Taking off two days last week for Women’s Basketball and Volleyball didn’t go well for me back at work. The two people who back me up were also taking those days off. I’d barely dented my backlog before taking today off for tonight’s Men and Women’s Basketball double header. I’ve had done this basketball double header before (1-7-23 Women and Men, 1-14-23 Women and Men, and 12-12-23 Women).
I sort of asked my dad if he wanted to go, knowing full well that the Men’s game would be past his bedtime. He agreed to go to the Women’s game mostly to see a friend who was also going to the game. However, I didn’t want to go separately, so I negotiated for going together and staying for half of the Men’s game. I said it would be easier to avoid the traffic jam than leaving after the Women’s game or after the Men’s game. I was thinking this arrangement might work if the Men’s game was a blowout at halftime. I’d just listen to the end of the game on the radio at home. My prediction would turn out to be correct, but I made a real mistake there.
When we were going in the Pan-Am Center, a lady was escorting a little girl with a tiara and a sash hustled past us. They were in a rush to get inside. Five minutes later, the little girl was singing the Anthem on court. She was part of Native American Day and sang the Anthem in Navajo. PA Ed said she was 10-years old.
The game started at 5:00pm, which was early and accounted for a very light crowd to start, but it filled in later (attendance 812). Tonight’s opponent was the UTSA Roadrunners. I wasn’t sure what conference they were currently in (it’s the American Athletic Conference), but I could guess they were a good team and this would be a tough test for the Aggies. They looked tall during player introductions with a couple of exceptions. Their bench players did a clap while the starters came out. I looked over the Cheerleaders. One of my co-workers is dating a Cheerleader. I think I identified her. He said she was the only blonde on the team.
First Quarter
It is the poor writer that blames his pen, but in this case, I’m blaming my pad. It’s a bit smaller than the one I was using. In any case, I was sort of getting used to it. Later, there’d be other unexpected distractions. I’m making some excuses for some bad coverage to follow.
Fanta Gassama started with a defensive play by pulling the ball away from a Roadrunner. She then made a layup and drew a foul. 3-0 Aggies. The foul was on Idara Udo, who looked big even next to Fanta. Sylena Peterson came up with a steal and Fanta pulled down a rebound. The Aggies were hustling.
Another UTSA big, Jordyn Jenkins, scored down low. The Roadrunners went up 3-4. Molly Kaiser had a steal and a layup. This was followed by another UTSA turnover and another layup. 7-4 Aggies with 6 minutes left in the quarter. Jenkins made a layup to make it, 7-6. Fanta answered with a layup.
Nyayongah Gony came in for UTSA. You couldn’t miss her at 6’4”. Some Aggie subs also came in as a couple of starters had picked up fouls. Jenkins had another layup. It was easy to tag her as their main scorer. 9-8 Aggies, Jenkins had all of their 8 points. Fanta picked up a foul, as UTSA went on a run and led 9-12 with 4 minutes left.
I was smelling onions during the media break, but there was nobody sitting near us. They must have been very strong. Back to play, Fanta had a turnover on a pass. Roadrunner Maya Linton hit a 3 to make it 9-15 UTSA with 3 minutes left. Molly picked up a foul on a push. Sy hit a 3 with an assist from Fanta. Nina De Leon Negron looked small compared to her Roadrunner teammates, but answered with a 3 to make it 12-18 UTSA. Timeout Aggies.
Sy had another steal, but missed a 3. Molly picked up her second foul. She lobbied the ref for a minute to no avail. Madi Gewirtz came in. In the closing minutes, Fanta put in a couple of layups, but Alexis Parker hit a 3 for UTSA. It was 16-25 Roadrunners after 10 minutes.
Second Quarter
Molly came back in. Sy had a block, but UTSA still got the rebound and a bucket. Anna Csenyi (still not sure how to pronounce that) made an interception of a pass that led to a Sylena 3. 19-27 UTSA with 8 minutes left. Lucia Yenes was in and made a block. UTSA ended up with a shot clock violation on the possession. The Aggie bench loved it.
Lucia made a layup to make it 21-27. Fanta was blocked on a shot by Gony. On the other end, the Aggies again put up ferocious defense under the basket. Fanta picked up her second foul and came out. Lucia made a steal on Gony and got a layup, but Gony popped a 3 right after in retaliation. 23-32 UTSA. Molly came back with a steal and a layup. 25-32 UTSA into a Media timeout.
