Feb. 25, 2005
Contact: Matt Schabert (210) 458-4930
Texas-Arlington provides Homecoming opposition for UTSA Saturday
Complete Release | Listen Live | Live Stats
SAN ANTONIO - The UTSA women's basketball team hosts Southland Conference front-runner Texas-Arlington at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Convocation Center.
UTSA Roadrunners (14-10, 8-5 SLC)
vs.
Texas-Arlington Lady Mavericks (16-8, 11-2 SLC)
Saturday, Feb. 26 • 3 p.m.
Convocation Center • San Antonio, Texas
Audio: KSJL 810 AM/goUTSA.com
TIP-OFF
The Roadrunners host Southland Conference front-runner Texas-Arlington today for Senior Day...Four seniors, Lyndsey Greer, Kim Reed, Holly Ziegler and Nicole Dunson, who have combined to play 287 games for the Roadrunners, will be honored...In the first meeting between the teams, UTSA was limited to just 12 points in the first half in a 57-43 loss at Texas Hall...With 108 games under her belt, Reed needs just four more games played to become the UTSA all-time leader in games...The Roadrunners have won the last four games against the Lady Mavericks at the Convocation Center.
SERIES RECORD AGAINST THE LADY MAVERICKS
Texas-Arlington leads the all-time series 20-15, including the 57-43 win in Arlington on Feb. 10. The Roadrunners have won six of the last nine games, and neither team has scored more than 60 points in the last six meetings.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE LADY MAVERICKS
The Texas-Arlington Lady Mavericks are 16-8 and 11-2 in the Southland Conference after dealing Stephen F. Austin a 64-38 setback on Thursday. Rola Ogunoye leads UTA with 14.5 points per game, while Terra Wallace chips in 13.9.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE LADY MAVERICKS
The Roadrunners were held to just 12 points in the first half and never recovered in dropping a 57-43 game at Texas Hall. Richelle Parks just missed her fourth double double with a team high 12 points and nine rebounds, and the Roadrunners shot 44 percent for the game. UTSA was just 1-of-10 from three-point range, however, but outscored the Lady Mavericks 31-19 in the final half after trailing 38-12 at the break.
LAST TIME OUT
UTSA 82, Lamar 55 (Feb. 23 at the Convocation Center)
Nicole Dunson hit five three-pointers in the first half and scored all 17 of her points in the opening half, while Richelle Parks tallied 13 points in the second half and a team high 18 for the game in an 82-55 Roadrunner win. UTSA used a 14-2 run at the of the first half to go to the locker room leading 40-24 and increased the lead to as many as 25 on two occasions in the second half. UTSA hit a season high nine three-pointers and dished out 18 assists while forcing 20 turnovers.
DOUBLE DIGIT FIGURES
Freshman Richelle Parks leads the Roadrunners with 19 games scoring in double figures this year, while Nicole Dunson have reached double figures 10 times. Lacy Mingee have notched doubles seven times this season. Dunson and Parks own the longest consecutive streak of double figure games with six with Parks’ streak current.
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 19 of the 24 games. She had her fourth career double double last Saturday at Nicholls State with 19 points and 12 boards and dumped in 18 more points on Wednesday against Lamar to lead the team. In the last six games, she has averaged 12.7 points and led the Roadrunners in scoring four times. Parks continues to lead UTSA in scoring average (13.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.2) and ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.484). With seven rebounds Wednesday against Lamar, she moved onto the top five chart for rebounds in a season now with 196.
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 37 percent. On Feb. 17, 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 6.5 points per game and 5.2 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 49 assists and has played in 82 games over her career. She has scored 504 career points, needing just 12 to place her name 25th on the career scoring chart at UTSA.
EN FUEGO
Senior Nicole Dunson has been nearly unstoppable lately from three-point land. In the last four games Dunson has canned 13 triples (3.2 per game). The senior transfer ranks second on the team with 8.9 points per game and leads the team in free throw percentage (.864). She now has 41 treys on the season and ranks fifth on the UTSA single season chart for most three pointers. That record is held by Tammy Rogers with 56 in 1990-91. 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.
