SAN ANTONIO — Freshman guard Dorian Hayes tied his career high in points with 15, but UTSA men’s basketball still fell to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte 74-58 on Wednesday at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners (4-11, 0-3 AC) appeared lethargic in the opening minutes of the game and carried that energy the rest of the way, helping the 49ers (8-8, 2-1 AC) cruise to their second-straight American Conference win. The ‘Runners showed signs of life in the final minutes as junior guard Austin Nunez scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half, but UTSA could not bring the game into single digits. The Roadrunners have now lost eight consecutive games, placing them last in the conference.
“Obviously disappointed in the result,” coach Austin Claunch said after the game. “I have been pleased with how we’ve been showing up to practice and our mentality in terms of getting to the next play, getting to these games ready to play and ready to compete. It seems like every game there is a moment, a run, two or three minutes where it can go from in the balance to facing a deficit of 13 or 14 points. It feels like you’re a run from going on a run. We have to figure out not just how to avoid that, but how we do that to somebody else.”
Hayes opened up the game by drilling two threes, aiding the Roadrunners as they attempted to match pace with the 49ers. Graduate guard Jamir Simpson knocked down two from the charity stripe before hitting his first and only three of the night, bringing UTSA within two.
49ers guard Damoni Harrison scored eight consecutive points, giving Charlotte a comfortable lead that they carried into the break.
As Charlotte continued capitalizing on a size advantage with UTSA missing junior forward Macaleab Rich, Nunez and sophomore forward Baboucarr Njie chipped away at a lead the Roadrunners could never surmount. Nunez — a San Antonio high school star and former four-star recruit — weighed in on how he keeps his teammates checked in during games where his team is down double digits.
“Its a long season,” Nunez explained. “Where I came from, the duration of the season is viewed very dramatically. Every game matters at that level. Being here, understanding that this is a long season, playing in a one bid league and that every day we get to play, no matter if we’re on an eight game losing streak, if we sit back and think about that it’s not going to help us. We’re just trying to compete and get better every day at practices, not just showing up to get the 90 minutes over with.”
Nunez and Hayes led the Roadrunners in scoring with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Freshman forward Kaidon Rayfield registered seven boards, while Nunez tallied a team-high three assists.
UTSA will remain home for its matchup against Tulane University at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center.
