San Antonio, TX—Jamir Simpson and Macaleb Rich combined for 45 points, but UTSA’s spirited second-half rally came up just short as Seattle held on for a 71–68 road win Monday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
The Redhawks sealed the victory at the free-throw line, going a perfect 4-for-4 in the closing seconds to withstand a 14-point second-half comeback attempt by the Roadrunners. The win extended Seattle’s winning streak to six games, while UTSA dropped its fifth straight.
UTSA (4–8) entered the matchup battle-tested after a demanding nonconference schedule that included road games against No. 14 Alabama, USC and Colorado. Those early challenges, the Roadrunners believe, are preparing them for a competitive American Athletic Conference slate. UTSA will look to snap its skid in its conference opener at Florida Atlantic (8–4) on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Florida.
Seattle (11–2) now turns its attention to West Coast Conference play, returning home to face San Francisco on Sunday at 3 p.m. CST while seeking a seventh consecutive victory.
After trailing by as many as 14 in the second half, UTSA stormed back behind Rich, who scored the first five points of the period. Point guard Austin Nunez capped an 11–0 run with a corner 3-pointer, cutting the Redhawks’ lead to 46–43. Rich finished with a career-high 25 points on an efficient 11-of-15 shooting performance before exiting with 1:38 remaining due to injury.
“It’s good to see us go on an 11–0 run,” UTSA head coach Austin Claunch said. “We haven’t had a run like that, and we’re capable of doing that every single night.”
Brent Moss gave UTSA its first lead since early in the opening half, driving through traffic and finishing over two defenders to make it 49–48. Moments later, Simpson attacked the basket to reclaim the lead at 56–55. With the game tied, Simpson knocked down back-to-back jumpers to put UTSA ahead 64–60 with 2:33 remaining.
“As I see them starting to get tired, I start to lift my game and go to a different level,” Simpson said.
After scoring just four points on 1-of-5 shooting in the first half, Simpson erupted for 16 points after intermission, finishing with 20 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Seattle responded immediately. Senior guard Brayden Maldonado drilled a clutch 3-pointer to trim the deficit to one, then the Redhawks applied full-court pressure out of a timeout. The pressure paid off as Maleek Arington forced a turnover and fed Jun Seok Yeo for a go-ahead layup, giving Seattle a 65–64 edge it would not relinquish.
UTSA stayed within striking distance, pulling within 67–66 with 50 seconds left after Baboucarr Nije split a pair of free throws. But Seattle remained composed, with Maldonado and Austin Mauer combining to make all four free throws after intentional fouls.
UTSA had one final opportunity to tie, but Moss’ contested 3-pointer from the left wing with six seconds remaining missed the mark, sealing the Redhawks’ 71–68 victory.
Maldonado, who ranks fourth nationally in free-throw percentage and has missed only one attempt all season, led Seattle with 15 points, three rebounds and two assists. Four Redhawks scored in double figures, including Mauer with 11 points and seven rebounds, Yeo with 13 points and four boards, and Will Heimbrodt with 10 points and seven rebounds.
For UTSA, freshman forward Matheo Coffi chipped in seven points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
“We wanted to play one of, if not the, most challenging schedules that we’ve played here at UTSA,” Claunch said. “Today felt like a conference game at home. Seattle is a really good program and a really good team. We’re disappointed, but we’re confident and ready to get back to work.
“Now is why we all came here. It’s about conference play. We have goals to win the conference, and it starts when we get back from break on Dec. 27.”
