UTSA Roadrunners (7-4) vs. Texas Wesleyan Rams (10-1)
Monday, Jan. 5 ? 8 p.m.
Convocation Center (4,080) ? San Antonio, Texas
Series History: UTSA leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: UTSA, 70-54 (Dec. 19, 1990)
SAN ANTONIO ? Winners of four straight games, UTSA (7-4) willhost Texas Wesleyan (10-1) on Monday, Dec. 5. Tip is set for 8 p.m. or30 minutes following the conclusion of the women’s 6 p.m. game againstTulsa.
Tuning In: The game will air live in the San Antonio area on 92.5 FM The Outlawbeginning with the pregame show at 7:45 p.m. Andy Everett has the call.Free live audio will be available online at goUTSA.com, which is provided courtesy of Yahoo! Sports. Live stats will be provided at goUTSA.com. Rowdy Zone subscribers also can watch a live video stream at goUTSA.com.
Fast Break Points:
? This is just the third meeting between UTSA and Texas Wesleyan, an NAIA member of the Red River Athletic Conference located in Fort Worth
? The Roadrunners have beaten the Rams in each of the past two seasons; 64-60, on Dec. 9, 2006, and 70-54, on Dec. 19, 2007, both at the Convocation Center
? The game will count as an exhibition for Texas Wesleyan, the 2006 NAIA Division I National Champions
? UTSA’s four-game winning streak ? the longest active streak in the Southland Conference ? is the longest since also winning four in a row last February and second-longest since the 2003-04 squad won seven consecutive
? The Roadrunners are 4-0 at the Convocation Center this season and have won 10 of their past 11 non-conference games at the facility
? UTSA is 13-3 in home non-league games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson
? The five non-conference Division I wins this season are the most since the 2001-02 squad also won five (record=8, 1990-91) and the three road victories against non-SLC DI teams are the most since UTSA joined a conference (Trans America Athletic) in 1986-87 (excludes neutral site games)
? The Roadrunners have drained seven or more 3-pointers in 10 games and they lead the Southland Conference and rank in the top 10 nationally in threes per game (10.1)
? UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 70 games under Thompson, including five or more treys 45 times (all 11 games this year)
? The Roadrunners are posting an SLC-best 10.4 steals and forcing 19.5 turnovers per contest
? Reigning NCAA steals champion sophomore Devin Gibson leads the conference and ranks in the top 10 nationally with 3.5 thefts per contest
UTSA/Texas Wesleyan Series History: UTSA has won the only two previous meetings with Texas Wesleyan, 64-60, on Dec. 9, 2006, and 70-54, on Dec. 19, 2007, both at the Convocation Center.
Scouting Texas Wesleyan: At 10-1, the Rams are off to their best start since the 1941 squad began the season 19-0. Texas Wesleyan has played two games against Southland Conference teams this season, losing to Stephen F. Austin, 92-42, on Dec. 6, and to UT Arlington, 74-71, on Nov. 18. Senior forward Chris Berry leads the team in scoring at 21.2 points per game, while sophomore guard Ryan Barnes is averaging a team-high 8.3 rebounds per contest. As a team, the Rams are scoring 85.3 points per game and shooting 49.3 percent from the floor. Head coach Terry Waldrop is 172-113 in his 10th season at the helm.
Last Meeting: Travis Gabbidon posted his first double-double of his UTSA career with 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead UTSA past Texas Wesleyan, 70-54, on Dec. 19, 2007, at the Convocation Center. Gabbidon’s totals led all players, while Isaiah Allen and Joey Shank added 12 and 10 points, respectively, and Antoine Dade pulled down six boards. Devin Gibson posted seven points and team highs of four assists and three steals. UTSA held Texas Wesleyan to 16 points below its scoring average and forced 19 turnovers, 10 of those steals. The Roadrunners dominated the boards, outrebounding the Rams, 41-26. UTSA led, 36-30, at the half and built a 24-point advantage in the second half until a late Rams run cut it to 15.
Last Time Out: Senior Travis Gabbidon and junior Omar Johnson combined for 39 points and UTSA outscored Colgate by a dozen in the second half in a 76-66 victory on Friday night at the Convocation Center. Gabbidon posted a season-high 20 points, including a school-record 10-for-10 performance from the free throw line, while Johnson poured in 19 behind 6-of-8 shooting from the floor. Junior Demarco Stepter nearly turned in his fourth double-double with eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while sophomore Devin Gibson registered 10 points behind a 6-of-7 night at the charity stripe, five assists, five steals and four boards. Gabbidon and Gibson’s free throw show helped UTSA go 22-of-28 from the line for 78.6 percent, the second-best outing of the season (83.3%, 10-12 vs. Iowa). UTSA trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half, but it cut what was a 26-16 Colgate lead to two points at the half, as a Gabbidon three from the right wing at the buzzer made it 34-32. Gabbidon opened the second half with a short jumper to tie the score for the first time. He then knocked down a long three from the wing to give UTSA its first lead, 39-36, at the 17:10 mark.Junior Morris Smith IV knocked down his third trey at the 9:50 mark to cap a 25-8 run and give the Roadrunners a 15-point advantage. Nick Pascale capped a late Raiders run with a 3-point play to make it a three-point game, but Gibson pushed the lead back to double digits with a 3-point play with three minutes left on the clock. Alex Woodhouse followed a Willie Morse miss with a slam dunk follow to pull the Raiders within 70-64 with 45 seconds remaining, but UTSA was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe from there to help seal the victory.
