UTSA Roadrunners (11-6, 2-2 SLC) vs. Texas State Bobcats (8-10, 1-4 SLC)
Wednesday, Jan. 28 ? 7 p.m.
Convocation Center (4,080) ? San Antonio, Texas
Series History: UTSA leads, 27-18
Last Meeting: UTSA, 103-96 OT (Feb. 23, 2008)
SAN ANTONIO ? UTSA (11-6, 2-2 SLC) will host I-35 rival TexasState (8-10, 1-4 SLC) on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Tip is set for 7 p.m. atthe Convocation Center.
Tuning In: The game will be televised by Time Warner Cable in the San Antonio (channel 50), Austin/San Marcos, Waco and Dallas/Fort Worth markets (check local listings). Jason Minnix (play-by-play) and Ed Nealy (color analysis) will call the action. The game will air live in the San Antonio area on Ticket 760 AM beginning with the pregame show at 6:45 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 available at goUTSA.com.
Fast Break Points:
? This will be the 46th meeting between UTSA and Texas State
? The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 27-18, including a 13-10 mark in San Antonio
? UTSA has won five of the past nine meetings, but has dropped two straight at the Convo
? The Roadrunners are 7-1 at home this season and 9-3 over their last 12 at the facility
? This is UTSA’s fifth televised game of the season (2-2 record)
? Senior Travis Gabbidon was named SLC Player of the Week on Monday (second honor)
? The Roadrunners have drained six or more 3-pointers in 15 games and they lead the Southland Conference and rank 11th in the NCAA in threes per game (9.1)
? UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 76 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more treys 51 times (all 17 games this year)
? The Roadrunners are posting an SLC-best 10.9 steals (3rd/NCAA) and forcing 20.7 turnovers per contest
? UTSA leads the league and ranks seventh nationally in turnover margin (+5.8)
? Reigning NCAA steals champion sophomore Devin Gibson leads the nation with 3.7 thefts per contest
UTSA/Texas State Series History: UTSA leads the all-time series against Texas State, 27-18, including a 13-10 mark at the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bobcats with a 103-96 overtime victory in San Marcos in the last meeting. UTSA has won five of the last nine meetings, but has dropped two straight at home.
Last Meeting: Melvin Smith and Devin Gibson combined for 46 points to lead five Roadrunners in double figures and UTSA won an overtime thriller at Texas State, 103-96, on Feb. 23, 2008, at Strahan Coliseum. Gibson scored 27 behind a 12-for-14 night at the free throw line, while Smith poured in 19 on 7-of-12 shooting, including six in the extra period, as the Roadrunners won their fourth straight game. Antoine Dade posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Isaiah Allen and JohnMark Ludwick added 13 points apiece, as the Roadrunners won for the first time in the series since March 4, 2005. Brandon Bush and Brent Holder led the Bobcats with 18 points each.
Scouting Texas State: The Bobcats has dropped four straight games and enter Wednesday’s contest at 8-10 overall and 1-4 in Southland Conference play. Texas State leads the league in scoring (85.4 ppg) and 3-point field goal percentage (.382), but has committed 492 fouls (27.3 fpg) and have had 17 players foul out this season. Senior guard Brent Benson leads the team in scoring (16.7 ppg) and 3-pointers (62), while senior guard Brandon Bush is contributing 13.7 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game. Head coach Doug Davalos, the son of Rudy Davalos, UTSA’s first-ever athletics director, is 30-46 in his third season at the helm.
Last Time Out: Senior Travis Gabbidon topped 20 points for the third consecutive game with a game-high 25, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi used balanced scoring in an 80-66 victory over UTSA on Saturday afternoon at Dugan Wellness Center. The game was played at the Islanders’ new on-campus recreational sports facility due to the American Bank Center being booked with a circus all weekend. UTSA shot just 33.3 percent (23-for-69) from the floor, including 5-of-29 (17.2 percent) from downtown, and was outrebounded 45-30. Gabbidon added nine rebounds in nearly posting his third consecutive double-double, and the Phoenix native has tallied 71 points in the last three games (23.7 pg). Sophomore Devin Gibson pitched in with eight points and six steals.
