In a jam-packed senior day against Florida Atlantic University, the Roadrunners stymied the Owls by forcing missed shots and turnovers. UTSA sent senior forward Jordyn Jenkins and graduate guard Nina De Leon Negron off one last time at home with a 60-42 victory Saturday at the Convocation Center.
Feeding off a record-breaking 2,250 fans in attendance, UTSA (25-3, 16-1 AAC) held off multiple pushes from Florida Atlantic (10-20, 2-15 AAC) before pulling away late in the third quarter. Junior forward Maya Linton secured a double-double, while Jenkins chipped in 10 points despite a quiet offensive night. Though the Owls kept the game close early, the Roadrunners never relinquished their lead down the stretch, securing their first-ever American Athletic Conference regular-season title and capping off a perfect 13-0 record at home.
“The push that was made to make this happen was pretty surreal,” coach Karen Aston said of the attendance. “Thanks a ton to the city for showing up today and hopefully we’ve started a fire with women’s basketball around here.”
On the offensive end, UTSA weathered multiple scoring droughts before regaining control late in the third quarter. Linton’s shooting helped space the floor, while Jenkins and junior guard Sidney Love capitalized on key opportunities to extend the lead.
Freshman guard Damara Allen provided an energy boost with a highlight putback late in the third, giving UTSA much-needed momentum as they took control heading into the final period.
“It was good to see Maya get back in a groove,” Aston said. “I thought Cheyenne hit some big shots today and Damara got back on track.”
Despite FAU’s defensive pressure, UTSA remained poised. Back-to-back threes from Linton and junior forward Cheyenne Rowe snapped a cold stretch, and Jenkins followed with a triple of her own to swing momentum back in UTSA’s favor. Linton then sealed her double-double early in the fourth with a deep two-pointer, while sophomore forward Idara Udo took over inside, converting multiple layups to keep the Owls at bay. The Roadrunners’ ability to hit timely shots, combined with their defensive discipline, ensured that FAU never truly threatened a comeback in the final stretch.
The Roadrunners set the tone early defensively, limiting FAU’s opportunities inside and forcing a string of early turnovers. The Roadrunners forced Florida Atlantic into difficult looks throughout the game, holding the Owls to 42 points on low efficiency. Linton’s presence in the paint also helped UTSA dominate the rebounding battle, as the team finished with a 43 to 28 edge on the glass.
Jenkins and Linton each finished with 11 points, with Linton adding 10 rebounds. Udo and Rowe also contributed nine points apiece.
“We have one more game against East Carolina that we have to focus on,” Jenkins said. “Enjoy this moment now, but get ready for the next one because once that ball tips, no one is a champion.”
UTSA will end the regular season against the University of East Carolina at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Minges Coliseum.
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