UTSA Roadrunners (15-7, 6-3 SLC) at UT Arlington Mavericks (12-10, 5-4 SLC)
Saturday, Feb. 14 ? 2 p.m.
Texas Hall (3,600) ? Arlington, Texas
Series History: UTSA leads, 31-25
Last Meeting: UT Arlington, 100-97 [2OT] (Jan. 17, 2009)
SAN ANTONIO ? Winners of four of the last five games, UTSA (15-7, 6-3 SLC) will begin a key stretch of Southland Conference play at UT Arlington (12-10, 5-4 SLC) on Saturday, Feb. 14. Tip is slated for 2 p.m. at Texas Hall.SAN ANTONIO ? Winners of four of the last five games, UTSA (15-7, 6-3 SLC) will begin a key stretch of Southland Conference play at UT Arlington (12-10, 5-4 SLC) on Saturday, Feb. 14. Tip is slated for 2 p.m. at Texas Hall.
Tuning In: UTSA will make its second straight appearance on the Southland Conference Television Network on Saturday. Doug Anderson (play-by-play) and LaDarrin McClane (color analysis) will call the action. The game will air live in the San Antonio area on Time Warner Cable channel 50. Please check local listings for availability in your area. Fans also can watch the game through the Southland Conference’s SLC NOW online video streaming service ($5.95/game or $39.95/season subscription required) at southland.org. The game will air live in the San Antonio area on 92.5 FM The Outlaw beginning with the pregame show at 1:45 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 utamavs.com.
Fast Break Points:
? This will be the 57th meeting between UTSA and UT Arlington, making it the most-played series in school history
? The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 31-25, and have won five of the last eight
? UTSA is 6-5 on the road this season, including 3-1 in conference play
? The Roadrunners have won four of their last five and 12 of their last 15 games
? UTSA is 13-1 when limiting its opponents to below 50-percent shooting from the field and 9-0 when holding opponents to under 70 points
? With 15 victories, the Roadrunners 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 19 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 81 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more treys 55 times
? The Roadrunners are posting an SLC-best 10.2 steals (4th/NCAA) and forcing 19.8 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/UT Arlington Series History: The Roadrunners lead the all-time series with UT Arlington, 31-25, and the two teams will meet for the 57th time on Saturday, making it the most-played series in school history. UTSA has won five of the last eight meetings, but the Mavericks outlasted the Roadrunners, 100-97, in double overtime in the last meeting on Jan. 17 at the Convocation Center. UTA holds a slim 14-13 advantage in games played at Texas Hall.
Last Meeting: Senior Travis Gabbidon and junior Richie Frohlich both posted double-doubles, but Marquez Haynes scored 20 points to lead five Mavericks with 19 or more, as UT Arlington outlasted UTSA, 100-97, in double overtime in Southland Conference action on Jan. 17 at the Convocation Center. Gabbidon scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds for the second straight game and dished out six assists, while Frohlich registered 14 points and 10 boards to lead five Roadrunners in double figures. Sophomore Devin Gibson posted 21 points, all after halftime, and added six rebounds, five steals and four assists, while junior Omar Johnson added 17 points, five rebounds and five dimes while battling leg cramps for most of the night. Senior Joey Shank drained five 3-pointers en route to 15 points in a game that featured 16 ties and 19 lead changes. Haynes scored 20 to lead UTA, while Anthony Vereen, Brandon Long, Tommy Moffitt and Ro’ger Guignard contributed 19 points apiece. Moffitt pulled down a team-high 10 boards for the Mavericks.
Scouting UT Arlington: The Mavericks have won two straight league games and enter Saturday at 12-10 overall and 5-4 in SLC play. Anthony Vereen leads a balanced scoring attack with 17.6 points per game, while Marquez Haynes (15.5), Brandon Long (13.4) and Ro’ger Guignard (12.9) also score in double figures. Vereen and Tommy Moffitt lead the team in rebounding with 6.7 boards per game each. Head coach Scott Cross is 46-39 in his third season at the helm.