EQUAL DISTRIBUTION
In looking at a breakdown of how the Roadrunners are scoring in 2004-2005, the stats are surprisingly even. UTSA has scored 699 points in the first halves this year, an average of 29.1, while the Roadrunners have netted 769 points in the closing halves this year to average 32.0 per half. In all games the Roadrunners average 61.8 points but have increased that output to 64.7 in league games.
ALL IN
For just the fourth time this season, every Roadrunners player got into the game on Wednesday against Lamar. The three other games were Prairie View on Nov. 26, at Lamar on Feb. 5 and at Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 17.
CHART CLIMBER
Senior Kim Reed is moving quickly up the career chart for assists. With 261 career handouts, she has inched her way to seventh all-time and needs just three more to move into sixth. Reed has also played in 108 games over her four-year career and needs to just four more appearances to become UTSA’s all-time leader in games played.
MINGEE IN THE MIDDLE
Junior Lacy Mingee has shown signs of dominance this season as evidenced by her double double performance at Lamar on Feb. 5 when she scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds. She has scored 571 career points and has climbed to 20th on the UTSA career scoring chart with one more season remaining. She also needs just six rebounds to pass Soonja Robinson (299 rbs, 1995-98) into 22nd all-time at UTSA.
GOOD GOLLY, MISS HOLLY
Senior Holly Ziegler has emerged as a reliable center option for the Roadrunners. Coming off the bench for the first 20 games, Ziegler gained a spot in the starting five four games ago against Texas State and has responded by averaging 6.0 points per game. Earlier this year, she scored a career high 21 points in a win over Quinnipiac.
DEFENDING THE CONVO
In the last two seasons, the Roadrunners are 18-8 at home, including going 9-3 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 seven of their last eight games at home.
WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK
Bench play for the Roadrunners has been a main factor in UTSA’s recent success. In the last four games, the Roadrunner bench has averaged 27.2 points, and the bench has also provided 25 or more points on eight occasions this year. The Roadrunner bench has also collected more rebounds than the starting five in two of the last three games.
OLIVEIRA EMERGING
Sophomore Ana Oliveira has become a regular fixture in the Roadrunner’s lineup. In the first 13 games, Oliveira scored just 10 total points but since then she has raised her average to 4.2 points against Southland Conference opponents and scored a career high 12 points in UTSA’s 71-69 win over Texas State on Feb. 12.
‘RUNNERS RUN IT UP
UTSA’s 82 points scored against Lamar on Wednesday was the team’s second-highest output of the year, coming in only behind the 88-point performance against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 26. Typically a team leaning more towards defensive battles, the Roadrunners have scored more than 70 points eight times this year and are 7-1 in those contests.
VICTORY IS OURS
With a win tonight, the Roadrunners would assure themselves of their fifth consecutive winning season and 14th in school history. A win would push UTSA’s record to 15-10 with two games remaining in the regular season and at least one game in the Southland Conference tournament. Since the 2000-2001 season, the Roadrunners have averaged 16.3 wins per season. That’s compared to the previous five years when UTSA won just 10.3 contests per year.
LONG RANGE BOMBERS
In the last four games, the Roadrunners have nailed 20 three-pointers as a team with senior Nicole Dunson knocking down 13 of those. UTSA hit a season high nine treys in the 82-55 win over Lamar on Wednesday.
TOEING THE LINE
In the last four games, free throws have been a key factor in the Roadrunners’ 3-1 record. During those games, UTSA is 68-for-86 for 79 percent at the charity stripe. On the year, the Roadrunners have steadily increased their percentage as a team and now shoot 68 percent against league foes.
60 OR LESS
The Roadrunners are now 11-3 when holding opponents to 60 points or less this year. In the last two seasons, UTSA is now 24-8 when limiting foes to 60 points or less, and the Roadrunners are 6-0 when limiting opponents to 50 points or less.
NUMERO UNO
UTSA head coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair is now all-time winningest women’s coach at UTSA.
UTSA Coaching History
1. Rae Rippetoe-Blair (2000-) 79-60
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 stay at home to host Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday, March 1 in the two teams’ lone meeting this year. Tipoff is at 6 p.m.