BOCA RATON, Fla. – The UTSA women's basketball continues its road trip, traveling to the Sunshine State to face Florida Atlantic on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. (CT)/7 p.m. (ET) from the Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Fla., and will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Junior Jordyn Jenkins leads the conference in scoring with 319 points, averaging 19.9 per game. Jenkins also leads the team with 113 rebounds and 22 steals. Redshirt sophomore Elyssa Coleman has done a phenomenal job on defense with a team-high 23 blocks, while also recording 101 rebounds and 147 points (second on the team in both categories). Junior Kyra White leads the Roadrunners with 71 assists, averaging 4.5 per game. White is fifth in the conference with a 1.67 assist/turnover ratio. Freshman Sidney Love has the second-most on the team in assists (36) and third-best in points (146). UTSA is first in the conference with 7.4 rebound margin, outperforming its opponents by 643 rebounds to 524 rebounds, as well as 4.1 blocks per game.
LAST TIME OUT
The Roadrunners are coming off a 78-76 loss to Rice on Monday. UTSA fell to a 4-12 overall record (2-5 in C-USA action) after the win.
Three Roadrunners scored in double digits, led by Jordyn Jenkins' 26 points. Jenkins also led the team with eight rebounds and three blocks. Elyssa Coleman contributed 12 points, while Kyra White trailed her with 11 points. White also led the team with seven assists. Freshman point guard Sidney Love had a team-high four steals.
The Roadrunners shot 50 percent from the field (29-58) while the Owls shot 43.3 percent from the field (29-67). UTSA had the advantage in the paint with 40 points in the paint compared to Rice's 28 points in the paint. The Roadrunners also went 13-for-17 at the charity stripe, while the Owls went 8-for-13 at the free throw line. UTSA continues to struggle with turnovers with 20, which Rice converted to 23 points.
RECORD WATCHING
Jordyn Jenkins put up a career-high 37 points against UTEP on Jan. 11, 2023. The school single-game record is 41 points in a game by Tesha Smith against Florida Atlantic on Feb. 25, 2017. Jenkins currently has 319 total points this season. The program record is 583 points by Tammy Rogers in the 1990-91 season. Jenkins has averaged 19.9 points per game this season. The school record is 20.7 per game by Starlite Williams in 1986-87.
With 296 career wins, head coach Karen Aston is just four wins away from 300 career wins.
JINKIES FOR JENKINS
Jordyn Jenkins has been named the Conference USA Player of the Week three times this season – Nov. 28, Dec. 19, and Dec. 26. Scoring a career-high 37 points against UTEP on Jan. 11, Jenkins owns the conference single-game best this season. She leads the conference in multiple categories – field goal percentage (47.8), field goals (119), points (319) and points per game (19.9).
Newcomer Jenkins was named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, the first Roadrunner to earn that honor. The Becky Hammon Award was first given out in 2020 and aims to celebrate those playing in the 26 mid-major conferences.
Jenkins is a transfer from the University of Southern California, where she played the last two seasons. At USC, she led the team offensively in almost every category while starting in 26 of 28 games in 2021-22. Jenkins led the Trojans in total points (384/14.8 per game), free throws made (110) and field goals made (134). The Kent, Wash., native was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player, as well as earning All-Pac 12 Honors at the end of the season.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Florida Atlantic holds a 10-6 record (3-4 in C-USA action) after a 77-66 loss to WKU on Monday. The Owls were picked to finish 11th (last) in the conference in the preseason C-USA Coaches' Poll. Florida Atlantic ended the 2021-22 season with a 5-25 overall record, falling to FIU, 68-60, in the C-USA First Round to end its season.
Freshman Aniya Hubbard leads the Owls with 212 points, 39 assists and 38 steals. In conference play, she is the sixth-highest scorer in the conference as she averages 15.7 points per game in C-USA games. Sofia Galeron leads the team with 91 rebounds, while Janeta Rozentale has a team-high 10 blocks. The Owls lead the conference with a 27.8 three-point percentage defense.
SERIES HISTORY VS FLORIDA ATLANTIC
The Owls hold the 7-6 advantage over the Roadrunners in the all-times series history. UTSA and Florida Atlantic last played each other on Jan. 29, 2022, when the Roadrunners defeated the Owls, 49-44, in Boca Raton. Hailey Atwood led the team with nine points and eight rebounds, earning the start and playing a team-high 33 points in the last matchup.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners conclude their three-game road trip on Saturday, facing FIU in Miami at 12 p.m. (CT)/1 p.m. (ET).
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