· Game notes (.pdf)
SAN ANTONIO - UTSA looks to rebound from its three-point loss at Texas State, this Thursday night against Southland Conference foe McNeese State. The game can be heard and seen on go.UTSA.com with Stu Paul calling the action from courtside and Assistant Sports Information Director Carlos Valdez will provide color.
Series meeting: McNeese State leads the all-time series 16-13 against UTSA. The Roadrunners are 8-7 at home and have won six consecutive home games against the Cowgirls. Both team split last season’s meeting, with each team winning at their own floor.
Last meeting: Lacy Mingee’s game-high 16 points wasn’t enough as McNeese State defeated UTSA 62-57 on Feb. 9, 2006 at Lake Charles, La. Marquita Williams led four Cowgirls in double figures with a team-high 13 points. Regina Spivey and Clarissa Clark chipped in with 11 points, while Courtnee Hollins added 10 points. The Cowgirls outscored the Roadrunners 40-28 and connected on 13-of-21 field goals (62%) in the second half.
About McNeese State: The Cowgirls (2-23, 0-12 SLC) have dropped 19 consecutive games, including 12 in a row in Southland Conference play. McNeese State’s last win came on Nov. 30, 2006 when they defeated Belhaven College 71-59 in Lake Charles, La. Psyche Bess is averaging a team-best 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while Courtnee Hollins is second on the team with 9.9 points per contest.
Last time out: Senior Vivian Ewalefo and sophomore Monica Gibbs combined for 36 of UTSA’s 60 points, but it wasn’t enough, as Texas State held on for a 63-60 victory at Strahan Coliseum.
Ewalefo posted a game-high 19 points, while Gibbs recorded her team-leading eighth double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds and also dished out a game-high seven assists.
Carrying the load: Sophomore Monica Gibbs has carried the scoring load for UTSA in scoring in four of the last five games, including three straight 20-point performance. During that stretch, Gibbs is averaging 20.0 points and is shooting 51% from the floor.
Gibbs’ 20 outings: Last season, sophomore Monica Gibbs didn’t have a game with 20 or more points, but this season she has four 20-point performance. Gibbs recorded her first 20-point outing against Eastern Washington on Nov. 24. Recently, Gibbs has posted three games with 20 or more points in the last four contests, including a career-high 23 at Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 8. At Nicholls State, she added 22 points. Then against UTA, Gibbs posted 22 points.
Free throw woes: UTSA is shooting a league-best 72 percent from the free throw line, but at Texas State, the Roadrunners shot a season-low 57% from the charity stripe and were 5-of-13 in the second half.
Freeman dealing: Freshman Lynsey Freeman has stepped into the starting role sooner than she excepted. The Las Vegas, Nev., native made her first career start at UTEP on Nov. 11 and responded with 10 points. Meanwhile at UNLV, Freeman helped UTSA to a 70-62 win on Dec. 21 with 15 points. During the Wells Fargo New Year’s Classic, Freeman posted 15 points and made a career-high five 3-pointers. In the win against Memphis, she scored a career-high 17 points. On Feb. 10 at Nicholls State, she added 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
Scoring sensation: Senior Vivian Ewalefo is averaging a career-best 15.6 points per game. The Las Vegas native has scored double figures in 21 games. She started the season with six straight double-digit performance. Ewalefo scored a game-high 20 points in the win against Sam Houston on Feb. 1, including 16 points in the first half. On the year, she has four 20 point games.
What a difference a year makes: A year ago, sophomore Monica Gibbs shot 49 percent from the free throw line. This season, Gibbs has increased her percentage by 17% (66%). In 10 games this season, she has shot 70% or better from the free throw line, compare to three times during the 2005-06 season. Against Texas-Arlington, Gibbs made a career-high 12 freebies.
Climbing the charts: Junior Terrie Davis is tied for second place on UTSA’s chart with 98 career 3-pointers and is one shy of passing former 3-point specialist Nicole Dunson. The Houston, Texas, sharpshooter is on pace to move into second place by end of the season and surpass last season’s total of 39 3-pointers. Davis is the fourth UTSA player to connect on 90 or more 3-pointers.
Playing all the way: With a short bench this season, UTSA’s starters are averaging 33 minutes per game, while in SLC play they are playing 34 minutes. Four of the five starters are averaging over 30 minutes per contest. In 15 of the 24 games played this season, at least one player has played the entire game. Freshman Lynsey Freeman leads the team with eight complete games, while junior Terrie Davis has played in six complete games. Sophomore Monica Gibbs is second the team with seven complete games.
Double-Double tandem: Senior Vivian Ewalefo and sophomore Monica Gibbs have combined for 13 double-doubles this season. Gibbs leads the team with eight double-doubles on the season. In February, she has collected three double-doubles, with her latest coming at Texas State with 17 points and 10 rebounds on last Saturday. On Jan. 27, she recorded fifth double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Gibbs collected three double-doubles during the month of December. The Stillwater, Okla., native posted her first one against Eastern Washington with 20 points and 14 rebounds. In just two seasons at UTSA, Gibbs has already recorded 11 career double-doubles.
Ewalefo has recorded fifth double-double on the year, giving her 12 for her career. The Las Vegas native posted her first against Eastern Washington with 14 points and 10 rebounds on Nov. 24. Ewalefo collected her second and third double-double in the month of December. Against Texas-Arlington, she added her fourth with 19 points and 10 rebounds on Jan. 23. In the win at Nicholls State on Feb. 10 , Ewalefo picked up her fifth with 16 points and 10 boards.
