SAN ANTONIO — Kaj-Björn Sherman scored 18 of his career-high 30 points in the second half to lead UTSA to a 69-68 win over North Texas in the regular season finale for both teams on Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
Sherman went 9-of-13 from the field and hit 12 free throws to lead the Roadrunners (14-15, 8-10 C-USA), who snapped a five-game losing streak with its fifth double-digit rally this season. Fellow senior Jeromie Hill was the only other player in double figures with 10 points.
UTSA shot 38.9 percent for the game and scored 26 points in the paint.
Meanwhile, Maurice Aniefiok led three players in double figures for the Mean Green (14-16, 8-10 C-USA) with 20 points behind five 3-pointers. North Texas, which led by as much as 11 late in the first half, shot 40 percent and held a 38-32 edge on the glass.
Playing in his final home game, Sherman trimmed a nine-point halftime deficit to just one with eight consecutive points. Aniefiok and Ryan Bowie traded 3-pointers and the visitors led 45-44 with 15:41 remaining.
Minutes later, Aniefiok drained another triple to help extend the Mean Green lead to 57-50, but the Roadrunners rattled off an 11-1 run to take the lead for good.
Hill started the rally with a jumper and Gino Littles drove inside for a basket to pull within 57-54. Littles then found Sherman inside and the 7-footer was fouled on a layup. He converted the free throw for the old-fashioned three-point play and capped the run with two more freebies and a dunk.
When the dust had settled, UTSA held a 61-58 lead with six minutes to play.
However, the Mean Green kept the contest close as the Roadrunners’ lead did not grow to more than two possessions.
Keon Lewis scored seven of his nine points in the final 4:04 and the senior hit a pair of free throws to give the Roadrunners their largest lead of the game, 69-63, with 1:10 remaining.
North Texas made one more rally as T.J. Taylor hit a 3-pointer and Aniefiok had an offensive rebound and layup, but UTSA was able to run off the final seconds and preserve the 69-68 victory.
UTSA opened the contest with back-to-back baskets from Lewis and Bowie for an early lead, but Aniefiok hit a pair of 3-pointers to knot the score, 6-6. Hill hit a pair of free throws to give the Roadrunners a 9-8 advantage that disappeared on Muchammed Ahmed’s jumper to give the visitors the lead for the remainder of the period.
Hill kept UTSA close with a 3-pointer that trimmed the deficit to 17-16, but it would be the only triple in the half for the home squad and North Texas slowly built its lead over the final four minutes of the half.
The Mean Greed led by as much as 11, 42-31 after Aniefiok’s third 3-pointer and the visitors took a 42-33 cushion to halftime.
UTSA will open play at the 2015 Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday, March 11 at a time and against an opponent yet to be determined.