FRISCO, Texas – Jacob Germany's double-double, a furious run from Keaton Wallace and an 18-point first half from Jhivvan Jackson, led UTSA men's basketball to a 72-62 win over Charlotte in the second round of the Conference USA Championships, on Wednesday night at The Star in Frisco.
UTSA (15-10) built a 15-point lead at halftime behind a 22-9 run to close the period and then used a stingy defensive effort to polish off the win, getting several key buckets from Wallace during a key stretch in the second half.
Germany had 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in his fifth double-double of the year.
UTSA got 20 points from Keaton Wallace, including 11 in the second half, connecting on 9 of 19 shots and two 3-pointers, adding six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal. Wallace has now scored 2,050 career points, moving into a tie for 487th in NCAA history, passing notable names including Kentucky's Javk Givens, Central Michgan's Dan Majerle and UConn's Rip Hamilton.
Jackson, the No. 2 all-time scorer in league history and the 54th all-time scorer in NCAA history, had 18 points – all in the first half – adding nine rebounds and six assists. Jackson has scored 2,546 career points, passing Utah's Keith Van Horn and Furman's Frank Selvy among other notable names on the NCAA's all-time scoring list.
UTSA also got eight points from C-USA All-Freshman Team selection Jordan Ivy-Curry.
The Roadrunners held Charlotte to just 31 percent from the field, making just 17 of 54 shots. UTSA won the battle of the boards, 40-37 and points in the paint, 32-20. UTSA shot 45 percent in the win, with assists on 17 of its 29 made buckets.
Charlotte (9-16) was led by its all-conference guard, Jahmir Yong, who had 19 points and four rebounds. Jordan Shepherd had 20 points.
The Roadrunners will return to action on Thursday, facing Eastern Division Champion and No. 1 seeded Western Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. on Stadium/Fox Sports.
After Charlotte sank a free throw to open the game, Jackson drilled a midrange jumper from the wing. Wallace took the lead to 5-1 with a corner 3-pointer but Charlotte scored the next five to take a 6-5 lead into the first media timeout.
Jackson answered a Charlotte bucket with his first 3-pointer and then responded to another 49ers bucket with a midrange jumper for a 10-9 lead. He took the lead to 13-9 after a corner 3-pointer.
Wallace drilled a foul-line jumper for a six-point lead and Jackson took the lead to 17-10 with a floater from the line. After a quick 5-0 Charlotte run, Ivy-Curry got on the board with a jumper from the elbow.
After the 49ers cut the lead to 19-17, UTSA ripped off 14 of the next 16 points to take a 33-19 lead, getting a pair of buckets from Wallace, four points from Germany – including a hook shot after an offensive rebound from Eric Parrish – a Jackson midrange jumper, a pair at the line from Jackson and a Jackson transition layup.
Jahmir Young snapped UTSA's 10-0 run with a pair at the free-throw line and added a bucket in the paint to narrow the lead to 10. Erik Czumbel responded with a coast-to-coast take to the rim and Phoenix Ford was found cutting the rim by Jackson for a 37-23 lead.
Germany took the lead to 39-24 and Ivy-Curry beat the buzzer with a layup at the rim for a 41-26 lead at the half. Jackson led all scorers with 18 points at the break, with UTSA shooting 47 percent and Charlotte held to 28 percent.
Germany answered a Charlotte basket with an open dunk and his hook shot snapped four quick 49ers points. A 3-pointer cut the UTSA lead to 45-35 with 15:26 left in regulation. Out of the media timeout, Germany finished a take to the rim for a 47-35 lead.
The 49ers run to open the second half continued to 14-6 as Young drilled a 3-pointer and the 49ers finished in transition to cut the lead to 47-40.
Germany kept UTSA in front with a pair of buckets, as the lead went to 51-42 after his 10th points of the second half. CLT's 25-12 run to open the half cut the lead to 53-51 before Wallace got hot, with three straight buckets for UTSA for a 62-53 lead.
Wallace's floater got the lead back to 64-53 with four minutes left. Eric Parrish was found open in transition by Jackson for a dunk and a 66-55 lead with 3:22 left.
After one at the line from Young, Wallace responded with a drive and finish, giving him 11 points in the half and stretching UTSA's lead to 68-56.
Young hit a pair at the line on the next possession, narrowing the lead to 68-58 with 90 seconds left in regulation.
A turnover from the Roadrunners led to a run-out layup from CLT, cutting the lead to 68-60. Czumbel was fouled on the other end after four Charlotte fouls got UTSA in the bonus, sinking both free throws for a 70-60 lead with 56.1 seconds left.
Ivy-Curry was fouled with 36 seconds left, stretching the lead to 72-60.
- UTSA -
