HOUSTON— The UTSA women’s basketball team took down a Rice squad that was receiving votes nationally, 61-52, in the American Conference regular season finale on Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse.
The Roadrunners (14-15, 9-9 American) bested the Owls (27-4, 17-1 American), handing them their only loss in league play. UTSA’s victory snapped what was a 22-game winning streak for Rice, the second-longest active streak in the country.
It was a balanced effort for UTSA, as sophomore Mia Hammonds scored 14, and junior Idara Udo 12 with nine rebounds. Senior Cheyenne Rowe tallied a game-high 12 rebounds with six points, while freshman Adriana Robles scored nine. Senior Ereauna Hardaway dished out five assists with eight points, and sophomore Damara Allen also charted eight.
As a team, the ‘Runners shot 51% to the Owls 30%, holding the opposition to just 20% from beyond the arc. UTSA snagged 48 rebounds to Rice’s 24, and also scored eight more points in the paint.
An Allen triple allowed UTSA to take an 11-7 lead early in the first. The squads exchanged blows until the ‘Runners carried a 19-15 advantage into the subsequent stanza.
Rice knotted things up at 10, but Robles hit from beyond the arc to put UTSA back in front. Her triple sparked a 14-point surge that featured back-to-back Hardaway triples and an Allen trey. The Owls halted the run, but UTSA kept the momentum going with eight straight, with Hammonds issuing a 41-21 halftime lead.
The Owls caught fire in the third, using an 8-0 run to pull within 17. An Udo fadeaway saw a 50-31 Roadrunner edge midway through the quarter. The battle raged on, as the ‘Runners entered the fourth leading, 51-33.
Rice scored the first five in the final frame, and an Udo jumper followed. The Owls trimmed their deficit to nine, but UTSA prevailed with a 61-52 victory.
The Roadrunners will now turn their attention towards the American Women’s Basketball Championship, which will span Tuesday through Saturday at Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.
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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