San Antonio – Although the win didn’t fall where the Roadrunners wanted, the UTSA men’s basketball team (7-12, 1-5 AAC) took yet another top 25 American Athletic Conference team to the limit and overtime on Sunday against Florida Atlantic. The next game on the schedule is no less of an important matchup, as the quickly rising squad from Tulane comes to the Convocation Center on Wednesday night fresh off downing No. 10 Memphis at home. Wednesday is Suits and Sneakers for Cancer in coordination with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society with tipoff set for 7 p.m. and the game streamed live on ESPN+ alongside the radio broadcast Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket.
Suits and Sneakers for Cancer
The American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) are again teaming up for the 30th year of Coaches vs. Cancer. This week is about more than fashion, as the coaching community unites to end cancer as we know it for everyone. Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week is a nationwide event when basketball coaches across the country join together to raise awareness and bring attention to the cause throughout this week, suiting up and donning their most eye-catching sneakers.
Head coach Steve Henson knows the cause personally, as his family has been affected by cancer, and he is a member of the ACS’ national Coaches vs Cancer Council.
Big game on the court Wednesday, but an even bigger purpose for @CoachHensonUTSA as @UTSAMBB does Suits and Sneakers for Cancer with @CoachesvsCancer!#BirdsUp🤙| #RunnersPACE | #BlockCancer pic.twitter.com/gFi2K0JErM
— UTSA Men's Basketball (@UTSAMBB) January 22, 2024
There will be a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. A pair of team-issued shows signed by the team will be raffled at the game. "Today I Honor" signs with colors corresponding to cancers will be available for fans to fill out for those in their lives affected by cancer and there will be pregame moment of reflection for all those families and friends affected by cancer.
Here is the link to the page for UTSA fans to participate in the raffle/fundraiser: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/UTSA
Men's Basketball Tickets
Single-Game Tickets
UTSA Men’s Basketball Home Schedule
Direct Link: https://bit.ly/UTSATix
Single Game Adult Reserved: $13
Single Game Military/Youth (ages 3-18)/Senior (ages 65+): $11
Students: Free Admission with UTSA ID, download tickets at goUTSA.com/studentlogin.
On the Air and on the Web
Wednesday’s matchup between the Roadrunners and Green Wave will air live on the radio from the Convocation Center with Andy Everett (play-by-play) on the call, alongside Tim Carter (analyst). The radio broadcast will appear on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket and, as always, will feature a 30-minute pregame and 15-minute postgame show – available online at Ticket760.com or via the free iHeartRadio app.
The live stream of the game will run on ESPN+ for subscribers. Karl Schoening (play-by-play) and Devin Brown (analyst) will hold down the broadcast call.
UTSA Athletics will also provide LIVE STATS from the Convo.
Last Time Out
‣ The Roadrunners had the opportunity for the win against No. 23 Florida Atlantic, going ahead by three with just 24 seconds to go in regulation, but an untimely foul presented Johnell Davis with an attempt at three successful free throws, sending UTSA to its fourth overtime of the year after UTSA’s buzzer beater was off target at a 91-91 end of regulation.
‣ In the extra period, Florida Atlantic was able to pull away, outscoring the Roadrunners 21-12 in overtime to survive the upset scare. Just two weeks prior, UTSA pressed 13th-ranked Memphis into an extra period, but the Tigers got away in OT.
‣ Jordan Ivy-Curry was on a career-night tear, putting up 38 points for the most from a UTSA player since 2020, while shooting 50 percent from the field and also beyond the arc. He also had seven rebounds and a trio of assists. His scoring total was the most by a player in the AAC this season.
‣ UTSA made nine first-half threes to build a lead as high as 16 over the visiting Owls, but the perimeter shooting slowed to just three for the remaining 25 minutes, as FAU crept back from a five-point halftime deficit to force a swinging lead in the second half.
‣ The game featured nine lead changes and seven ties overall.
‣ The Roadrunners shot 49.3 percent from the field, 44.4 from the perimeter and 78.1 at the line to break out of an offensive slump the prior three halves against Charlotte and Tulsa. UTSA also outrebounded Florida Atlantic 42-38.
‣ Ivy-Curry’s AAC-topping performance ties for the 12th-most scored in the NCAA this season and marks his eighth double-figure performance in nine tries, his fifth game over 20 points this season and a career high.
‣ Meanwhile, Christian Tucker racked up his second double-double on points/assists, dishing out 12 dimes for the most assists since 2010 along with 19 points. Now for the 12th week in a row, Tucker ranks at No. 1 in the American Athletic Conference on 107 total assists (25th in NCAA) and 5.63 assists per game (28th in NCAA). Tucker also leads the league in free throw percentage at an NCAA 30th-best 88.9 percent.
‣ Leading the team at 19.4 ppg with the second-highest scoring average in the conference, Ivy-Curry is also registering the second-most assists at 3.89 apg behind Tucker and ties for the most rebounds (6.1 rpg) with Trey Edmonds.
‣ UTSA is a steady top-tier AAC scorer, ranking fourth in the league at 80.4 ppg as a team for the 50th-best NCAA scoring offense. Fueling that effort, the Roadrunners push the tempo with 13.00 fastbreak points per game and a league-leading three-point element. UTSA paces the AAC in threes per game (10.0) and long-range attempts per game (29.1), ranking 16th and 10th in the NCAA, respectively.
Series with Tulane
The Green Wave and Roadrunners will meet for just the fourth time on Wednesday and the first since 2014, when UTSA dropped a 56-68 decision in New Orleans on Feb. 22, 2014. UTSA trails 0-3 in the series and are 0-1 at home from the series opener in 1982.
Scouting Tulane
‣ Coming in at 12-6 but only 3-3 in conference play, the Tulane Green Wave have the hot hand in the AAC right now after taking down 10th-ranked Memphis in New Orleans on Sunday, 81-79.
‣ The Green Wave have a high-scoring lineup at their disposal, featuring five players the score in double-figures, culminating in the AAC’s top scoring offense at an NCAA seventh-best 85.8 ppg.
‣ Leading the way for Tulane, senior forward Kevin Cross is carrying the scoring load with an AAC fourth-best 17.3 ppg, while also clearing the boards with an AAC sixth-best 8.0 rpg and a team-high 79 assists (4.6 apg).
‣ Just behind him, Jaylen Forbes is scoring 14.8 ppg thanks to a team-high 44 three-pointers – taking the most shots on the team and shooting 40.4 percent overall. Sion James also has 14.3 ppg, hitting 32 from long range, while Kolby King brings 13.3 ppg and Collin Holloway has 12.8 ppg. The back end of the bench doesn’t produce a lot of minutes or points for Tulane.
‣ The Green Wave are among the lowest rebounding teams in the AAC at 30.06 per game but among the best protecting the ball at 11 turnovers per contest.
Up Next
The weekend will see UTSA travel to South Florida for a Saturday, Jan. 27 matchup with the Bulls in Tampa.
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