Vol. 72, Issue 7
Est. 1981
March 17 - March 24, 2026
THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community
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UTSA women’s basketball sweeps conference tournament, secures first NCAA Tournament bid in 17 years
Courtesy/American Conference
UTSA women’s basketball junior guard Jayda Holiman (left) and freshman guard Adriana Robles (right) embracing after the Roadrunners 54-40 win over Rice University.
By Aramis Santiago
S
Assistant Sports Editor AN ANTONIO — Few could have expected how far UTSA women’s basketball would go when the season began in November, and even fewer could have predicted a miraculous run when the American Conference tournament bracket was set. The Roadrunners entered the year trying to regroup after last season’s 26-5 finish — a campaign that raised expectations but ended abruptly in the conference tournament quarterfinals against Rice University. This season brought departures, new faces, injuries and long stretches where the offense struggled to produce consistent scoring. UTSA finished the regular season 14-15 and spent much of the year searching for answers to these struggles. On Saturday night, those questions were sidelined by a long-awaited breakthrough. The Roadrunners defeated top-seeded Rice 54-40 at Legacy Arena, their fourth victory in four nights, to win the American Conference tournament championship and secure the program’s first NCAA tournament bid since 2009. “I couldn’t be any happier for our school to have the opportunity to go play in the NCAA tournament, and most importantly, our players and our staff,” coach Karen Aston said. “I told them before the game that I appreciated how they’ve approached this tournament and how they’ve stayed in the trenches no matter what’s happened all year long. They’ve been resilient, and they deserve what they got today.” UTSA did not begin the night like a team on the
verge of celebrating a championship. The Roadrunners managed only six points in the opening quarter and briefly fell behind when Rice closed the period with a 7-point run. Even during that time, UTSA’s approach was already taking shape. Senior forward Cheyenne Rowe and junior forward Idara Udo continued attacking the paint while the defense forced contested looks on nearly every possession. Rice shot just 3-14 in the quarter and never established an offensive rhythm. Momentum gradually tilted toward UTSA in the second quarter as the offense began to find balance. Senior guard Ereauna Hardaway knocked down a pair of mid-range jumpers, freshman guard Adriana Robles drove to the rim for a layup and sophomore guard Mia Hammonds added another interior finish to give the Roadrunners control. At the other end of the floor, Rice’s offense unraveled. The Owls shot just 2-17 in the period and scored only five points, allowing UTSA to take a 20-13 lead into halftime. Rice made its most serious push early in the third quarter when a jumper from guard Hailey Adams and a three-pointer from Victoria Flores cut the deficit to four. The run offered the Owls a chance to shift the momentum, but UTSA quickly shut the door. Hardaway scored on back-to-back possessions, Rowe converted a free throw and Udo controlled the interior by collecting offensive rebounds that turned into second-chance baskets. The sequence mirrored the identity UTSA had relied on all season: winning through rebounding, physical defense and taking advantage of extra opportunities around the rim rather than perimeter shooting. Any lingering tension disappeared in the fourth
quarter as UTSA maintained control of the game. Adams continued to produce points inside for the Owls, but the Roadrunners answered each small push. Hammonds finished a layup early in the period, Udo followed with another basket in the paint and Rowe added a jumper midway through the quarter that extended the margin once again. The deficit never fell into single digits as UTSA closed out the championship in dominant fashion. “This moment is surreal,” Rowe said. “My teammates believed in me, my coaches believed in me and everyone around this program believed in me. Without them, I don’t know if I would be where I am right now.” What made the result so striking was how little it resembled an upset after the first quarter. Rice never led again after early in the second period and spent most of the afternoon struggling to find space against UTSA’s defense. Rice entered the tournament with 27 wins and the conference’s best scoring margin, but UTSA held the Owls to just 27% shooting and only 40 points. For a team that spent much of the year battling offensive droughts and close losses, the performance offered a clear answer. UTSA simply played its brand of basketball at its highest level. “The first thing I said when I came here was ‘Let’s go back-to-back,’” Hardaway said. “We didn’t get the regular season, but we got the tournament, and I’m happy.” UTSA will head to the NCAA tournament for the first time under Aston and for the first time in 17 years. The Roadrunners will face No. 1 seed University of Connecticut at 2 p.m. at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.