In an emotionally charged rematch following a last-second loss earlier in the week, No. 14 UTSA once again faced off against No. 11 Temple in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament. Despite a valiant second-half surge, UTSA was unable to overturn a substantial halftime deficit, losing 64-61 to the Owls.
Beginning the second period trailing by 14 points, UTSA ignited a 13-0 run that narrowed the score to 45-44. Chrsitian Tucker led the charge, scoring nine of his 15 total points in the half while dishing out four assists. The rally also saw contributions from senior center Carlton Linguard Jr., who scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds alongside eight points from junior guard Isaiah Wyatt and forward Chandler Cuthrell. Junior guard PJ Carter, alongside Wyatt, each landed two crucial 3-pointers.
UTSA and Temple exchanged baskets in the final eight minutes. A three by Tucker at the 6:39 mark tied the game at 49. Temple’s freshman and junior guards Zion Stanford and Hysier Miller responded with key baskets of their own. Stanford scored 11 of his 19 total points in the half, and Miller’s 3-pointer with 50 seconds remaining extended the Owls’ lead to 64-58, placing the game seemingly out of the Roadrunners reach.
However, a swift 3-pointer from Carter brought them back within three points. A subsequent backcourt violation by Miller presented UTSA with a final opportunity to level the scores, but 3-point attempts by Carter and Wyatt ultimately fell short, sealing the final score at 64-61 in favor of the Owls.
“We’re extremely disappointed, it’s the nature of post season play, it just ends,” coach Steve Henson said. “You’re out there fighting your tails off and that horn goes off and it’s over, so it’s a very disappointing feeling.”
The first half was predominantly controlled by the Owls, with UTSA struggling offensively and quickly finding themselves down by double digits. Despite effective drives to the basket and securing offensive rebounds, the Roadrunners inability to convert perimeter shots hampered their first-half performance. Tucker emerged as one of few bright spots for UTSA, scoring six first half points that kept the game from slipping completely out of reach.
“We knew we could compete with this team and we didn’t do enough of it in the first half and knew we had to bounce back in the second half,” Tucker said of the game’s challenging first half and subsequent rally. “We came out fighting and we won the second half but we dug ourselves in too deep of a hole.”
Ultimately, despite the spirited comeback, UTSA would not complete the turnaround. The loss marks an early end to the Roadrunners AAC tournament hopes.
