UTSA Roadrunners (16-9, 7-5 SLC) at Northwestern State Demons (10-17, 2-10 SLC)
Wednesday, Feb. 25 ? 7 p.m.
Prather Coliseum (3,400) ? Natchitoches, La.
Series History: UTSA leads, 20-15
Last Meeting: UTSA, 81-78 [OT] (Jan. 19, 2008)
SAN ANTONIO ? UTSA (16-9, 7-5 SLC) will make its third trip toLouisiana in the last six weeks to face Northwestern State (10-17, 2-10SLC) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
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 available online at goUTSA.com, which is provided courtesy of Yahoo! Sports. Live stats and video (Rowdy Zone subscription required) will be provided by Northwestern State and will be available at goUTSA.com.
Fast Break Points:
? This will be the 36th meeting between UTSA and Northwestern State
? The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 20-15, and they won the last meeting, 81-78, in overtime on Jan. 19, 2008, at the Convocation Center
? UTSA is 6-7 on the road this season, including 2-0 in Louisiana
? The Roadrunners have won five of their last eight and 13 of their last 18 games
? With 16 victories this year, the Roadrunners have surpassed last season’s win total of 13
? UTSA established a school record with nine non-conference wins this season
? With seven conference victories and four league games remaining, UTSA already has matched last year’s total
? The Roadrunners’ 7-5 SLC record puts them fourth in the West Division and sixth overall, but they are just two games back of leaders Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and A&M-Corpus Christi (9-3) and one behind Nicholls and UT Arlington (8-4)
? UTSA is 10-0 when holding opponents to under 70 points and 14-2 when limiting its opponents to below 50-percent shooting from the field
? The Roadrunners have drained six or more 3-pointers in 21 games and they lead the SLC and rank 13th in the NCAA in threes per game (8.8)
? UTSA has made at least one 3-pointer in all 84 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more treys 58 times
? The Roadrunners are posting an SLC-best 9.9 steals (4th/NCAA) and forcing 19.4 turnovers per contest
? UTSA leads the league and ranks ninth nationally in turnover margin (+4.6)
? Sophomore guard Devin Gibson is tied for the NCAA lead in steals per game (3.4)
UTSA/Northwestern State Series History: The Roadrunners lead the all-time series against Northwestern State, 20-15, but the Demons hold an 11-6 advantage in games played in Natchitoches. UTSA won the last meeting, 81-78, in overtime on Jan. 19, 2008, at the Convocation Center to snap a four-game losing streak against NSU.
Last Meeting: Joey Shank drained a school record-tying eight 3-pointers and Keith Spencer and Devin Gibson posted double-doubles, as UTSA edged Northwestern State, 81-78, in overtime on Jan. 19, 2008, at the Convocation Center. Shank was 8-of-14 from downtown in scoring 26 points. Spencer registered 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, while Gibson poured in 17 points and dished out 10 assists. UTSA led by as many as 19 points in the first half, but found itself trailing 60-52 with 8:20 to play. Shank then heated up from behind the arc with a trio of 3-pointers over the next three minutes to pull the Roadrunners to within 64-61. Trailing by three, Gibson came up with a steal, was fouled on the fast break and converted two free throws to make it 71-70 with 1:13 left. Gibson came up with another steal with 30 seconds remaining and went coast-to-coast for an acrobatic layup and was fouled, sending the Convo into a frenzy. Gibson converted the plus-one freebie to give the Roadrunners a 73-71 advantage with 26 seconds on the clock. Northwestern State would not quit as Gilder was fouled in the lane and made both free throws to knot the score at 73. In the extra period, Melvin Smith drained a 3-pointer from the right wing on the next possession to put UTSA up by one at 79-78 with 15 seconds remaining. Northwestern State then was whistled for a charge against Isaiah Allen. The Demons were forced to foul, sending Smith back to the line where he made both to put the Roadrunners up by three. McConathy’s last-second 3-pointer was off the back of the rim, giving UTSA its first win in the series since 2005.
Scouting Northwestern State: The Demons fell to 10-17 overall and 2-10 in league play after an 89-67 loss at Lamar on Saturday. Junior guard Damon Jones leads the team in scoring at 12.0 points per game. Freshman center William Mosley is pulling down a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game and junior guard Michael McConathy, the son of head coach Mike McConathy, has dished out a team-best 115 assists (4.3 apg). McConathy is 155-152 in his 10th season at the helm.
Last Time Out: Sophomore Devin Gibson scored 17 points to lead three Roadrunners in double figures, but Corey Allmond drained four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 20 points to lead Sam Houston State to an 89-67 victory against UTSA on Saturday night at Johnson Coliseum. Gibson made 11-of-12 at the free throw line and added five rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal, while senior Joey Shank scored 14 on the strength of four treys. Junior Chris Allen added 12 points and junior Leslie Jackson pulled down a team-high six boards. Barkley Falkner posted 12 points and 16 rebounds, while Preston Brown (11), Drae Murray (11) and DeLuis Ramirez (10) joined Allmond and Falkner in double figures for the Bearkats.
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 6-7 in road games this season, with the six victories two more than the past two seasons combined. Dating back to last February, UTSA is 9-8 in its past 17 true road contests, including winning at Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana in back-to-back seasons. The Roadrunners’ game in Natchitoches marks the third trip to the Bayou State in the past six weeks.
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 16 victories, UTSA already has surpassed last season’s win total of 13 and still has four regular season contests remaining on the schedule. Additionally, the 16 victories are the most since the 2003-04 won 19.
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 13 of their last 18 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).
