UTSA Roadrunners (9-4, 1-0) at Nicholls Colonels (8-6, 1-0)
Wednesday, Jan. 14 ? 6:30 p.m.
Stopher Gym (3,800) ? Thibodaux, La.
Series History: UTSA leads, 22-17
Last Meeting: UTSA, 54-52 (Feb. 16, 2008)
SAN ANTONIO ? Winners of six straight and seven of the past eightgames, UTSA (9-4, 1-0 SLC) will travel to Thibodaux, La., to take onNicholls (8-6, 1-0 SLC) in Southland Conference action on Wednesday night. Tip is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Stopher Gym.
Tuning In: The game will air live in the San Antonio area on 92.5 FM The Outlawbeginning with the pregame show at 6:15 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 by Nicholls at geauxcolonels.com.
Fast Break Points:
? This will be the 40th meeting between UTSA and Nicholls
? The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 22-17, and have won 11 of the last 12 meetings
? UTSA’s six-game winning streak ? the longest active streak in the Southland Conference ? is the best since the 2003-04 squad won seven straight (Feb. 25-March 12)
? The Roadrunners have won three of their last four road games and are 6-5 in the last 11 true road contests (excludes neutral sites)
? UTSA’s eight non-conference wins this season are tied for the most in school history
? The Roadrunners have drained seven or more 3-pointers in 12 games and they lead the Southland Conference and rank fifth in the NCAA in threes per game (9.8)
? UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 72 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more treys 47 times (all 13 games this year)
? The Roadrunners are posting an SLC-best 11.1 steals (2nd/NCAA) and forcing 20.5 turnovers per contest
? UTSA leads the league and ranks seventh nationally in turnover margin (+6.0)
? Reigning NCAA steals champion sophomore Devin Gibson is tied with Travis Holmes (VMI) for the national lead with 3.8 thefts per contest
UTSA/Nicholls Series History: UTSA leads the all-time series against Nicholls, 22-17, and has won 11 of the past 12 meetings. The Roadrunners have won five consecutive games at Stopher Gym, including a 54-52 decision on Feb. 16, 2008. UTSA is 8-10 overall in Thibodaux, La., dating back to the second-ever meeting between the two programs, a 77-75 loss on Feb. 27, 1982.
Last Meeting: Devin Gibson drained two free throws with half a second remaining to help lift UTSA to a come-from-behind, 54-52 win at Nicholls State on Feb. 18, 2008, at Stopher Gym. Joey Shank drained a wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the key with 38 seconds left to give UTSA, which trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half, a 52-50 lead, its first advantage since the 11:36 mark of the first half. Adonis Gray answered with a turn-around jumper in the lane to knot the score at 52 with 22 ticks remaining. Gibson then drove to the right elbow and was fouled in the act of shooting, setting up his game-winning free throws. Gibson, who was 9-for-11 from the line, drained both freebies around a pair of timeouts and UTSA knocked away the desperation heave by Ryan Bathie as time expired to seal the two-point victory. Gibson finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, while Shank scored 10. UTSA shot 47.4 percent for the game, including 52.4 percent in the second half, and made 5-of-12 from downtown. Bathie led the Colonels with 11 points, while Gray and Gil Verner contributed nine and eight, respectively. Nicholls State shot 48.6 percent from the floor but committed 26 turnovers.
Scouting Nicholls: The Colonels moved to 8-6 overall and 1-0 in Southland Conference play with a 69-60 win at Northwestern State on Saturday. Nicholls led by as many as 20 points in the second half before withstanding a late rally by the Demons. Senior forward Ryan Bathie is the team’s top scorer at 14.8 points per game, while freshman forward Fred Hunter (12.9) and sophomore guard Anatoly Bose (12.4) also average double figures. Bathie (29) and Bose (28) have combined for 57 3-pointers, while Bose is also the top rebounder (5.7). Head coach J.P. Piper is 41-88 in his fifth season.
