SAN ANTONIO -- Sporting a six-game winning streak and boasting the best start to league play in 28 years, UTSA faces fellow league unbeaten North Texas on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
The game is slated for a broadcast on ESPN+ and a radio broadcast, available on Ticket 760 AM and goUTSA.com, at approximately 2:30 p.m. with the Voice of the Roadrunners, Andy Everett, calling the action. The broadcast also can be heard live via the free iHeartRadio app and online at goUTSA.com/mbb_audio.
UTSA Roadrunners (9-7, 3-0 C-USA) vs. North Texas Mean Green (16-1, 4-0 C-USA)
3 p.m. • Jan. 12, 2019
Convocation Center • San Antonio
Live video: ESPN+ | https://plus.espn.com
Radio: Ticket 760 AM | goUTSA.com/mbb_audio
Live stats: https://goutsa.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Series vs. UNT: UNT leads, 10-5
Headlines and Storylines
• UTSA enters its tilt on Saturday with league front-runner North Texas having won six consecutive games and are seeking to equal a seven-game streak, most recently done by the 2008-09 team.
• The Roadrunners are 3-0 in league play for the first time in 28 years (1990-91) and are seeking to equal the program record 4-0 start done in 1988-89.
• UTSA is in the midst of its best 11-game stretch (9-2) since an 11-game winning streak in 1989-90. The Roadrunners won a program-record 13 straight games in 1983-84.
• A pair of dynamic sophomore scoring guards pace the UTSA offensive attack, in Keaton Wallace and Jhivvan Jackson. Jackson leads the team with 20.8 points per game – in just 26.6 minutes per game – while Wallace leads the team with 33.8 minutes per game and owns 18.3 points per outing.
• After Jackson, the reigning C-USA Freshman of the Year, suffered a season-ending injury late in 2017-18 and missed the first three games of the season, all UTSA losses, Jackson returned on a minutes restriction for the next five outings before being inserted in the starting lineup over the last eight games. During his last eight game, UTSA is 7-1 and Jackson is averaging 23.3 points in 31.8 minutes per game.
• In a win on Thursday vs. Rice, senior forward Nick Allen went for a career-high 20 points, adding five rebounds. UTSA also got a season-best 19 points from Giovanni De Nicolao, with the junior guard adding seven assists, five rebounds and two blocks.
• Over its six-game winning streak, UTSA is averaging 78.7 points per game, outscoring opponents by 12.7 points, shooting 44.5 percent from the field.
• Steve Henson, the reigning C-USA Coach of the Year, is in his third year at the helm of the Roadrunner and is 43-41 at UTSA.
Scouting the Mean Green
• North Texas enters the matchup with UTSA having won 16 of its 17 games to open the year and own eight consecutive wins.
• UNT's impressive wins include a road tilt over New Mexico in non-conference action and league wins over Rice, Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss and UTEP. On Thursday, UNT posted a 58-51 win over UTEP.
• The Mean Green have been led in scoring by junior guard Ryan Woolridge, a 6-foot-3 native of Mansfield and a transfer from San Diego, who is averaging 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Umoja Gibson, a 6-1 freshman guard out of Waco, averages 12.8 points per game. Zachary Simmons, a 6-10 sophomore from Abilene, is averaging a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game, collecting 11.9 points per outing. A senior 6-3 guard out of Michigan City, Ind., Michael Miller is averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Roosevelt Smart averages 11.1 points per game and Jorden Duffy sports 9.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
• UNT's lone loss came in a 73-57 setback at Oklahoma, one of three common opponents with UTSA. The Roadrunners lost 87-67 on Nov. 12 vs. Oklahoma.
• UNT ranks as the league leader in scoring margin, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage, ranking second in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense.
Series History
• UTSA trails the all-time series with North Texas, 15-10, including a 7-6 hole in games played in San Antonio.
• UNT has won four consecutive meetings in the series, after UTSA swept the two games in 2014-15.
• Since the teams became C-USA foes (2013-14 season), UNT leads, 5-2.
A win would ...
• Improve UTSA to 10-7 and give the Roadrunners wins in 10 of their last 12 games
• Put UTSA to a school-record 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 1988-89
• Make the Roadrunners 556-551 (.502) all-time in program history
• Extend UTSA's winning streak to seven games, its longest since a seven gamer in 2008-09
• Cut the UNT lead in the series to 10-6
• Snap a four-game losing streak vs. the Mean Green
Best starts in conference play
• The Roadrunners are off to a 3-0 mark in conference play, its best start to a league season in 28 years (1990-91).
