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| Freshman Devin Gibson helped lead UTSA to its first road win of the year on Thursday night. |
HAMMOND, La. ? Freshman Devin Gibson and senior Melvin Smith combined for 36 points, as UTSA collected its first road win of the season in a 61-57 victory at Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday night at the University Center.
The Roadrunners, playing with just nine (eight scholarship) players due to injuries, improved to 9-13 overall and 3-6 in Southland Conference play with their first win in 11 true road games this season. UTSA also snapped a five-game losing streak against the Lions in the process (last win was in the semifinal round of the 2004 SLC Tournament).
The Roadrunners shot 42.6 percent from the floor and were 19-of-24 (79.2 percent) from the free throw line.
Gibson poured in 20 points to lead the Roadrunners in scoring for the fourth straight game and 10th overall. He added four rebounds and four assists in playing all 40 minutes. Smith pitched in with 16 points, while junior Antoine Dade grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
“Our guys fought like a wounded animal tonight,” head coach Brooks Thompson said. “We executed offensively in that guys weren’t hunting for their own shot, but taking higher-percentage ones. We did a nice job defensively and on the glass, but I thought the key was being able to take away their transition game with our execution on offense.”
Tavaris Nance led three Lions in double figures with 14 points, while Patrick Sullivan and Kevyn Green pitched in 12 and 10, respectively. Nance and Sullivan pulled down a game-best seven boards apiece.
SLU shot 52.6 percent from the floor, but made just 3-of-13 from downtown and also committed 16 turnovers in falling to 13-10 and 5-5.
UTSA led by as many as eight points with 3:49 to play, but SLU cut the deficit to 58-56 on a Nicks lay-up with 1:18 left, setting up a crazy final 30 seconds. Senior Keith Spencer drew a charge on Green and Gibson knocked down a freebie after being fouled. A foul on Spencer put Nance at the line, where he made 1-of-2 to pull the Lions back within 59-57, but senior Isaiah Allen was whistled for an offensive foul on the ensuing inbound play. Smith then forced Green to dribble the ball off his foot, giving the ball right back to the Roadrunners. Allen was fouled and made both free throws with nine ticks remaining to seal it as Nance’s desperation 3-pointer was off the mark.
UTSA trailed 9-4 early, but used a 14-0 run capped by a lay-up from freshman E.B. Davis to take a 16-9 lead with 11:06 to play in the firs half. SLU fought back to within 18-17 on a Sullivan lay-in, but the Roadrunners responded with a 9-2 run that gave them their largest lead of the half, 27-19, with just over three minutes remaining in the half.
The Lions rallied to take a 30-29 lead on a Chris Cyprien free throw with nine seconds left, but Gibson drew a foul and converted 1-of-2 from the line to knot the score at 30-all at the break.
The Roadrunners wrap up the current three-game road swing at Nicholls State on Saturday, Feb. 16.