SAN ANTONIO—Via a 60-42 victory over Florida Atlantic on a Senior Day Saturday, the UTSA women’s basketball team claimed an outright American Athletic Conference regular-season championship as well as the No. 1 seed in the American Women’s Championship. A single-game record 2,250 fans filled the Convocation Center to watch the ‘Runners cut down the nets and celebrate Jordyn Jenkins and Nina De Leon Negron’s collegiate tenures.
The Roadrunners (25-3, 16-1 The American) bested the Owls (10-20, 2-15 The American) for a record-breaking 25th win of the season. Additionally, UTSA has gone 13-0 to finish undefeated in The Convo for the first time since 1984-85 when the team went 9-0 at home.
Junior Maya Linton stole the show, logging a double-double to the tune of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jenkins scored 11 with seven boards, while De Leon Negron collected six rebounds. Junior Sidney Love posted 10 points, and classmate Cheyenne Rowe charted nine.
A Linton triple and a Jenkins fadeaway book ended a 9-0 run that kick-started the contest and handed UTSA an early lead. The Owls halted the surge with a jumper, but the ‘Runners picked up right where they left off as a De Leon Negron three-pointer saw a 14-2 edge. FAU knocked down a trey of their own, and a later Owl free throw sent the squads into the second with UTSA leading, 14-6.
After Jenkins opened the scoring in the second, FAU embarked on a 10-2 stretch to pull within two. Linton, Rowe, and Jenkins then posted back-to-back-to-back three-pointers to regain a double-digit advantage. The squads traded blows once more, with a Rowe jumper closing out the half with the ‘Runners up, 29-18.
The Roadrunners then outscored the Owls 18-15 in the third quarter before coasting to a 60-42 victory that kick-started the postgame celebrations.
UTSA will now wrap up the regular season on Tuesday, as they visit East Carolina and aim to tie a program record 17 conference victory.
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
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