• UTSA's school-record for a start to conference play came with a 4-0 opening in 1988-90, including wins over Centenary, HBU, Little Rock and Samford, before a loss vs. Georgia State in Trans America Athletic Conference action.
Best 11-game stretch in 30 years
• UTSA is 9-2 over its last 11 games, which marks its best 11-game stretch since winning 11 straight in 1989-90.
Six-game winning streak
• The Roadrunners are riding the fifth-longest winning streak in program history entering the matchup with UNT.
• UTSA's six-game winning streak is its longest since winning seven straight in 2008-09.
• UTSA has 13 all-time winning streaks of at least six games.
• Over the course of the six-game streak, UTSA is averaging: 78.7 points, 44.5 percent from the field, 34.7 from 3-point land, 39.2 rebounds, 13.3 assists and nine steals per outing.
C-USA Bonus play
• Conference USA rolled out an innovative scheduling format for the 2018-19 league contests. The new C-USA schedule format will see the 14 teams play each other once and their travel partner twice in the first seven weeks of the conference season. Following the first 14 league contests, teams will be placed into one of three groups based on their conference standing. The teams will be divided into two groups of five (1-5 and 6-10) and a group of four (11-14). During the final three weeks, teams will play four games (two home/two away) within their respective grouping. Home and away matchups will be determined by the preset formula.
Clutch-time free throws
• At the charity stripe when the game is on the line, over the last five minutes and in overtime, Jhivvan Jackson is 13-for-14 and Keaton Wallace is 10-of-11. Jackson has 38 points (2.9 points per final five minutes) and Wallace 45 (2.8 points per final five) over the final five minutes in 2018-19. In their two-year careers, Jackson is 46 of 58 (89 percent) and Wallace is 35 of 42 (85 percent) from the charity stripe in the final five minutes and overtime.
• Junior Atem Bior has gone 8-of-9 at the charity stripe over the last five minutes during the year.
Topping the century mark
• Twice in 2018-19 UTSA has reached 100+ points in a game, with the Roadrunners owning a 41-7 all-time record when reaching the century mark.
• UTSA owns a 104-74 win over Mid-America Christian and a 101-77 win over Bethany College.
• It marks the first time UTSA has topped 100 points twice in a single season since a pair of overtime losses in the 1996-97 season. The last time the Roadrunners topped 100 points twice in a season without the benefit of overtime came during the 1992-93 season.
First off the bench
• UTSA freshman guard Adokiye Iyaye has been the first player off the bench in a team-high eight games in 2018-19.
• Iyaye has emerged as UTSA's go-to sixth man, averaging 18.8 minutes and 5.4 points per game. A 6-foot-3 guard out of Oklahoma City, Okla., Iyaye has become a defensive stopper on the perimeter for the Roadrunners.
Third season of the Steve Henson era
• The 2018-19 season marks the third of the Steven Henson era at UTSA. Henson, who came to the Alamo City from Lon Kruger's staff at Oklahoma, has guided the Roadrunners to a 42-41 overall mark to this point. Under Henson's tutelage, UTSA won a program-best 11 Conference USA contests last season and picked up UTSA's second consecutive Conference USA Tournament win. Moreover, Henson coached Jhivvan Jackson to C-USA Freshman of the Year and Deon Lyle to league Sixth Player of the Year.
Jackson a scoring machine
• 2017-18 Conference USA Freshman of the Year Jhivvan Jackson made his return from a season-ending injury a year ago at the Gulf Coast Showcase on Nov. 19-21. The sophomore guard averaged 13.7 points in limited minutes (15.0 mpg) in the three neutral-site contests. Jackson drained nine 3-pointers and dished out five assists to help the Roadrunners to a 1-2 record, including scoring 21 on the strength of five treys to help UTSA to a 76-65 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on the final day of the tournament.
• In UTSA's win at Houston Baptist, Jackson went up to 21 minutes, collecting 21 points on a career-high 11 free throws. Days later in a rivalry matchup with Texas State, Jackson got off to a sluggish start but finished with a flourish, owning a team-high 22 points and connecting on five 3-pointers. In a non-conference win over Mid-America Christian, Jackson poured in 28 points.
• With UTSA off to a sluggish, post-Christmas-break start vs. SE Oklahoma State, Jackson put together career highs in points (32) and rebounds (10) in his first career double-double, earning C-USA Player of the Week accolades.
