SAN ANTONIO — Hyjii Thomas just missed out on a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists and UTSA led from start to finish in a 90-62 victory against Huston-Tillotson on Wednesday night.
Thomas went 5-of-8 from the floor and scored all 11 points in the second half. Meanwhile, Kaj-Björn Sherman and Jordan Sims each tallied season highs with 16 points and Keon Lewis added 15. Sherman also tied a season-best with eight rebounds and collected a pair steals for the Roadrunners (2-6), who held a 54-27 advantage on the glass.
UTSA shot 56.7 percent, scored 52 points in the paint and registered a season-high 23 assists. The squad’s 90 points also were a season-best, topping its 87-point effort in the Nov. 23 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Devonta Davis hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points for the Rams (0-8), while Jonathan Douglas (12), Ronzelle Fort (11) and Sterling Lampley (10) also reached double figures.
Huston-Tillotson was limited to 34.3 percent shooting in the contest, including a 26.5 percent mark in the first half.
The Roadrunners got off to a fast start from the field, hitting six of its first seven shots for a quick 15-7 lead and they never looked back.
After a missed jumper on its first possession, UTSA connected on its next six attempts starting with a dunk from Sherman. Lewis then connected on a layup before Sherman followed with a jumper. A pair of baskets inside from Phillip Jones and Devon Agusi kept the momentum rolling for the Birds and Sims capped the run with a 3-pointer, which was the first of three treys for the senior on the night.
Another triple from Sims with 12:32 on the clock pushed the Roadrunners lead to double digits, 19-9, for the first time and UTSA continued to extend its lead with a mix of buckets inside and beyond the arc.
Agusi drove in for a basket that was followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from James Williams and George Matthews to give the home squad a 29-14 advantage. Davis countered with a 3-pointer for the Rams before the Roadrunners went on a 7-1 spurt for their largest lead of the half, 36-18, with 2:19 on the clock.
Lampley hit a jumper in the final minute of the stanza, but UTSA had a 37-22 cushion at intermission.
The Roadrunners opened the second half in style as Thomas found Jones on a lob for a dunk and with 17:38 remaining, Sherman converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to extend the lead to 47-25.
From there, the advantage would not dip below 16 points and Matthews’ layup with 37 seconds to play provided UTSA with its largest lead of the night, 90-60.
The Roadrunners will be back in action on Saturday when they travel south to take on Texas-Pan American (4-6) at 7 p.m.