SAN ANTONIO — Senior forward Cheyenne Rowe dominated with 26 points and 10 rebounds as UTSA women’s basketball defeated Temple University 52-43 on Tuesday night at the Convocation Center.
Drawing close with Temple (10-13, 4-7 AC) until the fourth quarter, UTSA (12-11, 7-5 AC) completely took over the game on both ends in the final period. The Roadrunners’ ability to create stops, their tenacity on the glass and willingness to push the court overwhelmed the Owls. The Roadrunners found their offensive rhythm when it mattered most and leaned on Rowe and junior forward Idara Udo defensively. Leading by four with six minutes left in the game, the ‘Runners used their tempo to create easy opportunities, embarking on a 6-0 run that pushed their lead to double digits.
“It just kind of got down to who could really buckle down in the second half, get consecutive stops and maybe execute a little better offensively,” coach Karen Aston said after the game.
Early in the game, the ‘Runners’ bigs were crashing the glass and using their gravity inside to get open looks on the perimeter, but they couldn’t convert those chances. After making their first three-pointer, UTSA went cold from outside, missing their next 14 attempts and ending the game 1-15 from distance. UTSA made up for that lack of success by out-rebounding the Owls 43-29 and emphasizing pace down the court. UTSA avoided fouling the Owls in the first quarter, but their scoring inefficiency had them down 17-13 at the first break.
Up until the halfway point of the second quarter, UTSA struggled to create opportunities on offense — with only one field goal attempted, and missed, in five minutes. Then, Rowe turned it on. Rowe went on a solo 6-0 run and made three consecutive jump shots on three attempts. This highlight run from Rowe gave UTSA a 21-19 lead. The score at the break was 21-21, and Rowe had an impressive 12 points and four rebounds in the first half.
While the first half score was indicative of strong defense from both teams, the Roadrunners gave Temple plenty of empty possessions, losing the turnover battle 11-4.
“We had 11 turnovers at the half, and finished with 14,” coach Aston remarked. “Taking care of the basketball and giving ourselves an opportunity to get a shot off every possession was really the difference.”
Although she only attempted one shot in the first half, sophomore guard Mia Hammonds came out of the break with a different mindset and immediately looked to score. Hammonds did so successfully, as she went 4-4 from the field in the third quarter and finished with 10 points. Five minutes into the second half, the Roadrunner defense had showcased their strength, holding the Owls to just 3-20 from the field since the end of the first quarter. Udo and Rowe’s consistent presence inside suffocated Temple’s bigs, with Udo amassing four blocks and eleven rebounds.
UTSA had nine second chance points to Temple’s four, outscored the Owls on the fast break 10-6 and beat them in the paint 30-20.
The Roadrunners wrap up their homestand Saturday night at 6:30 p.m., facing the University of South Florida at the Convocation Center.
