SAN ANTONIO—The UTSA women's basketball team survived a dogfight at the top of the American Athletic Conference on Tuesday, as they narrowly edged past North Texas, 54-52, in the Convocation Center. Redshirt senior Jordyn Jenkins led the way with 26 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore Idara Udo posted a double-double to the tune of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Roadrunners (19-3, 10-1 The American) bested the Mean Green (16-7, 8-3 The American) in a defensive duel, that saw junior Maya Linton swipe five steals. Classmate Sidney Love also put in a solid shift, logging nine points, four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal, with a swat as time expired, sealing the victory.
UTSA scored eight of the first 10 points, with Jenkins, Udo, and Love all hitting shots. UNT logged the following five points, and the 'Runners capped off the first quarter on a 6-0 run for a 14-7 edge.
A Love and-one opened the second stanza, and the Mean Green answered with a 10-0 run to tie things at 17. Udo and Jenkins converted jumpers to regain a slim lead, and a UNT make saw a 21-19 score line. Things remained tight down the stretch, as a pair of Jenkins free throws sent the squads into the locker room with UTSA up, 28-24.
A six-point surge for the Mean Green saw them trim their deficit to one, and a Jenkins free throw resulted in a 34-32 score. Shortly after, UNT worked a 35-35 deadlock, and a pair of free throws handed them their first lead of the day. The battle raged on as the teams headed into the final frame tied, 42-42.
UNT took a 48-44 lead midway through the fourth, and UTSA sparked a 6-0 run with Jenkins, Love and Udo all scoring en route to a 50-48 advantage. After exchanging blows, the Roadrunners clung to a 53-52 edge with 16 seconds on the clock and UNT inbounding. A missed shot and a Jenkins rebound followed, ahead of a free throw that issued a 54-52 score line. The Mean Green had the ball with four seconds remaining but could not tickle the twine as a Love block cemented the UTSA victory.
The 'Runners will now hit the road, with a Saturday contest against Wichita State awaiting at 1 p.m. in Koch Arena.
Keep up with UTSA Women’s Basketball all season long by following the program on Facebook at /UTSAWBB, X (Twitter) @UTSAWBB, and on Instagram @UTSA_WBB
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