NEW ORLEANS—In a game of runs, a 7-0 surge for the UTSA women's basketball team, aided by clutch junior Sidney Love free throws, handed the 'Runners a 77-73 victory over Tulane in American Athletic Conference action on Tuesday at the Devlin Fieldhouse.
The Roadrunners (24-3, 15-1 The American) secured their 24th win of the campaign against the Green Wave (16-11, 9-7 The American), tying the 2008-09 squad for the most in a single season.
Redshirt senior Jordyn Jenkins dominated with 24 points and 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. She matched Love for a game-high four steals and swatted two of the opposition's shots on the defensive end. Love also got the job done offensively, charting 14 points with seven assists, and sophomore Aysia Proctor scored 16 off the bench for a season-high. Classmate Idara Udo, meanwhile, finished two boards shy of a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Jenkins opened up the contest with a three-pointer, scoring seven in a stretch that led to a 9-2 Roadrunner advantage. A Proctor jumper shortly after saw a 13-6 tie before Tulane knotted things at 13 via a 7-0 run. Proctor connected from beyond the arc to keep UTSA in front, but the Green Wave hit two from the charity stripe for a 16-15 score line at the first period's conclusion.
The Green Wave used a pair of triples to snag a 21-18 edge in the second, and a 6-0 run featuring makes by Love, Proctor, and Jenkins regained a Roadrunner lead. Tulane then sparked a 7-0 surge that a graduate student, Nina De Leon Negron triple halted. Another 6-0 spurt followed for the Green Wave, and this time a trey for Jenkins saw a 34-30 score line. Love got a shot to fall ahead of a three-pointer for Tulane, sending the squads into the locker room with UTSA trailing 37-32.
Love, Udo and Jenkins all connected to work a 38-37 edge out of the break, and the Green Wave swiftly replied, taking a 45-40 lead. Tulane kept UTSA at arms-length for the remainder of the third, carrying a 51-47 lead into the final frame.
In the fourth, Love hit consecutive shots to knot things at 51, and a back-and-forth battle ensued with an Udo jumper midway through the quarter, seeing a slim 62-61 advantage. The Green Wave hit back-to-back shots to go up 65-62, and a second-chance make for Jenkins brought the 'Runners within one. An Udo and-one followed ahead of two Linton free throws that issued a 69-65 Roadrunner lead. A strip and score for Jenkins moments later saw a 73-67 score line and a Tulane three-pointer trimmed their deficit to three with 29 seconds remaining. Love hit a pair of clutch free throws for a five-point lead, but the Green Wave wouldn't go quietly, nailing another triple for a 75-73 score. Love again drained a pair from the charity stripe to keep the opposition at bay en route to a 77-73 victory.
UTSA will return to the Convocation Center on Saturday, where they'll take on Florida Atlantic for Senior Day at 12 p.m.
Keep up with UTSA Women’s Basketball all season long by following the program on Facebook /UTSAWBB, X (Twitter) @UTSAWBB, and on Instagram @UTSA_WBB
-UTSA-