SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA women's basketball team will invite Northern Colorado into the Convocation Center on Thursday, with a 6:30 p.m. start in the First Round of the 2024 Postseason WNIT. Tickets for the event can be purchased at goutsa.com/wbbtickets, and doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with Karl Schoening providing play-by-play alongside analyst 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 (17-14, 10-8 The American) will compete in the WNIT for the first time in program history and will make their third national postseason appearance. UTSA is 0-2 all-time in the postseason, following first-round exits in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 NCAA Tournaments. In their last postseason bout, UTSA hung tough, taking No. 2 seed Baylor to overtime in Lubbock.
UTSA enters the event after a 55-54 semifinal loss against East Carolina in the 2024 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championships. The 'Runners advanced to play the Pirates with a 58-56 victory over South Florida in the quarterfinal round.
Senior Jordyn Jenkins was a standout performer at The American tournament, averaging 17.0 ppg, 10 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Classmate Kyra White also performed well, totaling 15 assists, with 9.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg.
On the season, White has logged the second-most assists in the AAC, working 4.8 apg, while her 1.59 assist/turnover ratio sits fourth, and her 34.7 minutes per game ranks third. Redshirt junior Elyssa Coleman worked the sixth most blocks in the league with 44 and collects 7.5 rpg for the 10-most in The American.
Nationally, the Roadrunners rank sixth with 44.9 rebounds per game and 16.1 offensive boards per game slot them eighth. They own a plus-8.7 rebounding margin that checks in at 11th on the NCAA leaderboard, and 28.8 defensive rebounds per game are 24th. Additionally, UTSA holds opponents to a 35.9% shooting clip, the 16th-best in the country, and 4.6 blocks per game are 31st.
The Bears (15-15, 10-8 Big Sky) will be in the postseason for the 13th time in their history and the seventh since joining Division I. Northern Colorado is set for its fifth WNIT appearance, having previously made the event in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2019 while compiling a 3-4 record.
UNC was unable to advance past the quarterfinals in the 2024 Big Sky Championships, falling 47-44 to Montana State. The squad wrapped up the regular season boasting a 43.3% shooting clip that led the league, including a 35.4% mark from beyond the arc. 18.4 free throw attempts per game also top the conference, while a plus-4.4 rebounding margin sits just behind fellow WNIT selection Northern Arizona.
Delaynie Byrne has excelled on the glass for UNC, snagging 8.0 rpg, the third-most in the league. She also connects on 75% of her free throws, the fifth-best in the Big Sky. Byrne is the squad's leading scorer with 13.6 ppg, and Hannah Simental and Aniah Hall also average double-digit points.
Show your support to the UTSA Women's Basketball team through the postseason by making a donation to the program's enhancement fund. All gifts to the program are 100% tax deductible and support necessary operational costs through this postseason run. Donations can be made here.
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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