Home Court Advantage: UTSA totes an all-time record of 248-111 (.691 winning percentage) in the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners are 7-1 at home this season and have won nine of their past 12 at the facility dating back to last February. UTSA is 15-3 under Thompson in non-conference contests at the Convo, winning nine straight and 13 of the past 14.
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. UTSA is 4-5 in road games this season and dating back to last February, is 7-6 in its past 13 true road contests.
Non-Conference Success: UTSA picked up its ninth non-conference victory of the regular season on Wednesday against Texas-Pan American, breaking the school record of eight set in 1990-91. The Roadrunners have recorded six wins against Division I teams ? Rice, UMKC, Georgia State, SMU, Colgate, Texas-Pan American ? which is the most out of league play since the 1989-90 team also won six. The 1990-91 squad won a school-record eight. Three of this year’s non-conference DI victories have come on the road, the most since UTSA joined a conference (Trans America Athletic) in 1986-87.
A Good Start: At 10-5, UTSA registered its best 15-game start since the 2001-02 team also began with a 10-5 mark. Five teams have started 10-5, which rank second only to 11-4 starts in 1989-90 and 1990-91.
Let’s Go Streaking: UTSA’s seven-game winning streak that began with a 76-72 win at UMKC on Dec. 22 and continued through a 62-55 victory at Nicholls on Jan. 14 is the longest in the Southland Conference this season and the best at UTSA since the 2003-04 squad also won seven straight from Feb. 25-March 12.
Senior Snags Another SLC Honor: Senior Travis Gabbidon was named Southland Conference Player of the Week on Monday, his second honor in the past four weeks. The Phoenix, Ariz., native averaged 24.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and four steals and shot 65.4 percent (17-of-26) from the field and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the free throw line in games against Texas-Pan American and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last week. Gabbidon also collected the weekly award on Jan. 5 after posting 19.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in victories against SMU and Colgate.
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 409-376 (.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 and rebounds in that contest.
Creating Havoc: The Roadrunners are forcing their opponents into an average of 20.7 turnovers per game this season. Eight opponents have committed 20 or more, led by a season-high 34 from 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 10.9 steals per contest (3rd/NCAA). Led by 2007-08 NCAA steals champion Devin Gibson, a sophomore who leads the nation with 3.7 thefts per game despite going steal-less against Oklahoma State and Navy, all 13 Roadrunners have teamed up to record 186 steals this year. That number includes 109 in eight home games (13.6 spg), highlighted 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 14.9 turnovers per game and boast the top turnover margin (+5.8) in the Southland Conference (7th/NCAA). UTSA has topped 20 turnovers in a game just twice this season, but still forced more by its opponents (Texas Wesleyan, Texas-Pan American) and won both games. 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 (42) and juniors Omar Johnson (32) and Morris Smith IV (30), the Roadrunners have drained 155 threes for a conference-leading 9.1 per-game average (11th/NCAA), as 10 different Roadrunners have contributed from behind the arc this season. UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 76 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more 51 times and six or more in 15 games this season. UTSA had made at least one three in 436 consecutive contests dating back to Jan. 5, 1994 (vs. Texas).
Balanced Attack: Led by seniors Travis Gabbidon (14.4) and Joey Shank (9.1), junior Omar Johnson (13.9) and sophomore Devin Gibson (11.1), UTSA has displayed a balanced scoring attack this season. Five other Roadrunners are averaging at least four points per contest: juniors Morris Smith IV (7.6), Josh Bonney (5.5), Demarco Stepter (5.2), Richie Frohlich (4.9) and Terry Fields (4.1).
Double-Double Tracker: UTSA has registered eight double-doubles this year, including a team-best three by junior Demarco Stepter.
