San Antonio, TX—–The Roadrunners came out with purpose Saturday afternoon, determined to avenge an early January loss to Temple on a bitterly cold day. UTSA delivered its strongest effort in weeks, but a second-half surge by the Owls erased a double-digit first-half lead and sent the Roadrunners to a 70–64 loss at the final horn.
The rematch carried added motivation after Temple’s dominant Jan. 3 win, when guard Gavin Griffiths made history by becoming the first Division I player in three decades to record seven blocks and six three-pointers in a single game. This time around, UTSA made sure that performance would not be repeated.
The Roadrunners held the junior to just four points on 1-of-7 shooting, while limiting him to four rebounds and forcing four fouls over nearly 33 minutes.
Despite entering the game on a 12-game losing streak, UTSA (4–16, 0–8 AMER) showed no hesitation from the opening tip. Baboucarr Njie set the tone early, scoring on a pair of right-handed and-1 finishes and capping the stretch with a soft touch off the glass.
The sophomore guard was perfect from the field in the opening run, leading UTSA to a 10–0 burst and its largest lead of the day, 23–13, with 11:12 remaining in the first half.
The momentum stalled soon after, as the Roadrunners went nearly five minutes without a basket. Graduate guard Jamir Simpson finally stopped the bleeding, breaking down his defender before pivoting into the paint for a much-needed bucket.
Temple responded behind senior guard Derrian Ford, closing the half on an 11–6 run to trim UTSA’s advantage to 33–31 at the break.
The Owls wasted little time flipping the script in the second half. Aiden Tobiason opened the period with a steal and coast-to-coast finish, sparking a 6–0 run. Austin Nunez briefly slowed the momentum with a free throw, but the Owls’ guard trio of Ford, Tobiason, and Jordan Mason soon took control. Temple opened the half on a 17–5 run, with Ford scoring on consecutive possessions to push the Owls ahead 48–36 with 12:33 remaining.
UTSA refused to fade. Nunez, who finished with 13 points, drilled a three-pointer and followed it with a hustle play, diving to the floor for a steal before finding Brent Moss for a fast-break layup. The sequence capped a 7–0 Roadrunners run that pulled UTSA within one, 51–50, with just over eight minutes to play. Moss posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, adding three steals.
That would be as close as UTSA would come. Nunez scored on a driving layup with 1:49 remaining to cut the deficit to four, but Temple responded decisively. Ford converted a fast-break layup off a turnover, and Mason knocked down three free throws to seal the outcome.
Ford led Temple (13–7, 4–2 AMER) with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Mason chipped in 18 points and Tobiason finished with 15.
Njie delivered a career-best performance for UTSA, pouring in 25 points while adding 10 rebounds and five blocks. The Ohio native battled through a second-half injury scare and matched the program’s season high for individual scoring.
“We’re right there,” Moss said. “It’s never as bad as you think it is. We know we can do it. We’ve got the talent. We just have to get one, and it’s going to happen.”
UTSA head coach Steve Claunch echoed that belief. “They’re such a competitive group,” he said. “What they’re going through right now is not easy.”
The Roadrunners’ last win came Nov. 25, a 77–64 victory over Georgia Southern, and their most recent home win was a Nov. 18 blowout of SW Christian. UTSA will look to snap its 13-game skid Wednesday when it hosts UAB, while Temple returns home to face Charlotte in hopes of extending its winning streak to four games.
“I’m really proud of the group,” Claunch added. “This is clearly the best we’ve played in the league. Now we have to build on it as we get ready to play a really good UAB team.”
