SAN ANTONIO -- Jhivvan Jackson had a team-leading 31 points to lead four in double figures, highlighting a 90-68 win for UTSA men's basketball over Wiley College in the home opener for the 2019-20 season, on Friday night at the Convocation Center.
UTSA (1-5) used a pair of runs to post the home-opening win over Wiley College, ranked No. 22 in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Roadrunners used a 12-0 stretch in the first and used a game-deciding 26-10 run midway through the second half to take the lead up over 20 points to secure the win.
Jackson, a preseason pick to win Conference USA Player of the Year by Blue Ribbon Yearbook, had 31 points and three assists in the win. It marked the ninth game in Jackson's career with 30 or more points and his second in 2019-20.
Jackson was joined by three additional Roadrunners in double figures, including a 14-game game from Keaton Wallace, who added a career-high tying five steals, seven assists and five rebounds.
Freshman point guard Erik Czumbel made his first career start after coming off the bench for the first five games of his career. Czumbel, a native of Verona, Italy, added 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. UTSA also got 11 points and six rebounds from senior Atem Bior, with junior Luka Barisic adding nine points and seven rebounds. Freshman center Jacob Germany finished with six points and three rebounds, blocking a pair of shots.
Taylor Grogan put up 30 points for Wiley, hitting 12 of 22 shots and four 3-pointers.
The Roadrunners finished the game shooting 47.8 percent from the field, including a 11 of 31 mark from 3-point land. UTSA owned a 43-34 margin in rebounding and had assists on 22 of its 33 made baskets. UTSA owned a 25-9 margin in points off turnovers and a 28-7 lead in second-chance points. UTSA's bench outscored Wiley's 25-1.
UTSA will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 30, hosting 2018-19 NCAA Tournament team Prairie View A&M at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The game will be broadcast live on CUSA TV and the Roadrunners Sports Network, with Jay Howard calling the action on The Bull 93.3/92.5 FM.
Jackson got the scoring started with a pair of 3-pointers and after Wiley got on the board he answered with a long two from the wing for an 8-2 lead in the opening four minutes. The Wildcats answered with seven points to take an 11-9 lead on a 3-pointer from Taylan Grogan. Knox Hellums got the Roadrunner back on top with his first 3-pointer of the night, taking UTSA's lead to 12-11 with 12 minutes left. The Hellums triple sparked a 12-0 run and forced a timeout, with Wallace hitting a triple and Germany cleaning up three rebounds for offensive put-backs.
Out of the timeout, UTSA added to the lead with two buckets from Czumbel, a 3-pointer from the wing and a basket at the rim, owning a 26-16 margin at the under-eight-minute media break. Wallace finished an open 3-pointer on a find from Jackson and Czumbel completed a driving lay-in as the lead ballooned to 33-18.
Wiley College answered with a 13-2 run to cut the lead to 35-31 with two minutes left. A basket from Bior took the halftime lead to 39-31, with the Roadrunners shooting 41.7 percent from the field, with assists on nine of their first 15 made shots.
UTSA stretched the lead to double figures out of the break, getting a nifty find from Jackson for a Barisic bucket at the rim. Wallace and Jackson got buckets in the paint to take the lead to 45-38. Wiley rallied, getting baskets at the rim from Jerrell Doorbal and Grogan to cut the lead to 47-46 with 13:46 left in regulation, forcing a timeout from UTSA head coach Steve Henson.
Bior got UTSA's first bucket out of the timeout, a driving layup, and Wallace swiped a ball on the defense end and turned it into two for a five-point lead. After an offensive rebound and putback from Bior, UTSA's run continued to 6-0 to take a 53-46 lead with 10:33 left. Barisic found Czumbel in the corner for his second 3-pointer for a 57-48 lead and Jackson splashed a jumper for a 59-48 lead to take the run to 12-2 over a four-minute stretch. A Barisic and-1 took the lead into double figures and a Wallace steal led to a Jackson run out and a 64-52 lead with 6:30 left. Baskets from Wallace, Bior and Barisic led to a 6-0 run and a 70-54 lead with just over four minutes left. Jackson then put a finishing touch with a triple in transition for a 9-0 run and a 73-54 lead.
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