SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA women's basketball team is set to host Wichita State on Saturday, with a 2 p.m. tipoff marking the first home American Athletic Conference contest since joining the league. As a part of the game, a special ticket package allows fans to not only receive admission into the Convocation Center but a limited-edition UTSA camouflage shirt for $19 at the following link: https://utsa.spinzo.com/?group=utsa-salute-to-troops-qe9x
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with Karl Schoening providing play-by-play alongside Carlie Heineman. Neal Raphael will deliver the radio call in the greater San Antonio area on The Bull 93.3 FM and worldwide on the iHeartRadio app.
The Roadrunners (6-7, 0-2 AAC) are still searching for their first win in league play, last falling to the reigning AAC Tournament Champions East Carolina on Tuesday.
In the effort, sophomore Madison Cockrell dropped a career-high 13 points at a 50% clip, while redshirt junior Elyssa Coleman was not far behind with 11. Senior Kyra White tied a Pirate for the highest assist total in the game with seven, while classmate Nissa Sam-Grant hauled in the most rebounds on the squad with six.
UTSA serves as The American's leader in rebound margin, hauling in 11.2 more boards than the opposition, a figure that sits 21st nationally. They also top the AAC with 45.5 rebounds per game, the 13th-most in the NCAA. The 'Runners also rank inside the top 25 with 5.1 blocks per game, slotting them 24th and second in The American.
Nobody in the AAC boasts more blocks per game than Coleman, who swats 1.69 shots each time out. White joins her as a league leader, playing 34.7 minutes per game. White also ranks fourth among the league's top passers, dishing out 56 assists thus far, and sophomore Sidney Love's 83.7% free throw percentage represents the second-best in the conference.
Love, White, and Coleman all remain in the double-digit scoring club, with Love dropping 10.9 points per game, White 10.6, and Coleman 10.4. Coleman tops the squad with 7.1 rebounds per game, while Love and sophomore Maya Linton are tied for the team lead in steals per game, each averaging 1.5.
Meanwhile, the Shockers (5-9, 1-1 AAC) have split their first two AAC games, picking up a narrow 63-60 victory over Tulane before falling at Rice 76-64. WSU boasts the reigning conference Player of the Week in the form of Tre'Zure Jobe, who scored 21 points in the win over the Green Wave.
The Shockers have picked up five wins thus far under first-year head coach Terry Nooner, a highly decorated coach who spent the 2019-20 season working under UTSA head coach Karen Aston at Texas and helping the Longhorns to a 19-win season that was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
WSU has yet to pick up a road victory this season, falling to solid squads in No. 23 Oklahoma, Belmont, Missouri State, and the Owls away from Charles Koch Arena. Looking to bounce back on Saturday, the Shockers boast four double-digit scorers, with Jobe pacing the squad at 12.6 points per game. Not far behind, Sierra Morrow averages 12.2 each time out, Daniel Abies 12, and Salese Blow 10.4.
Abies is WSU's top rebounder, collecting 7.1 rebounds per game, while Jobe hauls in a team-high 2.9 assists per game and Morrow 1.4 blocks per game.
Keep up with UTSA Women's Basketball all season long on goutsa.com and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSAWBB, X (Twitter) @UTSAWBB, and on Instagram @UTSA_WBB.
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