SAN ANTONIO—The UTSA women's basketball team made history on Saturday, as they recovered from a 14-point deficit in the second half to secure a 70-61 American Athletic Conference victory over Temple in what represented a program-record 12th straight win in the Convocation Center. The triumph was also the program's 18th of the campaign, tying last season and seven other squads for the fourth-most in a single season.
The Roadrunners (18-3, 9-1 The American) outlasted the Owls (12-9, 6-4 The American) after being down by as much as 14 in the third quarter. UTSA still trailed by 11 a minute into the fourth before an 11-0 run featuring five points for redshirt senior Jordyn Jenkins and consecutive three-pointers by junior Sidney Love and graduate student Nina De Leon Negron. Shortly after, clutch plays by junior Cheyenne Rowe, Jenkins, and sophomore Idara Udo handed UTSA a 62-60 edge that they never relinquished as they outscored the opposition 28-10 across the final frame.
Jenkins led the way with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Udo was not far behind with 15 points and nine boards. De Leon Negron poured in 14 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds. Additionally, Rowe scored 12, including a huge momentum-shifting step-back three.
UTSA outrebounded the Owls, 47-34, leading to 17 more second-chance points. The 'Runners also scored 10 more in the paint and five more on the fast-break.
Multiple Udo makes led the Roadrunners to a 6-5 advantage midway through the first, but back-to-back triples helped the Owls build a 12-2 run that saw a 17-8 edge. Udo knocked down a pair from the charity stripe, and Love converted an and-one for a 17-13 score line at the period's conclusion.
Temple scored the first five points of the second, and a junior Maya Linton layup kept the 'Runners within seven. The Owls extended their advantage to 10, prompting a sophomore Aysia Proctor jumper and Rowe and-one that issued a 29-24 score. Temple then scored the final seven in the frame, taking a 36-24 lead into the locker room.
Jenkins buried a triple to spark a 6-2 stretch that put UTSA within striking distance. A pair of De Leon Negron free throws resulted in a 45-40 score line, and the Owls responded with a seven-point run to snag a 51-40 edge. Rowe capped off the quarter with a pair of free throws for a nine-point deficit entering the final frame.
Temple hit a shot to kick-start the fourth, ahead of the 11-0 Roadrunner surge that allowed back-to-back triples by Love and De Leon Negron to knot the contest at 53. The Owls answered with a trey of their own, and Rowe matched to keep things tied. Temple found four straight, and Rowe connected again from deep to keep UTSA within two. Jenkins then knocked down two free throws, and Udo did the same for a 62-60 UTSA lead. Temple hit a freebie to pull with one, ahead of a De Leon Negron layup to keep the Roadrunners ahead. Jenkins swiped the inbound pass, and a quick score put things out of reach en route to a 70-61 victory.
The 'Runners will remain in the Convocation Center, with a Tuesday matchup on the docket against North Texas at 6:30 p.m.
Keep up with UTSA Women’s Basketball all season long by following the program on Facebook at /UTSAWBB, X (Twitter) @UTSAWBB, and on Instagram @UTSA_WBB
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