Feb. 8, 2006
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907
Roadrunners host McNeese State on Thursday
Game Notes | Live Audio
SAN ANTONIO - Coming off a split with Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana last week, the UTSA men's basketball continues its four-game home stand against McNeese State on Thursday, Feb. 9. Tip is set for 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
UTSA Roadrunners (8-12, 3-6 SLC)
vs.
McNeese State Cowboys (11-8, 6-2 SLC)
Thursday, Feb. 9 • 7 p.m. • Convocation Center • San Antonio, Texas
TV: None • Radio: KKYX 680 AM/goUTSA.com
Roadrunner Streaks:
Win/Loss Streak: Lost one
Road Streak: Lost two
Neutral Court Streak: Won two
Home Streak: Lost one
Opponent:
McNeese State Cowboys
Series History: UTSA leads, 18-14
Last Meeting: McN 78, UTSA 74; Jan. 7, 2006 - Lake Charles, La.
Note: UTSA has won two of the last three meetings.
Last Game:
Senior Andre Owens posted his 10th 20-point game of the season, but Ricky Woods turned in his 14th double-double of the year with 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead Southeastern Louisiana to a 95-82 victory over UTSA at the Convocation Center. Freshman Eric Young added 15 points, while sophomore Roderick Rodgers nearly had his second double-double with 12 points and nine boards. Quennell Green drained 6-of-7 3-pointers in scoring 20 for the Lions.
Radio/TV:
All UTSA games can be heard on KKYX 680 AM and on the worldwide web at goUTSA.com beginning 15 minutes prior to tipoff.
Coach Carter:
Tim Carter is in his 11th season at UTSA and has a career record of 157-147 (.516) with the Roadrunners and 168-163 (.508) overall … He is the winningest men's basketball coach in UTSA history and has the longest tenure … He scored his 100th career win on Dec. 1, 2001 over Illinois State and his 100th win at UTSA on Feb. 4, 2002 at Texas-Arlington … Carter was named the 1999 SLC "Coach of the Year" … He came to UTSA after one season at Nebraska-Omaha … He has served as an assistant coach at Oklahoma (1984), Midwestern State (1984-86), Houston (1986-87), Oklahoma State (1987-90) and Northwestern (1990-94) … He has led UTSA to the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and 2004 … Carter is 12-7 in games coaches against McNeese State.
Home Sweet Home:
Tough to beat in the UTSA Convocation Center, the Roadrunners have an all-time home record of 224-95 (.702) in the Bird Cage. UTSA is 1-1 all-time as a home team at the Alamodome. UTSA is 5-5 at home this season.
Scouting McNeese State:
The Cowboys moved into sole possession of second place (6-2) in the Southland Conference with a 76-72 victory over Lamar last Saturday in Lake Charles, La. McNeese State is 11-8 overall and won the first meeting with UTSA back on Jan. 7, 78-74. Senior forward J.T. Williams leads the Cowboys in scoring with 17.8 points per game. Junior guard Dwight Boatner and sophomore guard John Ford also average double figures with 12.5 and 10.1 pp., respectively. Junior forward Quinten Gonzales turns in a team-best 5.8 rebounds per game. Head coach Tic Price is 71-62 in his fifth season at the helm.
Roadrunners vs. Cowboys - Last Meeting:
In Lake Charles, La., John Ford and Dwight Boatner combined for 33 points as McNeese State rallied for a 78-74 victory over UTSA on Jan. 7. Andre Owens scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Roadrunners, while sophomore Abe Donlon added a career-best 16 points and nine boards. UTSA began the game on a 9-0 run and led 59-50 with 9:53 to play, but the Cowboys rallied behind strong guard play and a 26-of-34 performance from the free throw line.
375 and Counting:
The UTSA men's basketball program now has 375 wins. The Roadrunners have averaged 15.3 wins a season as a program over the first 24 years, and are the winningest program in the SLC over the past 10 years.
Working Overtime:
UTSA entered the 2005-06 season with a reputation as a team that is tough to beat in overtime. The Roadrunners are 0-2 this season and 13-9 all-time in extra sessions under coach Tim Carter. UTSA has won 10 of the last 13 overtime games.
UTSA In The Sagarin & RPI:
According to the latest Sagarin College Basketball Rankings, UTSA is currently ranked No. 236 overall out of 330 NCAA Division I schools. The Roadrunners are No. 273 in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).
Dunk-O-Meter:
Dunks by UTSA players this season: Eric Young - 10 … Nkem Ojougboh - 9 … Roderick Rodgers - 7 … Andre Owens - 3 … Abe Donlon - 2 … Kurt Attaway - 1 … Chris Thompson - 1.
Double-Double-O-Meter:
UTSA players who have posted double-doubles this season: Andre Owens - 2 (23/14 & 23/11); Roderick Rodgers - 1 (17/12); Eric Young 1 (16/11).
Youth Is Served:
UTSA features a young roster this season with eight players that are either freshmen or sophomores. Freshmen Eric Young, Nkem Ojougboh and Aldric Reynolds have a combined 22 starts between them. Young has led UTSA in scoring five times this season. The freshmen and sophomores are averaging a combined 37.0 points per game, while first-year players are contributing 36.6 points per game.
Andre The Giant:
Big things are expected this season out of UTSA senior guard Andre Owens. The Irving native opened the season with 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the Angelo State win. He scored a career-high 28 points in the loss at New Mexico State and was named MVP of the Florida International Holiday Classic when he averaged 22.0 points and 7.5 rebounds as the Roadrunners won the tournament title with wins over Cal State Fullerton and St. Bonaventure. Owens matched his career high with 28 points, including 21 in the second half, in the 78-74 loss at McNeese State. Owens reached 28 points for the third time this season in the loss to Sam Houston State. He has scored 20 or more points 10 times this season, most recently with 20 in the Feb. 4 loss to Southeastern Louisiana.
Off The Pine:
Led by Gabe Bernard's 13 points, UTSA's bench produced 36 points in the win over Angelo State. In the win over Texas-Pan American the bench produced 48 points, led by Chris Thompson's 18. The group played a huge role in UTSA's come-from-behind 76-67 win at Stephen F. Austin, scoring 46 points behind 21 from Nkem Ojougboh. Through 20 games, UTSA has averaged 26.9 points per game of production from its bench.
Welcome Back:
Junior transfers Kyile Byrd and Gabe Bernard had missed a combined five games over the past two weeks due to injury, but both were back in action in the Feb. 2 win over Nicholls State. Bernard drained his first shot attempt since a home win over Louisiana-Monroe on Jan. 14, a 3-pointer from the left wing at the 10:30 mark in the first half and finished with five points and a season-high six rebounds in 11 minutes of action. Byrd scored a season-high 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 18 minutes. Bernard posted nine points two days later in the loss to Southeastern Louisiana.
Kurt's Point:
Point guard Kurt Attaway also excels in the classroom where he is the reigning Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year for men's basketball. A member of the Dean's List at UTSA, Attaway currently maintains a perfect 4.0 grade point average while majoring in psychology.
Captains Named For 2005-06:
Senior Andre Owens and junior Kurt Attaway have been named team captains for the 2005-06 season. Owens is UTSA's leading returning scorer at 11.2 points per game, while Attaway is a two-year letterman who earned Southland Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 2004.
What's Next:
UTSA hosts the Lamar Cardinals on Saturday, Feb. 11 in the Homecoming Game. Tip is set for 2 p.m. and the contest will be televised locally on Time Warner Cable channel 50.