Feb. 22, 2005
Contact: Matt Schabert (210) 458-4930
UTSA hosts Lamar Wednesday
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SAN ANTONIO - The UTSA women's basketball team hosts Lamar in a Southland Conference contest Wednesday, Feb. 23, at the Convocation Center. Tip is set for 6 p.m.
UTSA Roadrunners (13-10, 7-5 SLC)
vs.
Lamar Lady Cardinals (8-16, 2-11 SLC)
Wednesday, Feb. 23 • 6 p.m.
Convocation Center • San Antonio, Texas
Audio: KSJL 810 AM/goUTSA.com
TIP-OFF
The Roadrunners kick off a three-game homestand this evening as Lamar visits the Convocation Center...The Roadrunners dropped a 58-54 decision at Nicholls State in their last action on Saturday, marking the first time in eight games the Lady Colonels had beaten the Roadrunners...Freshman Richelle Parks continues to solidify her bid to become the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year with her fourth double-double (19 points, 12 rebounds) against Nicholls State...The Roadrunners now rank third in the league in field goal percentage, hitting 40 percent as a team...In the last five meetings with Lamar, UTSA has allowed just 48.2 points per game and won all five.
SERIES RECORD AGAINST THE LADY CARDINALS
With the 69-59 win at Lamar this year, UTSA has edged ahead in the all-time series 11-10. The Roadruners have won the previous five meetings and are 6-5 all-time against Lamar at the Convocation Center.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE LADY CARDINALS
The Lamar Lady Cardinals are 8-16 overall and 2-11 in the conference to rank 11th. Latoya Carson, who had 27 points in the first meeting between the schools, leads LU with 12.9 points per game. The Lady Cardinals rank first in the league in field goal percentage defense, three-point field goal percentage defense and rebounding margin.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE LADY CARDINALS
Junior Lacy Mingee notched her first double-double of the year with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Roadrunners cruised past Lamar 69-59 on Feb. 5 at the Montagne Center. Latoya Carson scored a game high 27 for the Lady Cardinals.
LAST TIME OUT
Nicholls State 58, UTSA 54 (Feb. 19 at Stopher Gym)
The Roadrunners fell victim to a poor shooting day, hitting just 32 percent from the field on the day and dropped a 58-54 decision at Nicholls State. It marked the Lady Colonels’ first win over UTSA since the 2000-2001 season. The Roadrunners trailed by just two, 26-24, at the half, but got down by as many as 14 in the second half before making a comeback. Richelle Parks registered her fourth career double double with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
DOUBLE DIGIT FIGURES
Freshman Richelle Parks leads the Roadrunners with 18 games scoring in double figures this year, while Nicole Dunson have reached double figures nine times. Lyndsey Greer and Lacy Mingee have notched doubles six times this season. Dunson owns the longest consecutive streak of double figure games with six.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE
Freshman Richelle Parks is having one of the best debut seasons ever for the Roadrunners and scored a career high 28 points at McNeese State on Jan. 20. Parks is currently the only freshman ranked in the top 20 in the league in scoring and has reached double figures in 18 of the 23 games. She had her fourth career double double Saturday at Nicholls State with 19 points and 12 boards. Parks continues to lead UTSA in scoring average (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.2) and ranks fourth in the league on the boards. Parks recorded her third double-double of the year against UT Martin on Dec. 19 with a freshman-record 26 points and a career high 17 rebounds, including going 10-of-13 from the free throw line. The 5-11 center grabbed 14 rebounds in her collegiate debut against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and then posted her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 boards at Tulsa. She needs just seven rebounds to climb onto the top five chart for single season rebounds.
DEFENSIVE-MINDED
In keeping with tradition, the Roadrunners are again one of the best teams in the Southland Conference when it comes to defense. UTSA has allowed just one opponent to shoot better than 50 percent this season, and the Roadrunners allow conference opponents to shoot just 38 percent. Last Thursday, UTSA limited Southeastern Louisiana to only 25 percent from the field, including just 2-of-19 from beyond the arc.
BIG-TIME BUCKEYE
Senior Lyndsey Greer, from Columbus, Ohio, is making her senior year her best season yet as she has already established career highs for points and rebounds this season. She is also the only Roadrunner to start every game this season. Greer, who averaged just 2.7 points last season, tied her career high with 14 points versus SLU on Jan. 29, going 3-of-3 from three-point range. She set a career high for rebounds with seven at Texas A&M on Nov. 30. She is averaging 6.0 points per game this year to rank fifth on the team and also ranks first on the team in minutes played.
KATIE IN THE CLUTCH
Junior forward Katie Sandefur, a native of Kingfisher, Okla., came up with what could be the most important shot of the year on Feb. 12 when she hit a six-foot baseline jumper with 5.8 seconds left to beat Texas State. Sandefur hit the shot with one second left on the shot clock as well. She is having a productive season with 6.7 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game to rank second on the team. She led the team with a career high 11 rebounds last Thursday at SLU. Sandefur established a season high with 15 points against Louisiana-Monroe on Jan. 6. Having shot only 14 free throws all year, Sandefur reached the line 11 times against the Lady Indians. She ranks third on the team with 48 assists and has played in 81 games over her career. She has scored 502 career points, needing just 14 to place her name 25th on the career scoring chart at UTSA.
