The #10/9 Texas Longhorns and the UTSA Roadrunners have met eight times beginning on Feb.08, 1983. Those first two games were a home and home series with the Longhorns going to San Antonio to kick off the series. The third game was on November 13 of 2009. Since 2013, the Longhorns and the Roadrunners have met every season. All games, except for the initial game of the series has been in Austin. Texas has won every game with only two wins being by less than 20 points: on Nov. 13, 2009, Texas pulled out a 71-60 win and on Nov. 15, 2014, it was a 68-58 win for the Horns.
UTSA is 3-4 this season while Texas checks in at 6-0. Horns are on a six game winning streak while UTSA is coming off a win over Weber State that snapped a two game losing streak. UTSA is 0-2 on the road while Texas is undefeated at home. UTSA’s road losing streak is likely to be extended on Wednesday as Texas is expected to successfully defeat their home court for the third time this season.
The teams will have one common opponent during the out of conference games. UTSA has defeated UTRGV 61-58 on Nov. 14. Texas will play the Vaqueros on Dec. 20 down in Edinburg.
UTSA Roadrunners (3-4):
The Roadrunners are led by Marie Benson (#21, 6-1 Jr. F) who is averaging 17.0 ppg and Tija Hawkins (#23, 6-1 Jr. F) who adds 10.0 ppg. Close to joining those two in reaching double digit scoring is Ryann Stearns (#11, 5-9 Fr. G) at 9.6 ppg. Benson is the only Roadrunner to have reached triple digits in FG attempts with 108. She has made 42 for a 38.9% from the field. The next Roadrunner most likely to take a shot is Karrington Donald (#34, 5-7 Soph. G) who has made 23 of 70 FGs attempted. Hawkins is the team leader in FG% at 53.6% (30-56). Only two others are making over 40% from the field. Five players are averaging at least two treys a game but only two are making over 21% from BTA. Okay, I thought Stearns would be among the top 3pt shooters by percentage as she is hitting 45% from BTA. She doesn’t even make the top 50. Stearns is the top 3pt shooter for UTSA, having made nine of 20 threes. Donald has taken more threes (27) but has only connected on 5 (18.5%). Six of the ten players for UTSA have hit over 70% of their FTs. Timea Toth (#15, 6-1 Jr. F) is the best at the FT line, hitting 13 of 15 for 86.7%. Close on her heels is Stearns who has made 16 of 19 for 84.2%. Benson has taken over a third of UTSA’s FTs, hitting at a 71.7% clip (33-46).
UTSA has five players that average over four rebounds a game, led by Benson’s 9.7 rpg. Hawkins is second at 6.3 rpg while Kourtney Kekec (#20, 5-10 Sr. F) adds 5.0 rpg. Stearns provides 4.4 rpg while Toth is pulling in 4.0 rpg. UTSA does move the ball around as five players have reached double digit assists with Charlotte Ellmore’s (#0, 5-8 Fr. G) 17 leading the group. Kekec is second at 16 while Benson adds 14. UTSA has 24 blocks as a team with Benson having swatted away half of them. She and Toth each has 11 steals to top the squad.
The Roadrunners have 12 players on their roster. Two have yet to play this year, a JC transfer (Evelyn Omemmah, #1, 6-1 Jr. F) and Tasharian Robinson (#10, 5-10 Soph. G) a soph who started 16 games last season. Another, Mandi Cooke (#40, 6-1 Fr. F) played in the first four games and has not played since. She started one of the four games she played in. All ten players that have played this season have at least one start. That’s a lot of different combos in seven games. However, it seems that a starting rotation has been settled on. For the last two games, Stearns, Toth, Kekec, Benson and Donald have started. In those same two games, the rotation has been shortened from nine to basically two. Deja Cousin (#13, 5-9 Jr. G) and Barbara Benson (#33, 5-11 Soph. G) have fallen out of the rotation, averaging less than three and a half minutes in those two games. That leaves Hawkins and Ellmore as the two main reserves.