Demarco Stepter, East Central (Nov. 22): 12 points, 11 rebounds
Devin Gibson, Texas-Pan American (Dec. 18): 16 points, 10 assists
Demarco Stepter, UMKC (Dec. 22) : 15 points, 11 rebounds
Demarco Stepter, SMU (Dec. 29): 10 points, 10 rebounds
Josh Bonney, Nicholls (Jan. 14): 15 points, 13 rebounds
Richie Frohlich, UT Arlington (Jan. 17): 14 points, 10 rebounds
Travis Gabbidon, UT Arlington (Jan. 17): 23 points, 10 rebounds
Travis Gabbidon, UT Arlington (Jan. 24): 23 points, 12 rebounds
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 three SLC players (Eric Bell, Stephen F. Austin; Kenny Dawkins, Lamar) and one of 46 nationally now on the watch list. Gibson, the 2007-08 NCAA steals leader (3.3 spg), is averaging 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.7 steals (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 156 steals in 45 career games (3.7 spg), which is sixth on the school’s all-time chart and only four behind Keith Horne (160) for fifth place. No Roadrunner has recorded more thefts than Gibson in less than two full seasons. He also has tallied 585 points (13.0 ppg), ranking him 38th, is eighth in free throw percentage (.701) and stands ninth with 223 free throws. He also is on pace to appear on the school’s top-10 career list for assists (203, 10th=214) this season and the top 50 chart for rebounds (174, 50th=193).
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 14.4 points (10th/SLC) and 6.3 rebounds (15th/SLC) per game this season, including 17.3 points and 7.9 boards over the last nine contests, and is shooting 76.8 percent (63-of-82) 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 16 contests (missed Dec. 18 UTPA game with concussion). He ranks second on the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game (13th/SLC) behind 32-of-77 (41.6%) shooting from beyond the 3-point line and has dished out a team-best 69 assists (4.3 avg).
Model of Consistency: Senior Travis Gabbidon has been one of UTSA’s most consistent players in his two-year career. In his 31 games with the Roadrunners, the Phoenix native has reached double figures in scoring 26 times, including a career-best 31 against Texas-Pan American last season and a season-high 25 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. He also has grabbed five or more rebounds 18 times, including a career high of 14 against Texas Wesleyan in 2007 and a season-high 12 versus Texas-Pan American on Jan. 21. His 188 career rebounds are just five shy of 50th on UTSA’s career list. Gabbidon has been named Southland Conference Player of the Week twice in the past four weeks (Jan. 5, 26).
Pinpoint Accuracy: Junior Omar Johnson has displayed pinpoint accuracy from behind the 3-point line in his first 16 games with the Roadrunners. The Simon Gratz High product has connected on 32-of-77 (41.6%) from downtown and is shooting 42.6 percent (69-162) from the floor overall. He ranks 13th in the Southland Conference in scoring (13.9 ppg) and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.416). Additionally, Johnson’s 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game stand sixth among league players.
No Shank Shots: Senior Joey Shank has been a consistent threat from behind the arc in his 45 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 is tied with Rapheal Posey for ninth place on UTSA’s career chart with 109 threes, has connected 42 times this year. His 37.8 career 3-point field goal percentage stands fourth all-time in school annals. This year, Shank is tied for sixth in the Southland Conference 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., posted his first double-double in a UTSA uniform with 15 points and a season-high 13 rebounds in the 62-55 win at Nicholls and is averaging 4.5 boards per contest. Stepter, who hails from Memphis, Tenn., ranks second on the team with a 6.2 rebounding average (16th/SLC). He is one of six 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.
On The Tube: UTSA has at least eight regular season games scheduled for television this season. The Roadrunners already have played four contests on the tube, dropping their first two at Oklahoma State (Cowboy Sports Network) and Iowa (Mediacom Connections) before winning the past two at UMKC (Metro Sports) and SMU (Time Warner Cable/Metro Sports). UTSA’s fifth televised game is Wednesday against Texas State on Time Warner Cable. The Roadrunners also will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Time Warner Cable (Feb. 18) and makes two appearances on Southland TV: at Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 7) and at UT Arlington (Feb. 14).
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 travels to Beaumont to face Lamar on Saturday, Jan. 31, in the second of five straight Saturday road contests. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. at the Montagne Center.
