SAN ANTONIO -- Riding a five-game winning streak and seeking its first 3-0 start to conference play in 28 years, UTSA will host Rice at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, at the Convocation Center.
The game will air on ESPN+ (subscription required). Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and Jim Haller (analyst) will have the call. The game also can be heard live on Ticket 760 AM with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 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 (8-7, 2-0 C-USA) vs. Rice Owls (7-9, 2-1 C-USA)
7 p.m. • Thursday, Jan. 10
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. Rice: UTSA leads, 8-5
Promotions
• Rowdy's Kids Club Day
• Throwback Thursday (80's Night)
• Family Thursday (FREE youth ticket for every adult ticket purchased)
• Postgame Autographs
• Selma Day
• Locke Hill and Leon Springs Elementary Day
Headlines and Storylines
• UTSA enters its home conference tilt with Rice having won five consecutive games, its longest streak since 2011-12. A win on Thursday will equal the 2010-11 team's six straight wins.
• The Roadrunners are in search of their first 3-0 start to league play since the 1990-91 season.
• Trailing by 10 points in the second half on Saturday at UTEP, UTSA raced back to take a 67-63 win. It marked UTSA's second-largest comeback win of the year (down 11 at HBU). Of UTSA's 34 points in the second half, sophomore guards Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace combined for 25.
• A pair of dynamic sophomore scoring guards pace the UTSA offensive attack, in Wallace and Jackson. Jackson leads the team with 20.5 points per game – in just 26 minutes per game – while Wallace leads the team with 33.8 minutes per game and owns 18.4 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 seven games.
• The Roadrunners are seeking their third consecutive win over Rice and sport an 8-5 all-time lead in the series with the Owls.
• Jackson ranks second in C-USA in points per game, with Wallace checking in sixth. Junior forward Byron Frohnen ranks sixth in C-USA in rebounds per game (7.8).
• Since Jackson returned to the rotation, UTSA is 8-4, and 5-1 with him as a starter.
• Steve Henson, the reigning C-USA Coach of the Year, is in his third year at the helm of the Roadrunner and is 42-41 at UTSA.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is a direct-to-consumer (no cable or satellite subscription needed) streaming service that costs $4.99 per month. As part of the launch, ESPN+ was integrated as part of a completely redesigned ESPN app (and also via http://ESPN.com). Subscribers will receive thousands of additional live events, and original shows and films, and an on-demand library, which is not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. ESPN+ is not included with your cable/satellite subscription, and ESPN+ does NOT include other ESPN content (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ESPN3, etc). It is a completely standalone subscription. For more information and to subscribe, please visit http://plus.espn.com.
Scouting the Owls
• Rice enters the game riding a two-game winning streak, posting a 73-65 win over Southern Miss in the league lid-lifter before a 78-66 win on Saturday vs. Louisiana Tech. Rice has wins over Saint Leo, Alabama A&M, Northwestern State, St. Edward's and UTRGV in non-conference action.
• Common opponents between UTSA and Rice includes Texas State, a 74-60 winner in San Marcos vs. Rice on Nov. 28.
• Rice is averaging 75.8 points per game, shooting 43.8 percent from the field, 34 percent from behind the arc and sporting 36.6 rebounds, 13.8 assists and 12.8 turnovers per game.
Rice is led in scoring by freshman guard Chris Mullins, who owns 12.9 points per game in 27.3 minutes. Junior guard Ako Adams averages 12.7 points per game and 2.8 rebounds, with 6-foot-6 junior Robert Martin coming off the bench in all 16 games with 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds. Jack Williams, a 6-8 graduate transfer out of Pacific University, leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game, adding 10 points per outing.
Series history
• UTSA leads the all-time series with Rice, 8-5, including a 5-1 mark in games played in San Antonio.
• The series started with consecutive meetings from 1982-84, resuming in 1986 and 2008 before the teams became C-USA foes in 2014-15.
• UTSA leads 4-3 in the series as conference foes.
• UTSA swept the two meetings in 2017-18, a 79-66 win in the conference opener before the new year and a 79-60 win in the regular-season finale in Houston.
A win would ...
