SAN ANTONIO — Senior guard Jamir Simpson and sophomore guard Baboucarr Njie each scored 21 points as UTSA endured a disappointing 84-67 loss to Wichita State University on Sunday at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners’ (5-24, 1-16 AC) farewell to the Convocation Center fans featured a sluggish offense, marred by inefficient shooting and a lack of effective ball movement. Facing the second best team in the conference, the ‘Runners surrendered a 12-0 scoring run early in the second half that established the deciding advantage. UTSA struggled to contain Wichita State (20-10, 12-5 AC) guard Kenyon Giles, whose athleticism and shooting prowess exposed UTSA’s perimeter defense for 28 points. Coach Austin Claunch was confined to six men in his rotation due to injuries, with Simpson never exiting the game.
“We made too many mental mistakes to beat a good team and just didn’t play as well as we’ve been playing,” Claunch said after the game. “I’m frustrated because I thought we’d been playing better basketball, but I can’t overstate how proud I am of the six that we had.”
The Roadrunners struggled to create offense and convert field goals in the first half, shooting just 21% and ending the period only making three out of their last 21 attempts from the field. The difficulty extended past the 3-point line, as the ‘Runners missed their first six 3-point attempts. The Roadrunners trailed for almost the entire half, though the Shockers’ lead remained under double digits for a majority of the period. A Wichita State jump shot with six seconds left increased their lead to 12 going into halftime. Simpson led the team with nine points, and Njie led with six rebounds in the period. However, UTSA finished the half with zero assisted baskets.
UTSA came out of the locker room much-improved, hitting five of its first eight field goals to start the second half. Simpson had a solo scoring stretch to cut the Shockers’ lead to six in his final game in the Convocation Center, converting three out of four consecutive attempts for UTSA. Simpson’s third make triggered a timeout during which he was recognized for scoring his 2,000th collegiate point.
“He’s really the only guy we have that’s kind of a ‘go get it’ scorer,” Claunch said when asked about Simpson’s achievement this season. “He’s shown incredible character and integrity leading a young group. He could mope, he could be sad, but you don’t see that with Jamir.”
Wichita State responded with a 12-0 run as Simpson cooled down, effectively ending the game as the Shockers increased the lead to 18. Claunch cited Njie’s substitution for rest as the primary reason for the Shockers’ run. The injury-laden Roadrunners have one final game on the road before the offseason begins.
“The fact of the matter is we have to look in the mirror and figure out what we need to change,” Claunch said when asked about his offseason goals. “Going to war with some of these young guys that are going to be back in the spring and start to understand what we need to do better, that’s going to help.”
The Roadrunners were outrebounded 55-38. Wichita State outscored UTSA in second chance points 25-19, and in paint points 34-30. The Shockers had 12 assists to UTSA’s three.
UTSA plays its final game against Rice University Sunday at 8 p.m. in Houston, Texas.
