UTSA 74, Wichita State 60
Redshirt junior Elyssa Coleman dropped a career-high in both points and rebounds, scoring 32 and snagging 19 boards to help UTSA take down Wichita State, 74-60, in what represented the Roadrunner's inaugural American Athletic Conference victory on Saturday in the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners (7-7, 1-2 The American) led wire-to-wire against the Shockers (5-10, 1-2 The American) as Coleman became the first member of the squad to record over 15 rebounds since Yuliyana Valcheva accomplished the feat against FIU on Feb. 6, 2021. She also represented the first 'Runner to score over 30 points since senior Jordyn Jenkins dropped 33 in a matchup with FIU on Feb. 25, 2024. In the process, Coleman registered her first double-double of the season, going 14-for-20 from the field and adding three blocks and a steal to her stat line.
Also delivering a solid performance, sophomore Sidney Love charted 16 points for her eighth double-digit scoring performance of the season, recording six assists and two steals. Meanwhile, senior Kyra White scored 12, hauled in nine rebounds, and dished out eight dimes.
As a team, UTSA recorded 12 more rebounds than the opposition, helping achieve 24 second-chance points and 36 points in the paint.
Temple 58, Tulsa 48
The Temple women's basketball team (8-7, 2-1 The American) defeated the American Athletic Conference leading Tulsa Golden Hurricane (12-4, 2-1 The American), 58-48. The Owls trailed by as many as 12 points in the third quarter, but a 13-0 run late in the third into the early fourth quarter gave Temple its first lead since the first frame with 9:17 left in the contest. The Owls did not give up the advantage, rallying for its largest comeback of the Coach Richardson era.
The Owls as a team set a new season-high in rebounds with 51. Aleah Nelson led the Cherry & White in points with 17, her fourth straight game in double-figures. Freshman guard Tristen Taylor impressed with 15 points and tied her career-high with seven rebounds.
Tristen Taylor's 15 points are the first time she has scored in double figures since 12/1 against Xavier. Demi Washington set a new season-high in rebounds with nine, also tying her career-high. Tarriyonna Gary tied her season-high rebounds with four. Tristen Taylor tied her career-high in rebounds with seven. Temple as a team set a new season-high in rebounds with 51, beating 48, a mark the Owls have reached twice. 51 is the most Temple has had in a game since hitting the same number on 2/2/22 against Wichita State.
South Florida 70, Tulane 63
Redshirt junior forward Romi Levy collared a career-best 32-point showing in South Florida (10-6, 2-1) women's basketball's gritty, 70-63 win against Tulane in New Orleans, La. on Saturday afternoon.
Levy's 32-point performance marked the highest output by a Bull this season. Senior forward Evelien Lutje Schipholt (10 points, 12 rebounds) added her third double-double performance of the season.
Tulane mustered together a 12-3 run to trim the Bull's advantage to a single point, 63-62 with under two minutes to play. Then over the last 1:30 in the game, the Bulls connected on eight makes at the charity stripe, with seven coming from Levy to secure the South Florida win.
East Carolina 64, Memphis 63
The East Carolina women's basketball team won a stunner over Memphis, 64-63, on Saturday afternoon in Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Danae McNeal scored the game winning basket with 15.4 seconds remaining and two final attempts for Memphis came up short with Tatyana Wyche blocking the last-ditch effort at the horn.
The story of the day is that the Pirates (9-4, 2-0 The American) closed the game on a 12-2 run over the final 3:21. It was a bizarre 40 minutes of a basketball. It looked at times like the Pirates might run away with it. Then it looked like the Tigers (4-10, 0-3 The American) might run them out of the gym. But when the final buzzer sounded, it was East Carolina on top for their second conference win of the season.
McNeal, who finished with 17 points, four assists and a career-high matching seven steals, got the Pirates going early with her signature passing-lane defense leading to transition offense and a pair of 6-0 runs in the first half which served to erase an early 12-5 hole and give the Pirates a nine-point lead in the first half which they would take into the break.
It looked like the Pirates needed to stand tall defensively just once to win it, but the basketball gods had other ideas. Memphis missed their attempt and Joyner rebounded – a critical rebound for one of the best rebounders in the league – but she missed two free throws with 8.2 remaining. Memphis had no timeouts and would need to get the ball and run.
Jenkins had other ideas. She got enough of a hand on the rebound, dove on the floor, and forced a jump ball with under six seconds to play. It was Memphis ball, but with less time.
On the final inbound, the Pirates went into their signature press and forced Memphis into a trap 35 feet from the rim where Tatyana Wyche stood tall and blocked the final shot of the game. Pirate victory.