Game 12
UTSA Roadrunners (5-6) vs. Rice Owls (4-7)
Jan. 3 ? 2 p.m.
Convocation Center (4,080) ? San Antonio, Texas
Series History: UTSA leads series, 6-0
SAN ANTONIO ? After collecting a pair of victories against Colorado State and High Point in last week’s Wells Fargo New Year’s Classic, UTSA seeks to extend it winning streak to four games on Saturday against Rice at the Convocation Center. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.
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.
Series Meeting: The Roadrunners and the Owls meet for the first time since the 1985-86 season. UTSA leads the all-time series, 6-0, against Rice. The Runners scored a 81-67 win on Dec. 3, 1985, in San Antonio.
Last Time Out: Senior forwards Onika Anderson and Ryba Pawlaczyk posted double-doubles to pace the UTSA women’s basketball team to a 65-59 win against High Point on the final day of the Wells Fargo New Year’s Classic on Dec. 30 at the Convocation Center. Anderson led three Roadrunners in double figures with team-high 19 points to go along with a game-best with 15 rebounds. Meanwhile, Pawlaczyk, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, netted 14 points and grabbed 11 boards for her fifth double-double of the year.
Scouting Rice: The Owls split a pair of games last week at the Ole Miss Tournament in Oxford, Miss. Rice collected its fourth win of the season with a 66-57 win against Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 29. RU dropped a 81-48 decision versus Ole Miss the following day. D’Frantz Smart leads the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game, while Morgan Mayse ranks second on the squad averaging 10.8 points per contest.
Balanced Attack: UTSA posted five players in double-figure in the win against Oral Roberts on Dec. 20. The Roadrunners were led by senior forward Onika Anderson’s 20 points, while senior forward Ryba Pawlaczyk added 15 points. Senior guard Monica Gibbs netted 13 and sophomore guards Amber Gregg and Whitney York chipped in with 10.
Rebounding Royalty: Senior Monica Gibbs’ 15 rebounds collected against High Point were more than enough to surpass Margaret Martinovich’s 778. Gibbs currently sits with 787 career boards and is 13 rebounds shy of 800.
Gibbs Sets Another Milestone: Senior Monica Gibbs became the first UTSA player in school history to record a triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists and grabbed 12 rebounds against Huston-Tillotson on Dec. 6.
700-Rebound Club: Senior Monica Gibbs became the third Roadrunner in the program’s history to haul in 700 boards.
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 547 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 1,105 career points in her four-year career. Gibbs currently stands ninth on the all-time scoring list.
On Pace for 30 Double-Doubles: Senior Monica Gibbs has collected four double-double this season to bring her career tally to 28 double-doubles in her four-year stint.
Anderson Too Much For High Point: Senior forward Onika Anderson led UTSA to victory with her team-leading sixth double-double of the season with 19 points and 15 rebounds.
Onika Leads the Way: Senior forward Onika Anderson recorded her fifth double-double of the season. The Pine Bluff, Ark., native tallied 20 points and 11 rebounds in the win against Oral Roberts on Dec. 20.
20 and 10: Senior forward Onika Anderson has posted three games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. She is averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and a team-best 10.7 rebounds per game this season.
Anderson Doubles Up 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 15 double-double in her two-year career.
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.
Pawlaczyk Collects All-Classic Honors: Senior forward Ryba Pawlaczyk was named to the Wells Fargo New Year’s All-Classic Team. She averaged 10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two wins against Colorado State and High Point. The Wroclaw, Poland, native tallied a double-double with 14 points and 11 broads versus the Panthers on Dec. 30.
Ryba’s Breakout Season: Senior forward Ryba Pawlaczyk opened the 2008-09 campaign with back-to-back double-doubles. The Wroclaw, Poland, native is posting career-high numbers in scoring (11.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.5 rpg) this season. She also has recorded five double-doubles this season.
Block Party: Senior forward Ryba Pawlaczyk leads the team with 21 blocks and is averaging a league-best 1.9 blocks per game this season.
Ryba Posts Back-To-Back Double-Doubles: Senior forward Ryba Pawlaczyk has already tallied a pair of double-doubles to open the season. The Wroclaw, Poland, native netted a 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.
Double-Double Tandem: Senior forwards Onika Anderson and Ryba Pawlaczyk are becoming a force in the post. The duo have recorded double-doubles in four games this season. Anderson and Pawlaczyk first achieve this at TCU on Nov. 20. In the month of December, they produced three games with double-doubles. The latest one coming against High Point on Dec. 30.
Knocking Them Down: Sophomore Amber Gregg knocked down a career-best six 3-pointers in the win against High Point on Dec. 30. Gregg leads the team with 21 treys .
Gregg Steps Into New Role: Sophomore guard Amber Gregg made three starts last season, but in 2008-09 she has made six starts and is responding with career numbers. The Austin native is averaging a career-high 12.3 points per game. She netted a career-best 18 points against High Point on Dec. 30.
Picking Up Where 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 team 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 on Nov. 14. 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.
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.
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: The Roadrunners close out their four-game home stand against Tulsa on Jan. 5. Tipoff schedule for 6 p.m.
