UTSA women’s basketball defeated the University of North Texas 54-52 Tuesday night at the Convocation Center.
In a battle of conference elites, both teams had to fight for every single point. The Roadrunners (19-3, 10-1 AAC) took an early 7-point lead, but an uncharacteristic shooting night allowed the visiting Mean Green (16-7, 8-3 AAC) to remain within striking distance. With both teams struggling to find the basket consistently, it was senior forward Jordyn Jenkins who rose to the occasion, delivering seven points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter for the first-place ‘Runners.
“It’s just about embracing the physicality and reading your defender,” Jenkins said of her mindset during the final quarter.
Early on, UTSA found success attacking inside the paint, slicing through North Texas’ defense, utilizing soft touch layups and drilling free throws. Jenkins and sophomore forward Idara Udo combined for 10 points in the opening quarter, with Udo adding five rebounds as well. The Mean Green were able to bounce-back after a shaky first period, out-scoring UTSA 17-14 in the second. Jenkins’ eight points in the second kept the Roadrunners ahead as both teams headed into halftime; both teams shot under 41% from the field in the first half.
The poor shooting continued for both teams in the second half. Shooting a combined 1-15 from beyond the arc, neither team was able to pull away. With inconsistent offensive production, the low-scoring affair would be decided on the defensive end — a situation the Roadrunners revel in.
“I love the grittiness. I love the grind,” Udo said. “I love that it brings the best out of our team in how we have to motivate each other and how we have to be more connected than usual to win games like that.”
With four seconds remaining in the game, North Texas guard Desiree Wooten went up for the game-tying shot and was denied by junior guard Sidney Love, sealing the win for the ‘Runners.
Jenkins led UTSA in scoring with 26 points. Udo earned a double-double in the win with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Roadrunners shot 32.7% from the field and failed to hit a single three-pointer despite taking 18 attempts. With 1,418 fans in attendance, the first-place Roadrunners have won nine of their last 10 and will look to continue adding to their already historic season.
UTSA will next face the Wichita State Shockers at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Koch Arena.
