Despite late-game heroics, the UTSA men’s basketball team’s miraculous comeback was once again cut short in its 80-76 loss to Rice Saturday afternoon in the Convocation Center.
“We didn’t get off to a great start,” coach Henson said of the team’s performance. “It’s been kind of the same old thing. Defensively, we weren’t good enough.”
Breaking out into a press defense, the Roadrunners (8-14, 2-7 AAC) managed to cut the once double-digit deficit down to seven with two minutes left in the second half. Spearheading the comeback were guards Christian Tucker and Jordan Ivy-Curry, who combined for 33 total points.
“I think they really clicked well,” Henson said of the guards. “We got a little more attack, a little more flow.”
Feeling the hot hand, Ivy-Curry continued to attack the paint, scoring an acrobatic floater to trail 76-73 with 1:10 remaining. With the Convocation Center set to erupt, the crowd was quickly silenced by a quick pull-up elbow jumper from Rice guard Mekhi Mason. Racing back down the court, Ivy-Curry found Adante’ Holiman in the left corner for a 3 to trail by two points with 33 seconds left in the game.
Center Trey Edmonds committed a crucial foul to send Rice to the free throw line, where Owls’ guard, Anthony Selden, hit both free throws to extend the lead to four. Ivy-Curry missed a floater and two 3-point attempts at the final buzzer. Despite scoring 48 second-half points, UTSA could not dig itself out of its early hole.
The Roadrunners fought hard in the first half, battling Rice for the early game lead. While Edmonds led the way with 10 points, the team found themselves trailing the Owls 39-28 in the first 20 minutes. Continuously trying to find creative ways to score, the ‘Runners struggled to find their rhythm early. Shooting 31% from the floor and 17% from 3 in the first half, the team could muster only two points in the final four minutes.
Despite the offensive struggles, Edmonds became a bright spot for the ‘Runners, posting a fast break steal and two thunderous dunks. His efforts were aided by Isaiah Wyatt, who also contributed five points to the opening effort.
The Roadrunners will play Wichita State at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Charles Koch Arena.
