SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA men's basketball team will face an early season test this Friday, Nov. 11, when it heads to Corpus Christi to face off with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Friday's game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on Ticket 760 AM.
UTSA (1-0) is looking to start the year 2-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. The Roadrunners are hitting the road for their lone November road contest before a six-game homestand. UTSA and TAMU-CC (0-1) will meet for the second straight season for a November contest. Friday night's contest will not be played at the Islanders main arena and will instead be hosted on campus at the Dugan Wellness Center.
UTSA opened the season strong against Trinity, winning 74-47 over the Tigers. Sophomore forward Josh Farmer had a career-high 17-point, 12-rebound double-double performance to notch the first of his career. The Roadrunners held the Tigers to 30% shooting from the field and forced 15 turnovers.
Leading the Roadrunners
Through one game of action, Farmer leads UTSA in both rebounds and points, recording his first-ever double-double amidst setting multiple career highs. Jacob Germany has remained a constant presence in the post, as the fourth-year big man out of Kingston, Okla. Poured in 15 points and six rebounds, recording his 44th game where he scored in double figures.
JUCO transfers Japhet Medor and John Buggs III were as advertised. Medor tallied seven dimes to pair along with five points and five rebounds to lead the team in assists as he was in complete control of the offense. Though it's just one game, Buggs shot 40% from beyond the arc, going 2-5 and led the team from deep.
The bench was a major bright spot in the opening action as UTSA got 42 points from its reserves to help spell the starters. Sophomore forward Lamin Sabally has been productive off the bench as he went for six points and eight rebounds in Monday's season-opener.
Scouting the Islanders
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi enters Friday night's game having lost its season opener to Mississippi State, 63-44. The Islanders represented the Southland Conference in the NCAA Tournament last season, earning a 16 seed and facing off with Texas Southern in the play-in game held in Dayton, Ohio.
In year two of Steve Lutz, TAMU-CC returns its top six contributors from a year ago, including leading scorer and rebounder Isaac Mushila. Flanking Mushila will be guards Simeon Fryer, Jalen Jackson and Terrion Murdix. In the paint, Mushila's running mate, De'Lazaru Keys returns as well.
Murdiz led the Islanders in scoring in their opening game, tallying 10 points. Murdix also led the team in assists with four and he pulled down five rebounds. Mushila went for eight points and six boards with two blocks. The Islanders played nine players in the opening game, expanding from their eight-man rotation a year ago.
Series history
UTSA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will meet for the 27th time in program history this Friday. The Roadrunners and Islanders are evenly split, each having each won 13 of the 26 previous appearances. In a matchup that dates back to 1999, UTSA has won three of the last four against TAMUCC. In the previous meeting, 11/21/21, the Islanders got the better of UTSA, winning 77-58. UTSA is 6-6 in games played in Corpus Christi against the Islanders.
Up next
After its first road test of the season, the Roadrunners return home to face the St. Mary's Rattlers on Monday, Nov. 14 at the Convocation Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on CUSA.tv and broadcast on Ticket 760 AM.
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