UTSA Roadrunners (14-7, 5-3 SLC) vs. Central Arkansas Bears (9-13, 2-7 SLC)
Wednesday, Feb. 11 ? 7 p.m.
Convocation Center (4,080) ? San Antonio, Texas
Series History: Tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: UTSA, 81-77 (Jan. 17, 2008)
SAN ANTONIO ? Winners of three of the last four games, UTSA (14-7, 5-3SLC) will host Central Arkansas (9-13, 2-7) in a Southland Conferencematchup on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Tip is set for 7 p.m. at the ConvocationCenter.
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 and video (Rowdy Zone subscription required) will be available at goUTSA.com.
Fast Break Points:
? This will be the third meeting between UTSA and Central Arkansas
? The series is tied at 1-1, with each team winning at home the past two seasons
? UTSA is 8-2 at home this season, with the two losses both in double overtime
? The Roadrunners have won three of their last four and 11 of their last 14 games
? UTSA is 12-1 when limiting its opponents to below 50-percent shooting from the field and 9-0 when holding opponents to under 70 points
? With 14 victories, the Roadrunners already have surpassed last season’s win total of 13
? UTSA established a school record with nine non-conference wins this season
? The Roadrunners have drained six or more 3-pointers in 18 games and they lead the SLC and rank 11th in the NCAA in threes per game (9.0)
? UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 80 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more treys 54 times
? The Roadrunners are posting an SLC-best 10.3 steals (4th/NCAA) and forcing 20 turnovers per contest
? UTSA leads the league and ranks ninth nationally in turnover margin (+5.0)
? Sophomore guard Devin Gibson leads the NCAA in steals per game (3.7)
UTSA/Central Arkansas Series History: The Roadrunners and Bears have met just twice, with each team winning on its home court the past two seasons. UTSA downed Central Arkansas, 81-77, before a Fox Sports Net regional television audience on Jan. 17, 2008, at the Convocation Center. The Bears won the inaugural meeting, 59-49, on Jan. 11, 2007, in Conway.
Last Meeting: JohnMark Ludwick drained 6-of-6 from behind the 3-point line en route to 23 points to help lead UTSA to an 81-77 victory over Central Arkansas on Jan. 17, 2008, at the Convocation Center. Melvin Smith poured in 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while Isaiah Allen added 14 on the strength of a 7-for-8 performance from the free throw line. Devin Gibson posted his second double-double of the season with 10 points and a season-high 13 assists, one shy of the school record. York Sims and Nate Bowie paced the Bears with 24 and 22 points, respectively. Neither team led by more than 10 points in a tightly-contested matchup that came down to the wire. Trailing 78-72 with 21 seconds left, Sims converted a pair of free throws and answered a UTSA freebie with a layup with 10 ticks remaining. On the ensuing inbounds play, UCA’s Ryan Williams came up with a steal and fed the ball to Bowie who missed a trey from the right wing. Williams then came up with the loose ball off the long rebound and was fouled with four seconds left. He made the first free throw, but his intentional miss on the second did not hit the cylinder, giving the ball to the Roadrunners. Smith was fouled on the inbounds and made 1-of-2 free throws to seal the win for UTSA.
Scouting Central Arkansas: The Bears have dropped their past four games and enter Wednesday night at 9-13 overall and 2-7 in league play. Central Arkansas, the alma mater of NBA great Scottie Pippen, has four players scoring in double figures ? junior forward Mitch Rueter (11.8) and junior guards Marcus Pillow (11.9), Brooks Taylor (10.4) and Mike Pouncy (10.1). Senior center Brian Marks is the top rebounder (8.8), while Pillow has dished out a team-high 61 assists. Head coach Rand Chappell is 94-77 in his sixth season at the helm. Central Arkansas is in transition to NCAA Division I and will be eligible for postseason play beginning in 2010-11.
Last Time Out: Junior Morris Smith IV led three Roadrunners in double figures with 17 points and UTSA held off Southeastern Louisiana, 66-61, for its sixth road win of the season last Saturday in Hammond, La. Smith IV drained three 3-pointers to lead the Roadrunners in scoring for the second time in the past three games. Junior Josh Bonney added 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while senior Travis Gabbidon posted his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Junior Omar Johnson added nine points on the strength of three 3-pointers and came up with a trifecta of steals. Holding a slim 58-57 lead with under four minutes to play, Bonney converted a three-point play and Gabbidon answered a Brandon Fortenberry layup with a free throw and a layup to push UTSA’s advantage to 64-59 with 1:21 left. Fortenberry, who finished with 14 points, pulled the Lions to within one possession with another layup, but Gabbidon made a pair of free throws to help the Roadrunners hang on for their fifth road win in the last six tries.
Home Court Advantage: UTSA totes an all-time record of 249-112 (.690 winning percentage) in the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners are 8-2 at home this season, with the only two losses in double overtime by a combined six points, and have won 10 of their past 14 at the facility dating back to last February.
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 6-5 in road games this season, with the six victories two more than the past two seasons combined. Dating back to last February, UTSA is 9-6 in its past 15 true road contests, including winning at Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana in back-to-back seasons. The Roadrunners’ game in Arlington this Saturday is the fourth of five straight weekend games away from the Alamo City.
Non-Conference Success: UTSA picked up its ninth non-conference victory of the regular season on Jan. 21 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 came 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. Now with 14 victories, UTSA already has surpassed last season’s win total of 13 and still has eight regular season contests remaining on the schedule.