DUNSON, FOR THREEEEE!
Senior Nicole Dunson scored a career high 19 points at SLU last Thursday and hit five straight three-pointers. She led UTSA with 14 points, playing all 40 minutes, at Northwestern State on Jan. 8 and notched 10 points at Louisiana-Monroe on Jan. 6. She tied her career high with 18 points against Samford on Dec. 30, then added 16 points against Quinnipiac to be named all-Classic at the UTSA New Year’s Classic. The senior transfer ranks third on the team with 8.5 points per game and leads the team in free throw percentage (.850). Dunson set a freshman record for most three-pointers in a season at Central Florida as a freshman in 2000-2001, then missed the 2001-2202 with a right shoulder injury. She transferred to UTSA in 2002-2003, sat out per NCAA transfer rules, and then missed last year with a right knee injury.
EN FUEGO
Nicole Dunson hit 8-of-9 (.888) from three-point land in the Texas State and Southeastern Louisiana games, including eight consecutive treys. That broke current assistant coach Amber Prose’s record of seven straight three-balls without a miss set in 2001.
JUST A LITTLE BETTER
After beginning the game 2-of-12 against SLU last Thursday, the Roadrunners responded by hitting 22-of-39 (.564) from the field throughout the rest of the game. UTSA finished the night shooting 47 percent (24-of-51).
MOVING ON UP
Senior Kim Reed will finish her career this year as one of the all-time top point guards in UTSA history in terms of assists. With 257 career assists, Reed needs just three more to move to 7th on the all-time career chart at UTSA. Her 12 assists against Texas State tied for the second best performance in the Southland Conference this year.
MIGHTY MINGEE
Junior Lacy Mingee recorded her first double-double since the first game of the 2003-2004 season at Lamar with 20 points and 11 rebounds. She now ranks second on the team with 8.5 points per game but is scoring 11.2 points against SLC foes. She has scored 561 career points and has climbed to 20th on the UTSA career scoring chart. She needs just nine rebounds to pass Soonja Robinson (299 rbs, 1995-98) into 22nd all-time.
NEARLY A RECORD
Freshman Terrie Davis came off the bench to score a career high 19 points against Sam Houston on Feb. 3. In the game, Davis was a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line, coming up just one short of the school record 11-of-11 held by Starlite Williams and Nikki Hendrix. Davis currently ranks second on the team with 65 assists.
WINNING COMES NATURALLY
In head coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair’s first four seasons, the Roadrunners have averaged 16.3 wins per seasons. In the 23-year history of the program, UTSA has averaged 13.2 wins per season with 13 seasons finishing above .500.
DEFENDING THE CONVO
In the last two seasons, the Roadrunners are 17-8 at home, including going 8-3 this year. Last season the Roadrunners were 9-5 and won their last four games in the Convocation Center. This season, the Roadrunners have won six of their last seven games at home.
OFF THE BENCH, IN THE GAME
In last Thursday’s 60-40 win at Southeastern Louisiana, the Roadrunner bench outscored the starters 37-23 and had 25 rebounds. In the last five games, the bench has averaged 26.8 points per game.
OLIVEIRA EMERGING
Sophomore Ana Oliveira scored a career high 12 points in the 71-69 win over Texas State on Feb. 12. The Portuguese native nailed a perfect eight-of-eight from the free throw line, also a career high for free throw attempts and makes. Oliveira also set a career high with five assists at Nicholls State on Saturday and has already established career highs for free throws, points, steals, assists, rebounds and minutes this year.
DEALING AND DISHING
Senior Kim Reed came within one assist of tying the single-game record for assists with 12 against Texas State on Feb. 12. She had seven handouts in the first half and dished out five more in the final half. The record of 13 is held by Shelley Seale in 1983.
CLEANING THE GLASS
The Roadrunners have out-rebounded 14 of their opponents this season and rank fifth in the Southland Conference in rebounds. UTSA grabs 39.9 caroms per game and allows opponents 38.0 for a +1.9 rebounding margin.
60 OR LESS
The Roadrunners are now 10-3 when holding opponents to 60 points or less this year. In the last two seasons, UTSA is now 23-8 when limiting foes to 60 points or less, and the Roadrunners are 6-0 when limiting opponents to 50 points or less.
NUMBER ONE
UTSA head coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair is now all-time winningest women’s coach at UTSA .
UTSA Coaching History
1. Rae Rippetoe-Blair (2000-) 78-60
2. Bill McLeay (1985-89) 75-69
3. Ginny DeHaven (1981-84) 54-27
4. Mary Ann McLaughlin (1989-94) 50-87
5. Terry Gray (1996-99) 38-43
6. Jeff Spivey (1994-96) 15-37
7. Jeff Dow (1999-2000) 7-20
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK
According to a vote by the Southland Conference coaches, UTSA is projected for a fourth place finish in 2004-2005. The league’s SID’s selected UTSA fifth in the preseason vote. Currently, UTSA is in fifth place.
NEXT UP
The Roadrunners entertain SLC leader Texas-Arlington on Saturday, Feb. 26 for Homecoming at the Convocation Center.