SAN ANTONIO — Jeff Beverly led three players in double-figures with 17 points and UTSA improved to 10-1 at home with a 57-51 victory against Southern Miss on Thursday night at the Convocation Center.
Beverly went 7-of-17 from the field and scored 13 points in the second half to pace the Roadrunners (11-13, 6-5 C-USA). Nick Allen (14 points/8 rebounds) and Byron Frohnen (12 points/9 rebounds) each neared a double-double to help UTSA outscore the Golden Eagles (7-17, 4-8 C-USA) in the paint, 32-10.
UTSA, who held an opponent to fewer than 60 points for the seventh time this season, committed a season-low eight turnovers and out-rebounded the visitors, 45-35.
Meanwhile, Raheem Watts led Southern Miss with 17 points, while Quinton Campbell chipped in with 16 points.
Beverly scored the first of his 13 second-half points on the Roadrunners' opening possession of the period, but the Golden Eagles would rally for a 41-36 lead with 14:41 to play.
However, Allen hit his third 3-pointer, a career high, of the night to start an 8-0 run that gave the home squad a 44-41 lead and it would not trail the rest of the contest. Beverly followed the trey with a free throw before Frohnen and Gino Littles each scored inside to cap the spurt.
Campbell and Watts kept the Golden Eagles close, but Austin Karrer's three-point play with 6:06 helped spark a 7-0 run to helped UTSA start to pull away. The junior came flying to the rim to follow a missed shot, tipped it in while being fouled and made the ensuing free throw.
Beverly then followed with a layup and a jumper to give the Roadrunners their largest lead of the game, 53-44, with just four minutes to play.
Southern Miss would pull within four twice down the stretch, but Allen and Beverly each hit a pair of free throws in the final 90 seconds to hold on for the 57-51 victory.
In the first half, Frohnen got UTSA on the board first with a basket inside, but Southern Miss followed with an 11-0 run behind eight points from Watts to grab the early lead.
After a slow shooting start, the Roadrunners began to heat up and they hit six of eight shots during a 16-3 run to take an 18-14 advantage. Beverly started the stretch with a jumper that was followed by a deep Littles 3-pointer that just beat the shot clock.
Frohnen drove inside for a basket and then Nick Allen scored nine consecutive points with a pair of treys and an old-fashioned three-point play. UTSA held the Golden Eagles to just one basket over nearly a seven-minute stretch to aid its run.
Following a Golden Eagles bucket, Beverly fired a perfect pass out of a double team to Frohnen, who finished at the rim. Karrer made a pair of free throws and George Willborn III cruised in for a layup to give the Roadrunners a 28-20 lead.
However, Southern Miss would hold UTSA scoreless over the final three minutes of the half to knot the score at 28.
UTSA will close its four-game home stand at 3 p.m. on Saturday when it will host Louisiana Tech (17-8, 9-3 C-USA) at the Convocation Center.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Steve Henson
Question: This game wasn't necessarily very pretty, but it seems like you guys kind of thrive in those types of games.
Steve Henson: I don't think anyone was surprised that it wasn't pretty. (Southern Miss head coach) Doc (Sadler) did such a good job with those guys, they are always so prepared. We knew this would be a grind. We anticipated them playing some zone. Their zone killed us last time we played them. They didn't do that, but they still did a good job against us. They double-teamed Jeff (Beverly) all night, which affected us quite a bit. We made some good plays out of that and then we didn't make some good plays out of that. Our guys hung in there and fought. It was another game that we took care of the basketball — eight turnovers and outrebound them by 10. That's the only way we can win if our offense is going to be ugly the way that it was.
Q: What do you think was the single determining difference in the game tonight?
SH: Our poise was pretty good. We knew things weren't going to come easy. They had a kid who made three 3-pointers (tonight) and he had made one all year. We told our guys you have to respect that, but that's not what he typically does. Some nights you have to play through those types of things and we did. Again, it's kind of the same thing we did against UAB — rebound it, protect it. We've had a lot of nights where we haven't shot the ball very well. Our guys understand that we can still win when we do it that way.
