming off a 10-point, 15-rebound effort in a 65-56 win over Temple. She averages 8.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 34 minutes.
Records
Rice 18-3, 8-0
UTSA 10-9, 5-3
Coming up
Rice at UTSA, Saturday, 1 p.m.
UTSA at UAB, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Notable
UTSA had won five straight in the series against its in-state rival before falling to the Owls in last season’s American quarterfinals. In the tournament game at Frisco, Alexis had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Ennis had 13 points and six boards. Flores hit two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help Rice hold on to win. The all-time series is tied 16-16.