UTSA Roadrunners (12-6, 3-2 SLC) at Lamar Cardinals (11-8, 2-4 SLC)
Saturday, Jan. 31 ? 7 p.m.
Montagne Center (10,080) ? Beaumont, Texas
Series History: Lamar leads, 16-10
Last Meeting: Lamar, 81-56 (Jan. 12, 2008)
SAN ANTONIO ? Winners of nine of the last 11 games, UTSA (12-6, 3-2SLC) will travel to Beaumont to face Lamar on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tip isset for 7 p.m. at the Montagne Center.
Tuning In: The game will air live in the San Antonio area on 92.5 FM The Outlaw beginning with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m. Andy Everett has the call. Free live audio will be availableonline at goUTSA.com, which is provided courtesy of Yahoo! Sports. Live stats will be available at lamarcardinals.com.
Fast Break Points:
? This will be the 27th meeting between UTSA and Lamar
? The Cardinals lead the series, 16-10, and have won seven of the meetings in Beaumont
? UTSA is 4-5 on the road this season, including 1-1 in Southland Conference games
? The Roadrunners are 6-3 against schools from the state of Texas this season
? UTSA is 11-0 when holding opponents below 50-percent shooting from the field
? Senior Travis Gabbidon was named SLC Player of the Week on Monday (second honor)
? Gabbidon has posted double-doubles in three of the last four games and is averaging 22.3 points and 10.8 rebounds during that stretch
? The Roadrunners have drained six or more 3-pointers in 15 games and they lead the Southland Conference and rank in the top 20 in the NCAA in threes per game (8.7)
? UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 77 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more treys 51 times
? The Roadrunners are posting an SLC-best 10.8 steals (3rd/NCAA) and forcing 20.4 turnovers per contest
? UTSA leads the league and ranks seventh nationally in turnover margin (+5.5)
? Reigning NCAA steals champion sophomore Devin Gibson leads the nation with 3.7 thefts per contest
UTSA/Lamar Series History: Lamar leads the all-time series against UTSA, 16-10, and has won seven of the 10 games played in Beaumont. The Cardinals have won six straight meetings, with the Roadrunners’ last victory (78-72) coming at home on March 4, 2004, in the first round of the SLC Tournament.
Last Meeting: Keith Spencer registered his third double-double of the season and Joey Shank poured in a game-high 17 points, but Currye Todd led four players in double figures with 16, as Lamar downed UTSA, 81-56, on Jan. 12, 2008, at the Montagne Center. Spencer pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds and scored 10 points for his ninth double-double in a Roadrunner uniform. Shank drained five 3-pointers, his eighth game with at least three treys, while Travis Gabbidon, who left the game early in the second half with foot injury, added 10 points. The Roadrunners played without Devin Gibson, Omar Johnson, Orrin Greer and Andrew Francis due to injury. Currye nailed four of Lamar’s 10 3-pointers on the evening as the Cardinals shot 56.9 percent from the floor as a team. Lamar Sanders posted 15 points and eight boards, while Darren Hopkins (15) and Matthew Barrow (14) also reached double digits. UTSA and Lamar traded leads seven times in the first half. Lamar jumped out to an early five-point advantage, but UTSA took its first lead, 14-11, on a Shank trey at the 10:52 mark. The Roadrunners held a 30-29 lead with just under two minutes showing on the clock, but Lamar closed the half on a 6-2 run. The Roadrunners blitzed out of the locker room with a 5-0 run through the first 1:03 of the second half to take a 36-35 lead. Lamar responded with 10 unanswered and eventually went on a 19-2 run over a seven minute span to break the game open. The lead would grow to as many 28 in the final minutes as the Cardinals won for the sixth consecutive time in the series. UTSA shot 40.5 percent for the game, but made just eight second-half field goals compared to 19 made by Lamar. The Roadrunners outrebounded the Cardinals, 30-26.
Scouting Lamar: The Cardinals dropped a 112-105 decision in double overtime to Sam Houston State at home on Wednesday night and now stand 11-8 overall and 2-4 in Southland Conference play. Lamar, the top free-throw shooting team in the league at 74.2 percent, is led by senior guard Kenny Dawkins, who averages 16.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. Senior forward Jay Brown leads the league in rebounding with 9.9 rebounds per contest and is scoring 13.5 points per game. Head coach Steve Roccaforte is 45-36 in his third season at the helm.