TEXAS LONGHORNS (6-0)
Jatarie brings the only double digit scoring average on the Horns, 12.5 ppg. Sug is creeping up to that mark with an average of 9.8 ppg. Charli adds 8.0 ppg while Audrey and Danni have identical 7.3 ppg averages. Destiny is the other player that is averaging over 7 ppg with her 7.2 ppg. Jatarie and Danni have each taken 60 shots, tops on the team. Jatarie has a FG% of 58.3%. Charli (19-36; 52.8%), Jada (15-27; 55.6%) and Olamide (5-8; 62.5%) are the other Horns making over 50% of their shots. Danni (10-31; 32.3%) and Destiny (8-23; 34.8%) are the top 3pt shooters for Texas. Sug (4-16; 25.0%) and Audrey (3-15; 20.0%) are the other shooters from BTA that have sunk timely threes. Four players have reached double digit FTs, getting to the FT line at least twice a game. Charli and Audrey are an identical 9-12 (75.0%) from the FT line. Sug has to most FT attempts at 17 with 9 made for 52.9%. Jada has 5 of 12 for 41.7%. Danni has the best FT% on the team with 80% on four of five FTs.
Six Horn are averaging 4 or more rebounds per game. Jatarie (6 rpg) and Sug (5.7 rpg) top the group of six which includes all of the starters plus Charli. Sug is averaging 6.5 assists per game while Danni is the only other Horn reach double digits with 10 assists. Charli has eight of the team’s 21 blocks. Danni and Olamide have three blocks each. All nine active players have at least one steal with Audrey’s nine tops. Jada is second with seven while Destiny has six steals.
The starting five the last two games has consisted of Sug, Jatarie, Jada, Danni and Audrey. Charli, Joanne, Olamide and Destiny come of the bench as all nine get plenty of minutes. Danni (30.7 mpg) and Sug (29.7 mpg) top the team in mpg. No one else averages more than 24 mpg.
On the good news front, Craig Way said during his interview at the Gulf Coast Showcase that Joyner is expected back within two weeks and that there is a possibility that Sedona might be back by midseason (start of conference, maybe?).
The bad news? What we all feared has been confirmed. Lashann suffered an ACL injury. She is out for the year.
LINEUPS
Projected lineups are based on the previous game’s starting lineups.
UTSA has five players on the roster that are 6-1. Those are their tallest players. There is the main problem for the Roadrunners—how to stop Texas’ inside game when they don’t have the height the Longhorns bring to the court. Another issue for UTSA is that one of their 6-1 Fs (Omemmah) has not yet played this season and another (Cooks) has been MIA since she last played in game for. Look for the Horns to dominate inside, both scoring and rebounding. Either Jatarie or Jada will have the initial task of slowing Marie Benson, the Roadrunners top scorer. Stearns will be the player drawing the most attention on the perimeter due to her 3pt shooting. Either Audrey or Danni will draw that assignment to start.
UTSA is only allowing 28% completion from BTA. They will have trouble with containing Danni and Destiny when they are shooting from BTA for the Horns.
STATS COMPARISON
This should be a good game to prepare for Sunday’s game with Mississippi State. Texas should be able to get more chances to work on their zone defense as well as their halfcourt offense. USTA has been playing fast and likely will continue to run with the Horns. Their issue has been making their shots and that is not likely to get better in this game. Both teams will be playing with nine players. All players should be getting a lot of minutes.
Game time is 11 AM. This is the annual game where the elementary students come tour the campus and catch a basketball as part of their tour. Should be noisy and loud. Don’t forget your ear plugs if high pitched sounds bother you.
From the AAS: Texas senior Lashann Higgs suffers season-ending knee injury | Hookem.com
With all those kids, attendance might be close to 9-10 thousand.
The game will be televised on the LHN and carried on radio by FM 105.3
Women's basketball preview: Texas vs. UTSA | Hookem.com
No. 10/9 Women's Basketball Preview: UTSA - Texas Athletics
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Last edited: Nov 27, 2018