UTSA men’s basketball fell to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock 81-64 on Saturday at the Convocation Center.
Just three games into the coach Austin Claunch era, the Roadrunners (1-2) are still searching for some sort of cohesion, shooting just 30% from the field and 27.6% from three. The Trojans (2-2) were dominant defensively, notching nine blocks and 10 steals. A tight, physical contest to start slowly turned into a one-sided affair as the ‘Runners’ lack of chemistry began to reveal itself down the stretch.
“The expectation is always to win the game,” Claunch said. “Early on it’s not going to be perfect, but our attitude and effort has to be the same. Every season is different, every practice, every game is different; I know these guys want it so bad, but we’ve just got to keep learning each other.”
UTSA fell into a hole early, allowing the Trojans to take a 9-3 lead in the opening period. The Roadrunners brought the score to 9-7 off of four free throws from senior center Mo Njie and sophomore guard Marcus Millender. UTSA took its first and only lead at the 7:57 mark with Millender landing a layup and more contributions at the free throw line from senior guards Primo Spears and Skylar Wicks. After Spears found the net with a layup of his own, the Trojans embarked on a 16-0 run that spanned over four minutes. UTSA closed out the half with five points at the free throw line from senior forward Jonnivius Smith and sophomore guard Nazar Mahmoud.
The Trojans widened the gap early on in the second period, extending their lead to 46-32 off buckets from guard Mwani Wilkinson and forward Ante Beljan. UTSA continued to struggle finding the net, shooting just 38.2% from the field. Conversely, Little Rock’s shooting only got better as the game progressed, making 62.5% from the field in the second half. Continuing to battle, the closest UTSA got to the Trojans was a 10-point deficit with 7:30 remaining in the game.
Spears once again led the way for the Roadrunners with 15 points and Millender finished a close second with 12. Njie and Smith both finished with eight rebounds and Spears led in assists with five.
UTSA will next face Troy University on Monday Nov. 25 at Trojan Arena.