Home Court Advantage: UTSA totes an all-time record of 245-110 (.690 winning percentage) in the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners are 4-0 at home this season and 13-3 under Thompson in non-conference contests at the Convo, winning six consecutive and 10 of the past 11.
Road Warriors: The Roadrunners played seven of their first 10 games away from the Convocation Center, but finished that stretch with a 3-4 record away from the Alamo City. Dating back to last February, UTSA is 6-5 in its past 11 true road games.
Non-Conference Success: UTSA has churned out a 7-4 non-conference record so far this season. The Roadrunners have recorded five wins against Division I teams ? Rice, UMKC, Georgia State, SMU, Colgate ? which is the most out of league play since the 2001-02 squad also posted five. The 1990-91 squad has the record with eight DI victories, while the 1989-90 team won six. Three of the non-conference DI victories have come on the road, the most since UTSA joined a conference (Trans America Athletic) in 1986-87. With two non-conference games remaining on the regular season schedule, the Roadrunners’ seven overall wins match the 1988-89 squad’s seven and trail only the 1989-90 and 1990-91 teams’ eight non-conference wins apiece (excludes neutral site and postseason contests).
Victory No. 400: UTSA claimed victory No. 400 for the program with an 80-55 decision against McMurry on Nov. 25. The Roadrunners own an all-time record of 405-374 (.520) in now their 28th season.
Record-Setting Night: UTSA set six school records in the 136-68 victory against East Central on Nov. 22, as the Roadrunners improved to 24-4 all-time and 3-0 under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson in home openers. Following is a list of the broken records:
Points: 136 [132, vs. Texas State (11/24/90)]
Winning Margin: 68 [58, vs. Georgia State (2/10/90)]
Field Goal Attempts: 97 [91, vs. Georgia State (1/22/87)]
Rebounds: 65 [64, vs. Jarvis Christian (11/29/86)]
3-Pointers: 17 [17, vs. Stephen F. Austin (1/18/97)]
3-Point Field Goal Attempts: 43 [37. vs. Northwestern State (1/19/08)]
Additionally, UTSA set Southland Conference season highs for points, margin of victory, field goals (51), field goal attempts, 3-point field goals, 3-point field goal attempts, rebounds and assists (29) in that contest.
Creating Havoc: The Roadrunners are forcing their opponents into an average of 19.5 turnovers per game this season. A large reason for UTSA’s success in creating opponent miscues is the fact that the team is coming up with a league-best 10.4 steals per contest (seventh/NCAA). Led by 2007-08 NCAA steals champion Devin Gibson, a sophomore who is averaging 3.5 thefts per game despite going steal-less against Oklahoma State and Navy, 11 different Roadrunners have teamed up to record 114 steals this year. That number includes 59 in three home games (14.8 spg), led by a Brooks Thompson era best of 20 against East Central on Nov. 22.
Hitting The Trifecta: The Roadrunners have been productive from beyond the 3-point line this season. Even with the arc moved one foot further from the basket, UTSA has shown it still can fill it up from downtown. Led by senior Joey Shank (28) and juniors Omar Johnson (25) and Morris Smith IV (25), the Roadrunners have drained 111 threes for a conference-leading 10.1 per-game average, as 10 different Roadrunners have contributed from behind the arc this season. UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 70 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more 45 times and seven or more in 10 games this season. UTSA had made at least one three in 430 consecutive contests dating back to Jan. 5, 1994 (vs. Texas).
Balanced Attack: Led by seniors Travis Gabbidon (13.0) and Joey Shank (9.1), juniors Omar Johnson (15.2) and Morris Smith IV (9.1) and sophomore Devin Gibson (10.6), UTSA has displayed a balanced scoring attack this season. Four other Roadrunners are averaging at least four points per contest: Juniors Demarco Stepter (5.5), Josh Bonney (4.8), Chris Allen (4.3) and Terry Fields (4.2).
