SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA men’s basketball team (10-12, 4-6 AAC) has seen two major defense-focused games in the past week and is coming off a closing-seconds heartbreaker against Tulane on Wednesday. However, the Roadrunners are right back into the fray with East Carolina (12-11, 4-6 AAC) coming to the Convocation Center in a Saturday nationally televised night game at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. Saturday’s game is Black History Month recognition and will also feature an Early Valentine’s theme.
Ticket Information
2024-25 Single Game Tickets for the Rest of the Season
Direct Link: am.ticketmaster.com/utxsanant/buy
Adults: $15
Juniors (ages 3-18): $13
Seniors (ages 65+): $13
Military (with ID): $13
Students: Free Admission with UTSA ID, download tickets at goUTSA.com/studentlogin.
Black History Month Recognition
Fans will receive free Black History Month T-shirts featuring the theme "Rooted in Black History. Elevated by Black Voices." There will be a rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing and there will be BHM-themed video content and presentations throughout the game.
Final Four at the Convo
Adding to the excitement, the NCAA Men's Final Four Fan Jam activation truck will be on-site, offering interactive basketball activities, photo opportunities with the Championship Trophy and exclusive giveaways.
Scholarship Challenge
During the game, UTSA students can participate in a $5,000 scholarship three-point challenge, and fans can win $50–$100 Whataburger gift cards through on-court promotions. The UTSA Spirit of San Antonio (SOSA) Twirlers will perform at halftime, among other exciting fan experiences.
On TV, on the Air and on the Web
Saturday’s 7 p.m. matchup at the Convocation Center will be broadcast nationally on ESPN+ and will also stream live on ESPN+ with David Saltzman (play-by-play) and Sean Harrington (analyst) on the broadcast call. This is the second national broadcast of the year for the Roadrunners after opening the AAC slate at Tulane on ESPNU on Jan. 4.
The radio broadcast will appear on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket with Andy Everett (play-by-play) and Tim Carter covering the action. As always, the broadcast will feature a 30-minute pregame and 15-minute postgame show – available online at Ticket760.com or via the free iHeartRadio app.
UTSA Athletics will also provide Live Stats.
About the UTSA Roadrunners
The UTSA defense has made a strong stance over each of the past two games, holding North Texas and then Tulane to a combined 111 points. However, late frontcourt foulouts proved consequential on Wednesday, as Tulane finished off a closing-moments comeback in the final 2.5 seconds with a pair of free throws that pushed the Green Wave in front, 61-60. The Roadrunners are looking to keep climbing the conference standings with East Carolina coming to the Convo with a complementary playing style. The Roadrunners move the ball fast and expect the opportunity to build on their NCAA sixth-best 16.7 ppg off the fast break – featuring the 61st-fastest tempo in the country. Following a pair of low-scoring defensive battles, the Roadrunners rank fifth in the American Athletic Conference at 77.0 ppg, supplemented by a league-leading 9.8 three-pointers per game on 35.4-percent shooting. Still atop the conference and 13th in the nation, Damari Monsanto averages 3.29 threes per outing on 44.6 long-range shooting. Facilitating the transition game, UTSA forces an NCAA 22nd-most 15.4 turnovers per game with 9.6 steals for the 13th-best average in the country – leading the AAC in both stats.
Coming off a career game of 28 points against Tulane for his eighth consecutive double-figure game, Marcus Millender has three 20+ games in that stretch and has really heated up from long range since AAC play began – currently averaging a team second-best 13.2 ppg. Primo Spears was absent from the lineup on Wednesday and remains the ninth-hottest scorer in the country with a 20.5 ppg average. The Roadrunners saw Tai’Reon Joseph return to the lineup and look for a big game against the Pirated, especially on drives and transition to build on his 10.3 ppg average. Monsanto’s 10.9 ppg gives UTSA a major weapon on the perimeter against a team that allows the three and Raekwon Horton has averaged 14.6 ppg and 5.2 rpg since the start of conference play – playing a huge role in facilitating open looks and turning over the opponent at 2.3 apg and 1.9 spg against AAC foes.
About the Series
Saturday will mark the fourth meeting between these teams, with East Carolina holding a 3-0 advantage after restarting the series last year with a Pirates win. When they last met at the Convo, it was Feb. 10, 2024, Let’s Go 210 Day and also on an ESPNU broadcast. The Roadrunners put up a 48-point second half, but were battling from a 48-25 halftime deficit, only getting as close as 10 in the 84-73 loss. The previous series meetings were in 2014, when both teams briefly overlapped in Conference USA – with the Pirates on their way out while UTSA was joining the league. This is the second consecutive and all-time contests in the series played in San Antonio.
About the East Carolina Pirates
Coming to the Convocation Center at 12-11 (4-6 AAC), the Pirates have dropped two straight conference games in the third season under Michael Schwartz. Though not as vigorously, the Pirates will look to capitalize in transition and average 13.8 ppg on the fast break. ECU shoots 43.2 percent from the field and scoring has often come inside the arc, as the Pirates only hit 29.4 percent from long range, while also allowing a decent amount of opposition threes – ranking 12th in the conference in both stats. ECU is third in the AAC on the boards at 38.7 rpg and have the fourth-best rebound margin in the conference at +3.8 thanks to grabbing an NCAA 19th-best (second AAC) 13.8 offensive boards per outing. Though they get to the line a lot, the Pirates don’t have a history of converting, hitting an AAC-11th 70.1 percent from the free throw line.
The Roadrunners will have to contend with the tandem of forward C.J. Walker and guard RJ Felton, who make up a good chunk of ECU’s 75.5 team ppg. A grad transfer from UCF, Walker averages a team-high 17.8 ppg on 53 percent shooting, keeping his effort mostly in paint, while also grabbing 6.8 rpg, including 2.78 rpg on the offensive glass. An All-AAC third-teamer last year, Felton is in his fourth season with the Pirates and averages 17.7 ppg, a team-high 7.4 as a big guard, while logging 2.6 apg – shooting 39.3 percent from the field and has a team-high 47 threes on 31.8 percent shooting. Guard Jordan Riley also chips in 13.8 ppg and 5.4 rpg while leading the Pirates and the conference with an NCAA-31st 2.13 spg.
Ranked 35th in the country in playing experience, this is one of the most seasoned opponents the Roadrunners will face this season.
Up Next
UTSA heads back out for a pair of midwestern road games, both rematches, heading first to Wichita State on Wednesday, Feb. 12, then rolling into Tulsa for a Saturday, Feb. 15 matchup with the Golden Hurricane.
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