MORAGA, Calif. – Fueled by Marcus Millender’s 21 points and 24 more from Primo Spears the UTSA men’s basketball team (3-4) came roaring back in the second half at (RV) Saint Mary’s (8-1) on Tuesday at University Credit Union Pavilion, pushing the Gaels into overtime before falling short in a heartbreaker, 82-74, after nearly shocking SMC following a 23-point comeback.
With prominent west coast powerhouse Saint Mary’s entering the game at No. 24 in the latest NET rankings and receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll, the Gaels took the Roadrunners to task early. Though Spears gave UTSA an early lead with a three in the opening moments, Saint Mary’s claimed a 30-7 starting margin to open the game, as UTSA went 2-for-16 from the field through the first 12 minutes of action. Making the comeback task even taller, the Roadrunners were whistled for 12 of their 13 first-half fouls in the first 13 minutes of action.
Trailing by 23, Millender pulled up from beyond the arc and halted UTSA’s scoring drought at 7:44 and scored on the next time up the court. Jonnivius Smith grabbed a steal and added a dunk, then Millender crowded the Gaels on the press and pushed the ball ahead to Spears for the layup as the Roadrunners got in business with an 11-1 run. The Gaels and Roadrunners traded scores as the half expired and went into the break with a 39-25 SMC advantage.
The Roadrunners methodically chipped away at the deficit in the second half, beginning their first rally attempt as Damari Monsanto dropped back-to-back triples that trimmed the SMC advantage to nine points in the first three minutes of the half. However, Saint Mary’s pushed back and reestablished a 19-point lead just five minutes later. As UTSA ramped up its defensive effort, Millender took over once again, using Monsanto’s steal for a fast break layup to end a scoreless stretch – following up with a three off his own steal and another swipe and score layup the next two trips up the floor, sparking the Roadrunners once again. Monsanto drained a second-chance three that brought the deficit to seven with 6:11 remaining as UTSA outscored Saint Mary’s 21-3 over a seven-minute rush.
With just 2:12 on the regulation clock, Spears hit back-to-back free throws against the full audible force of the Saint Mary’s crowd, tying the game at 63-all. The Roadrunners had the opportunity for the lead after pressing Jordan Ross into firing the ball into the front row to avoid a backcourt, but the next UTSA shot was off target. Ross got a shot at redemption on the other end, making just the front end of a one-and-one, but Luke Barrett put down the second-chance shot to go back up three. Millender drove the lane with 30 seconds on the clock and then fouled Ross on the inbound. Again, Ross made just one free throw, but this time Monsanto snatched the board. Coming out of a time out, Spears delivered with a pull-up fade that knotted the score at 67 with 6.7 seconds remaining. The defensive effort sent the game to overtime as Ross’ final attempt fell shy of the bucket with time expiring.
In the extra period, the Gaels scored on three consecutive possessions, while the Roadrunners couldn’t keep their offensive momentum going. Both Spears and Smith cut the lead to three in back-to-back opportunities, but a converted foul on Mitchell Saxon’s layup with 1:44 left essentially closed the door on UTSA’s third comeback as Saint Mary’s finished the job at the line to secure the 82-74 win.
Millender notched a season-high 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting, adding three rebounds, three assists and three steals. With 24 points, Spears secured his sixth game of 20+ in seven games, going 6-of-6 at the line and registering three assists. It’s the first time this season for UTSA with two players over 20 points. In his first game back since Nov. 16, Jaquan Scott racked up a career-high 14 rebounds, in addition to nine points.
Going toe-to-toe with one of the top rebounding teams in the country, UTSA tied Saint Mary’s with a 46-46 split on the boards.
WHAT'S NEXT
After returning to the Lone Star State, UTSA will next travel to Fayetteville to face John Calipari’s highly-lauded Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, Dec. 7 at historic Bud Walton Arena.
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