| Freshman Melvin Johnson II led UTSA with a season-high 20 points on Sunday night. |
SAN ANTONIO — Freshman Melvin Johnson III poured in season-high 20 points and UTSA downed McMurry, 84-58, for its 14th consecutive non-conference home win Sunday night at the Convocation Center.
With the win, the Roadrunners improved to 10-3 for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign. McMurry, an NCAA Division III school located in Abilene, Texas, fell to 7-3 on the year.
Johnson III scored 14 of his game-high 20 in the second half to help the Roadrunners outscore McMurry, 49-31, after the break. The Dallas native was 5-for-8 from behind the 3-point line and 5-of-6 from the free throw line in eclipsing his previous season-high of 19 posted in both Texas-Pan American victories.
Senior Terry Fields scored a career-high 16 points behind 6-for-8 shooting and he pulled down a team-high seven rebounds to lead the team for the seventh time this season. Fellow senior Omar Johnson also reached double figures with 12, while junior Devin Gibson posted eight points, a season-high eight assists and five steals, the most since recording six against Northwestern on Feb. 25, 2009.
UTSA shot 51.7 percent (30-58) from the floor and made eight 3-pointers on 22 attempts (36.4 percent). The Roadrunners, who received 34 points from their bench, scored 42 points in the paint and converted 21 McMurry turnovers — 14 via steals — into 32 points.
Jeremie Hart led McMurry with 14 points, while Jamal Anene added eight and a game-high 10 rebounds. McMurry shot 48.8 percent (21-43) for the game, including 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
McMurry built a six-point lead midway through the first half, as Jamal Anene’s free throw capped a 7-0 run that gave McMurry an 18-12 advantage.
McMurry still led, 24-23, before UTSA closed the half with a 12-3 stretch over the final four minutes. Senior Demarco Stepter and junior Devin Gibson tallied four points apiece during the run that gave the Roadrunners a 35-27 lead at the break.
Gibson came away with four steals to help key a 13-0 run to start the second half. His last theft came at the 16:56 mark and he fed Omar Johnson for a fastbreak layup that made it 48-27.
The lead grew to as many as 28 points, as the Roadrunners cruised to their 19th win in the last 24 home contests.
The Roadrunners will open Southland Conference play at McNeese State on Saturday, Jan. 9. Tip is slated for 3 p.m. at Burton Coliseum.