In their season opener with almost a brand new team, UTSA was able to produce a dominant win over the Trinity Tigers.
The Roadrunners began their season campaign with an exhibition Tuesday victory over the Tigers 100-70 in the Convocation Center. The team was led by center Carlton Linguard Jr., who contributed 20 points and nine rebounds to the team effort.
“It feels good,” Linguard Jr. saidwhen asked about the blowout win, “everything just felt good today.”
The seven-foot center had no trouble scoring against the Division III Tigers, racking up a multitude of threes, mid-range floaters and paint points over the course of the game. Linguard Jr. also played a huge role in shooting down Trinity’s second-half scoring run, as he found himself hitting timely threes when the team needed it most.
While his scoring in the season opener was exceptional, Linguard Jr. also showcased his passing ability, passing the ball out of double-teams and drive-and-kick situations
“Me being a threat opens up the floor for my team, at the end of the day I just want to help my team, I just want to get them shots,” Linguard Jr. said of his ability to stretch the floor.
Linguard Jr. was not the only player dishing out the ball, as the Roadrunners recorded 22 team assists and an overall plus/minus of plus 24.
There was no shortage of scoring on Tuesday night’s blowout win against the Tigers. Guard PJ Carter and center Trey Edmonds contributed a bulk of the scoring to go along with Linguard Jr.’s 20-point performance. Carter found himself scoring a smooth 13 points on 60% shooting from the floor, while Edmonds dominated the paint for a solid 14-point performance.
The Roadrunners also were able to get 38 points from their bench, including a monster dunk from forward Chandler Cuthrell.
The team’s overall scoring proved to be overwhelming for the Tigers, as there were no lead changes throughout the entire game.
When mentioning his key takeaways from the game, Linguard Jr. simply stated, “Getting back on defense and stopping the ball.”
In their Tuesday exhibition, UTSA did allow 27 points off of fast breaks alone and committed 23 team fouls.
Linguard Jr. remained confident in the team’s ability to improve on defense throughout the season.
“Everybody’s excited about defense, we just have to execute,” Linguard Jr. said.
In the season opening scrimmage, with almost a brand new team, the Roadrunners still managed to produce a dominant win over Trinity University.
The Roadrunners will play McMurry at 7 p.m. next Monday in the Convocation Center.