• Jackson's 40-minute averages are staggering: 31.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He is averaging 0.78 points per minute.
• Jackson is averaging 31.8 minutes, 23.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game since returning to the starting lineup. He had a streak of eight straight games with at least 20 points, the second-longest streak in program history, just shy of Derrick Gervin's nine straight in 1984-85. His current streak stands at 20-or-more points in 10 of the last 11 games.
• The second-team all-conference selection set the UTSA freshman scoring record with 534 points and led the team with 18.4 per game. He shot 43.1 percent from the field for the season and tallied three 30-point, 14 20-point and 25 double-figure scoring performances.
Sophomore Wallace a Steady Scorer
• Sophomore guard Keaton Wallace has emerged as a steady scoring option for UTSA through the first 16 games this season. The Dallas native ranks second on the team with 18.3 points per game and he has paced the team in points in seven of the 15 contests. Wallace has reached double figures 13 times, including back-to-back 20-point showings against UC Irvine (23) and South Dakota State (21) and has had a career high six 20+ point games in 2018-19.
• Wallace was blistering hot in a win over Mid-America Christian on Dec. 8, setting career highs in points (35), 3-pointers (nine), rebounds (nine) and blocks (three). His nine treys marked the second-most in UTSA single-game history.
• In a matchup with rival Texas State on Dec. 1, Wallace logged a career-high 39 minutes, collecting 19 points.
• In a pair of wins over UTEP to open league play, Wallace posted a game-high 23 points on Jan. 3, with eight rebounds and a career-high four blocks, before going for 16 points and four boards in the win on Jan. 5.
• A 2017-18 Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection, Wallace averaged 11.4 points in 35 games last season.
Elite Guard Play
• UTSA's two dynamic sophomore guards, Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace have shouldered the scoring load in 2018-19. While Wallace has been a fixture in the lineup, with team highs in minutes (33.8) and ranking second in points per game (18.3). Jackson returned from injury to come off the bench in five straight games before making the last eight consecutive starts as his minutes restriction has been lifted. The duo is averaging 39.1 points per game, accounting for 52 percent of UTSA's offensive production
• Since Jackson's return to the playing rotation on Nov. 19 vs. UC Irvine – the fourth game of the season – Wallace is averaging 19 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per outing, with the pair combining for 53 percent of UTSA's scoring punch over the last 11 games.
Frohnen Near-Double-Doubles
• Junior forward Byron Frohnen has opened the season with six near misses at registering a double-double, missing by no more than three points or rebounds. In a win at HBU, Frohnen set a career high with 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting. In a thriller vs. Texas State, Frohnen grabbed 12 rebounds and earned a season-high 13 boards in a win over UTEP.
• Frohnen has totaled seven double-doubles in his 84 games and has missed 23 others by three or fewer points or rebounds.
Trio among most-used in UTSA history
• Senior Nick Allen is leaving a large mark on the program over the course of his career. He has played in 115 games and started 85 in his career, ranking eighth in starts and fourth in games played.
• Juniors Byron Frohnen and Giovanni De Nicolao also rank among the tops in program history in starts, checking in 10th.
Allen More than Muscle
• Nick Allen has emerged as a threat from virtually anywhere on the floor, as the Surprise, Ariz., native is averaging 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game to go along with 15 assists through the first 16 contests. The 6-foot-8 forward is third on the team with 19 3-pointers and he is shooting at a 72-percent clip at the free-throw line.
• He turned in the best outing of his career in a win over Rice, totaling a career-best 20 points, including a career-high four threes, with five rebounds.
• Allen opened the campaign with 15 points and eight rebounds against St. Edward's and he also has scored in double figures against Oklahoma (15), South Dakota State (12), Florida Gulf Coast (13), Bethany (12), SE Oklahoma State (12), UTEP (11) and on the road at UTEP (14).
• Allen is just 11 rebounds shy of becoming the 10th member of the UTSA 500+ rebound club.
The Maestro runs the point
• Junior point guard Giovanni De Nicolao recorded his first career double-double in his 70th career game as the Italian scored 12 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds against Oklahoma on Nov. 12. De Nicolao made four shots from the field, including two threes, and connected twice from the free-throw line. His 10 rebounds consisted of two offensive boards and eight on the defensive glass.
• De Nicolao posted a season-high 19 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a win over Rice, adding a career-best two blocks and a steal.
