SAN ANTONIO — Tulsa delivered a dominant defensive effort Wednesday night, defeating UTSA 53-41 and spoiling the Roadrunners’ final home game of the regular season.
The Golden Hurricane held UTSA to its lowest point total of the season, limiting the Roadrunners to just 28 percent shooting from the field. UTSA struggled to find any offensive rhythm, finishing 13-of-45 overall and 4-of-14 from three-point range while committing 22 turnovers.
Despite the disappointing result, UTSA head coach Karen Aston said she still believes in her team as the postseason approaches.
“Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way,” Aston said. “I’m proud of this team and the way they’ve continued to fight through adversity all season.”
The game was a defensive battle early. UTSA managed just one point in the second quarter, and both teams struggled offensively in the opening half. Tulsa’s Mady Cartwright, the American Athletic Conference’s second-leading scorer, was held scoreless before halftime as the Roadrunners trailed just 19-13 at the break.
“Obviously the whole first half was ugly on both ends,” Aston said. “It wasn’t a pretty offensive game on either side, to be honest.”
Tulsa began to pull away in the third quarter as Cartwright found her rhythm. After going 0-for-8 in the first half, the junior guard scored all 10 of her points in the third quarter, starting with a layup early in the period. She combined with forward Hannah Riddick to fuel a 7-0 run that stretched Tulsa’s lead to 35-24 with just over three minutes remaining in the quarter.
UTSA briefly stopped the run when senior guard Ereauna Hardaway knocked down two free throws, but Riddick closed the quarter strong. The 6-foot-1 transfer from Memphis scored the final five points of the period, giving Tulsa a commanding 40-26 lead heading into the fourth quarter. During that stretch, UTSA went nearly seven minutes without a field goal.
“The third quarter is where it got away from us,” Aston said. “We just continued to struggle executing offensively, and eventually their shots started to fall.”
Tulsa maintained control the rest of the way, keeping at least an 11-point cushion throughout the fourth quarter. The Golden Hurricane pushed their advantage to as many as 15 points multiple times before closing out the 53-41 victory.
Riddick led all scorers with 17 points and added six rebounds, while Tulsa guard Jade Clack contributed 11 points. Cartwright finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists despite her slow start.
UTSA’s seniors carried much of the offensive load in the loss. Cheyenne Rowe recorded 10 points and nine rebounds, while Hardaway added 11 points and five rebounds.
“I don’t really have an answer for our performance tonight,” Aston said. “We just couldn’t put the ball in the basket.”
Even so, Aston emphasized her pride in the team’s resilience throughout the season.
“There’s been a lot of adversity,” she said. “We weren’t our best tonight, and we all know that. But every time this team has had a setback, they’ve responded and kept moving forward.”
UTSA (13-15, 8-9 AAC) will close the regular season Saturday on the road against conference leader Rice before heading to Birmingham for the American Athletic Conference Tournament, which begins March 10. As it stands, both Tulsa and UTSA are positioned within the top six of the standings, which would grant them first-round byes.
Tulsa will wrap up its regular season at home Saturday against East Carolina.
