SAN ANTONIO – UTSA will conclude its three-game home stand on Saturday, January 21 when it welcomes in its second-straight opponent from the Sunshine State, FIU. Tomorrow's game is set to tip off at 3 p.m., will be streamed on ESPN+ and will be broadcast on Ticket 760 AM.
The Roadrunners (7-13, 1-8) have dropped their two other games this week, falling to Rice in overtime on Monday and falling to top-25-ranked Florida Atlantic on Thursday. FIU (8-11, 2-6 C-USA) will also try to stop a losing skid as it has dropped four straight heading into Saturday's contest.
Leading the Roadrunners
UTSA is led on offense by a quartet of double-digit scorers through 20 games of action. Leading the way is JUCO transfer Japhet Medor who churns out a team-high 13.7 points per game. Medor not only leads the team in scoring but also in assists (72) and steals (26) while pulling down 3.5 boards per contest – the third most by any Roadrunner. Medor has three 20+ point outings this season and scored a career-high 30 points against Rice on 1/16. Medor leads C-USA in free throws made and free throws attempted.
Flanking Medor in the backcourt is fellow JUCO newcomer guard John Buggs III. Buggs chips in 11.1 points per game and has scored in double-figures in nine of his last ten games. Through 20 games, Buggs is shooting a team-high 39.5 percent from downtown which is the fourth highest in C-USA. Buggs has two 20+ point outings this year and hit a buzzer-beating three against MTSU on Jan. 5. Freshman DJ Richards also averages double-digit points as the rookie has upped his average to 10.7 points per game. Richards, a two-time C-USA Freshman of the Week (D12, D19), is shooting the three ball at a 38.8% clip, the second-best on the team behind Buggs. Richards is second on the team in rebounding, pulling in 4.4 boards a game.
Senior stalwart Jacob Germany is the final double-digit scorer and averages 11.5 points per game. The fourth-year Roadrunner out of Kingston, Okla. is pulling in 7.7 rebounds per contest too, the second-most by any player in C-USA. Germany, a 2021-22 Conference USA All-Conference Honorable Mention, adds 12 total blocks to the team.
Overall, the Roadrunners are shooting 40.3 percent as a team from the field and holding foes to 44.3 percent. UTSA averages 68.0 points, 34.4 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 3.8 steals and 2.5 blocks per game as a team.
Scouting FIU
FIU is led by sophomore guard Denver Jones who pours in 18.9 points per contest. Jones, named the Conference USA Player of the Week on January 9, plays a team-high 32.8 minutes and leads the team in three-point percentage, shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc.
The team's lone other double-digit scorer, Arturo Dean, scores 11.9 points per game while also leading the Panthers in rebounds per game (4.2), assists (52) and steals (44). Dean is the back-to-back C-USA Freshman of the Week, joining Roadrunners guard DJ Richards as the lone back-to-back award winner this season.
FIU's post duo of Seth Pinkney and Mohamed Sanogo lead the Panthers in the block department as each have 22+ blocks on the season, placing them both in the top six of the conference.
Overall, the Panthers are shooting 46.4 percent as a team from the field and holding foes to 44.3 percent. FIU averages 71.4 points, 32.4 rebounds, 12.3 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.2 blocks per game as a team.
Series History
Saturday's game between UTSA and FIU will be the 15th all-time meeting between the two schools and the final one as conference mates. The Roadrunners hold the all-time advantage, having won eight of the previous 14 contests. UTSA is 3-3 against the Panthers in contests played in San Antonio. Steve Henson is 6-2 against FIU during his tenure at UTSA.
Up Next
After three-straight home contests, UTSA will be back on the road in its next action, heading north to Denton, Texas to face off with the North Texas Mean Green on Thursday, January 26. Next Thursday's contest is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m., will be televised on ESPNU and will be streamed on Ticket 760 AM.
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