MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The UTSA women's basketball team is set to open their first road trip of the conference schedule against the Conference USA leader Middle Tennessee on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Junior Jordyn Jenkins leads the team and conference in scoring with 219 points, averaging 19.9 per game. Jenkins also leads the team with 17 steals and 77 rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Elyssa Coleman has done a phenomenal job on defense with a team-high 17 blocks (1.55 per game), while also collecting 74 rebounds. Junior Kyra White leads the Roadrunners with 48 assists, also recording 12 steals and nine blocks. White is fourth in the conference with a 1.69 assist/turnover ratio. Freshman Sidney Love has earned the starting point guard spot in every game so far, second-most on the team in both points (109) and assists (24).
UTSA is first in the conference with 4.3 blocks per game. The Roadrunners have outperformed their opponents by 437 rebounds to 354 rebounds with a conference-best 7.5 rebounding margin.
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. The junior forward has led UTSA in scoring in all but two games so far. Jenkins leads the conference with 219 points scored and 19.9 per game.
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 last season. Jenkins led the Trojans in total points (384/14.8 per game), free throws made (110) and field goals made (134). She had 173 rebounds, the second most on the team. 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.
LAST TIME OUT
The Roadrunners are coming off a 71-68 victory over UAB on Saturday (Dec. 31, 2022). UTSA owns a 3-8 overall record (1-1 in C-USA action) after the win. Down by nine points going into the final quarter, the Roadrunners exploded for 25 points to fight their way back. Freshman Siena Guttadauro and Sidney Love each sank three three-point baskets. With nine seconds left on the clock and the game tied, Jordyn Jenkins fired a three-pointer to lead UTSA to a 71-68 win.
Love broke out in her best game yet this season, scoring a team-high 23 points and contributing seven rebounds. Jenkins was the other double-digit scorer in the game, notching 13 points. Kyra White led the team with 10 rebounds and nine assists. The Roadrunners took advantage of second-chance opportunities, scoring 26 points from them. The bench squad of Elyssa Coleman, Love, Maya Linton, Kyleigh McGuire and Guttadauro exploded for 42 points against the Blazers.
SCOUTING THE LADY RAIDERS
Middle Tennessee holds a 10-2 record (3-0 in C-USA action) after an 80-75 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday (Dec. 31, 2022). The Lady Raiders were picked to win the conference in the preseason C-USA Coaches' Poll. Savannah Wheeler, Courtney Whitson and Kseniya Malashka were named to the preseason all-conference team. Middle Tennessee ended the 2021-22 season with a 27-8 overall record, falling in the C-USA semifinal match to Louisiana Tech. The Lady Raiders then earned a bid into the WNIT, where they advanced far but eventually fell to Seton Hall in the semifinal to end their season.
Middle Tennessee leads the conference in a few different categories – 79.8 free throw percentage, 18.75 free throws made per game, and 17.0 scoring margin. Malashka, who was named the C-USA Player of the Week this week, leads the Lady Raiders with 202 points scored and 26 blocks this season. Wheeler has a team-high 41 assists, while Jalynn Gregory leads the team with 24 steals. Whitson leads the conference with 8.1 rebounds per game, totaling 99 rebounds on the season.
SERIES HISTORY VS MIDDLE TENNESSEE
The Lady Raiders hold an 8-0 advantage over the Roadrunners in the all-times series history. UTSA and Middle Tennessee last played each other on Dec. 30, 2021, when the Roadrunners fell to the Lady Raiders, 85-56. Hailey Atwood started the game and contributed five rebounds in 26 minutes played, while Elyssa Coleman recorded nine points and three rebounds off the bench.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners conclude their first road trip of the conference season at Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Ky., on Saturday. Tip-off against the Lady Toppers is set for 1 p.m. at E.A. Diddle Arena.
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