- Junior Jhivvan Jackson ranks second in the nation in points per game (27.3).
- Roadrunners lead C-USA in scoring.
- Junior Keaton Wallace ranks third in C-USA with 18.7 points per game.
- UTSA travels to ODU on March 4.
SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA men's basketball team will return to the Alamo City to host UAB on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
The game will be broadcast live on CUSA TV, with Andy Everett (play-by-play) and Tim Carter (analyst) calling the action for the Roadrunners Sports Network. UTSA fans can also hear the game live on The Bull 93.3/92.5 and goUTSA.com.
UTSA (12-16, 6-9 Conference USA) will face UAB (17-12, 8-8 C-USA) in a rematch of a Jan. 30 meeting at the Convocation Center where the Blazers won, 76-68. The Roadrunners come into the outing after suffering a 80-71 loss at Florida Atlantic on Thursday, despite a 38-point outing from Jhivvan Jackson.
Jackson enters the game with the Blazers as the nation's No. 2 leading scorer at 27.3 points per game. The junior guard set the program standard for season and career scoring during UTSA last home game, an overtime thriller vs. Western Kentucky. He averages 5.8 rebounds per game and sports a team-leading 43 steals. Jackson has scored 30 or more 11 times in 2019-20 and owns 25 – in 28 games – outings with 20 or more points.
On Saturday, Marquette senior guard Markus Howard upped his average to a nation-leading 27.6 points per game, passing Jackson for to pace the NCAA.
Joining Jackson as the nation's No. 2 scoring duo is junior guard Keaton Wallace. A native of Dallas, Texas, Wallace averages 18.7 points per game – second in C-USA – and 4.6 rebounds per outing.
Junior forward Luka Barisic averages 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, with junior guard Knox Hellums chipping in 5.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Freshman center Jacob Germany averages 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while senior forward Atem Bior averages 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
Senior forward Byron Frohnen has made a program-leading 128 starts in his career and sits a game shy of tying Nick Allen for the program record in games played. Frohnen averages 7.1 rebounds per game and adds 3.6 points per outing. Freshman point guard Erik Czumbel chips in 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
The Roadrunners average a league-leading 78.2 points per game, shooting 42.5 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from 3-point range and 76.2 percent from the free-throw line. UTSA averages 39.3 rebounds per game, 12.6 assists, 12.9 turnovers and 5.9 steals per game, swatting 2.7 shots per outing.
UAB (17-12, 8-8 C-USA) enters the outing in San Antonio after posting a win over Marshall in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday night. UAB has won three of its last four games, including a sweep of Middle Tennessee. The Blazers have averaged 67.2 points, 37.1 rebounds, 10.4 assists, 14.8 turnovers, 5.9 steals and 2.8 blocks per game in 2019-20. UAB has shot 45.4 percent as a team and 32.3 percent from range, holding foes to 42 percent from the field and 33.4 percent from 3-point range.
UAB has been paced in scoring by a pair in double figures, including Jalen Benjamin (12.8 points per game) and Tavin Lovan (12.7). Lovan adds 4.5 rebounds per game, with Tyreek Scott-Grayson chipping in 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Makhtar Gueye paces the club with 5.2 rebounds per game, adding 6.9 points per outing.
UAB leads the all-time series with UTSA, 5-3, with UTSA holding a 3-2 advantage in games played in San Antonio. UTSA has won three of the last five meetings with the Blazers.
UAB posted a 76-68 win over the Roadrunners on Jan. 30 at the Convocation Center in what was UTSA's worst rebounding night of the year. The Roadrunners, who lead the conference in rebounds per game, saw UAB own a 46-24 margin in rebounds in the game, holding UTSA to 42.4 percent shooting from the field and 10 of 28 from 3-point range. UAB shot 48.3 percent with just three made 3-pointers. UTSA held a 36-34 lead at halftime but UAB outscored the Roadrunners 42-32 in the final stanza for the win. UTSA got 26 points and three rebounds from Keaton Wallace and 20 points and five boards from Jhivvan Jackson. UAB had three players in double figures, including 19 points from Tavin Lovan, 18 from Will Butler – on 8 of 10 shooting – and 11 points and five boards from Antonio Ralat. Senior forward Byron Frohnen set the UTSA career rebounding record in the final minutes of the game, grabbing four boards.
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