MIAMI -- Keaton Wallace went for a season-high 33 points – his fifth career game with 30 or more points – leading UTSA men's basketball to an 87-80 win at FIU, on Friday night at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
UTSA (9-9, 5-6 Conference USA) outlasted FIU (9-11, 2-9 C-USA) behind the scoring output of Wallace, who had 33 points on 12 of 19 shooting, including 4 of 7 from the 3-point line, while going 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. He added seven rebounds and two steals in the win.
It marked Wallace's first 30+ point game of the year and the fifth of his career, as the senior guard had three 30+ point outings as a sophomore and one as a junior.
A native of Dallas, Texas, Wallace owns 1,928 career points, passing Devin Brown (1998-02) for second in UTSA career history. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder also passed Memphis standout Rodney Carney (2003-06) for 11th in C-USA history.
Wallace was joined by Jhivvan Jackson in double-figure scoring, with Jackson – a senior out of Bayamón, Puerto Rico – owning 22 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Junior Cedrick Alley Jr. turned in a season-high performance on the boards, grabbing nine rebounds and adding six points, one block and two steals. It marked his most rebounds since he grabbed 11 vs. Utah State as a member of Houston in 2018-19.
The Roadrunners also got a season-high eight points and two rebounds from Adrian Rodriguez, with Eric Parrish chipping in nine points, eight rebounds, one block and two steals.
UTSA owned a 47-39 lead at halftime after 20 first-half points from Wallace, with Jackson chipping in 14 as UTSA was 7 of 11 from 3-point range. The Roadrunners finished the game shooting 51 percent – including 8 of 18 from 3-point range. UTSA won the battle of the boards, 36-29, grabbing 11 offensive rebounds that amounted to 15 seconds-chance points.
FIU was led by 26 points from Antonio Daye Jr. The Panthers shot 51 percent and 29 percent from distance.
The series will conclude on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and Ticket 760 AM.
Wallace opened the scoring with a fadeaway jumper from the corner. FIU scored the next four points before Jackson got on the board inside the arc. Wallace answered a FIU bucket with a wing 3-pointer but FIU scored the next six points to take a 12-7 lead.
Rodriguez cut into the lead with a contact bucket in the paint in transition, Jackson tied it with a deep 3-pointer and Rodriguez finished a bucket in transition for a 14-12 lead.
Tevin Brewer regained the lead for the Panthers before Wallace finished a tough, contact layup in transition for a 16-15 lead with 13:20 left.
Jackson scored the next six, an acrobatic and-1 that saw him loft the ball up behind the backboard, and a transition 3-pointer. FIU answered with a bucket but Jordan Ivy-Curry drilled a wing 3-pointer for a 25-17 lead at the under-12 minute media timeout.
Wallace's lefty floater gave UTSA an eight-point lead and Jackson's transition 3-pointer stretched the lead to 32-19, forcing an FIU timeout.
Daye came out of the timeout and drilled a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 32-21. After a Wallace 3-pointer from the corner and a Rodriguez post-move bucket, FIU sank a pair of 3-pointers to cut the lead to 37-27 with five minutes left in the first.
Cedrick Alley Jr.'s fadeaway regained a double-digit lead for UTSA heading into the final media timeout of the first half.
Brewer ripped off a pair of drives to the basket on consecutive possessions and Daye finished in transition to give FIU a 12-2 run that cuts the lead to 39-34 with 2:32 left, forcing a use-it-or-lose-it timeout from Coach Steve Henson.
Wallace's and-1 out of the timeout gave UTSA a 42-34 lead and snapped the FIU run. Daye answered the Wallace bucket but Wallace responded with a 5-0 run, sinking a step-back 3-pointer and finishing in transition for a 47-36 lead.
Brewer snapped Wallace's run with his third 3-pointer of the half, with the Roadrunners taking a 47-39 lead into halftime. Wallace led all scorers with 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting, with three 3-pointers. Brewer added 15 points to lead FIU, who shot 59 percent in the first half. UTSA shot 59 percent and was 7 of 11 from distance.
Rodriguez got UTSA on the board to open the second after FIU scored the first four points of the half. FIU notched eight of the first 10 points before Wallace drilled a 3-pointer and Jackson sank a midrange jumper.
Javaunte Hawkins drilled consecutive 3-pointers to give FIU a 55-54 lead with 14 minutes left. After an Eric Parrish bucket, Hawkins sank a floater to give FIU a 57-56 lead. After a bucket from Dante Wilcox for FIU, Wallace sank a midrange jumper to cut the FIU lead to 59-58.
A pair of free throws from Ivy-Curry and a Parrish layup gave UTSA a 62-61 lead before Dimon Carrigan's bucket allowed FIU to retake the lead. Alley's offensive rebound putback gave UTSA a 64-63 lead and Jackson sank two at the line for a 66-63 lead.
Daye evened the game at 66 with his first 3-pointer of the game before UTSA ripped off an 8-0 run to take a 74-68 lead with five minutes left in regulation. Wallace executed a hard take to the rim on a mismatch to open the run, with Ivy-Curry's floater, Wallace's jumper and Parrish's putback giving UTSA a six-point lead.
After a Hawkins basket, UTSA scored the next four, getting two at the line from Alley and a putback from Parrish.
Wallace gave UTSA an 80-72 lead with a pair of free throws but FIU ripped off five straight before a Jackson floater gave UTSA an 82-76 lead. Daye immediately scored on the other end but Jackson was fouled with 56.6 seconds left, sinking both at the line for an 84-78 lead.
After a defensive rebound, Wallace was fouled with 41.5 seconds left, and sank both for an 86-78 lead. Carrigan's follow dunk cut the lead to 86-80 with 30 seconds left.
Parrish was fouled with 19.7 left in regulation, hitting one of two free throws for a seven-point lead. UTSA held off the FIU charge to finish off the win.
- UTSA -
