BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The UTSA women's basketball team closes out its first conference road trip at Western Kentucky on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. (CT) at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Junior Jordyn Jenkins leads the team in scoring with 227 points, averaging a conference-best 18.9 per game. Jenkins also leads the team with 17 steals and 79 rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Elyssa Coleman has done a phenomenal job on defense with a team-high 18 blocks (1.50 per game), while also collecting 75 rebounds. Junior Kyra White leads the Roadrunners with 50 assists, averaging 4.2 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 (111) and assists (26). UTSA is first in the conference with 7.1 rebound margin, outperforming its opponents by 482 rebounds to 397 rebounds.
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 three games so far. Jenkins leads the conference with 18.9 points 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 80-41 loss to conference leader Middle Tennessee on Thursday. UTSA fell to a 3-9 overall record (1-2 in C-USA action) after the loss. Senior Queen Ulabo led the team in scoring with 14 points, just one shy of tying her career high. She also led the Roadrunners with seven rebounds and two steals. Splitting time at point guard, Sidney Love and Kyra White had a team-high two assists each. Maya Linton was tied with Ulabo for a team-high seven rebounds. The Roadrunners were outplayed in almost every category but held onto the rebound lead, outrebounding the Lady Raiders by 45 rebounds to 43 rebounds.
SCOUTING THE LADY TOPPERS
Western Kentucky holds a 4-8 record (1-2 in C-USA action) after an 84-76 loss to North Texas on Thursday. The Lady Toppers were picked to finish sixth in the conference in the preseason C-USA Coaches' Poll. Western Kentucky ended the 2021-22 season with an 18-12 overall record, falling in the C-USA second round to UAB to end their season.
Western Kentucky leads the conference with 29.2 three-points attempts per game. Jaylin Forster leads the Lady Toppers with 127 total points, averaging 10.6 per game, 75 rebounds, 27 steals and four blocks. Foster is fourth in the conference with a 1.76 assist/turnover ratio. Alexis Mead has a team-high 37 assists.
SERIES HISTORY VS WKU
The Lady Toppers hold a 6-2 advantage over the Roadrunners in the all-times series history. UTSA and Western Kentucky last played each other on Feb. 13, 2022, when the Roadrunners fell to the Lady Toppers, 81-70. Queen Ulabo, Hailey Atwood and Elyssa Coleman all earned starts and scored in double digits with Ulabo scoring a team-high 12 points.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners return home next week, hosting UTEP on Jan. 11. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (CT) at the Convocation Center.
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