SAN ANTONIO – Coming off a thrilling buzzer-beater victory over Middle Tennessee where UTSA claimed its first C-USA win of the season, the Roadrunners will welcome Western Kentucky to the Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon. Saturday's game is scheduled to tip at 3 p.m., will be streamed on Stadium and will be broadcast on Ticket 760 AM.
UTSA (7-8, 1-3 C-USA) will look to make it two in a row as the Roadrunners snapped a three-game losing streak in their thrilling win over MTSU. Western Kentucky (8-6, 0-3 C-USA) has lost five straight and has been without head coach Rick Stansbury for the last three contests as he has been sick.
The Roadrunners will look to improve their home record under head coach Steve Henson, as UTSA is 7-3 at the Convocation Center this year. In Henson's tenure, UTSA is a combined 71-31 at home.
Leading the Roadrunners
UTSA is led on offense by a quartet of double-digit scorers through 15 games of action. Leading the way is JUCO transfer Japhet Medor who churns out a team-high 13.1 points per game. Medor not only leads the team in scoring but also in assists (61) and steals (23) while also pulling down 3.7 boards per contest – the second most by any Roadrunner. Medor has three 20+ point outings this season.
Flanking Medor in the backcourt is fellow JUCO newcomer guard John Buggs III. Buggs chips in 10.7 points per game and has scored in double-figures in six of his last seven games. Through 15 games, Buggs is shooting a team-high 42.4 percent from downtown which is the third highest in C-USA. Freshman DJ Richards also averages double-digit points as the rookie has upped his average to 10.1 points per game. Richards, a two-time C-USA Freshman of the Week (D12, D19), is shooting the three ball at a 37.3% clip, the second-best on the team to Buggs.
Senior stalwart Jacob Germany is the final double-digit scorer and averages 11.7 points per game. The fourth-year Roadrunner out of Kingston, Okla. is pulling in 7.6 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, ranking tenth among all conference players.
Overall, the Roadrunners are shooting 40.6 percent as a team from the field and holding foes to 44.2 percent. UTSA averages 69.3 points, 35.2 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 4.1 steals and 2.8 blocks per game as a team.
Scouting Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky is led by 2021-22 C-USA first-teamer Dayvion McKnight who averages the sixth most points in the conference with 17.1. McKnight has made 86 field goals, the second most of anyone in C-USA and is shooting 48.9% from the field.
Not only does McKnight lead the team in scoring, but the junior also has the most assists on the team with 60 and the most steals with 26.
Supporting McKnight are two 6-8 forward. Emmanuel Akot, a Boise State transfer, pours in 11.6 points a game while Maryland transfer Jairus Hamilton chips in 10.9 points per contest. Rounding out the starting lineup is sharpshooter Luke Frampton, the best three-point shooter in the conference who hits 50% of his shots from deep, and 7-5 big man Jamarion Sharp. Sharp leads the team in rebounding with 6.4 and leads the country in blocks, averaging 4.4 by himself a game.
Overall, the Hilltoppers are shooting 45.9 percent as a team from the field and holding foes to 39.7 percent. WKU averages 74.1 points, 35.1 rebounds, 14.6 assists, 6.4 steals and 5.9 blocks per game as a team.
Series History
Saturday's game between the Roadrunners and the Hilltoppers will be the eleventh meeting between the two schools all-time. The Hilltoppers hold the advantage, owning a 7-3 record against UTSA. Western Kentucky has won three straight games and three of the last five meetings have gone to overtime. In games played in San Antonio, UTSA is 1-3 versus WKU.
Up Next
After its two-game homestand against MTSU and WKU, UTSA will be back on the road as it travels to UTEP for a Wednesday night matchup with the Miners. Wednesday's game on January 11 will tip at 8 p.m., will be streamed on ESPN+ and will be broadcast on Ticket 760 AM.
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