UTSA to open regular season on Saturday at No. 9 TexasUTSA to open regular season on Saturday at No. 9 Texas
Women's Basketball

UTSA to open regular season on Saturday at No. 9 Texas

SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA women’s basketball team will open the 2014-15 regular season on the road on Saturday when it travels to Austin and take on No. 9 Texas at 2 p.m.

Saturday’s contest will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network and it will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs. The Longhorns have won the previous four matchups with the last coming Nov. 10, 2013, in Austin.

The Roadrunners downed McMurry by a score of 69-43 on Nov. 1 and Howard Payne, 95-40, last Saturday in their two exhibitions to gear up for the campaign.

Kamra King leads four returning starters for UTSA this season. The senior guard averaged a team-leading 13.6 points to go along with 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game a year ago.

Ashley Spaletta (7.4 ppg/1.5 spg), Mannasha Bell (5.9 ppg/5.3 rpg) and Akunna Elonu (3.7 ppg/3.8 rpg) also are back.

Meanwhile, freshman Carlie Heineman will look to make an immediate impact, as she produced a combined 24 points and eight rebounds in the two exhibition contests.

The Roadrunners are led by second-year head coach Lubomyr Lichonczak, who has won 165 games during his 12-year coaching career.

Texas is coming off a 22-12 season that saw it advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns have 10 returning letterwinners, including four starters, along with the nation's 11th-ranked recruiting class. Texas is the Big 12 Conference's preseason favorite with Ariel Atkins named Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year. Nneka Enemkpali also was voted to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. while Imani McGee-Stafford was selected honorable mention.

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