’Runners show improvement despite loss
With less than two minutes to play on Friday, UTSA was within a point of defending Conference USA champion North Texas.
Following consecutive losses to Rice last weekend to open the C-USA season, coach Steve Henson viewed the margin as a step forward.
But Jhivvan Jackson, who had carried UTSA’S offense through stretches of the night en route to a game-high 26 points while playing all 40 minutes, only saw missed opportunities.
Jackson was off the mark on a pair of 3s, and Keaton Wallace misfired on another in the final two minutes, allowing North Texas to secure a 77-70 win against UTSA in the Convocation Center.
“We just have to make better plays at the end of the game,” Jackson said. “That was the thing that, especially myself, that was our problem.”
The Roadrunners dropped to 4-6 on the year, 0-3 in C-USA, and 1-6 against Division I opponents.
But Henson said he saw “some things we can feel better about” on Friday after struggling to find positives in the losses to Rice. He said the Roadrunners “made some progress,” following through on the points of emphasis coming into the night.
“Overall, this was a game where we looked like a team that can win a bunch of ballgames,” Henson said. “We couldn’t get over the hump. It felt like it was hovering around 10 or nine, and we made a couple little runs, but we couldn’t quite get there.”
Jackson anticipated the North Texas defense trying to force him to drive, allowing him to look for his floater.
After focusing more on his role as a distributor this season, Jackson attempted a season-high 24 shots on Friday, looking more like the player who ranked second in the nation in scoring with 26.8 points per game last year. He knocked down 11 shots from the field and hit 3 of 9 looks from beyond the arc.
“I just wanted to be a little aggressive,” Jackson said. “Coach wanted me to be more aggressive, so I went out there and did it.”
For a time, Jackson was the only consistent source of offense for UTSA. He scored 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting in the opening half, while the rest of the Roadrunners combined for 13 points on 4-of-18 shooting.
Wallace finished with 14 points, connecting on his first field goal with about 14 minutes remaining. Jacob Germany scored 10 points, and Jordan IvyCurry added eight off the bench, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers in the second half.
The Roadrunners shot 41.3 percent for the game, including 34.6 percent beyond the arc, and Henson credited the Mean Green defense for limiting open looks.
“They’re a good team. Ultimately, I really think that’s the bottom line,” Henson said. “I thought we had a pretty good mindset. … I think it’s a little more North Texas. I thought we had the right ideas on the offensive end.”
North Texas’ offense proved to be more efficient, hitting 51.9 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from beyond the arc.
As the Roadrunners doubleteamed 6-foot-10, 239-pound post player Zachary Simmons in the first half, North Texas kicked the ball to the perimeter for open looks, hitting 7 of 18 shots from outside during the first 20 minutes.
UTSA made the shift to not send double teams in the second half, holding North Texas to just 3-for-5 shooting from outside, but Henson said some miscommunication led to a few open looks for the Mean Green.
Simmons finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
UTSA also emphasized attacking and hedging on ball screens, trying to limit reigning C-USA Player of the Year Javion Hamlet, who finished with 15 points on 4of-13 shooting.
“We were competing, fighting, getting the stop,” Henson said. “Valuing possessions is still an area we’re trying to develop. North Texas is as good as anyone doing that very thing. It’s like a boa constrictor. They’re going to get a good possession. Tonight, they missed some open shots that allowed us to hang in there.”
UTSA trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half before narrowing the margin to 69-68 on a layup by Wallace with less than two minutes remaining. But Henson said the Roadrunners “didn’t get the shots we wanted” the rest of the way, allowing the Mean Green to seal the game at the free-throw line.
The Roadrunners’ signs of progress will be put to the test immediately, as UTSA and North Texas meet for a rematch at 3 p.m. Saturday.
“We’re trying to stay positive. We’re trying to have short-term memory loss,” Jackson said. “We can’t be dreading on it. We play them again. We already know what we have to do.”