In their 10th game of the season, the Roadrunners lost to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock 84-93 in The Jack Stephens Center.
UTSA (5-5) was led by starting guards Christain Tucker and Isaiah Wyatt, who combined for 39 of the team’s 84 points.
The ‘Runners jumped out to a quick lead thanks to the elite scoring ability of Tucker. The guard put together a 14-point first-half performance by going four of five from beyond the arc.
UTSA continued to shoot well within the first half, hitting nine threes on 47% shooting. The team held onto their lead for the majority of the first half by forcing the Trojans into contested threes and crowded layups. Despite leading by as many as 14 points, a 10-0 Little Rock scoring run propelled the Trojans to lead the Roadrunners with 40 seconds left in the first period.
The lead was quickly taken back thanks to a contested three from guard PJ Carter, who also contributed nine points to the first-half effort. Going four minutes without a single field goal, Little Rock was able to cut the Roadrunner lead to one at the end of the half. Missing a last-second shot attempt, UTSA edged out the Trojans 43-42 to end the first period.
The second half began with quick scoring blows by both teams, including deep step-back threes from Carter and Dre Fuller Jr. Forcing the Roadrunners to commit six turnovers throughout the second half, the Trojans took a 63-55 lead with 10 minutes left in the game. Little Rock would hold onto the lead for the entirety of the game, as UTSA would only shoot 12 of 16 from the field in the second period. Their three-point percentage also dropped to 33%, hitting only five threes in the half. The scoring was led by Wyatt, who put up 11 points on 65% shooting. As a team, the Roadrunners only managed to put up 41 points to the Trojans 51. Down 10 points with a minute left, the Roadrunners began to play a full-court zone pressure defense. The press proved to be ineffective, as UTSA only managed to cut the deficit to nine. Despite scoring on their last five possessions, the Roadrunners lost to the Trojans 84-93.
The loss officially snaps UTSA’s three-game win streak, as they now sit at .500 for the season. The team’s next game will be against Oregon State at 2 p.m. Sunday in Gill Coliseum.
