Home College BasketBall UTSA Secures Hard-Fought Victory Over Temple in AAC Showdown 88-79

UTSA Secures Hard-Fought Victory Over Temple in AAC Showdown 88-79

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Photo Credit: Michelle Uzoh

San Antonio, TX— The University of Texas at San Antonio outlasted Temple in an intense American Athletic Conference battle on Saturday, clinching an 88-79 victory in front of their home fans at the UTSA Convocation Center.

With five players scoring in double figures, the Roadrunners (9-10, 3-4 AAC) displayed relentless determination to fend off multiple comeback attempts by the Owls (12-8, 4-3 AAC).

First Half: Roadrunners Set the Tone:

UTSA started strong, knocking down seven of their first nine three-point attempts to establish a commanding 16-point lead. However, Temple responded with several scoring bursts, narrowing the gap to five points with 1:21 left in the half after a basket from Shane Dezonie. The senior guard finished the night with nine points, four steals, and six rebounds.

The Roadrunners answered with a crucial three-pointer from Damari Monsanto, his only basket of the first half, pushing the lead back to eight with under a minute remaining. Temple’s Zion Stanford hit a jumper to briefly cut the deficit, but Marcus “Smurf” Millender drilled a buzzer-beater to fire up the crowd and send UTSA into the locker room up 43-35.

Raekwon Horton led all first-half scorers with 15 points, while Primo Spears, UTSA’s leading scorer this season, contributed nine points and three assists. Stanford paced the Owls with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Second Half: UTSA Withstands Temple’s Comeback:

Temple came out strong after halftime, using a 9-0 run to trim UTSA’s lead to just one, 48-47, with 16:50 remaining. But the Roadrunners quickly regained control behind Monsanto, who ignited a 10-0 surge with a jumper and back-to-back three-pointers. That stretch extended UTSA’s advantage to 58-47 with just over 15 minutes left.

Monsanto finished the game with 17 points and five rebounds, scoring 14 in the second half without missing a shot.

Photo Credit: Michelle Uzoh

Temple refused to back down, eventually tying the game at 74 with 3:44 to play after two free throws from Steve Settle, who ended the game with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Jamal Mashburn Jr. led the Owls with 20 points, matching Spears for the game-high.

With the game in the balance, Millender stepped up, scoring on consecutive possessions to give UTSA a 78-75 lead with under two minutes remaining. He finished with 18 points, six assists, and two rebounds.

Temple’s Quante Berry momentarily pulled his team within one, 78-77, on a layup with 1:40 left, but Spears took over down the stretch. He scored six of UTSA’s final ten points, sealing the victory. Spears and Horton both finished with 20 points, while Jonnivius Smith recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Postgame Reactions:

Monsanto emphasized the significance of the win, especially considering the team’s recent struggles with injuries and illness.

“To get this win is like we’re getting over the hump a little bit,” Monsanto said.

Head coach Austin Claunch expressed confidence in his team’s ability to close out tight games.

“I tell these guys all the time, it’s in their DNA. I trust them to make plays. We have really good players. And they’re prepared, they’re poised, they’re tough,” Claunch said. “When we get to the last five or six minutes, I know these guys are going to pull it out.”

Game Notes:

  • Spears and Mashburn entered the game averaging 21.1 points per game, tied for second in the AAC. Both finished with 20 points.
  • Temple suffered its second straight loss after previously winning three in a row, including an upset over No. 25 Memphis.

Looking Ahead:

UTSA will hit the road to take on Florida Atlantic (10-9, 3-3 AAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. EST.

Temple will return home to host Charlotte (8-12, 1-6 AAC) at 7 p.m. EST on Wednesday. The 49ers are coming off their first conference win, a 69-61 victory over South Florida.