SAN ANTONIO – Leading the team with 21 points, Jadyn Pimentel helped the Roadrunners to a 68-60 overtime thriller over UAB Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
This win puts UTSA 1-1 in conference games and it's the first C-USA victory since Jan. 6, 2020.
Yuliyana Valcheva put the Roadrunners on the board first with a basket at the 8:24 mark. UTSA kept UAB from scoring until the 7:13 point, then Lapraisjah Johnson hit back-to-back shots to lead 6-1. The team battled it out as the scoring went back and forth as the Roadrunners led 10-5 with 3:24 remaining. The Blazers finished the quarter on a 3-0 run to bridge the gap to two, 10-8, at the buzzer.
UAB outscored UTSA 18-7 in the second to gain the lead, 26-17, at the half.
The third quarter was a battle for the ball as both teams hit short scoring runs. Over a two-minute span, UAB went on a 5-0 run to push the lead to 11 (37-26) with 1:06 remaining. The Roadrunners closed out the final minute on a 5-1 run to bridge the gap to seven (38-31) going to the fourth.
The battle continued in the fourth until UTSA hit a 6-0 run to come within four (45-41) at the 4:55 mark. The Roadrunners continued to fit and scored five consecutive points to tie the game 51-51 with 1:14 remaining. Both teams scored two points each in the last minute to push the game to overtime.
UTSA kept the momentum going in the last five minutes, hitting multiple short scoring runs and finishing the game on a 6-0 run to clinch the win.
The Roadrunners return to the court Jan. 6 at Southern Miss.
Notes
- UTSA improves to 4-9 overall and 1-1 in conference
- Starters: Hailey Atwood, Elena Blanding, Yuliyana Valcheva, Lapraisjah Johnson, Chantel Govan
- Three Roadrunners scored in double digits: Johnson (16), Govan (11) and Jadyn Pimentel (21)
-UTSA-