Senior forward Jordyn Jenkins’ 22 points lifted UTSA women’s basketball over the visiting Sam Houston State University Bearkats 79-36 on Saturday at the Convocation Center.
Entering this matchup, riding a six-game win streak, the Roadrunners (7-1) were efficient from the floor and aggressive on defense, forcing the Bearkats (4-3) to shoot 21.6% from the field. The ‘Runners played at their own pace and knocked down 47.8% of their shots, and as a result, led throughout the entirety of the game.
“I thought this was a good win,” coach Karen Aston said. “We came back from Puerto Rico, and I thought we had a little bit of a lag coming back and then [we have] finals coming up. It was a tough week of practice for us, but I’m proud of how we started and how we finished.”
UTSA began the opening period on a 7-2 run. Sophomore forward Idara Udo picked up the team’s first points with a tough finish near the basket. Jenkins added to the lead with a strong finish at the rim that resulted in extra free throw opportunity, resulting in a three-point play for the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Week. The Roadrunners closed out the period on a 9-0 run with contributions from junior forward Cheynne Rowe and junior guard Sidney Love.
In the second period, UTSA continued to add to its lead. Despite shooting just 30% from the field and 0-7 from three, the Roadrunners kept the Bearkats at arm’s length. Jenkins and Udo led the way throughout the period with six and five points, respectively.
The Roadrunners poor shooting continued in the third period, yet Sam Houston had no answers for the UTSA defensive gameplan, shooting just 7.7% from the floor. The Bearkats’ leading scorer for the period, guard Kaila Kelley, had just five points with a majority coming from free throws.
In the final period, UTSA outscored Sam Houston 27-6, with Aston bringing in some of the younger members of the team to seal the blowout win. Freshmen contributors Emilia Dannebauer, Taylor Ross and Mia Hammonds all saw action in the final minutes, but it was once again Jenkins and Udo who did the heavy lifting.
Jenkins, who led the team in scoring with 22 points and 10 rebounds, notched another milestone against the Bearkats, crossing the 1,500 career points mark. Udo finished in second in scoring with 15 points, and graduate guard Nina De Leon Negron led the way in assists, dishing out eight in the win. UTSA held Sam Houston to just 36 points, which is the lowest for any opponent the team has faced so far this season. Additionally, the Roadrunners picked up their first back-to-back wins of 30 or more points since the 1996-97 season and are on a seven game win streak for the first time since the team’s 2013-14 campaign.
“I think we’re playing a little bit harder, longer,” Aston said of the reason for the team’s win streak. “Our defense has been the most pleasing thing; it’s been pretty solid now for about four or five games.”
