SAN ANTONIO — An all-around underwhelming performance handed UTSA men’s basketball its ninth straight loss against Tulane University 85-52 on Saturday at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners (4-12, 0-4 AC) could not buy a basket throughout the game. The team made just eight shots in the first period, shooting 25% from the floor. Their prolonged scoring droughts paved the way for an early 17-2 scoring run from the Green Wave (12-4, 3-0 AC), extending their lead to double-digits. A staggered offense and 16 turnovers held UTSA back in its attempt to shorten the deficit. Despite a team-high 12 points from junior guard Austin Nunez, the Roadrunners failed to retake the lead.
“Obviously unprepared and not ready,” head coach Austin Claunch said of his team. “As coaches, as players, we didn’t have the right plan.”
From the opening tip, Tulane mercilessly pressured UTSA. Nunez and freshman guard Dorian Hayes were hounded each time they brought the ball up the court, forcing the Roadrunners into lackluster offensive possessions. The ball hopelessly droned around the perimeter until a player was forced to heave up an attempt late in the shot clock. Shots in the paint were nonexistent, and UTSA consistently coughed the ball up, committing eight turnovers in the half.
“There was a lot of tension on my drives early on,” Nunez claimed. “I just have to read the defense and see what’s going on.”
Defensively, the ‘Runners allowed Tulane guards Rowan Brumbaugh and Curtis Williams Jr. to outscore the entire team 24-21 in the half. Despite showcasing a 2-3 zone defense, UTSA did almost nothing to hinder Tulane’s elite three-point shooting performance. Failing to defend any of Tulane’s offense, the ‘Runners entered the break trailing 39-21.
“We knew coming in that our offense would struggle,” Claunch stated. “The biggest issues were giving up such a large lead and turnovers, obviously.”
The Green Wave’s onslaught only continued in the second half. Their cushion was quickly extended to 30 points thanks to a reign of threes from Williams Jr. and Brumbaugh. As the period waned, UTSA’s struggles only worsened. Turnovers began to pour in, and the team looked disinterested on both sides of the ball. The Roadrunners allowed 46 points and 11 threes while only scoring 31 and committing eight more turnovers.
Nunez and senior guard Jamir Simpson were the only players to break double-digit scoring on the night, with Simpson scoring 10. Freshman forward Kaidon Rayfield also performed well in the second half, scoring nine points in his 21 minutes of play.
“He’s just a guy that wants to hoop, and we don’t have a lot of that right now,” Claunch said. “Obviously, that comes back to the coach, but we don’t have a lot of that right now.”
UTSA will host Rice University at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Convocation Center.