• In a win at UTEP, De Nicolao was a well-rounded force with eight rebounds, seven points and three assists.
• De Nicolao is averaging 7.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and a team-high 3.4 assists per game this season.
Defending home court
• Under head coach Steve Henson, UTSA has posted a 27-10 record at the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners went 11-3 at home in 2016-17 and 12-4 in 2017-18.
• Prior to the last two seasons, UTSA last posted consecutive 11-win home seasons when the program went 11-3 in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 as members of the Southland Conference.
• The 1991-92 team was the last Roadrunners squad to win more than 12 games at the Convocation Center, finishing 14-1.
Yo, Adrian!
• After suffering a season-ending knee injury in last year's opener, redshirt freshman Adrian Rodriguez is medically cleared for the 2018-19 season.
• Before suffering the injury, the 6-foot-7 forward from Tulsa, Okla., scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench against East Central.
• The 6-foot-7 big man played 12 minutes against St. Edward's in the season lid-lifter, collecting five rebounds and dishing out a pair of assists. He followed that performance with six points and four boards in 16 minutes against Oklahoma. Rodriguez recorded five points in 10 minutes versus UC Irvine and two points and two boards in the victory over FGCU.
84 straight starts
• Juniors Byron Frohnen and Giovanni De Nicolao are projected to make their 85th consecutive starts on Saturday vs. UNT. The first two signees of head coach Steve Henson in Spring 2016 have started all 84 games of their careers. Frohnen has started at both the small and power forward positions, while De Nicolao has been the stalwart at point guard.
3-Point Record in 2017-18
• After making just 172 3-pointers all of 2016-17, the 2017-18 Roadrunners set the UTSA single-season team record with 353. The previous record was 272 by the 2011-12 squad.
• The Roadrunners' 10.1 triples per game led Conference USA and ranked 19th in the NCAA.
• UTSA's 353 makes last season ranked fifth on the Conference USA single season list. The conference record is 375 by the 2007-08 Houston Cougars.
• Deon Lyle (who elected to depart the program to pursue a professional career in the Junior Basketball Association after his junior season), Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace led the Roadrunners from deep with 96, 77 and 74 made triples, respectively. Junior point guard Giovanni De Nicolao made 36 and senior big man Nick Allen stepped out to hit 33 threes, which was 13 more than his first two seasons combined.
• Led by Wallace's 54 3-pointers, UTSA has made 128 threes through the first 16 contests this season, an average of 8.0 per game. Jackson and Wallace rank as the top two players in C-USA in three-point attempts in 2018-19.
753 straight with a Trey
• UTSA has made at least one 3-point field goal in each of its last 753 consecutive games, which ranks as the 21st-longest streak in the nation. The last time the Roadrunners failed to connect from long range came on Jan. 5, 1994, in a 91-69 loss to Texas (0-for-6). To put the time frame in perspective: Bill Clinton had not yet completed his first full year as POTUS, Hero by Mariah Carey was on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Mrs. Doubtfire was the No. 1 movie in the box office and the Dallas Cowboys were 15 days from winning Super Bowl XXVIII, 30-13, over the Buffalo Bills.
Frohnen on the Boards
• Junior forward Byron Frohnen leads UTSA and ranks sixth in Conference USA with 7.4 rebounds per game through the first 16 contests.
• The Las Vegas native has reached double figures on the boards in four games with 10 in the season opener against St. Edward's and 11 at Oklahoma State. In a rivalry tilt vs. Texas State, Frohnen grabbed 12 boards, adding 12 boards vs. Arkansas. Frohnen added a season-best 13 rebounds in a win over UTEP.
• Frohnen's 592 rebounds in 84 career games is seventh on the UTSA career list. He sits behind Bruce Wheatley (1987-90) for sixth (668) in career history.
• Frohnen is the ninth member of the UTSA 500+ rebound club.
Henson Awarded Contract Extension
• The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved on May 1 a contract extension for UTSA head men's basketball coach Steve Henson that will run through the 2023-24 season.
• The contract extends Henson's original deal an additional three seasons and raises his base salary from $280,000 to $325,000 per year.
Up Next
• The Roadrunners will travel to face Middle Tennessee on Thursday, tipping off in Mufreesboro, Tenn., at 6:30 p.m. CT, with the game broadcast live on ESPN+ and on Ticket 760 AM with the Voice of the Roadrunners, Andy Everett calling the action.
- UTSA -
