| Junior Devin Gibson became the 13th player in UTSA history to surpass 1,000 points on Wednesday night. |
CONWAY, Ark. — Junior Devin Gibson scored 20 points and became the 13th player to surpass 1,000 for his career, but it was not enough as Central Arkansas used a balanced scoring attack to get past UTSA, 72-64, on Wednesday night at the Farris Center.
Gibson poured in 15 second-half points and led all players with his third 20-point outing of the season, but Jared Rehmel led four Bears in double figures with 16 as UCA, which shot 54 percent from the floor, including 58.3 percent after halftime, moved to 8-16 overall and 2-8 in the Southland Conference.
Senior Demarco Stepter joined Gibson in double figures with 14 behind a 5-for-9 night from the floor, as the Roadrunners, which shot 43.6 percent but just 36.7 in the second half, fell to 13-9 and 3-6 in their sixth loss in the past seven games.
Gibson, who was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and added five assists, four rebounds and three steals, found the bottom of the net while being fouled on a driving layup at the 13:23 mark of the second half to give him 1,001 points. He now stands 12th all-time on UTSA’s career list.
UTSA held a slim 29-28 lead at halftime, but UCA came out firing on all cylinders to start the second.
Back-to-back jumpers by Rehmel and Chris Poellnitz gave the Bears a 46-37 lead six minutes into the half. Gibson’s 1,000-point-topping play kick-started an 8-2 run over the next minute that was capped by a trey from freshman Melvin Johnson III.
UCA responded and quickly pushed the lead to double digits on a Imad Qahwash layup with 8:17 left. The lead grew to 12 at 63-51 on a Rehmel layup with four and a half minutes remaining and UTSA, which converted just 2-of-15 from downtown, could get no closer than seven down the stretch.
Both teams shot well from the field, but struggled from outside the arc in the first. UTSA hit 13-of-25 for 52 percent, but was 0-for-7 from downtown. Meanwhile, UCA hit 50 percent (13-26), but converted just 1-of-8 from beyond the line.
The Roadrunners used an early 7-0 run capped by a Gibson layup to build a 15-8 advantage through the first seven minutes. The Bears countered with a 6-0 stretch to pull within one, but UTSA pushed the lead out to seven after a jumper by Johnson III from the free throw line made it 21-14 midway through the half.
Dewan Clayborn (14), Tadre Sheppard (13) and Poellnitz (10) also reached double digits for the Bears, who out-rebounded the Roadrunners, 34-22.
The Roadrunners return home to host UT Arlington at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13. The game will be televised by Time Warner Cable San Antonio (channel 50).