Last Time Out: Senior Travis Gabbidon scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds and UTSA extended its winning streak to six games with a 58-49 victory against McNeese State in the Southland Conference opener for both teams on Saturday at the Convocation Center. Gabbidon, the reigning SLC Player of the Week, poured in 14 of his 17 points in the second half to help UTSA break open a tight game. Junior Omar Johnson added 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor, while junior Morris Smith IV scored nine. Sophomore Devin Gibson tallied seven points, five steals and four rebounds. UTSA shot just 32.7 percent (18-55) from the field, including 7-for-28 (25%) from downtown, but converted 15-of-20 from the free throw line and forced 25 turnovers (14 steals). The Roadrunners had struggled to overcome a tough night shooting the ball, but a 9-2 run midway through second half capped by a Johnson fast-break trey from right wing gave UTSA a 47-36 lead. The Cowboys answered with three straight buckets to make it 47-42 with just under seven minutes remaining. McNeese could get no closer than five points over the next four minutes but were within 52-46 with 2:38 to play. Gabbidon made a pair of free throws with 1:38 on the clock and senior Joey Shank’s layup with 50 ticks left pushed the Roadrunners’ lead to 10. C.J. Collins connected on a long three to make it 56-49 with 12 seconds to go, but Johnson was good on a pair of freebies to help seal UTSA’s 13th SLC home-opening victory in 18 seasons.
Senior Snags SLC Honor: Senior Travis Gabbidon was named Southland Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 5 after he averaged 19.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game to help lead UTSA to a 2-0 record against SMU and Colgate. In the Roadrunners’ 80-75 win at SMU Dec. 29 ? the second road victory against a Conference USA team this season ? Gabbidon was 6-for-9 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the free throw line in scoring a team-high 18 points and he added seven rebounds. The senior from Phoenix, Ariz., broke a school record with a 10-for-10 performance from the free throw line en route to a season-high 20 points and contributed four boards and a block in the 76-66 victory over Colgate on Jan. 2. For the week, Gabbidon shot 50 percent (10-of-20) from the floor and 93.8 percent (15-of-16) from the charity stripe.
UTSA In Conference Openers: UTSA improved to 13-10 all-time in conference openers, including a 17-6 mark in league home openers, with the 58-49 victory against McNeese State on Saturday. The Roadrunners also moved to 13-5 in Southland Conference home openers and 8-10 in SLC openers overall. UTSA is 5-12 in SLC road openers with the last victory coming at Louisiana-Monroe (80-65) on Jan. 6, 2005.
Let’s Go Streaking: UTSA currently is riding a season-long six-game winning streak dating back to the 76-72 win at UMKC on Dec. 22 and has won seven of its past eight contests. The streak is the longest active in the Southland Conference and matches Stephen F. Austin’s season-long of six. The six-game stretch is the longest at UTSA since the 2003-04 squad won seven straight from Feb. 25-March 12. The 1983-84 team won a school-record 13 consecutive games from Jan. 14-Feb. 27.
Home Court Advantage: UTSA totes an all-time record of 247-110 (.692 winning percentage) in the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners are 6-0 at home this season and have won eight of their past 10 at the facility dating back to last February. UTSA is 14-3 under Thompson in non-conference contests at the Convo, winning seven straight and 12 of the past 13.
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. Dating back to last February, UTSA is 6-5 in its past 11 true road games.
Non-Conference Success: UTSA has churned out an 8-4 non-conference record so far this season. The eight wins equal the school record first registered by the 1989-90 and 1990-91 teams (excludes neutral site and postseason contests) and the Roadrunners still have one non-conference game remaining on the regular season schedule (Jan. 21 vs. Texas-Pan American). 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.
Roadrunners In The Rankings: For the second straight week, UTSA is receiving a vote in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Poll, which ranks the top 25 teams from mid-major conferences around the country. Fellow Southland member Stephen F. Austin is ranked No. 21, while Lamar is receiving 14 votes. In the latest RPI Report, UTSA is ranked No. 137 out of 343 Division I teams and third among SLC schools behind SFA (70) and Lamar (73). The Southland Conference is rated 18th among 32 conferences.
