Dec. 6, 2005
Contact: Rick Nixon (210) 458-4551
UTSA routs Texas-Pan American, 101-81
Box Score
SAN ANTONIO – Senior Andre Owens (Irving, Texas) and junior Chris Thompson (Austin, Texas) led five Roadrunners in double figures as the UTSA men’s basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak with a 101-81 victory over Texas-Pan American Tuesday night at the Convocation Center.
Owens scored 20 points, his second-straight 20-point outing, while Thompson (right) poured in a career-high 18 on 7-of-9 shooting from the field as the Roadrunners improved to 3-3 on the season. Sophomore Abe Donlon (Tulsa, Okla.) added a career-high 14 points and a team-high six boards and freshman Eric Young (Houston, Texas) turned in 12 points. Junior Kurt Attaway (Flower Mound, Texas) returned from a two-game hiatus to chip in 10 points and four assists.
Dexter Shankle led the Broncs (2-6) with 19 points, while Zach Trader (15) and Cano Edwards (13) also reached double figures.
“After a tough loss to Murray State on Saturday I was pleased with the energy we played with tonight,” said UTSA coach Tim Carter. “Chris Thompson was huge off the bench with his hard play and good defense. We needed this one.”
UTSA blitzed out to a 14-3 lead through the first 3:45 behind five points apiece from Owens, who had 15 points in the half, and Young. A 3-pointer from the right wing and a jumper from the free throw line by junior Gabe Bernard (Los Angeles, Calif.) extended the lead to 23-8 at the 12:50 mark.
The lead would grow to as much as 21 at 36-15 with just under eight minutes left in the half. The Broncs cut the deficit to 15 at 50-35 on a half-court shot at the buzzer by Shankle, who finished the half with 14 points.
The Roadrunners were 19-of-30 (63.3 percent) from the floor, including 4-of-9 from behind the arc, in the half and limited the Broncs to 37.8 percent shooting on 14-of-37.
UTSA pushed the lead back to 21 at 62-41 on a running jumper by Thompson with 13:40 left to play. The Broncs would cut the deficit to 14 at 69-55 with 9:48 remaining on a 3-point play by Edwards, but that was as close as they would get.
“I take pride in my defense and look to give the team energy off the bench,” said Thompson. “We needed this win bad and hopefully can use it as a turning point to this season.”
The Roadrunners answered with an 18-7 run over the next 3:58 to take an 87-62 lead, their largest of the game. The Broncs made a late 7-0 run to cut the deficit under 20 at 99-81 with under a minute left, but UTSA topped the 100-point mark for the first time this season on two free throws by freshman Timothy Maiden (Scottsdale, Ariz.) with 31.2 seconds left and held on for the 101-81 victory. The 101 points were the most scored by UTSA since the end of the 2004 season.
UTSA improved its series record against UTPA to 6-4 and snapped a two-game losing streak to the Broncs in the process.
The Roadrunners conclude their four-game home stand on Sunday, Dec. 11 against Jackson State. Tip is set for 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center.