Q: Why was Nick so effective tonight?
SH: About a week and a half ago Nick made a little adjustment with his footwork. He's been so tentative all year because he travelled so much, shifting feet and changing pivot feet. He cleaned that up and felt really, really good about it. He made a few plays the other day and just like that he got a little more confident. He's aggressive now. To get a 3-pointer to go down always boosts somebody. Nick is a guy that we thought would make some shots early in the year and now he has the confidence to push off aggressively without travelling. It's like he's found a new toy to play with. He was very aggressive in practice this week so I wasn't surprised that he was going to make some plays.
Q: What does this do for your confidence going forward and facing LA Tech on Saturday?
SH: Our guys have been feeling good lately. We had a lot of good offensive possessions against Western Kentucky and we did some good things against Middle Tennessee. UAB was one of our better games on the year. Our guys are playing with some confidence. I thought somebody would jump up and make some shots tonight. I thought two or three guys would. Nick Allen certainly did, so we'll take that. Our guys are feeling good.
Jeff Beverly, Jr., F
Question: I know you had a little bit of a rough start. What did those two baskets at the beginning of second half do for your confidence?
Jeff Beverly: It got my confidence and my rhythm going. It gave my teammates some energy because we seemed a little down in the first half.
Q: Did your defense win the game coming down the stretch?
JB: Yes, our zone and a little bit of our man defense. We've been grinding in practice on our man defense. It pays off.
Q: You guys won this game despite shooting only 33 percent from the field. What can you all take from that moving forward?
JB: Our defense won this game. It wasn't our offense. We take pride in our defense. Offense will come.
Q: You guys lost four games in a row and then won the last two. What's been going on in the last six games?
JB: Nothing different, same thing. We are still playing tough together and playing smart. We aren't going to change because we lost a couple of games. We do what we do and hard work will pay off.
Q: That wasn't the prettiest game was it?
JB: It wasn't. We had to fight it out. It was our defense. We had to get nasty and gritty.
Q: You guys only gave up 10 points in the paint tonight. You were able to do it without being in foul trouble most of the game. How did you do that?
JB: I tried to play smart and more technical tonight. I didn't want to let my adrenaline, my energy, get the best of me. I just wanted to play sound and disciplined tonight.
Q: Nick gave you guys something coming off the bench tonight. What does it mean when he starts hitting shots?
JB: It means a lot. He's very gifted – he's 6-7, long, naturally skilled. He made shots tonight because he's been grinding in practice. Hard work pays off.
Nick Allen, So., F
Question: Where did your outside shot come from?
Nick Allen: My team, my coaches and I think this week my preparation in practice. I spent extra time in the gym and kept shooting. I would do an hour and a half after practice each day. Really it was just my teammates. They believe in me. I let it rip tonight.
Q: What does it say about this team that you all were able to win tonight despite only shooting 33 percent?
NA: I think you have to look at the other stuff. We did a lot of other things very, very well. For example, in the second half my team only turned the ball over three times. That's really hard. You can't give them any momentum and, of course, the rebounding game. That's kind of been our thing this year.
Q: Coming off the bench, you actually gave the offense a spurt. Is that a role that Coach Henson has come to you about? Being the first guy off the bench?
NA: He came to me and we talked about it. Everything is understood. I'm really embracing it. Whatever they can give me, I'm humbled enough to take that. I'll take it to the fullest. It's just about my team and giving my team everything I can give them. It's not about glitz and glamour and who's starting. When I come to play, I come to play and that's it.
Q: Talk about your approach on the board. Various times you threw yourself on the ground, getting after it and throwing elbows.
NA: That's my thing. You really have to have a fearless attitude. That's also another thing we've been keen on in practice. We have talked about it. We bought into it.
Q: Is this the kind of game that you guys thrive in? It wasn't pretty.
NA: Yes, definitely. I think we are definitely fit for this type of game. Not that it's ugly, but it's just our type of basketball. We like to get after it. Defense is our thing.
