SAN ANTONIO — UTSA continued its winning ways by picking up its sixth straight victory Sunday over New Mexico State, 65-56. The six-game winning streak is the Roadrunners longest since a nine-game streak during the 2008-09 season.
All-tournament team selection Ashley Spaletta poured in a season-high 14 points while tournament MVP Kamra King added 12 and Akunna Elonu matched a career-high with 11 for UTSA (8-4)
Danesia Williamson had a game-high 22 points and Sasha Weber pitched in 17 for New Mexico State (3-10).
Sasha Weber scored five points in a game-opening 7-0 run for the Aggies, but Elonu led UTSA’s 18-4 comeback scoring charge with seven points to take an 18-11 lead on Elonu’s offensive rebound and layup with 11:09 remaining in the opening half.
UTSA led 34-30 at halftime with Elonu matching her previous season-high point total with nine while Spaletta tallied seven points and five rebounds.
Weber led the Aggies at the break with a game-high 15.
Out of the halftime break the teams traded baskets until UTSA used a 6-0 spurt to extend its lead to double digits, 49-39, on a free throw by Niaga Mitchell-Cole with 11:24 remaining. Mathilde Hergott followed with a 3-pointer and Mitchell-Cole converted another two free throws to extend the Roadrunners lead to a game-high 15 with 8:12 left in the game.
The Aggies continued to fight back narrowing the deficit to five, 60-55, on Williamson’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:57 left. King answered on the other end for the Roadrunners with a left-handed floater to regain a seven-point advantage and put the game out of reach.
The Roadrunners will conclude the non-conference portion of its schedule when they host Abilene Christian (9-5) on Jan. 4 at 4 p.m.
2013 UTSA Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team
Trudy Armstead, Northwestern State
Holly Johnson, North Dakota State
Kamra King, UTSA (Most Valuable Player)
Keisha Lee, Northwestern State
Ashley Spaletta, UTSA
Danesia Williamson, New Mexico State