UTSA Roadrunners (13-15, 7-8) vs. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (24-4, 12-3)
Saturday, March 8 ? 2 p.m. ? Convocation Center (4,080) ? San Antonio, Texas
Series Record: UTSA leads, 21-10
Last Meeting: Stephen F. Austin, 60-39 (Feb. 9, 2008)
SAN ANTONIO ? UTSA (13-15, 7-8 SLC) will look to bounce backfrom a tough road loss on Wednesday when it hosts Stephen F. Austin(24-4, 12-3 SLC) in the regular season finale on Saturday, March 8. Tipis set for 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
Tuning In: Live stats will be provided at goUTSA.com. Live audio and video will be available to Rowdy Zone subscribers at http://goUTSA.com. Andy Everett has the call.
Fast Break Points:
? This will be the 32nd meeting between UTSA and Stephen F. Austin
? The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 21-10, and have won six of the last seven
? UTSA is 9-4 at the Convocation Center this season and have won four straight meetings with the Lumberjacks in San Antonio
? The Roadrunners have secured a spot in the SLC Tournament and could be anywhere from the No. 4-8 seed depending on Saturday’s games
? The Roadrunners have forced 15 opponents into 20 or more turnovers this season
? Freshman Devin Gibson leads the NCAA with 3.35 steals per game and in conference play, he leads all players in steals (3.43) and assists (5.36) and is sixth in scoring (15.1)
? Senior Melvin Smith is averaging 11.0 points per game in SLC play
? UTSA will honor its four seniors ? Isaiah Allen, Andrew Francis, Melvin Smith and Keith Spencer ? prior to the game
UTSA/Stephen F. Austin Series History: This will be the 32nd meeting between UTSA and Stephen F. Austin. The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 21-10, and have won six of the past seven meetings. UTSA is 14-2 against the Lumberjacks at the Convocation Center and is riding a four-game winning streak dating back to the 74-70 win in the 2004 SLC Tournament Championship Game. SFA’s last win at the Convo was a 77-66 decision on Jan. 22, 2003.
Last Meeting: Freshmen Devin Gibson and JohnMark Ludwick both reached double figures in scoring, but Matt Kingsley and Josh Alexander combined for 31 points, as Stephen F. Austin defeated UTSA, 60-39, on Feb. 9 at Johnson Coliseum. Gibson scored 14 points and added three assists and two steals. Ludwick was 2-for-4 from the 3-point line en route to posting a dozen points. Kingsley registered 17 points to lead the Lumberjacks, while Alexander had 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Eric Bell added nine points and four dimes and Nick Shaw matched Alexander with a game-high eight boards. UTSA shot just 33.3 percent and was out-rebounded 40-18. The Lumberjacks shot 45.2 percent and led for 38 of the 40 minutes.
Scouting Stephen F. Austin: The Lumberjacks are 24-4 overall and in second place in the Southland Conference at 12-3. SFA sits just one game back of Lamar (13-2) for the regular season title and could clinch the No. 1 seed with a win and a loss by the Cardinals. Juniors Josh Alexander and Matt Kingsley form one of the league’s top inside-outside tandems, as Alexander is averaging 16.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Kingsley is posting 15.3 points and 5.5 boards per contest. Sophomore Eric Bell leads the SLC in assists per game (5.71) and has tallied 51 steals on the year. Head coach Danny Kaspar is 132-94 in his eight season at the helm.
Last Time Out: Senior Melvin Smith scored 14 points, but John Gardiner poured in 19 on a perfect night shooting to help lead Sam Houston State to a 68-37 victory over UTSA on Wednesday night at Johnson Coliseum. Smith was 5-of-11 from the floor and 4-for-6 from the free throw line in leading UTSA in scoring for the second time this season. Senior Keith Spencer pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with eight points. Gardiner was 8-for-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe, while also pulling down six rebounds. Shamir McDaniel added 10 points and Ryan Bright posted eight points and eight boards. Sam Houston built a big early lead, taking a 20-7 lead midway through the first half en route to a 30-13 halftime advantage, as freshman Devin Gibson suffered an ankle injury with just under eight minutes to play in the half. UTSA opened the second half on a 9-4 run to pull within 34-22 points at the 17:37 mark, but the Bearkats answered with an 11-1 stretch and never looked back, holding the Roadrunners to their lowest point total since a 58-37 loss at nationally-ranked Texas on Nov. 12, 2007.