Last Time Out: Senior Joey Shank led five Roadrunners in double figures with 18 points and UTSA shot a season-high 87.5 percent from the free throw line in an 88-79 victory over Central Arkansas on Wednesday at the Convocation Center. Shank drained four 3-pointers en route to his best point total since he poured in 26 in the win at Rice. Junior Morris Smith IV nailed a trio of trifectas and scored 17 on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor, while junior Omar Johnson added 12 behind a perfect 10-for-10 night at the charity stripe to tie the school record set earlier this season by senior Travis Gabbidon (10-10 vs. Colgate). Juniors Demarco Stepter and Chris Allen contributed 13 and 11, respectively, while Stepter pulled down a game-high seven boards. The Roadrunners made 21-of-24 from the free throw line, including 14-of-15 in the second half, to surpass the previous season high of 83.3 percent (10-12) recorded against Iowa on Nov. 17. UTSA shot 49.2 percent (29-59) from the field overall and committed just eight turnovers.
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 15 victories, UTSA already has surpassed last season’s win total of 13 and still has seven regular season contests remaining on the schedule. Additionally, with a 6-3 start to conference play, the Roadrunners are off to their best nine-game start since the 2004-05 team began 7-2, which also is the last team to go 7-3 through the first 10 league games and record 15 or more wins (15-13).
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 streak from Jan. 17-Feb. 7 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.
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 13-1 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 12-2 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 19.8 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 10.2 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 224 steals this year. That number includes 131 in 10 home games (11.9 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 14.7 turnovers per game and boast the top turnover margin (+5.0) in the Southland Conference (9th/NCAA). UTSA, which boasts a 14-4 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 and the Roadrunners committed just eight in the 88-79 victory over Central Arkansas on Feb. 11.
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 (49) and juniors Morris Smith IV (44) and Omar Johnson (42), the Roadrunners have drained 197 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, which surpassed last season’s total of 191 treys in the Central Arkansas win, has made at least one 3-pointer in all 81 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more 56 times and six or more in 19 games this season. UTSA had made at least one three in 441 consecutive contests dating back to Jan. 5, 1994 (vs. Texas).
Balanced Attack: Led by senior Travis Gabbidon (13.5), junior Omar Johnson (13.9) and sophomore Devin Gibson (11.1), UTSA has displayed a balanced scoring attack this season. Six additional Roadrunners are averaging at least four points per contest: senior Joey Shank (8.8) and juniors Morris Smith IV (9.6), Josh Bonney (6.7), Demarco Stepter (6.0), Chris Allen (5.4) and Terry Fields (4.1).
Success At The Line: A pair of Roadrunners have broken the school record for free throw percentage in a game this season. Senior Travis Gabbidon drained 10-of-10 from the line in the Colgate victory on Jan. 2 to eclipse the previous standard (minimum of 10 attempts required) of 92 percent (12-13) set by Leon Watson against Texas College on Nov. 22, 1998. In the Central Arkansas win on Feb. 11, junior Omar Johnson matched Gabbidon’s effort with a 10-for-10 performance from the charity stripe to help the Roadrunners fire at a season-high 87.5-percent (21-24) clip. As a team, UTSA is shooting 68.2 percent (339-497) from the line, a considerable improvement over last season’s 65.8 percent (424-644) mark, and stands at 68.3 percent (140-205) in SLC games.
Double-Double Tracker: UTSA has registered 10 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
Travis Gabbidon, Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 7): 11 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. In addition, Gibson also has been named preseason first-team all-conference and a CollegeHoops.net Preseason Mid-Major All-American. The 2007-08 NCAA steals leader (3.3 spg), he 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 five 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).
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 13.5 points (T-14th/SLC) and 6.6 rebounds (11th/SLC) per game this season, including 13.2 points (T-13th/SLC) and 8.4 boards (3rd/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 21 contests (missed Dec. 18 UTPA game with concussion). He leads the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game (11th/SLC) behind 42-of-97 (43.3%) shooting from beyond the 3-point line and has dished out a team-best 96 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 36 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 23 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 Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 7. His 227 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-97 from behind the arc for 43.3 percent, which ranks third in the Southland Conference. Over the last three contests, Johnson has connected on 9-of-16 treys, or 56.3 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 14 trifectas while averaging 18 points per game in the last four 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 50 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 49 times this year, is ninth on UTSA’s career chart with 116 threes (4th among two-year players). Additionally, his 36.5 career 3-point field goal percentage stands fifth in the school record book. This year, Shank is eighth in the Southland Conference in 3-pointers made per game (2.2).
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 8.6 points and 5.6 boards (19th) in SLC games. Stepter, who hails from Memphis, Tenn., ranks second on the team with a 6.2 rebounding average (15th/SLC). He is one of two Roadrunners and 12 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).
Up Next: UTSA will host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center and the game will be televised by Time Warner Cable (locally on channel 50).