SAN ANTONIO––On Wednesday, the UTSA women’s basketball team took down UAB, 67-56 in American Athletic Conference action, and in doing so, have tied the 1985-86 season for the best start through 13 games in program history. The ‘Runners also collected their eighth straight win in the Convocation Center, which ties the third-longest stretch, and UTSA has won their first two conference contests for the first time since 2009-10 when the squad was a member of the Southland.
The Roadrunners (11-2, 1-0 The American) bested the Blazers (9-5, 0-2 The American), as junior Sidney Love tallied a game-high 19 points at a 50% clip and seven assists. Graduate student Nina De Leon Negron paced the contest in rebounds with eight to go with seven points and six assists, while redshirt senior Jordyn Jenkins scored 16, pulled down seven boards and boasted two blocks. Freshman Damara Allen charted a career-high 11 points courtesy of three triples, and junior Cheyenne Rowe had eight points.
UTSA started hot, with multiple Love makes bookending a 9-0 run that opened the contest. UAB tickled the twine for the first time with 5:43 remaining in the first frame, but Rowe responded swiftly using a three-pointer for a 12-2 advantage. Love followed that up with a trey of her own, and a later sophomore Idara Udo layup capped the quarter with the ‘Runners leading, 20-9.
UAB came racing back in the second, as a 12-3 surge trimmed their deficit to two. Allen halted their run with a jumper, and Udo buried a pair of freebies to regain a six-point edge. With UTSA leading 27-21, the squads exchanged blows en route to a 32-25 halftime score, still favoring the Roadrunners.
The Blazers nailed a three out of the break, but back-to-back makes for Jenkins and Love helped the squad maintain a 38-30 lead. Jenkins later knocked down a trey for a 46-36 score line, before the Blazers strung together eight to pull within two. A Rowe jumper broke the streak, and UAB got one more shot to fall for a 48-46 ballgame at the conclusion of the period.
A Love jumper got the fourth quarter going, but UAB scored the next five to take a 51-50 lead. From there, each team knocked down a three-pointer, and Jenkins scored the subsequent seven for a 60-54 edge. The Blazers logged a layup, and UTSA stepped on the gas with Rowe, Jenkins, and Love all scoring to build a 66-56 cushion. UAB was held scoreless across the final three minutes as the Roadrunners cemented the 67-56 victory.
UTSA will look to keep the momentum going with a 2 p.m. tip on Saturday against Tulsa inside the Reynolds Center.
Keep up with UTSA Women's Basketball on goutsa.com and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSAWBB, X (Twitter) @UTSAWBB, and on Instagram @UTSA_WBB.
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