SAN ANTONIO — A.J. Hess hit a 35-footer at the buzzer, one of four triples for Southern Utah in the final minute, to push the visiting Thunderbirds to a 93-92 victory at UTSA on Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
Ryan Bowie led five Roadrunners in double figures with 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers and seven free throws. Jeromie Hill nearly finished with his third double-double of the season with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Kaj-Björn Sherman tied a career high with 16 points. Keon Lewis added 15 points and Larry Lewis Jr. chipped in 11 and a season-high six assists in the losing effort.
UTSA (2-3) shot 50.9 percent for the game and held a 36-28 edge in the paint, but it shot just 60.9 percent from the free-throw line.
James McGee came off the bench to hit 7-of-8 from the 3-point line for 21 points to lead theSouthern Utah (1-4), who made a season-high 15 treys in the contest. Hess added 20, while Tyler Rawson finished with 15.
Sherman’s free throw with 6:14 to play gave UTSA a 79-73 lead, but the Thunderbirds scored six consecutive points to knot the score at 79 with three-and-a-half minutes on the clock.
Hill responded with a layup and a 3-pointer in the corner to give the home squad some breathing room and another trey from Lewis with a minute left pushed the lead to 87-81.
However, Southern Utah hit four of its final five shots, all from behind the 3-point line, and the Roadrunners failed to put the game away at the charity stripe.
A Lewis Jr. free throw with 2.5 seconds remaining gave UTSA a 92-90 lead, but Hess took the inbounds pass, dribbled around a defender and drained the game-winner as time expired for the Thunderbirds' only lead of the day.
Both teams shot well in the opening 20 minutes and Bowie scored 17 points to lead the Roadrunners to their highest scoring half of the season.
UTSA hit 11 of its first 16 shots from the floor and jumped out to an early 22-12 advantage.
Hill got the Roadrunners rolling with back-to-back 3-pointers to start the game and each member of the starting five contributed to the opening lead. Layups from Sherman and Lewis Jr. helped key the stretch and Bowie gave the home squad a double-digit lead with a triple and inside basket of his own.
However, Southern Utah stayed in the game with hot shooting and whittled a 12-point deficit down to five, 53-48, at halftime.
UTSA will return to the court at 8:30 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, Nov. 30, when it travels to Northern Arizona (2-5).