UTSA downs Rice in C-USA opener; HBU falls to Lamar
SAN ANTONIO — Freshman guard Jhivvan Jackson scored 20 points off the bench in leading UTSA past Rice 79-66 in a Conference USA opener Thursday night.
The Owls, paced by Connor Cashaw’s 14 points, had only one lead, 3-0 on a deep shot by Miles Lester, and trailed 34-25 at halftime.
Rice (3-11) got as close as seven points in the second half when Bishop Mency sank a 3-pointer to make it 42-35. But UTSA (8-6) scored the next 12 points and never looked back.
Robert Martin (11 points), Najja Hunter (11) and Tim Harrison (10) all came off the bench to score in double figures for the Owls.
LAMAR 86 HOUSTON BAPTIST 68
James Harrison had 22 points, and Zjori Bosha added 19 as the Cardinals dominated the Huskies in Beaumont to open Southland Conference play and halt a four-game losing streak.
Nick Garth, who set a school record for most 3-pointers in a career, shot 3-of-8 from distance for 13 points. Garth broke the old mark of 192 when he drilled his second trey in the first half.
Lamar (9-5) took an early lead and held a 3629 advantage at the break. Houston Baptist’s Jalon Gates drilled a 3 to start the second half and reduced the Cardinals’ lead to 39-34. Garth quickly responded with a jumper to start a 22-10 run and the Cardinals kept a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Ian DuBose had 18 points, and Gates added 17 to lead the Huskies (4-10).
SE LOUISIANA 73 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 62
Marlain Veal scored 27 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, and the Lions beat the Lumberjacks in a Southland Conference opener for both teams at Hammond, La.
TJ Holyfield’s jumper with 2:21 left put Stephen F. Austin up 62-61, but Southeastern Louisiana (7-7) went on a 12-0 run to close the game. The Lumberjacks missed their last three shots and turned it over three times.
Holyfield led SFA (11-3) with 17 points.
SETON HALL 90 CREIGHTON 84
Khadeen Carrington hit a go-ahead layup with 2:05 to play and the No. 23 Pirates rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to defeat the 25thranked Bluejays in the Big East Conference opener for both schools at East Rutherford, N.J.
GONZAGA 81, PACIFIC 48
Rui Hachimura scored 19 points, Josh Perkins added 16, and the 20thranked Bulldogs beat the Tigers in Spokane, Wash., winning their 22nd consecutive West Coast Conference opener.
ODDS AND ENDS
Connecticut says redshirt freshman point guard Alterique Gilbert will miss the rest of this season and will likely undergo another surgery on his injured left shoulder. Gilbert, who originally dislocated the shoulder in high school, was granted an extra year of eligibility after suffering a torn labrum three games into last season. …
Maryland forward Justin Jackson will miss the remainder of his sophomore season with a shoulder injury. Jackson has a torn labrum in his right shoulder that will require surgery, coach Mark Turgeon said.