? Game notes (.pdf)
UTSA vs. New Orleans
Friday, Nov. 23 ? 7 p.m.
Convocation Center (4,080)
UTSA vs. Georgia Southern
Saturday, Nov. 24 ? 4 p.m.
Convocation Center (4,080)
What’s on tap: UTSA is off to its best start of the year since the 1996-97 season at 3-0. The Roadrunners return to action this weekend as they hosts their annual UTSA Thanksgiving Classic at the Convocation Center. UTSA will face New Orleans on Friday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m., then Georgia Southern the following day at 4 p.m.
On the Web: Fans can watch and listen to all of the UTSA women’s basketball games (Rowdy Zone subscription) and follow the Roadrunners through live stats free of charge this season at www.goUTSA.com. Providing play-by-play announcing for the Roadrunners is Stu Paul.
Series meeting: UTSA and New Orleans will meet for the third time in series history. The Lady Privateers lead the series, 2-0, against the Roadrunners. UNO handed UTSA a 83-55 loss on Jan. 16, 1988 in San Antonio. Meanwhile, Georgia Southern and UTSA meet for the first time.
Scouting the opponents: New Orleans is 3-0 on the season and is coming off a 77-62 win at Northwestern State on Monday night in Prather Coliseum. Talishia Young led five Lady Privateers in double figures scoring with 17 points, Brittany Helm added 16 points and dished out a game-high seven assists. Young leads her team in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg). Helm ranks second on the squad with 13.3 points per game.
Georgia Southern collected its second win of the season to improved to 2-2 overall with a 63-44 win against Jacksonville State on Tuesday night. Shawanda Atwood led the way with a game-high 16 points, while Ashley Melson chipped in 11 points and grabbed a game-best 11 rebounds in the win against Jacksonville State.
Last time out: Freshman Whitney York’s career-high 22 points paced UTSA to a 68-60 victory over Wichita State Sunday night. York continues her hot start scoring in double figures for the third consecutive game. The Bryan native was 8-of-11 from the floor and recorded a career-best five steals. Junior Monica Gibbs hauled a game-high 11 rebounds and dished out eight assists. Senior Terrie Davis added 14 points and connected on two 3-pointers on the night, putting her four shy of breaking UTSA’s all-time record of 121 held by Philicia Ross.
York earns consecutive SLC honors: Freshman guard Whitney York became the first Roadrunner in school history to earn Southland Conference Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks. York posted a career-high 22 points and tallied five steals in the 68-60 win against Wichita State on Sunday. The Bryan native helped UTSA to a pair of wins against Huston-Tillotson (89-50) on Nov. 9 and Belmont (77-65) on Nov. 11. In her Roadrunner debut, she tallied 12 points and was 10-of-10 from the free throw line. York then chipped in with a 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, while grabbing a career-best eight boards and dishing out four assists in the 12-point victory against Belmont.
Cleaning the glass: Senior Amanda Foster has a team-best 30 rebounds (10.0 rpg) this season and ranks first in the conference. On Sunday, she pulled down eight rebounds against Wichita State.
Davis 3-point watch: Senior Terrie Davis currently ranks second on UTSA’s all-time chart with 118 career 3-pointers in 89 games. The Houston native is four shy of surpassing Philicia Ross’ school-record 121.
Runners in the SLC: Whitney York’s 16.7 points per game ranks second in the conference, while senior Terrie Davis and sophomore Courtney Laing stand eighth and 12th, respectively. Senior Amanda Foster leads the league in rebounds with 10.0 rebounds per game. and junior Monica Gibbs is fifth with 8.3 boards per contest, while tops the SLC in assists at 6.33.
Offensive explosion: UTSA’s 78.0 points per game is tops the league in scoring offense. The Roadrunners also lead the conference in scoring margin at +19.7 and are shooting 42.5 percent from the floor, which stands third in the league.
Defensive hold: UTSA is holding opponents to just 58.3 points per game, good enough second in the SLC and ranks third in defensive field goal percentage at 36.4 percent.
Freshmen sensation: The trio of Amber Gregg, Jordan Stark and Whitney York showcased their skills in their UTSA debut on Nov. 9. Gregg scored seven points and was a perfect 2-of-2 from the 3-point line, while Stark came off the bench and poured in a career-high 20 points and connected on four 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Whitney York made her first career start and responded with 12 points in the win versus Huston-Tillotson.
Birdcage dominance: UTSA has proven time after time that home court advantage can result in a successful season. The Roadrunners are an impressive 219-129 (.629) at the Convocation Center all-time.
Deja vu start: This is the second time in head coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair’s tenure that the Roadrunners have got off to a 2-0 start. The last time UTSA began the season 2-0 was during the 2005-06 season that resulted in a trip to the SLC Conference Finals.
Preseason rankings: UTSA, which finished 14-16 overall and 9-7 in SLC play last season, was picked first and fourth, respectively, in this year’s Southland Conference Preseason Coaches and SIDs polls. The Roadrunners collected five first-places votes in the coaches rankings for a total of 52 points. In the SIDs poll, UTSA garnered 42 points.
Gibbs collects preseason honors: Junior Monica Gibbs was named to the 2007-08 SLC Preseason First Team. Gibbs, who was a second-team All-SLC pick a year ago, led the conference with 13 double-doubles in 29 games in 2006-07. The Stillwater, Okla., native led the team in rebounding (8.1) and assists (4.7) and her 12.9 points per game ranked second on the squad. She currently ranks sixth on UTSA’s all-time assists chart with 288 and sits 10th with 43 career blocks.
Head coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair: In her eighth season as head coach of the UTSA women’s basketball team, Rae Rippetoe-Blair has established herself as the winningest and longest-tenured head coach in school history. Since her hiring in 2000, the Roadrunners have made the Southland Conference Tournament seven consecutive seasons, including two trips to the conference finals (2003 and 2006). She currently owns 115 wins at UTSA and her .557 winning percentage is second-best in school history. The Roadrunners have the second-most SLC wins (85) and second-best winning percentage (.685) since 2001. A two-time SLC Coach of the Year, Rippetoe-Blair has posted an overall mark of 222-134 in 11 plus years as a head coach.
Next on tap: UTSA hits the road for the first time this season. The Roadrunners travel to Springfield, Mo., to face Missouri State on Nov. 29 at 7:05 p.m.