RUSTON, La. – The UTSA women's basketball team takes a quick trip to Ruston, La., to face Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. (CT) at Thomas Assembly Center and will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Junior Jordyn Jenkins leads the conference in scoring with 385 points, averaging 20.3 per game. Jenkins also leads the team with 142 rebounds and 28 steals. Redshirt sophomore Elyssa Coleman has done a phenomenal job on defense with a team-high 33 blocks, while also recording 121 rebounds and 168 points (second on the team in both categories). Coleman owns the top single-game blocks in the conference this season, recording a high of six blocks against FIU on Jan. 21.
Junior Kyra White leads the Roadrunners with 78 assists, averaging 4.2 per game. White is seventh in the conference with a 1.44 assist/turnover ratio. Freshman Sidney Love has the second-most assists on the team (39) and third-most points (164). UTSA is first in the conference with a 6.7 rebound margin, outperforming its opponents by 770 rebounds to 642 rebounds.
LAST TIME OUT
The UTSA women's basketball team battled back from a fourth quarter 10-point deficit but fell to North Texas, 54-51, on Thursday night in San Antonio at the Convocation Center.
Jordyn Jenkins recorded her 11th 20-point scoring game this season, putting up 27 points along with 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the 2022-23 campaign. Defensively, Elyssa Coleman led the team with two blocks. Kyra White collected a team-high three assists, paired with eight boards.
The Roadrunners and Mean Green played evenly in the paint as both teams scored 24 points in the paint. UTSA had an advantage with 16 second-chance points and 13 points scored on fast breaks. The Roadrunners struggled on the field, only shooting 30.2 percent compared to the Mean Green's 35.6 percent.
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 385 total points this season. The program record is 583 points by Tammy Rogers in the 1990-91 season. Jenkins has averaged 20.3 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 (47.9), field goals (137), points (385) and points per game (20.3).
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 LADY TECHSTERS
Louisiana Tech holds a 12-8 record (5-5 in C-USA action) following a 67-62 win over UAB on Jan. 26. The win was Louisiana Tech's 600th all-time win at home, becoming just the fifth women's basketball program to achieve this milestone. The Lady Techsters were picked to finish second in the preseason C-USA Coaches' Poll. Senior guard Keiunna Walker and junior forward Anna Larr Roberson were both named to the preseason all-conference team.
Walker leads the Lady Techsters with 340 points, averaging 17.0 per game. She leads the conference with 104 free throws on 131 attempts. Silvia Nativi is the team-leader with 71 assists and 21 steals. She leads the conference with a 2.45 assist/turnover ratio. Louisiana Tech leads the conference with the least fouls per game (15.6).
SERIES HISTORY VS LOUISIANA TECH
The Lady Techsters holds a 16-6 advantage over the Roadrunners in the all-times series history. UTSA and Louisiana Tech last played each other on Dec. 29, 2022, when the Roadrunners fell to the Lady Techsters, 62-57, in its conference opener. Jordyn Jenkins led the team with 21 points, while Elyssa Coleman recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners return home for a pair of games next week, starting with a Feb. 2 matchup against Western Kentucky. The Thursday game is the National Girls and Women in Sports Day and Title IX Recognition Game, set to tip-off at 7 p.m. (CT).
-UTSA-
