SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA women's basketball closed the 2018-19 season in a 72-46 loss to No. 24 Rice on Thursday at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners finished the season 7-21 overall and 2-14 in C-USA action.
Rice scored first, but a 3-pointer from Ryann Stearns put UTSA in the lead, 3-2. Rice tied up the game at three from a free throw at the 8:31 mark. Neither team scored until 7:48 when Erica Ogumike made a jumper. Rice was ahead by four, but Stearns followed to bring the score within two, 5-7. Kourtney Kekec scored her first points of the game with a layup as the Roadrunners continued to trail by two (7-9). The Owls went on a 5-0 run to increase the gap to seven (7-14).
A 3-pointer from Kekec brought the Roadrunners back within four (12-16), but Rice continued to score as it led 21-12 after the first.
The Owls started the second quarter with a 6-0 run. Karrington Donald made her first 3-pointer of the game at 5:24 as UTSA trailed by 10. Charlotte Ellmore followed with another 3-pointer at the 3:06 mark. The Owls led 41-24 at the half. The Roadrunners shot 66.7 percent from the arc in the quarter.
Tija Hawkins scored eight points in the third, leading the Roadrunners. Rice went on another 5-0 run as the lead increased to 23. The Roadrunners shot 31.3 percent from the field as the Owls led 56-34 going to the fourth.
Back-to-back shots from Haylee Swayze opened the fourth quarter. Kourtney Kekec made a 3-pointer at the 6:29 mark. Hawkins reached double-digits (10 points) with 5:19 remaining. The Owls continued to find the basket as they shot 50 percent from the field. Ryann Stearns scored the final basket of the game with a 3-pointer with three seconds left on the clock.
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