SLC Tournament Logjam: UTSA secured of a spot in the SLC Tournament, but seeds 4-8 have yet to be determined. The Roadrunners are in a tie with McNeese State and UT Arlington for seventh place at 7-8, but are the 8-seed based on the Cowboys’ head-to-head win and the Mavericks’ better division record. Lamar (13-2) and SFA (12-3) are battling for the top two seeds, while Sam Houston State (10-5) is locked in at No. 3. Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana both own 8-7 records, so if both lose and the three 7-8 teams win on Saturday, there could be a five-way tie for fourth place.
Closing In On 400: UTSA is closing in on victory No. 400 for the program. The Roadrunners own an all-time record of 398-368 (.520).
Home Sweet Home: The Convocation Center has been a tough place for opponents to play. The Roadrunners are 241-109 (.689) all-time at home, including 9-4 at this year.
Cozy Confines: The Roadrunners enjoy playing in the cozy confines of the Convocation Center and the results show up in the stats. UTSA is 9-4 in the Convo and six of the nine home victories have been by at least 12 points, including a 69-47 rout of Hardin-Simmons. UTSA is forcing 22.8 turnovers per game ? including 10.8 steals ? at home.
SLC Player of the Week: Freshman Devin Gibson was named SLC Player of the Week on Feb. 25 after averaging 26.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.5 steals in victories over UT Arlington and Texas State. It marked his first career honor and the first Roadrunner to win the award since Andre Owens on Feb. 27, 2006.
Magic Number: UTSA is 5-0 this season when scoring 80 or more points, most recently in a 103-96 overtime victory at Texas State on Feb. 23. The Roadrunners also topped 80 against Paul Quinn (93-79), Central Arkansas (81-77), Northwestern State (81-78) and UT Arlington (80-72).
Three-Ball Twosome: In Southland Conference play, junior Joey Shank and freshman JohnMark Ludwick have combined for 62 3-pointers, an average of 4.1 per game. Ludwick drained 6-of-6 in the Central Arkansas win, added five treys in the loss at UT Arlington and poured in four in the UT Arlington and Texas State victories and McNeese State loss, while Shank drilled a UTSA-record eight triples in the Northwestern State victory and five in the loss at Lamar. In league play, Ludwick and Shank rank eighth (2.20) and 10th (2.07), respectively, in 3-pointers made per contest, while Ludwick is fourth in the league with a 44.6-percent 3-point field goal percentage.
Injury Bug: UTSA has been bitten by the injury bug this season. Only two players (seniors Isaiah Allen and Melvin Smith) have played in all 28 games, while 10 players have missed game time this season, including junior guard Omar Johnson, who is out for the year due to a stress reaction in his lower leg, and leading scorer Travis Gabbidon, who broke his foot in the Lamar game on Jan. 12 and is out for the remainder of the season. Junior guard Orrin Greer is out indefinitely after injuring his knee in the Texas-Pan American game on Jan. 8. Senior forward Andrew Francis (13 games, knee), freshman center Russ Permenter (five, hand), freshman guard Cody Dotson-Lara (four, head), senior forward Keith Spencer (two, concussion), freshman guard Devin Gibson (two, concussion), junior guard Joey Shank (one, back) and junior forward Antoine Dade (one, ankle) also have missed playing time due to injuries. Gibson suffered an ankle sprain in the first half at Sam Houston State on Wednesday and is listed as probable for Saturday’s game.
Tough Slate: UTSA is facing one of its toughest schedules in recent history this season. Texas is ranked No. 9 in both The Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Polls. Arkansas has been ranked and Southland Conference rivals Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin have received votes in both polls earlier this season. Also on the slate are Oklahoma State, Navy and SMU.
Turnover Feast: UTSA has shown the ability to force turnovers this season thanks to a commitment to on-the-ball pressure defense. Opponents have turned the ball over 551 times through 28 games, an average of 19.7 per game, and 15 teams have committed at least 20 turnovers, including a season-high 30 by McMurry on Dec. 28. UTSA ranks third in the Southland Conference and 27th in the NCAA in steals per game (8.96) and is second in the league in turnover margin (+3.89). Individually, freshman Devin Gibson leads the nation with 3.35 steals per game.
