Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (8-11, 4-4)
vs.
McNeese State Cowgirls (5-13, 3-4)
Saturday, Feb. 7 • 2 p.m. • Convocation Center
UTSA TODAY
The Roadrunners open a two-game homestand this afternoon with the first and
only meeting of the regular season against McNeese State. UTSA (8-11, 4-4
SLC) will look for its second straight home victory after losing on the road
64-59, at Stephen F. Austin on Thursday night.
THE SERIES
McNeese State leads the all-time series with UTSA by the count of 15-9. The
Roadrunners have won six-in-a-row against the Cowgirls including series
sweeps in the last three seasons. The Roadrunners are 6-0 against the
Cowgirls under Coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair.
SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS
McNeese enters tonight's game with an overall record of 5-13 and 3-4 in SLC
play. The Cowgirls dropped a 85-65 decision to Northwestern State in
Natchitoches on Thursday. Regina Spivey leads the Cowgirls in scoring
averaging 11.1 points per game, followed by Shamika Stewart with 9.3.
Marquita Williams is the top rebounder with 6.1 boards per game.
AT THE HELM
UTSA Head Coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair (Oklahoma State '85), in her fourth year with the Roadrunners, is a two-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year (2001, 2003). She is 58-47 at UTSA (.552) and 165-91 (.645) over a career that spans eight years. Her most recent coach of the year selection came in 2003 when she led the Roadrunners their first-ever SLC regular season
championship. She is tied for second on UTSA's all-time wins list.
LAST TIME OUT - 2/5 Roadrunners fall 64-59 to Stephen F. Austin
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Despite 22 points from senior Dewella Holliday, the Roadrunners were unable to put away Stephen F. Austin as the Ladyjacks
defeated UTSA 64-59 in Southland Conference action Thursday night at Johnson Coliseum.
Kendria Smith led four SFA players in double figures with 16 points
including 14 second-half points from Kirby Killingsworth. UTSA (8-11, 4-4
SLC) led most of the game and held a 28-23 halftime advantage, but
Killingsworth led the second-half charge for the Ladyjacks that included
4-of-5 shooting from 3-point land. Killingsworth first 3-pointer tied the
game at 37 with 13:48 to play in the second half.
The Ladyjacks then took the lead 39-37 on a LaToya Mills layup with 11:26
left in the second and did not look back. The Roadrunners would stay within
double digits for the rest of game, but would fail to get closer than two points. A free-throw percentage of 63% on 13-of-21 shooting from the line proved to be the difference down the stretch compared to the 'Jacks' second-half mark of 83%.
Kim Reed pitched in 12 points for the 'Runners while Nikki Hendrix fouled out with nine points and seven boards. Holliday picked up her team-leading fifth double-double of the season with 11 rebounds.
NEXT UP
The Roadrunners host Louisiana-Monroe Thursday at 6 p.m. at the UTSA
Convocation Center.
GOOD AS NEW
Lacy Mingee is making a quick recovery after missing four games due to a foot injury. The sophomore center is averaging 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds off the bench for the 'Runners.
MAY I HELP YOU?
Sophomore center/forward Katie Sandefur's seven assists against Northwestern State is a career-high for the Oklahoma native as well as the most by a Roadrunner this season. Sandefur has dished out 39 assists this season, the second-most on the team.
BIRDS BATTLING FOR BOARDS
After being out-rebounded in 12 of their first 15 games, the Roadrunners are
turning around their early-season struggles by crashing the boards. The 'Runners have out-rebounded their opponents in four consecutive games
grabbing 40+ rebounds in three of those contests for a 156-123 advantage on
the glass.
EVERYDAY IS A HOLLIDAY
UTSA's second leading scorer senior Dewella Holliday (15.1 ppg) has scored
in double-figures in 16 of the Roadrunners 19 games played this season. The
Monroe City, Mo. native reached double digits in 11 consecutive games from
Nov. 21-Jan. 10, which still holds as the team-high. She has also notched a
team and career-best five double-doubles on the season.
MOVIN' ON UP
Hendrix is currently 9th all-time on UTSA's scoring list with 939 points. Averaging 357 points per season, the Oklahoma native is on pace to reach 1000+ points by the end of her career. She would be the ninth Roadrunner to reach 1,000 career points. Hendrix has 364 career rebounds, tying her for 13th all-time at UTSA. She is second on the team this season averaging 6.4 per game.
THAT 70's SHOW
UTSA has scored 70+ points on three occasions this season. The most recent
coming in a 79-60 win over Nicholls State on Jan. 31. The 79 points is a
season-best and the most for Coach Blair's team since her first year, 2000-01. The most points scored by a Roadrunner team is 113 in 1990 against Schreiner. The most points in a conference game is 92 against Nicholls State
in 1994.
SOUTHLAND HONORS FOR HOLLIDAY
Senior Dewella Holliday (Monroe City, Mo.) was named the Southland
Conference (SLC) Player of the Week it was announced Monday (Dec. 8).
The UTSA guard/forward earned her first-ever weekly honor after scoring her
second double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the
Roadrunners only game of the week at Alabama. She also tacked on two assists and one steal.
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
UTSA returns two all-conference selections from a year ago, with each of them landing a spot on the 2003-04 SLC pre-season all-conference squad Senior forward Nikki Hendrix (Ardmore, Okla.) was named to the first-team squad. Senior forward Dewella Holliday (Monroe City, Mo.) tied for the last available spot on the second-team.
The duo joins the following Roadrunners on the all-conference teams: Angel
Singleton, second team, 1997; Joyce Howard second team, 1998; Rosie Smith, second team, 1999; Keelah Wilson, second team, 2000; Renda Churman and Julie Rampley, second-team, 2001; Nikki Hendrix, second-team, 2002.
'RUNNERS UP
After winning the regular season Southland Conference (SLC) championship in
2002-03, UTSA is picked second in both the coaches and sports information
director's SLC preseason polls for 2003-04. Texas State, who edged out the
Roadrunners for the SLC tournament title last year was placed atop UTSA in
the preseason voting.
THE QUEST FOR FOUR
This season the Roadrunners are in search of their fourth consecutive
winning campaign. With a record of 18-11, the 2002-03 season marked the
third straight season, all under Blair, that the Roadrunners have posted
consecutive winning campaigns. The Roadrunners had not had three straight
winning seasons since the 1984-87 campaigns under the late Bill MacLeay. It
is the sixth time a Roadrunner team has had an 18-win season. The most wins
in a season is 21 which came in 1983-84 under Ginny DeHaven.
INJURY REPORT
UTSA: Nicole Dunson is out for the season with a torn anterior crucial ligament.
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE
UTSA announced earlier this week the signing of two players to national letters of intent for the 2004-05 season. Joining the Roadrunners are 5-7 point guard, Terrie Davis from Houston Spring Woods High School and 6-0 forward, Tia Bogan, a McDonald's All-American candidate from Livingston (Texas) High School.
"Terrie is a true point guard that will be good for UTSA because she's capable of pushing the ball up the floor and scoring for us," said Blair. "Tia will really help us at the forward position and with her great athleticism she will also be able to contribute as a center."