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 407-374 (.521) 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 20.5 turnovers per game this season. Five opponents have committed 20 or more, led by a season-high 34 by East Central on Nov. 22. A large reason for UTSA’s success in creating opponent miscues is the fact that the team is coming up with a league-best 11.1 steals per contest (2nd/NCAA). Led by 2007-08 NCAA steals champion Devin Gibson, a sophomore who is tied for the national lead with 3.8 thefts per game despite going steal-less against Oklahoma State and Navy, all 13 Roadrunners have teamed up to record 144 steals this year. That number includes 89 in six home games (14.8 spg), led by a Brooks Thompson era best of 20 against East Central.
Taking Care Of The Rock: UTSA has been effective in taking care of the basketball this season. The Roadrunners are averaging 14.5 turnovers per game and boast the top turnover margin (+6.0) in the Southland Conference (7th/NCAA). UTSA has topped 20 turnovers in a game only once this season with 23 against Texas Wesleyan, yet it still forced 28 miscues in the 98-67 blowout win on Jan. 5. The season-low of seven came in the 76-72 win at UMKC on Dec. 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 (31) and juniors Morris Smith IV (29) and Omar Johnson (27), the Roadrunners have drained 128 threes for a conference-leading 9.8 per-game average (5th/NCAA), as 10 different Roadrunners have contributed from behind the arc this season. UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 72 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more 47 times and seven or more in 12 games this season. UTSA had made at least one three in 432 consecutive contests dating back to Jan. 5, 1994 (vs. Texas).
Balanced Attack: Led by seniors Travis Gabbidon (13.2) and Joey Shank (9.0), juniors Omar Johnson (14.3) and Morris Smith IV (9.2) 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 (5.2), Josh Bonney (4.5), Chris Allen (4.2) and Terry Fields (4.1).
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, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.8 steals (T-1st/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 142 steals in 41 career games (3.5 spg), which is eighth on the school’s career chart and only two behind Preston Ivory for seventh (144). Gibson also has tallied 534 points (13.0 ppg), ranking him 43rd, and is eighth in free throw percentage (.703). He is on pace to appear on the school’s top-10 career lists for free throws (208, 10th=211) and assists (190, 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 13.2 points (16th/SLC) and 5.1 rebounds (22nd/SLC) per game this season, including 16.4 points over the last five contests, and is shooting 78.9 percent (45-of-57) from the free throw line (6th/SLC). 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 12 contests (missed UTPA game with concussion). He leads the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game (12th/SLC) behind 27-of-58 (46.6%) shooting from beyond the 3-point line and has dished out a team-best 57 assists (4.8 avg).
Model of Consistency: Senior Travis Gabbidon has been one of UTSA’s most consistent players in his two-year career. In his 27 games with the Roadrunners, the Phoenix native has reached double figures in scoring 23 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 14 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 12 games with the Roadrunners. The Simon Gratz High product has connected on 27-of-58 (46.6%) from downtown and is shooting 45.2 percent (57-126) from the floor overall. He ranks 12th in the Southland Conference in scoring (14.2 ppg), is tied for fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (46.6%) and stands ninth in 3-pointers made per game (2.3). Additionally, Johnson’s 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game stand fourth and sixth, respectively, among league players.
No Shank Shots: Senior Joey Shank has been a consistent threat from behind the arc in his 41 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 98 career threes (10th=108), has connected on 31-of-73 3-pointers (42.5%) this year. He ranks seventh in the Southland Conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.425) and eighth in 3-pointers made per game (2.4).
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 4.2 boards per contest. Stepter, who hails from Memphis, Tenn., leads the team with 81 rebounds and a 6.2 average (13th/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 returns home to host UT Arlington at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17.