Last Time Out: Senior Travis Gabbidon posted his third double-double in the past four games and junior Josh Bonney poured in a season-high 17 points to lead UTSA past Texas State, 86-76, on Wednesday night before a season-high 3,039 fans at the Convocation Center. Gabbidon and Bonney led six Roadrunners in double figures, as UTSA moved to 12-6 overall and 3-2 in league play. Gabbidon grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and has scored 18 or more points in each of the last four games, averaging 22.3 points and 10.8 boards during that stretch. Juniors Chris Allen and Omar Johnson scored 12 apiece, while senior Joey Shank and junior Morris Smith IV added 10 each, as UTSA shot 75.7 percent (28-37) from the free throw line and 40.6 percent from the floor overall. The Roadrunners outrebounded Texas State, 51-40, and converted 22 offensive boards into 27 second-chance points. UTSA also came up with eight steals as part of 16 Bobcats turnovers and held leading scorer, Brent Benson (16.2 ppg) to just five points.
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. The Roadrunners’ game at Lamar is the second of five straight Saturday games away from the Alamo City.
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. The Roadrunners now have won nine of their last 11 contests
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 410-376 (.522) 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.
Keys To Success: UTSA has discovered a couple of keys to success this season. The Roadrunners are a perfect 11-0 when holding their opponents to under 50-percent shooting from the floor, as opposed to a 1-6 record when foes shoot above 50 percent. UTSA also is 10-1 when it outrebounds opponents, with the only loss a 74-72 decision at Texas-Pan American in a game that the Roadrunners held a 29-28 advantage on the glass. UTSA is 10-1 when leading at the half, with the lone defeat at Navy.
Creating Havoc: The Roadrunners are forcing their opponents into an average of 20.4 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 10.8 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 194 steals this year. That number includes 117 in nine home games (13.0 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 (+5.5) 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 (33) and Morris Smith IV (30), the Roadrunners have drained 157 threes for a conference-leading 8.7 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 77 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more 52 times and six or more in 15 games this season. UTSA had made at least one three in 437 consecutive contests dating back to Jan. 5, 1994 (vs. Texas).
Balanced Attack: Led by seniors Travis Gabbidon (14.6) and Joey Shank (9.1), junior Omar Johnson (13.8) and sophomore Devin Gibson (11.1), UTSA has displayed a balanced scoring attack this season. Six other Roadrunners are averaging at least four points per contest: juniors Morris Smith IV (7.7), Josh Bonney (6.2), Demarco Stepter (5.2), Richie Frohlich (5.0), Chris Allen (4.4) and Terry Fields (4.1).
Double-Double Tracker: UTSA has registered nine double-doubles this year, including a team-best three by senior Travis Gabbidon and 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:
Travis Gabbidon, Texas State (Jan. 28): 18 points, 10 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. Gibson missed the Texas State victory due to injury (back).
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 14.6 points (10th/SLC) and 6.5 rebounds (T-12th/SLC) per game this season, including 22.3 points and 10.8 boards over the last four contests, and is shooting 77.3 percent (68-of-88) from the free throw line (8th/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 17 contests (missed Dec. 18 UTPA game with concussion). He ranks second on the team in scoring at 13.8 points per game (15th/SLC) behind 33-of-81 (40.7%) shooting from beyond the 3-point line and has dished out a team-best 72 assists (4.2 avg).
Model of Consistency: Senior Travis Gabbidon has been one of UTSA’s most consistent players in his two-year career. In his 32 games with the Roadrunners, the Phoenix native has reached double figures in scoring 27 times, including a career-best 31 against Texas-Pan American last year and a season-high 25 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. He also has grabbed five or more rebounds 19 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 198 career rebounds stand 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).
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 connected from downtown 42 times this year, is tied with Rapheal Posey for ninth place on UTSA’s career chart with 109 threes (T-4th among two-year players). Additionally, his 37.3 career 3-point field goal percentage stands fifth in the school record book. This year, Shank is tied for eighth in the Southland Conference in 3-pointers made per game (2.3).
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 4.7 boards per contest. He is averaging 8.2 points and 5.8 boards in SLC games. 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 five contests on the tube, dropping their first two at Oklahoma State (Cowboy Sports Network) and Iowa (Mediacom Connections) before winning the past three at UMKC (Metro Sports), at SMU (Time Warner Cable/Metro Sports) and against Texas State (Time Warner Cable). The Roadrunners also will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Time Warner Cable (Feb. 18) and they make 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 will host Sam Houston State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4.
