HOUSTON – The UTSA women's basketball team closes out its nonconference schedule as they face the Houston Cougars on Monday. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. (CT) in the Cougars' home court at Fertitta Center.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Junior Jordyn Jenkins leads the team in scoring with 150 points, averaging 18.8 per game. Jenkins also leads the team with 11 steals and 58 rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Elyssa Coleman has done a phenomenal job on defense with a team-high 13 blocks (1.62 per game), while also collecting 51 rebounds. Junior Kyra White leads the Roadrunners with 29 assists, also recording nine blocks and eight steals. White is fifth in the conference and 115th in the nation with a 1.76 assist/turnover ratio. Freshman Sidney Love has earned the starting point guard spot in the first eight games, second-most on the team in both assists (27) and points (78).
UTSA is first in the conference with 4.4 blocks per game. The Roadrunners have outperformed their opponents by 303 rebounds to 260 rebounds with a 5.4 rebounding margin.
LAST TIME OUT
The Roadrunners are coming off a close 56-53 loss to crosstown rival UIW on Dec. 15. UTSA held the lead through most of the matchup, only allowing the Cardinals a lead once in the first three quarters. UIW went on a tear in the fourth quarter with 24 points while the Roadrunners were unable to match the pace with 13 points of their own.
Jenkins paced all Roadrunner scorers with her first UTSA double-double (sixth overall in her career), registering 21 points and a season-high 11 rebounds on the night, in addition to a pair of assists. A core target in the first half, Coleman finished with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, adding a pair of blocks to extend her team-leading total to 13 on the year. Sidney Love and Kyra White each chipped in six points, recording six and five rebounds, respectively.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Houston holds a 2-9 record after a 68-61 loss to fellow Conference USA team Middle Tennessee. The Cougars were picked to finish second in the preseason American Athletic Conference (AAC) Coaches' Poll. Junior guard Laila Blair was named to the preseason all-conference first team. Houston ended the 2021-22 season with a 18-16 overall record, falling in the AAC Championship semifinal match against South Florida, 58-50. The Cougars earned a bid into the WNIT for the third season in a row, advancing to the Sweet 16 where they fell to Alabama, 79-64, to conclude their season.
Houston ranks fourth nationally in steals per game (14.6) and seventh in turnovers forced per game (24.8). The Cougars ranked seventh nationally in offensive rebounds per game (17.4).
Forward Tatyana Hill ranks 27th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (3.8), leading Houston with 81 total rebounds. Blair leads the team with 30 assists and 161 points scored, averaging 14.6 per game. Britney Onyeje has a team-high 27 steals and eight blocks.
SERIES HISTORY VS HOUSTON
Houston holds a 20-1 advantage over UTSA in the all-times series history. The Roadrunners and Cougars last played each other on Dec. 19, 2017, when Houston secured a 56-49 win over UTSA.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners take a 10-day break for the holiday season then return to action on Dec. 29. UTSA is set to host Louisiana Tech to open up the Conference USA schedule on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. (CT) at the Convocation Center.
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