| Dec. 30, 2003 UTSA ends skid with 74-50 win over Alcorn State |
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Senior forward Nikki Hendrix led four Roadrunners in double-figures with 22 points as UTSA ended a four-game losing skid with a 74-50 win over Alcorn State Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo/UTSA New Year's Classic at the Convocation Center.
The offensive output by UTSA (3-6) was a season-high and the most points scored by the Roadrunners since the 1999-2000 season.
"It was a great win for us to get our confidence going again," said head coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair. "Tijwana (Collins) really stepped up big for tonight scoring 10 points and being a leader when we had all of our newcomers including three freshman in the game down the stretch," added Blair.
After a slow start with a 4-0 score at the 14:22 mark in the first half, UTSA broke free with a 9-0 run for a 24-9 lead with 5:28 to go in the first frame. Heading to the locker rooms, the 'Runners held a 35-14 advantage.
Collins, who scored all 10 of her points in the first half, finished 4-of-5 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range and pulled down a career-high seven boards. Katie Sandefur and Dewella Holliday chipped in 14 apiece, with Sandefur recording a season-high for points and Holliday picking up her third double-double of the season. Hendrix scored 20 second-half points on 8-of-11 shooting along with one 3-pointer and a perfect 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.
The Lady Braves skimmed the lead to 17, 62-45, with 5:22 left in the ball game, but the Roadrunners answered with a 10-0 run for their largest lead, 72-45. Rasaan Powell led Alcorn State in scoring with 11 points, while Candace Roberts had a team-high seven rebounds.
The Roadrunners will take on Kansas State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the final game of the New Year's Classic. The Wildcats defeated Southeast Missouri State by a score of 78-42 in earlier action at the Convocation Center.