Fueled by graduate guard Nina De Leon Negron’s near triple-double and sophomore forward Idara Udo’s near double-double, UTSA women’s basketball earned a hard-fought 64-53 victory over The University of Tulsa on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.
The game opened with guard Delanie Crawford putting Tulsa (9-10, 3-4 AAC) on the board with an early layup before De Leon Negron responded with a three-pointer for UTSA’s (17-2, 8-0 AAC) first points. Tulsa’s offense came out firing, with Crawford, guard Elise Hill and guard Hadley Periman hitting three consecutive three-pointers to establish an 11-4 lead. De Leon Negron’s seven early points, including a layup and a fast-break assist to junior forward Maya Linton, sparked a 9-0 run for the ‘Runners. This defensive surge forced three Golden Hurricane turnovers and held them scoreless for over five minutes, giving UTSA a 17-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Sophomore guard Aysia Proctor opened the second quarter with a three-pointer, extending UTSA’s lead to five points. A fast-break layup by Udo and a three-pointer by senior forward Jordyn Jenkins gave the Roadrunners a 25-18 advantage, their largest lead of the half. Tulsa struggled offensively, enduring a scoring drought of over three minutes, but Crawford kept the Golden Hurricane competitive, scoring 10 of her team’s 21 points in the half. Despite a dismal 4-for-21 shooting performance in the second quarter, UTSA entered halftime with a slim 28-25 advantage.
De Leon Negron began the third quarter with back-to-back jumpers, including a deep three-pointer to reignite the Roadrunners’ offense. Udo contributed with a block and a tough layup in transition, helping UTSA go on an 8-0 run. The Roadrunners dominated the quarter with a 15-2 run, extending their lead to 45-32 midway through the period. However, Tulsa closed the quarter with a 10-0 run, capitalizing on defensive lapses by UTSA and cutting the Roadrunners’ lead to 47-44 heading into the final period.
“I shot really well in the first quarter; then I couldn’t hit anything, so I needed to play make for my teammates,” De Leon Negron said. “At halftime, coach told us we needed to attack, and remembering to drive at the zone really sparked something and got me going.”
In the fourth quarter, Udo and De Leon Negron combined for six quick points to rebuild UTSA’s lead to nine. Tulsa continued to fight, narrowing the deficit to four points with late jumpers from Crawford and forward Jade Clack. However, back-to-back baskets by Proctor and senior forward Cheyenne Rowe extended the Roadrunners’ lead once more. A pivotal offensive rebound and an and-one by Udo sealed the game in the final minute, securing the 11-point victory for UTSA.
“We anticipated post double teams,” Udo said. “It’s the IQ part of basketball, and credit to Jordy for reading and recognizing where the doubles were coming from and getting it to the right person.”
De Leon Negron led the team with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while Udo added 16 points and eight rebounds. UTSA finished with a 44-30 advantage in rebounding and recorded 18 assists compared to Tulsa’s 11.
The milestone win marked UTSA’s 10th consecutive victory, their first double-digit winning streak since the 2007-2008 season. The Roadrunners also improved to 8-0 in American Athletic Conference play, and won their 11th straight game in the Convocation Center.
UTSA will next face University of South Florida at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Yuengling Center.
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