SAN ANTONIO — Keon Lewis scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to help UTSA rally from a 10-point deficit with less than 15 minutes to play for a 72-67 win over Old Dominion on Thursday night at the Convocation Center.
The senior went 5-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc, and a perfect 9-of-9 at the free-throw line for his sixth 20-point game of the campaign. Ryan Bowie added 16 points and six rebounds for the Roadrunners (13-10, 7-5 C-USA), who won their third consecutive game, while Jeromie Hill and Kaj-Björn Sherman each chipped in with 11 points.
Additionally, Hill recorded four baskets to become the third player in program history to connect on at least 600 field goals. UTSA shot a blistering 61.1 percent in the second half and 51.1 percent for the game.
Meanwhile, Trey Freeman registered 19 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Monarchs (18-5, 7-4 C-USA), who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Jonathan Arledge added 15 points and a pair of offensive rebounds as the visitors turned 18 offensive boards into 25 second-chance points.
Old Dominion shot 43.3 percent in the contest and held a 36-28 edge on the glass.
Freeman’s jumper with 14:57 to play extended the Monarchs’ seven-point halftime lead to 10, 46-36, before the Roadrunners went on a 15-4 run that set up a back-and-forth final nine minutes.
Lewis started the rally with an old fashioned three-point play and Aaron Bacote’s jumper briefly slowed the UTSA momentum before Bowie buried a 3-pointer. Christian Wilson, who made his first start of the season, found Sherman in the lane for a layup and Hill and Phillip Jones each hit free throws to trim the deficit to 48-46 with 11 minutes remaining.
Sherman then fed Bowie on the baseline for a layup to tie the contest briefly. Arledge followed a missed Monarchs shot with a tip-in to regain the lead for the visitors, but Wilson nailed a trey on the other end to give UTSA a 51-50 advantage, which was its first since the 14:55 mark of the first half.
The teams traded baskets for the next few minutes as Wilson and Lewis answered Old Dominion buckets with 3-pointers for a 59-57 edge with 6:55 to play.
Neither team could get more than a one-possession lead until the final minute.
Freeman connected on a triple with 3:21 on the clock to give Old Dominion a 65-64 lead, but it would prove to be its last advantage of the night.
Lewis gave the Roadrunners the upper hand for good with a pair of free throws and Bowie swished two of his own with just more than two minutes remaining. Richard Ross drove to the basket for a layup with 1:58 left that trimmed the Roadrunners’ lead to 68-67, but the Monarchs would get no closer.
Lewis knocked in a jumper for a 70-67 cushion and UTSA was able to hold off the Old Dominion offense, which missed four 3-pointers in the final 98 seconds. Wilson iced the game and sealed the 72-67 final by hitting two free throws with four seconds left.
Hill found Sherman for a pair of dunks to start the game and Lewis’ layup gave the home squad its first advantage of the game, 6-5. Lewis added a 3-pointer to push the lead to 9-7 before the Monarchs scored six straight to take the lead.
The Roadrunners tied the score twice, including a knot at 15 on Larry Lewis Jr.’s spin and layup with 10:46 remaining in the half.
UTSA began to heat up and pulled within 27-26 on Hill’s layup with 4:18 before halftime, but Ambrose Mosely drained back-to-back 3-pointers to fuel an 8-0 run as Old Dominion took its largest lead of the period, 35-26.
Lewis hit a pair of free throws to pull the Roadrunners within 37-30 at intermission.
UTSA will host Charlotte (10-14, 3-8 C-USA) at 2 p.m. on Saturday.