HOUSTON – The UTSA women's basketball team opens a week-long road trip against Rice in Houston on Monday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (CT) from the Tudor Fieldhouse and will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Junior Jordyn Jenkins leads the conference in scoring with 293 points, averaging 19.5 per game. Jenkins also leads the team with 105 rebounds and 21 steals. Redshirt sophomore Elyssa Coleman has done a phenomenal job on defense with a team-high 22 blocks, also recording 95 rebounds. Junior Kyra White leads the Roadrunners with 65 assists, averaging 4.3 per game. White is sixth in the conference with a 1.59 assist/turnover ratio. Freshman Sidney Love has the second-most on the team in both points (141) and assists (33). UTSA is first in the conference with 7.1 rebound margin, outperforming its opponents by 600 rebounds to 494 rebounds.
LAST TIME OUT
The Roadrunners are coming off a 64-50 victory over Charlotte on Saturday. UTSA improved to a 4-11 overall record (2-4 in C-USA action) after the win. This marks head coach Karen Aston's first win over Charlotte, where she began her head coaching career (2007-2011).
Jordyn Jenkins led the team with her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 23 points and recording 11 blocks. Elyssa Coleman also put up double digits, scoring 16 points and just two rebounds (8) shy of a double-double. The two freshman point guards – Sidney Love and Madison Cockrell – recorded nine points apiece. Cockrell sank three three-point baskets, leading her to a career-high in scoring.
The Roadrunners capitalized on turnovers, scoring 18 points off of the 49ers' 18 turnovers. Charlotte scored just nine points on UTSA's 15 turnovers. The Roadrunners kept the 49ers out of the paint, only allowing them 14 points in the paint. UTSA doubled that as the Roadrunners scored 28 points in the paint. Although both the 49ers and Roadrunners both drew 14 fouls, UTSA found itself at the line more often for the first time this season. The Roadrunners went 15-for-16 at the charity stripe, while the 49ers had a 5-for-8 game at the free-throw line.
RECORD WATCHING
Jordyn Jenkins put up a career-high 37 points against UTEP on Jan. 11, 2023. The school single-game record is 41 points in a game by Tesha Smith against Florida Atlantic on Feb. 25, 2017. Jenkins currently has 293 total points this season. The program record is 583 points by Tammy Rogers in the 1990-91 season. Jenkins has averaged 19.5 points per game this season. The school record is 20.7 per game by Starlite Williams in 1986-87.
With 296 career wins, head coach Karen Aston is just four wins away from 300 career wins.
JINKIES FOR JENKINS
Jordyn Jenkins has been named the Conference USA Player of the Week three times this season – Nov. 28, Dec. 19, and Dec. 26. Scoring a career-high 37 points against UTEP on Jan. 11, Jenkins owns the conference single-game best this season. She leads the conference in multiple categories – field goal percentage (48.1), field goals (111), points (293) and points per game (19.5).
Newcomer Jenkins was named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, the first Roadrunner to earn that honor. The Becky Hammon Award was first given out in 2020 and aims to celebrate those playing in the 26 mid-major conferences.
Jenkins is a transfer from the University of Southern California, where she played the last two seasons. At USC, she led the team offensively in almost every category while starting in 26 of 28 games in 2021-22. Jenkins led the Trojans in total points (384/14.8 per game), free throws made (110) and field goals made (134). The Kent, Wash., native was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player, as well as earning All-Pac 12 Honors at the end of the season.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Rice holds a 11-4 record (2-4 in C-USA action) after a 73-62 win over UTEP on Saturday. The Owls were picked to finish fourth in the conference in the preseason C-USA Coaches' Poll. Senior forward Ashlee Austin was named to the preseason All-Conference Team. Rice ended the 2021-22 season with an 14-13 overall record, falling to Charlotte, 59-53, in the C-USA Quarterfinals to end its season.
Austin leads the Owls with 202 points, averaging 13.5 per game. Malia Fisher leads Rice with 114 rebounds and eight blocks. Destiny Jackson has a team-high 54 assists and 25 steals. Jackson was named the C-USA Player of the Week earlier in the season on Dec. 12, 2022. The Owls went undefeated (9-0) in non-conference play to start the season. Rice leads the conference with a 46.1 field-goal percentage. The Owls are also second in the conference and eight in the nation with 16.67 free throws made per game.
SERIES HISTORY VS RICE
The Owls hold the 14-10 advantage over the Roadrunners in the all-times series history. UTSA and Rice last played each other on March 5, 2022, when the Roadrunners fell to the Owls, 86-48, in the regular season finale. Elyssa Coleman led the team with 15 points and four blocks.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners continue their week-long road trip, heading to the Sunshine State for two more games. UTSA is set to play Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla., on Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. (CT), before heading to Miami to play FIU on Jan. 21 at 12 p.m. (CT).
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