| Junior Devin Gibson led four players in double figures with 16 points on Saturday. |
SAN ANTONIO — Junior Devin Gibson led four Roadrunners in double figures with 16 points and UTSA used a 23-1 run to roll past Texas Southern, 79-57, on Saturday night at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners improved to 5-1 on the season, matching the best six-game start in school history, and extended their non-conference home winning streak to 10 games. The Tigers fell to 3-4 on the year.
Gibson was 6-for-11 from the floor and a perfect 4-of-4 at the free throw line in leading UTSA in scoring for the fourth time this season. The Houston native also grabbed five rebounds and came away with four steals.
Freshman Melvin Johnson III tallied 13 points on the strength of a 6-for-7 night at the charity stripe, while seniors Omar Johnson and Morris Smith IV added 11 and 10, respectively. Smith IV and senior Terry Fields pulled down a team-high eight rebounds apiece, as UTSA out-rebounded Texas Southern, 42-39.
TSU built a six-point lead midway through the first half behind nine points from Junior Treasure. Gibson helped UTSA pull back to within 22-20 on a layup and a pair of free throws. A pair of freebies by Fields at the 6:57 mark put the Roadrunners on top, 24-23, but the Tigers grabbed the lead back with a 5-0 stretch over the next two and a half minutes.
UTSA still trailed, 30-29, after another Treasure basket at the 2:47 mark, but the Roadrunners began their big run there.
Senior Richie Frohlich converted a three-point play and hit another jumper during a 10-1 run that gave the Roadrunners a 39-31 advantage at the break.
The run continued through the first five minutes of the second half, as UTSA reeled off 13 unanswered points in building a 52-31 lead with 14:57 to play. The lead grew to as many as 25 after a Gibson layup made it 60-35 with 8:49 showing on the clock. The Roadrunners cruised from there in running their series record against TSU to 3-1.
UTSA continued its impressive start at the free throw line, making 21-of-23 (91.3 percent) to improve the season numbers to 100-of-122 (82 percent). The Roadrunners shot 42.6 percent from the floor overall, converted 19 turnovers into 25 points and outscored the Tigers, 36-20, in the paint.
TSU’s Travele Jones led all players with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Onyekautukwu Abiakam added eight points and 10 boards. TSU was held to just 30.4-percent shooting, including 5-of-17 from downtown.
The Roadrunners stay home to host Cameron at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1.