SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA women's basketball team returns home for the first time in 12 days, hosting North Texas for the first time this season on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (CT) from the Convocation Center and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Thursday's game is Greek Night. All Greek organizations and students on campus are invited and encouraged to come to the game. The game also features DJ Koop DJ'ing the game, free pizza for all students in attendance, and a battle of the Greek Life during halftime.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Junior Jordyn Jenkins leads the conference in scoring with 358 points, averaging 19.9 per game. Jenkins also leads the team with 130 rebounds and 25 steals. Redshirt sophomore Elyssa Coleman has done a phenomenal job on defense with a team-high 31 blocks, while also recording 116 rebounds and 162 points (second on the team in both categories). Coleman owns the top single-game blocks in the conference this season, recording a high of six blocks against FIU on Jan. 21.
Junior Kyra White leads the Roadrunners with 75 assists, averaging 4.2 per game. White is eighth in the conference with a 1.49 assist/turnover ratio. Freshman Sidney Love has the second-most on the team in both assists (39) and points (162). UTSA is first in the conference with a 6.8 rebound margin, outperforming its opponents by 729 rebounds to 607 rebounds.
LAST TIME OUT
The Roadrunners are coming off a 51-48 loss to FIU on Jan. 21. UTSA fell to a 4-14 overall record (2-7 in C-USA action) after the loss.
Jordyn Jenkins led the team with 14 points, while recording seven rebounds. Freshman Sidney Love notched her first career double-double, putting up 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Elyssa Coleman was the third double-digit scorer with 10 points and nine rebounds, while also putting up a team-high six blocks.
The Roadrunners led the scoring in the paint with 26 points to the Panthers' 22 points. UTSA also led in second chance points (19) and fast break points (9). At the free-throw line, the Roadrunners shot 79 percent compared to the Panthers' 63 percent at the charity stripe.
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 358 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 (48.1), field goals (130), points (358) 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 MEAN GREEN
North Texas holds a 6-13 record (3-6 in C-USA action) after a 76-74 loss to UAB on Jan. 21. The Mean Green were picked to finish fifth in the conference in the preseason C-USA Coaches' Poll. Senior guard Quincy Noble was named to the preseason all-conference team. UTSA ended the 2021-22 season with a 15-16 overall record, falling to Southern Miss, 78-60, in the C-USA Second Round to end its season.
Noble leads the Mean Green and is second in the conference with 324 points, averaging 17.1 points per game. She is first in the conference with 258 field goal attempts. Noble also leads the team with 30 steals. Ereauna Hardaway leads the team with 67 assists with an average of 3.5 per game. Tommisha Lampkin leads North Texas with 120 rebounds and 24 blocks.
SERIES HISTORY VS NORTH TEXAS
The Mean Green hold the 22-11 advantage over the Roadrunners in the all-times series history. UTSA and North Texas last played each other on March 3, 2022, when the Mean Green defeated the Roadrunners, 51-48. Elyssa Coleman earned the start, recording seven points and five rebounds. Queen Ulabo led the team with seven rebounds, while also putting together eight points.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners hit the road to face Louisiana Tech on Jan. 28. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. in Ruston, La.
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