UTSA defeated the University of Memphis 80-61 in a rugged game Saturday at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners (12-0, 13-1 AAC) struggled to score in the first half but quickly rebounded in the second, pulling ahead in the third quarter as Memphis (5-7, 4-9 AAC) began to unravel. The ‘Runners were able to capitalize on errors and fouls committed by the Tigers and maximize possessions from rebounds and turnovers to propel them to a victory.
“We got more connected, guarded the ball better and made some adjustments,” coach Karen Aston said. “We put our foot down as far as guarding the basketball. It was much better than [it was in] the first half. I think we’re a good defensive team, and we needed to be who we are in the second half, and I thought we did that.”
An intentional foul by Tigers’ guard Tanyuel Welch only strengthened the Roadrunners’ dominance over the game with a 72-57 lead as the game neared its end. Senior forward Jordyn Jenkins took advantage of the call, knocking down a free throw; junior forward Cheyenne Rowe drained a jump shot, capitalizing off a defensive rebound by sophomore forward Idara Udo. Junior guard Sidney Love then followed it up with a free throw after a Memphis foul.
The Roadrunners nearly found their footing with 43 seconds left in the second quarter when Rowe tied the score at 38-38 with a layup. However, the Tigers took back control after a personal foul on Love. Just before heading into the third quarter, the Tigers took the lead at 40-38.
“The first half, we were just not locked in,” graduate guard Nina De Leon Negron said. “In the second half, you can see that everything changed. We started talking. We started rebounding, so it was a being locked in thing.”
In the third quarter, the Roadrunners came alive, with Jenkins scoring the first point with a jump shot — pushing the score to 41-40. Udo then scored two more points on an offensive rebound and foul against Memphis.
Maintaining their lead, the Roadrunners entered the final quarter with a 57-52 advantage. Rowe increased that lead as she scored the first two points from the high post. After a foul on the Tigers, a minute later, Udo scored two free throws.
“If people are playing really well against us, we learn to handle it without panicking, and that’s attributed to our leadership and experience,” Aston said. “Those types of things have helped us in a lot of games. I think our second halves have been better.”
Driving UTSA to a 19-15 lead as the first quarter neared its end, De Leon Negron scored a triple off a turnover. However, that front was short-lived, as the Tigers tied the game at 19-19, scoring the final points a minute later.
UTSA garnered their biggest lead in the fourth quarter by 22 points. De Leon Negron and Proctor were the leading scorers in the game, with 16 and 15, respectively.
UTSA will take on Rice University at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Tudor Fieldhouse.
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