BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Fresh off its first-ever Conference USA Tournament victory, No. 9 seed UTSA will face league regular season champion and 25th-ranked Middle Tennessee at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday in the C-USA Tournament presented by metroPCS quarterfinals.
The matchup between the Roadrunners (14-18) and Blue Raiders (27-4) can be seen on the American Sports Network (KMYS-2 in San Antonio or online here).
Thursday's contest will be the first for UTSA against a ranked team since the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, when the Roadrunners faced No. 1 Ohio State in Cleveland, Ohio. The winner will advance to take on either No. 4 seed UTEP or fifth-seeded Rice at 11:30 a.m. on Friday in the semifinals.
The Roadrunners advanced to the quarterfinal round for the first time since joining C-USA with a 56-52 victory against WKU on Wednesday. Not only was it the program's first victory in the C-USA Tournament, but it also was its first-ever against the Hilltoppers.
Byron Frohnen recorded his team-leading fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while Jeff Beverly added 14 points. UTSA held its ninth opponent to fewer than 60 points and the Roadrunners defense limited WKU to just 30.4 percent shooting in the contest.
Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders, who earned a first-round bye as the tournament's top seed, are led by C-USA Player and Newcomer of the Year JaCorey Williams, who is averaging 17.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per outing. The Arkansas transfer was key to Middle Tennessee's league-record 17 C-USA victories and the team comes into Thursday's game as winners of its last seven contests.
All-conference second-teamer Reggie Upshaw Jr. (14.1 ppg/6.8 rpg) and third-teamer Giddy Potts (14.1 ppg/5.5 rpg) complete the Blue Raiders' Big Three, while C-USA All-Freshman Team honoree Tyrik Dixon has helped make the offense go with a team-high 95 assists. The Blue Raiders are averaging 74.2 points an outing and shooting 48.7 percent this season.
Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series against the Roadrunners, 3-1, including a 69-59 win on Feb. 2 in San Antonio.
Thursday's game can be heard live in the San Antonio area on Ticket 760 AM beginning with the pregame show at 11 a.m. Andy Everett will have the call.
Click here for complete game notes.