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 tied with Sam Houston State’s current streak for the longest in the Southland Conference this season. It also is the best at UTSA since the 2003-04 squad also won seven straight from Feb. 25-March 12. The Roadrunners now have won 11 of their last 14 contests, with two of those losses by a combined six points in double overtime (Jan. 17 vs. UT Arlington, Feb. 4 vs. Sam Houston State).
Senior Snags Another SLC Honor: Senior Travis Gabbidon was named Southland Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 26, his second honor in 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. 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 412-377 (.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 several keys to success this season. The Roadrunners are 12-1 when holding their opponents to under 50-percent shooting from the floor (4-0 under 40 percent), as opposed to a 2-6 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 slim 29-28 advantage on the glass. UTSA also is 11-2 when leading at the half and a perfect 9-0 when holding opponents to under 70 points.
Creating Havoc: The Roadrunners are forcing their opponents into an average of 20 turnovers per game this season. Nine 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 10.3 steals per contest (4th/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 217 steals this year. That number includes 124 in 10 home games (12.4 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 15 turnovers per game and boast the top turnover margin (+5.0) in the Southland Conference (9th/NCAA). UTSA, which boasts a 13-4 record when forcing more turnovers than it commits, has topped 20 turnovers in a game just three times this season but still forced more by two of those opponents in victories against Texas Wesleyan and Texas-Pan American. 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 (45) and juniors Omar Johnson (42), Morris Smith IV (41), the Roadrunners have drained 188 threes for a conference-leading 9.0 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 80 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more 55 times and six or more in 18 games this season. UTSA had made at least one three in 440 consecutive contests dating back to Jan. 5, 1994 (vs. Texas).
Balanced Attack: Led by senior Travis Gabbidon (13.9), junior Omar Johnson (14.0) and sophomore Devin Gibson (11.1), UTSA has displayed a balanced scoring attack this season. Seven other Roadrunners are averaging at least four points per contest: senior Joey Shank (8.3) and juniors Morris Smith IV (9.2), Josh Bonney (6.8), Demarco Stepter (5.6), Chris Allen (5.1), Richie Frohlich (4.0) and Terry Fields (4.1).
Double-Double Tracker: UTSA has registered 10 double-doubles this year, including ateam-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 has missed the last four games 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 13.9 points (11th/SLC) and 6.7 rebounds (10th/SLC) per game this season, including 14.3 points (12th/SLC) and 8.9 boards (2nd/SLC) in conference play. 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 20 contests (missed Dec. 18 UTPA game with concussion). He leads the team in scoring at 14.0 points per game (10th/SLC) behind 42-of-96 (43.8%) shooting from beyond the 3-point line and has dished out a team-best 91 assists (4.6 avg, 3rd/SLC).
Model of Consistency: Senior Travis Gabbidon has been one of UTSA’s most consistent players in his two-year career. In his 35 games with the Roadrunners, the Phoenix native has reached double figures in scoring 29 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 22 times, including a career high of 14 against Texas Wesleyan in 2007 and a season-high 12 versus Texas-Pan American on Jan. 21 and at Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 7. His 222 career rebounds stand 44th (21st among players with two seasons or less) on UTSA’s career list. Gabbidon has been named Southland Conference Player of the Week twice this year (Jan. 5/Jan. 26).
Pinpoint Accuracy: Junior guard Omar Johnson has displayed pinpoint accuracy from beyond the 3-point line in his first season with the Roadrunners. The Philadelphia native had made 42-of-96 from behind the arc for 43.8 percent, which ranks third in the Southland Conference. Over the last three contests, Johnson has connected on 9-of-15 treys, or 60 percent.
Smith Finds His Stroke: Junior guard Morris Smith IV has found shooting stroke from downtown over the past two weeks. The St. Louis native drained seven 3-pointers in the 67-66 win at Lamar on Jan. 31 and has made 11 trifectas while averaging 18.3 points per game in the last three contests. Earlier this season, he enjoyed a seven-game stretch from Dec. 18-Jan. 10 in which he connected 19 times from behind the arc, including four long balls in the SMU win on Dec. 29.
No Shank Shots: Senior Joey Shank has been a consistent threat from behind the arc in his 49 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 45 times this year, is ninth on UTSA’s career chart with 112 threes (4th among two-year players). Additionally, his 36.4 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 (2.1).
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 4.8 boards per contest. He is averaging 9.0 points and 5.8 boards (17th) in SLC games. Stepter, who hails from Memphis, Tenn., ranks second on the team with a 6.1 rebounding average (15th/SLC). He is one of two Roadrunners and 11 league players with three or more double-doubles this season. He tallied 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 10 points and nine rebounds in the double-overtime loss to Sam Houston State.
On The Tube: UTSA has at least eight regular season games scheduled for television this season. The Roadrunners already have played six contests on the tube, dropping their first two at Oklahoma State (Cowboy Sports Network) and Iowa (Mediacom Connections) before winning the past four at UMKC (Metro Sports), at SMU (Time Warner Cable/Metro Sports), against Texas State (Time Warner Cable) and at Southeastern Louisiana (Southland TV). The Roadrunners also will face UT Arlington on Southland TV (Feb. 14) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Time Warner Cable (Feb. 18).
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 face UT Arlington for the second time this season on Saturday, Feb. 14. Tip is set for 2 p.m. at Texas Hall and the game will be televised by the Southland TV Network (locally on Time Warner Cable channel 50).
