SAN ANTONIO – Sophomore UTSA guards Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace – who combined to score 147 points in two games last week – have been named the Conference USA Players of the Week, it was announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
The dynamic UTSA scoring duo pieced together an electric performance in a pair of road games against teams vying for first place in the league standings. On Thursday, Jackson posted a career high 46 points, the third-most in a single game in UTSA history and the second-highest scoring output in C-USA annals.
In Saturday's win at Marshall, Wallace poured in a career-best 45 points, ranking fourth in UTSA annals in single-game scoring and third in C-USA history. A native of Dallas, Texas, Wallace also set new career highs in free-throws made (11), while going 15 of 24 from the field and 4 of 9 from behind the arc. He spurted out for 14 points in overtime in the win, helping the Roadrunners secure the win to stay in a tie for first place. In the game at Marshall on Thursday, Wallace went for 26 points.
On the year, Wallace is averaging 20.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, sporting 23.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in league play. Over his last five games, Wallace is averaging 29.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and 23.8 points and 6.4 rebounds over his last 10 games. Wallace sports 15.1 points per game in his career.
Over the week, Jackson averaged 38 points and five rebounds, adding three steals while averaging 43 minutes played in the pair of overtime thrillers. Wallace sported 35.5 points and six rebounds per game, playing 40.5 minutes over the two-game week on the road. After his 46-point outburst on Thursday, Jackson went for 30 points with nine rebounds in 42 minutes at Marshall on Saturday, playing through muscle cramps after logging 44 minutes on Thursday. Jackson was 13 of 25 from 3-point land during the week and 26 of 54 from the field.
Jackson, a native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, is averaging 23.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, totaling 25.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in conference play. Since having the minute restriction lifted following a season-ending injury during his 2017-18 C-USA Freshman of the Year campaign, Jackson is averaging 25.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing. He has scored at least 20 points in six straight games and in 16 of his 20 games in 2018-19. In his career, Jackson is averaging 20.3 points per game.
This marks the third C-USA Player of the Week honor for Jackson, who earned the accolade after a double-double in a win over SE Oklahoma State in on Dec. 29, and after a game-winning jumper in a win over North Texas on Jan. 12. Wallace, who averaged 11.4 points per game in 2017-18, was named C-USA Freshman of the Week three times last year.
UTSA (13-10, 7-3 C-USA) returns to action on Thursday, hosting FIU – the nation's fastest-paced team – at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+ with Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and Van Chancellor (color), and on radio via the Ticket 760 AM and goUTSA.com, with the Voice of the Roadrunners, Andy Everett calling the action.
- UTSA -
