Game 7
UTSA Roadrunners (1-5) vs. Huston-Tillotson Lady Rams (0-6)
Dec. 6 ? 2 p.m.
San Antonio, Texas ? Convocation Center (4,080)
Series history: UTSA leads the all-time series, 3-0
Opening tip: UTSA concludes its three-game home stand and looks to snap its five-game losing streak this Saturday against Huston-Tillotson at 2 p.m., in the Convocation Center.
Roadrunners on the Web: Fans can follow the Roadrunners this season at goUTSA.com. All 29 games can be heard for free with Stu Paul providing play-by-play analysis. Fans also can enjoy watching the Runners on the Web, as all 16 home games will be broadcast live on goUTSA.com (RowdyZone subscription required). Live stats will be available at no cost.
UTSA tube: The Roadrunners will be featured on television three times this season. Time Warner Cable (Channel 50) will broadcast the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi contest on Jan. 24 and UT Arlington on Feb. 14. The Southland Television Network will air the Northwestern State home game on Jan. 24.
Series meeting: The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 3-0, against the Lady Rams. UTSA and HT met last season in San Antonio with the Runners collecting a convincing 89-50 win on Nov. 9.
UTSA hosts Toys for Tots: UTSA Athletics, in association with Toys for Tots of San Antonio and the United States Marine Corps Reserve, will be holding a toy drive prior to Saturday’s women’s basketball game against Hutson-Tillotson. Marine Corps representatives will be collecting toys from 1-3 p.m. in the Convocation Center south lobby. All toys collected will be donated to needy families in the Bexar County area and there will be several chances to win free food and prizes from the athletics department throughout game, so take advantage of this opportunity to come out and enjoy a day of helping your community and great basketball. And the best part? Bring a toy and you will get in for free!
Last time out: UTSA couldn’t overcome a slow start against Arkansas State and it fell 73-59 in the fourth and final game of the Star Shuttle Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 29, at the Convocation Center. Senior forward Onika Anderson posted her third double-double of the season with team highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds, while senior guard Monica Gibbs and sophomore guard Amber Gregg added a dozen on the night. Senior forward Ryba Pawlaczyk held game-honors for the Roadrunners with 14 rebounds, one shy of her career high.
Scouting Hutson-Tillotson: The Lady Rams have opened up their 2008-09 season with six straight losses, including a 68-59 defeat handed by St. Mary’s on Nov. 25. Ashley Bell is averaging a team-best 10.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, while Kevette Williams stands second on the squad in scoring (8.0 ppg). Huston-Tillotson is allowing 82.3 points per contest, while scoring 58.5 points per game.
Not the start they wanted: Last season, UTSA began the year winning its first six games, but the 2008-09 campaign has the Roadrunners off to a 1-5 mark, including a five-game losing steak.
The Gibbs’ watch: Senior guard Monica Gibbs is on pace to rewrite the program’s record book once again this season. She is 50 rebounds shy of passing Margaret Martinovich, who holds the all-time mark with 778 rebounds. Gibbs is two boards shy of passing Angel Singleton for second on the all-time list.
700-rebound club: Senior Monica Gibbs became the third Roadrunner in the program’s history to haul in 700 boards. Gibbs has collected 729 rebounds in her four-year career.
500 dimes and counting: Senior guard Monica Gibbs is the first Roadrunner in the program’s history to record over 500 assists. The Stillwater, Okla., native has dished out 513 dimes in her four-year career.
Reaching a milestone: Gibbs became the 11th player in the program’s history to score over 1,000 points. She eclipsed that point total at Kansas State on Nov. 23. She currently has 1,029 career points in her four-year career.
Quarter of double-double: Senior Monica Gibbs collected her second double-double of the season with 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against North Texas on Nov. 28. Gibbs has now brought her career tally to 25 double-doubles in her four-year stint.
Picking up were she left off: With a season already under her belt, sophomore guard Jordan Stark picked up where she left off on Nov. 14 against TAMIU. The Weatherford, Okla., native scored 19 points on 6-of-9 from the floor, dished out a career-high six assists and connected on five 3-pointers in the win against the Dustdevils.
Stark times 3: Sophomore Jordan Stark tied her career-high with five 3-pointers to lead UTSA with 19 points at Wichita State on Nov. 21. She tops the team with 14 treys and is shooting 38 percent from downtown range. Stark also leads the league in 3-pointer made per game at 2.80.
Stealing the show: Sophomore Jordan Stark posted a career-high seven steals against Texas A&M International last Friday night. The Weatherford, Okla, native was two shy of the school-record set by Rhonda Hoffman, who collected nine against Sam Houston State on Jan. 27, 1984. Stark currently tops the conference averaging 3.20 steals per game.
Onika brings the offense: Senior Onika Anderson collected her first double-double of the season at TCU with 22 points and 13 rebounds on Nov. 16. Last season’s SLC Newcomer of the Year led UTSA with nine double-doubles in 2007-08.
Anderson doubles up the Wildcats: Senior forward Onika Anderson posted her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Kansas State on Nov. 23. The Pine Bluff, Ark., native has recorded 11 double-double in her two-year career.
Ryba posts back-to-back double-doubles: Senior forward Ryba Pawlaczyk has already tallied a pair of double-doubles to open the season, the first two of her career. The Wroclaw, Poland, native netted a career-high 20 points and hauled in 12 rebounds against Texas A&M International on Nov. 14. She followed that performance with 17 points and a career-best 15 boards at TCU on Nov. 16. Pawlaczyk is averaging a double-double with 10.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
Coming off the bench: Sophomore guard Rachel Schlosser came off the bench to score 18 points, connecting on four 3-pointers in the win against Texas A&M International on Nov. 14.
Runners preseason favorites: UTSA was the unanimous choice to win the West Division in both the Southland Conference Coaches and Sports Information Directors preseason polls, the league office announced on Oct. 21. The Roadrunners collected seven first-place votes and totaled 62 points in the coaches rankings, finishing ahead of 2007-08 SLC Regular Season Champion Texas State, which picked up 49 points. Meanwhile, UTSA garnered 10 of the 12 first place votes in the SIDs Poll for a total of 65 points. The Bobcats nabbed the other two first-place votes and finished with 47 points, while the Lamar tied Texas State with 47 points. It makes the second time the Roadrunners were selected as preseason SLC favorites. The last time they were picked atop in the rankings was 2003-04.
UTSA lands three on All-SLC preseason teams: Seniors Onika Anderson and Monica Gibbs were named to the league’s preseason first team and sophomore Whitney York collected second-team honors on Oct. 21.
Next game: UTSA has a 12-day layoff before traveling south of the border for the Cozumel Cup, which will be played from Dec. 19-20 in Cozumel, Mexico.
