Jan. 14, 2005
Contact: Matt Schabert (210) 458-4930
UTSA women claim first league win, defeat Nicholls State 58-53
SAN ANTONIO – In a contest that featured 11 lead changes and eight ties, the University of Texas at San Antonio women’s basketball team used a 9 2 run in the final two minutes to hand visiting Nicholls State a 58-53 defeat at the Convocation Center Friday night.
The victory, UTSA’s first Southland Conference win against two losses this year, pushed the Roadrunners’ overall record to 7-7. NSU, which came into the game having lost two straight SLC games by only one point, dipped to 3-12 and 0-4 in the conference.
Jamie Octave’s free throw with 2:28 left in the game gave the visitors a 51-49 lead, but a quick layup on the other end of the floor by UTSA’s Richelle Parks knotted the game back at 51. Parks, who led the Roadrunners with 18 points, then hit two free throws, and along with a Katie Sandefur basket, the Roadrunners went ahead 55-51 with 37 ticks left in the game.
Nkechi Nwachukwu sank a short jumper to bring the Lady Colonels within striking distance at 55-53, but NSU misfired on a jumper and a trey in the final 20 seconds to seal the Roadrunners’ five-point league win.
UTSA led 26-23 at halftime and held a 38-36 lead at the 10:52 mark before the game was tied at 42 with 8:42 left. NSU then rattled off the next six points to take its largest lead of the game at 48-42 with 7:17 left. However, UTSA scored the next seven points and re-claimed the lead 49-48 with 5:10 left before the final horn after Nicole Dunson’s third three-ball of the night.
The Roadrunners staked themselves to a 10-4 lead in the first half at the 15:27 mark, but Nicholls State put together an 8-2 run to tie the game at 12 with 12:40 left after a Kim Kelson jumper. UTSA held a four-point, 20-16 lead at the 7:44 mark after Dunson’s trey, but then NSU scored the next five to run ahead 21-20 with 4:40 left. UTSA then closed the first half on a 6-2 run.
Parks also narrowly missed her fourth double-double of her freshman season with nine rebounds. Dunson, who reached double figures for the sixth consecutive game, tallied 11, while Terrie Davis constructed a productive floor game with eight points and career highs of eight rebounds and six assists. Kim Reed dished out two assists to move into ninth place at UTSA in career assists with 218. The Roadrunners shot 38 percent for the game (21-of-55) and corralled 41 rebounds. Nicholls State was led by Octave with 12 points and nine boards.
The Roadrunners return to action next Thursday, Jan. 20 at McNeese State for a 5:15 tipoff.