UTSA falls short against Middle TennesseeUTSA falls short against Middle Tennessee
Jeff Huehn/UTSA Athletics
Women's Basketball

UTSA falls short against Middle Tennessee

SAN ANTONIO - The UTSA women's basketball team (2-13, 0-3 C-USA) dropped its Conference USA home opener against Middle Tennessee (9-7, 1-2 C-USA) on Thursday, falling by a score of 62-47 at the Convocation Center. Sophomore Marie Benson led all scorers for the Roadrunners with 13 points in the setback.
 
The conference game saw senior Crystal Chidomere register her 800th career point while fellow senior Billie Marlow recorded a career-best seven points. Middle Tennessee saw three players in double-digits led by Jess Louro with 15 points.

Turning Points
The Roadrunners opened the game with a 6-0 burst to grab a 9-2 advantage but the Lady Raiders closed the opening quarter on a 13-0 run to take a 15-9 lead. UTSA outscored MTSU, 12-11, in the second quarter, including four points from Chidomore and Benson. However, eight UTSA turnovers kept the Roadrunners from finding the equalizer as Middle Tennessee took a 26-21 lead into the break. Middle exploded for 16 points in the third quarter and solidified the victory with 20 points in the fourth.
 
Inside The Numbers

  • The Roadrunners were 39 percent shooting from the floor, while Middle Tennessee finished at 37.3 percent including a 7-of-14 effort in the in the fourth.
  • Both squads registered 32 rebounds each, with the Roadrunners paced by a game-high nine rebounds from Marie Benson.
  • The Birds finished with 11 steals and five blocks while the Lady Raiders finished with 10 steals and two blocks.
  • UTSA committed 23 turnovers, with Middle Tennessee finishing with a 20-13 edge in points off turnovers.
  • The Roadrunners led the Lady Raiders 28-20 in points in the paints and 24-23 in bench points.

News and Notes

  • Crystal Chidomere recorded her 800th career-point against the Lady Raiders. With a total of 802 career-points, she ranks 21st among UTSA top-50 scorers.
  • Billie Marlow registered a career-high seven points.
  • The Roadrunners fall to 0-5 against Middle Tennessee and 0-2 all-time at home in the series.
  • Marie Benson finished with a game-high nine rebounds and now she has a squad-best 115 rebounds on the year.

Up Next
The Roadrunners continue their home swing when they host Old Dominion on Saturday at the Convocation Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.