On The Tube: UTSA has played eight televised contests this season and has posted a 5-3 record in those games. The Roadrunners have defeated UMKC (Metro Sports), SMU (Time Warner Cable), Texas State (Time Warner Cable), Southeastern Louisiana (Southland TV) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Time Warner Cable) and have dropped TV games to Oklahoma State (Cowboy Sports Network), Iowa (Mediacom Connections) and UT Arlington (Southland TV).
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.
Keys To Success: UTSA has discovered several keys to success this season. The Roadrunners are 14-2 when holding their opponents to under 50-percent shooting from the floor (4-0 under 40 percent), as opposed to a 2-7 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 13-2 when leading at the half and a perfect 10-0 when holding opponents to under 70 points.
Creating Havoc: The Roadrunners are forcing their opponents into an average of 19.4 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 9.9 steals per contest (4th/NCAA). Led by 2007-08 NCAA steals champion Devin Gibson, a sophomore who leads the nation with 3.4 thefts per game, all 13 Roadrunners have teamed up to record 248 steals this year.
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 (+4.6) in the Southland Conference (9th/NCAA). UTSA, which boasts a 15-5 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 (55) and juniors Morris Smith IV (49) and Omar Johnson (45), the Roadrunners have drained a conference-leading 219 threes for an SLC-best 8.8 per-game average (13th/NCAA). UTSA, which surpassed last season’s total of 191 treys in the Central Arkansas win, has made at least one 3-pointer in all 84 games under third-year head coach Brooks Thompson, including five or more 59 times and six or more in 21 games this season. UTSA had made at least one three in 444 consecutive contests dating back to Jan. 5, 1994 (vs. Texas).
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 68.9 percent (401-582) from the line, a considerable improvement over last season’s 65.8 percent (424-644) mark, and stands at 69.7 percent (202-290) in SLC games.
Double-Double Tracker: UTSA has registered 10 double-doubles this year, including a team-best four by senior Travis Gabbidon.
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
Balanced Attack: Led by senior Travis Gabbidon (13.2), junior Omar Johnson (12.9) and sophomore Devin Gibson (11.5), UTSA has displayed a balanced scoring attack this season. Six additional Roadrunners are averaging at least four points per contest: senior Joey Shank (8.6) and juniors Morris Smith IV (9.6), Josh Bonney (6.6), Demarco Stepter (6.1), Chris Allen (5.8) and Terry Fields (4.1).
Off The Bench: The Roadrunners’ bench has contributed in a big way this season. Led by juniors Chris Allen (5.8 ppg) and Demarco Stepter (6.1 ppg), who have yet to start a game but are combining for 11.9 points per contest, UTSA has seen an average of 23.9 points from its bench this year. In league play, Allen and Stepter have upped their contribution to 7.3 and 7.1 points per game, respectively. Over the last four games, UTSA’s bench has pitched in with a 32.8 scoring average, including 38 at Sam Houston State and 35 in the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi victory. The bench posted a season-high 64 points in the East Central win and 51 against Texas Wesleyan.
King Of Steals: Sophomore Devin Gibson, the 2007-08 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and a preseason nominee for the Bob Cousy Award, has emerged as one of the nation’s top steals man over the past two seasons. The Cypress Falls High product became just the third freshman in history ? Jason Kidd is one of the other two ? to lead the NCAA in steals with 93 in 28 games last season for a 3.3 average. This year, despite missing five games with a back injury, he has tallied 68 steals for an NCAA-leading 3.4 per-game average. His 93 steals in 2007-08 rank second on the school’s single-season list behind Ronnie Ellison’s school-record 97 in 1990-91, while his 68 this season already stand fourth. Gibson is contributing in a number of other important statistical categories, averaging 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists 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 161 steals in 48 career games (3.4 spg), which fifth all-time and just one behind Kurt Attaway for fourth. No Roadrunner has recorded more thefts than Gibson in less than two full seasons. He also has tallied 626 points (13.0 ppg), ranking him 34th, is eighth in free throw percentage (.703) and stands eighth with 237 free throws. He also is on pace to appear on the school’s top-10 career list for assists (212, 10th=214) and the top 50 chart for rebounds (191, 50th=199).
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 (13th/SLC) and 6.5 rebounds (12th/SLC) per game this season, including 12.7 points (18th/SLC) and 7.7 boards (6th/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 24 contests (missed Dec. 18 UTPA game with concussion). He ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game (T-16th/SLC) behind 41.7-percent shooting from beyond the 3-point line and has dished out a team-best 106 assists (4.4 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 39 games with the Roadrunners, the Phoenix native has reached double figures in scoring 31 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 25 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 523 career points rank 44th and his 243 career rebounds stand 41st on UTSA’s all-time 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 45-of-108 from behind the arc for 41.7 percent, which ranks fifth in the Southland Conference. Over the last four contests, Johnson has connected on 12-of-27 treys (44.4%).
Smith Finds His Stroke: Junior guard Morris Smith IV has found his shooting stroke from downtown over the past month. The St. Louis native drained seven 3-pointers in the 67-66 win at Lamar on Jan. 31 and has made 19 trifectas while averaging 14.1 points per game in the last seven 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: The most experienced player on a young squad with 53 career games at the Division I level, senior Joey Shank has been a consistent threat from behind the arc 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 55 times this year, is eighth on UTSA’s career chart with 122 threes (3rd among two-year players). Additionally, his 36.7 career 3-point field goal percentage stands fifth in the school record book. This year, Shank is tied for seventh 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 4.6 boards per contest. He is posting 8.0 points and 5.0 boards in SLC games. Stepter, who hails from Memphis, Tenn., ranks second on the team with a 6.0 rebounding average (15th/SLC). He is one of two Roadrunners with three or more double-doubles this 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.
Up Next: UTSA will host Lamar in the annual Homecoming Game on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
