For the UTSA basketball teams, Jan. 21 was a pretty good day. Both teams defeated I-35 rival Texas State-the women at home in the Convocation Center and the men on the road at Strahan Coliseum.
Since that time, though, the wins have dried up for both teams as they have gone a combined 3-12, with all three wins coming from the men’s team.
February has been especially cruel to the Runners as this month has provided only one win between both teams: a victory over Southeastern Louisiana.
With all that behind the teams, this Saturday, Feb. 25, will mark the resumption of the I-35 Orange vs. Maroon Rivalry when the women head up to San Marcos, and the men welcome the Bobcats for an afternoon matinee.
When the women face the Bobcats in San Marcos, they will either be on an eight-game losing streak or they will have tasted victory for the first time in February if they are able to knock off the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Convocation Center on Wednesday night.
On the men’s side, the Bobcats will enter Saturday’s contest in the Convocation Center, potentially riding a three-game wining streak if they are victorious on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The Runners will either be in the midst of a losing streak or coming off of a victory over A&M-Corpus Christi.
The men’s match-up has the added importance of conference tournament seeding. The Runners will try to improve their seeding while the Bobcats will try to make the tournament.
Most importantly, bragging rights will be on the line at 2 p.m. in San Marcos when the UTSA women and Texas State women take the court, and then at 4 p.m. when the Roadrunner men welcome the Bobcats to San Antonio.
When the two men’s teams played in San Marcos, the announced attendance was 4,458 out of a capacity of 7,000. Strahan Coliseum could accommodate more seats if it wasn’t for the giant white wall at one end that doesn’t really serve a purpose.
While their capacity far exceeds the seating capacity of the Convocation Center, we can at least beat State in terms of sellout if we can just get 4,080 people to attend the game.
So with that in mind, if 4,080 Roadrunners come out Saturday to the Convocation Center at 4 p.m. and experience the I-35 rivalry, UTSA would win the filled arena competition.
Or, if there are Runners who want to see the women in San Marcos, those fans should drive up to Strahan Coliseum for that game at 2 p.m.
Either way, it is time for UTSA to show why it is the next great Texas university by filling the Convo for the I-35 Orange vs. Maroon Rivalry series.
The time has come yet again to fill the Convocation Center and defeat the Bobcats, sending them back to their gym with the giant white wall.