Gibson Up For Cousy Award: Sophomore Devin Gibson, the 2007-08 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, has been named a preseason nominee for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the nation’s top point guard. The Cy-Falls High product is one of two SLC players (Kenny Dawkins, Lamar) and one of 31 nationally named to the watch list. Gibson, the 2007-08 NCAA steals leader (3.3 spg), is averaging 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.5 steals (seventh/NCAA) per game this season.
Moving On Up: Sophomore Devin Gibson is making his way up a pair of UTSA career charts. The Houston native currently has 132 steals in 39 career games (3.4 spg), which is eighth on the school’s career chart and 12 behind Preston Ivory for seventh (144).. Gibson also has tallied 513 points (13.2 ppg), ranking him 45th. He is on pace to appear on the school’s top-10 career lists for free throws (199, 10th=211), free throw percentage (.703, needs 200 made) and assists (186, 10th=214) this season.
More Preseason Accolades: In addition to making the Cousy Award preseason list, Gibson also has been named preseason first-team all-conference and a CollegeHoops.net Preseason Mid-Major All-American.
Welcome Back: Senior Travis Gabbidon and junior Omar Johnson both were plagued with injuries last season, but have emerged as two of the team’s top scorers this year. Gabbidon, a Phoenix native and JUCO All-American at College of Southern Idaho, was UTSA’s leading scorer (13.9) and rebounder (5.8) until he went down with a season-ending injury at Lamar on Jan. 12. That happened one game after he scored 31 ? the program’s first 30-point outing since 2003-04 ? and grabbed nine boards against Texas-Pan American. Gabbidon is averaging 13.0 points (18th/SLC) and 4.9 rebounds per game this season, including 18.0 points over the last three contests. Johnson, a Philadelphia native and JUCO All-American at Barton County, missed all of last season with a stress reaction, but has made an immediate impact in his first 10 contests (missed UTPA game with concussion). He leads the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game (9th/SLC) behind 25-of-53 (47.2%) shooting from beyond the 3-point line and has dished out a team-best 49 assists (4.9 avg).
Model Of Consistency: Senior Travis Gabbidon has been one of UTSA’s most consistent players in his two-year career. In his 25 games with the Roadrunners, the Phoenix native has reached double figures in scoring 21 times, including a career-best 31 against Texas-Pan American last season and a season-high 20 in the Colgate win on Jan. 2. He also has grabbed five or more rebounds 13 times, including a career high of 14 against Texas Wesleyan in 2007.
Pinpoint Accuracy: Junior Omar Johnson has displayed pinpoint accuracy from behind the 3-point line in his first 10 games with the Roadrunners. The Simon Gratz High product has connected on 25-of-53 (47.2%) from downtown and is shooting 44.7 percent (51-114) from the floor overall. He ranks ninth in the Southland Conference in scoring (15.2 ppg), third in 3-point field goal percentage (47.2%) and eighth in 3-pointers made per game (2.5). Additionally, Johnson’s 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game stand third and eighth, respectively, among league players.
No Shank Shots: Senior Joey Shank has been a consistent threat from behind the arc in his 39 games with the Roadrunners. Last year, the Folsom, Calif., native drained 67 threes, the sixth-best season in school history, and made three or more in a game 12 times. He put his name next to the program’s single-game record with eight treys in a win over Northwestern State last January and he nearly matched that effort with seven against Rice on Dec. 4 of this season, tallying a career-best 26 points in both contests. Shank, who has made six or more trifectas in five career games and has 95 career threes (10th=108), has connected on 28-of-64 3-pointers (43.8%) this year. He ranks sixth in the Southland Conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.438) and eighth in 3-pointers made per game (2.5).
Wiping The Glass: The junior duo of Josh Bonney and Demarco Stepter has made an immediate impact on the glass this season. Bonney, a native of White Castle, La., has grabbed a season-high nine rebounds in three games this season (all at home) and is averaging 4.6 boards per contest. Stepter, who hails from Memphis, Tenn., leads the team with 72 rebounds and a 6.5 average (11th/SLC). He is one of four league players with three or more double-doubles with 12 points and 11 rebounds against East Central, a season-high 15 points to go along with 11 boards against UMKC and 10 and 10 at SMU. He nearly posted his fourth with eight points and 11 rebounds in the Colgate victory.
SLC Preseason Polls: UTSA has been picked to finish third in the West Division of the Southland Conference by the league’s sports information directors and fourth by the head coaches in the preseason polls. The Roadrunners received two first-place votes and 43 points in the SIDs poll to rank behind UT Arlington and Lamar, while they tallied 39 points for fourth behind UT Arlington, Lamar and Sam Houston State in the coaches poll. Stephen F. Austin is the unanimous choice to win the East.
Up Next: UTSA opens Southland Conference play at home against McNeese State on Saturday, Jan. 10. Tip is set for 4 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