• Improve UTSA to 9-7 and give the Roadrunners wins in nine of their last 11 games
• Put UTSA at 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 1990-91
• Make the Roadrunners 555-551 (.502) all-time in program history
• Extend UTSA's winning streak to six games, its longest since 2010-11
• Give UTSA a 9-5 lead in the series with Rice, including a 6-1 mark in games in San Antonio
• Give UTSA its third consecutive win over Rice
• Make head coach Steve Henson 3-1 vs. Rice
Best starts in conference play
• The Roadrunners are riding a 2-0 mark entering the tilt vs. Rice and are seeking their best start to a conference season since 1990-91, which would equal a program record.
• UTSA's last 2-0 start to a conference season came in 2013-14, finishing the year 4-12 in league play.
• The Roadrunners opened the 1990-91 season with a 3-0 record before falling in their fourth game of the year. UTSA also went 3-0 to open league play in 1988-89 before falling in its fourth game of the year.
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 8-of-9. Jackson has 38 points (3.2 points per final five minutes) and Wallace 41 (2.7 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 33 of 40 (85 percent) from the charity stripe in the final five minutes and overtime.
• Junior Atem Bior has gone 5-of-6 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 18.9 minutes and 5.3 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
• 2018 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: 31.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He is averaging 0.79 points per minute.
• Jackson is averaging 31.4 minutes, 23.1 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 nine of the last 10 games.
• 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.
• 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 15 games this season. The Dallas native ranks second on the team with 18.4 points per game and he has paced the team in points in seven of the 15 contests. Wallace has reached double figures 12 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.
• 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 (18.4). Jackson returned from injury to come off the bench in five straight games before making the last seven consecutive starts as his minute restriction has been lifted. The duo is averaging 38.9 points per game, accounting for 52 percent of UTSA's offensive production per game.
• Since Jackson's return to the playing rotation on Nov. 19 vs. UC Irvine – the fourth game of the season – Wallace is averaging 19.8 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per outing, with the pair combining for 52.9 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 83 games and has missed 23 others by three or fewer points or rebounds.
Allen among most-used players in UTSA history
• Senior Nick Allen is leaving a large mark on the program over the course of his career. He has played in 114 games and started 84 in his career, ranking ninth in starts and fifth 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 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game to go along with 14 assists through the first 15 contests. The 6-foot-8 forward is third on the team with 15 3-pointers and he is shooting at a 72-percent clip at the free-throw line.
• 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 seven 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.
• In a win at UTEP on Saturday, De Nicolao was a well-rounded force with eight rebounds, seven points and three assists.
• De Nicolao is averaging 6.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and a team-high 3.2 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.
Seven new birds
• Seven newcomers will don the UTSA Blue and Orange for the first time in 2018-19, including four freshmen, a sophomore and two transfers.
• The freshmen class is composed of Texas high school products Tamir Bynum (Lamar HS), Mateo Escheik (Prestonwood Christian Academy) and Austin Timperman (The Woodlands HS), along with Oklahoman Adokiye Iyaye (Oklahoma City/Putnam North HS).
• Sophomore Christian Plummer joined the team as walk-on out of Coppell HS.
• Junior college transfer forward Atem Bior (New Mexico Military Institute) is joined by four-year transfer Knox Hellums (Pepperdine) as newcomers to the junior class. Hellums is required to sit out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer policies.
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.
83 straight starts
• Juniors Byron Frohnen and Giovanni De Nicolao are projected to make their 84th consecutive starts on Thursday vs. Rice. The first two signees of head coach Steve Henson in Spring 2016 have started all 83 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 52 3-pointers, UTSA has made 116 threes through the first 15 contests this season, an average of 7.7 per game. Jackson and Wallace rank as the top two players in C-USA in three-point attempts in 2018-19.
752 straight with a trey
• UTSA has made at least one 3-point field goal in each of its last 752 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 fifth in Conference USA with 7.8 rebounds per game through the first 15 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 591 rebounds in 83 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 host North Texas (15-1, 3-0) on Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Convocation Center, with tipoff slated for 3 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+ with Lincoln Rose and Jim Haller calling the action. Andy Everett, the Voice of the Roadrunners, will have the call on Ticket 760 AM and on goUTSA.com.
