Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (11-12, 7-5)
at
Texas State Bobcats (7-15, 7-5)
Wednesday, Feb. 25 • 5:30 p.m. • Strahan Coliseum
RADIO/TV
Wednesday's game can be heard on the Roadrunner Radio Network (KSJL
Radio 92.5 FM/810 AM and www.goUTSA.com) beginning at 5 p.m. with
the women's pregame show.
UTSA TODAY
UTSA returns to the court after a six-day break, with their last action, a 55-43 win over Texas-Arlington, taking place a week ago. The Roadrunners, 11-12, 7-5 SLC, look to avenge a one-point loss suffered to Texas State earlier this season at the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners and Bobcats are currently tied for fourth place in the Southland standings. Tonight's game is the first of two on the road for the 'Runners before wrapping up the regular season with two at home.
THE SERIES
Texas State leads the all-time series with UTSA by the count of 24-19. The Roadrunners have won six of the last eight meetings against the Bobcats, but have most recently lost two straight, including a 44-43 nailbiter earlier this year in San Antonio. The 'Runners are 6-2 against the Bobcats under Coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair and 8-12 at Strahan Coliseum.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Texas State returns home after splitting a pair of road games last week including a 60-53 win over Sam Houston State and a 79-64 loss at Texas-Arlington. The 2003 SLC Player of the Year, junior Tori Talbert leads the way for the Bobcats averaging 15.4 points and 10.5 rebounds 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 60-48 at UTSA (.556) and 167-92 (.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 season championship. She is second on UTSA's all-time wins list.
LAST TIME OUT
2/12 - 'Runners down Texas-Arlington, 55-43
SAN ANTONIO - UTSA used the scoring tandem of senior Nikki Hendrix and sophomore Lacy Mingee, who each had 16, to pull off a 55-43 win over Texas-Arlington Wednesday night in Southland Conference action at the Convocation Center.
The Lady Mavericks, who entered the game in third place in the league standings, received 18 points and 12 rebounds from Rola Ogunoye in the losing effort. With the win, UTSA (11-12, 7-5) will move to fourth in the SLC standings.
The first half featured six ties with UTSA's largest lead, 14-11, coming at 7:15 on a layup by Mingee. UTA's LaToya Lewis tied the count on the next possession with a 3-pointer as the Lady Mavs would hang on for a 20-18 halftime lead.
Out of the break it was UTA by four, 26-22, when Melanie Lane scored with 17:21 to play. Another Mingee layup tied the game for the 'Runners, 28-28, at the 15:08 mark. The teams tied again at 31 when Sheena Johnson made one-of-two from the line for the Lady Mavs. After falling behind, 33-31, Tijwana Collins connected from 3-point land to put the 'Runners up for good, 34-33 with 10:12 left. UTA kept it within one with 6:35 on the clock, but a pair of Hendrix free throws started a 15-4 run that would put the game away for UTSA.
For the second consecutive game, the Roadrunner defense came through holding the opponent to under 30% shooting, with the Lady Mavs posting a 27.8 clip to the 'Runners' 37.0%.
NEXT UP
UTSA travels to Northwestern State on Saturday for a 2 p.m. meeting with the Lady Demons at Prather Coliseum.
THE COUNTDOWN
Senior forward Nikki Hendrix is currently 9th all-time on UTSA's scoring list with 993 points. The Oklahoma native is seven points away from becoming the ninth Roadrunner to reach 1000 career-points. Hendrix also has 374 career rebounds, which is 13th all-time at UTSA. She leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game and in rebounding (tied) with 6.5 per game.
A LONG TIME SINCE OVERTIME
Saturday, Feb. 7, marked the first time UTSA has been to overtime since the 1999-2000 season. The 64-56 win over McNeese State gave head coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair her first OT victory at UTSA. The 'Runners outscored the Cowgirls 12-4 in the extra period.
MINGEE'S MAGIC
Sophomore center Lacy Mingee, averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, has scored double digits in all games since earning a spot in the Runners' starting lineup four games ago.
TWENTY SOMETHING
With 23 points on Feb. 7 against McNeese State, senior Nikki Hendrix reached 20 points for the fifth time this season, tying a career-best for 20-point
games.
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.
EVERYDAY IS A HOLLIDAY
UTSA's second leading scorer senior Dewella Holliday (14.0 ppg) has scored in double-figures in 16 of the 23 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.
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."