Improvement At The Line: UTSA has shown a marked improvement at the free throw line from last season’s 58.9 percent effort. The Roadrunners are shooting 65.6 percent (396-604) as a team and are even better in conference play at 67.1 percent (230-343). Individually, junior Joey Shank (81.0) and freshman JohnMark Ludwick (80.6) are both above 80 percent for the season, while seniors Melvin Smith (73.3) and Isaiah Allen (71.0) and freshman Devin Gibson (71.2) all are above 70 percent. Gibson has attempted 205 freebies (or 143 more than the next closest active player), converted 95-of-123 (77.2 percent) in league action and made 72-of-88 (81.8 percent) over the past 10 games.
Record Watch: Several UTSA players are moving up the school’s single-season or career record lists. Senior Keith Spencer has pulled down 358 career rebounds, which ranks 18th all-time and fourth among players who played two years or less. Senior Melvin Smith has scored 605 career points, which ranks him 36th all-time and 12th among players who played two years or less. Senior Isaiah Allen’s 505 career points makes him 44th and 16th, respectively. Freshman Devin Gibson is second on the single-season steals list with 87 (a freshman record), fourth with 133 assists and fifth with 146 free throws. Junior Joey Shank is tied for sixth with 66 3-pointers.
Double-Double Tracker: UTSA has posted nine double-doubles this season, including four by senior forward Keith Spencer and three by freshman guard Devin Gibson.
Freshman Phenom: Freshman Devin Gibson has stepped into the starter’s role at point guard and excelled on both ends of the floor in his first season with UTSA. The Cy-Falls High product leads the NCAA in steals per game (3.35), and he ranks second in the league and 48th nationally in assists per game (5.12) and seventh in the SLC in assist/turnover ratio (1.28). Gibson is UTSA’s leading scorer and is ninth overall and tops among SLC freshmen at 13.5 points per game. He has led UTSA in scoring in 14 games ? including eight of the last 10 ? and rebounding seven times. He posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in a head-to-head battle with Texas’ D.J. Augustin. In another meeting with a high-profile point guard, Oklahoma State’s Byron Eaton, Gibson posted 19 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. He missed two games in early January due to a concussion, but returned to post 10 points and a season-high 13 assists, one shy of the school record, in the Central Arkansas win, and followed that with 17 points and 10 dimes in the overtime win over Northwestern State one game later. Gibson scored 20 in the 61-57 win at Southeastern Louisiana, 26 in the 80-72 victory against UT Arlington and 27 in the 103-96 overtime victory at Texas State. He drained the game-winning free throws with one-half second remaining in UTSA’s 54-52 victory at Nicholls State and is 95-of-123 (.772) from the free throw line in league play. Gibson is averaging 15.1 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 steals in SLC action and is scoring 16.7 per game over the last seven contests.
Smith Stepping Up: Senior Melvin Smith, UTSA’s leading scorer last season with 12.9 points per game, has played in all 27 contests this year. The Covington, Tenn., native averaged 5.4 points through the first 14 games, but has increased his scoring average to 8.1 ppg, thanks to an 11.0 clip in league play. Smith posted a pair of 20-point outings in January, going 9-of-12 from the floor in the 81-77 victory over Central Arkansas and 9-of-16 in the 79-73 loss to Texas State, poured in 16 in both the 61-57 win at Southeastern Louisiana and in the 80-72 victory against UT Arlington and tallied 19 in the 103-96 overtime victory at Texas State.
Wiping the Glass: Senior Keith Spencer missed the first two regular season games but has been a fixture on the glass since. The San Diego, Calif., native is averaging a team-best 5.8 rebounds per game and has led the squad in rebounding 11 times. In his second game back, he posted 19 points and 10 boards in the 93-79 win over Paul Quinn on Nov. 26. He recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 10 points and a career-best 15 boards in the overtime win over Northwestern State. Spencer pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the loss at Sam Houston State
New Addition: UTSA announced on Jan. 14 that Seigongar Paye has transferred to the program from Louisiana-Monroe. Originally from Houston Strake Jesuit High School, Paye will be eligible to play as a sophomore following the 2008 fall semester.
Fall Signing Class: UTSA signed Richie Frolich (Oldendorf, Germany/Citrus College) and Leslie Jackson (Bryan/Blinn College) to National Letters of Intent for the 2008-09 season.
Next Up: UTSA heads to the SLC Tournament to be held next Thursday-Sunday, March 13-16, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.