Out of the break, after a dangerous inbounds pass into traffic under the net, Molly took the pass and worked it for a jumper. Molly fell on her back on the shot, but no problem. Increased Aggie defense was helping them make a comeback. Lucia made a bunny, Sy hit a jumper, and Anna made a steal and layup to pull within 33-34 with 2 minutes left. Fanta was fighting for it. She was on the floor twice on near tie-ups to get the ball back. Lucia made a great rebound. However, Negron made a 3 to put the Roadrunners up, 33-37 at the end of the quarter.
Halftime
Dad announced he was hungry. I led him to the Concessions and recommended the Pete’s Combo with a hot dog, chips, and a drink. I said I’d eat between games when the grill opened. Right after he got his meal, the grill opened up and I could have ordered then.
Heading back to our seats, dad finally ran into his friend (the mother of his art teacher). She was sitting up near the top in the corner. We’d both been looking for her earlier, but didn’t see her there. Dad introduced me to Janet, while he ate his meal. (He didn’t like it.)
Dad thought me and Janet would get along, since she’s a big Aggie fan. We did chat for the rest of the game, which definitely impacted my notetaking. Janet spoke enthusiastically about going to some Aggie fund-raising functions, like Aggies in Paradise. She really enjoyed meeting the athletes. I told her about some of the ones I’d met and I agreed with her. She mentioned that Coach Adams had gotten divorced since she’d taken the job here. This might explain her weight loss and dressing down. (She was wearing warmups again.)
Janet also raved about watching ESPN+ for being able to see Aggie games. She thought Adam Young was doing a great job broadcasting, especially compared to some of the opposing game call. Jack Nixon came in at some point during the Women’s game. We both wondered who would be doing the radio call after he retires. (I tossed out Anthony Rifenberg from the Chihuahuas as a regional possibility.) Janet didn’t think the radio call was valuable anymore. Well, I was listening to the game call while I was watching the Men play later.
By odd coincidence, on that same row, was an old co-worker of dad’s, Beverly, from 35 (?) years ago. By odder coincidence, we’d met at the Pan-Am Center before. Dad had come with me a couple of years ago and we’d run into her and her husband in the concourse. I can’t find that blog and I don’t even think I mentioned it in there, but I remembered it because it was so weird. Bev is 90 years young and still roots on her Aggies, God bless her!
Third Quarter
My notes are spotty here. Fanta made an assist to Anna for a layup and got a layup herself, but UTSA led, 37-43 with 7 minutes left. Fanta had a turnover, but no harm from it. Molly drew a foul and put down both throws. Molly then had a steal and a layup. It was 41-45 UTSA with 5 minutes left. Roadrunner Sidney Love hit a 3 as UTSA ran it up, 41-50, with 4 minutes left.
Various Native Americans attached to NMSU had been introduced during the breaks. I wondered if the university’s most famous current Indian would be presented. Indeed, football star, Shiyazh Pete, came out with a couple of, I think, golfers. Wow, he is huge. Up close or far away, Shiyazh is massive. I told Janet that I’d met him a few a few times and that he’s great guy.
Back to play, Fanta grabbed a rebound and Molly found Lucia for a layup and a foul, 46-50 with 2 minutes left. Lucia made a block on defense, but drew her third foul in the process. I took credit for Lucia’s good play tonight. ***Last week while getting her autograph,*** I’d told her to listen her coaches because I wanted to see her play more. She’d been listening since apparently. Molly hit a jumper at the buzzer to make it 50-56 UTSA after three quarters.
Fourth Quarter
Emma Dasovich came in for the Aggies and hit a quick 3. Udo replied with a 3. Emma wanted the last word on the matter and knocked down another 3. 56-62 UTSA. Molly was flattened on an offensive play. A gasp went up from the crowd, as it looked bad. Molly got up, limped a little, and shook it off. She got a layup just to show she was okay.
The Aggies made a good defensive stand, but Jenkins hit a probably back-breaking 3 at the shot clock buzzer. 58-65 UTSA with 7 minutes left. Molly made another layup to make it, 60-67 with 5 minutes left. The Aggies forced a turnover on the Roadrunner inbounds, but UTSA defended well after and forced a shot clock violation on the Aggies’ possession. After a timeout, there was a defensive lapse, which led to an easy Roadrunner layup.
At the top of the concourse on the other end of the court, I noticed the Men’s opponent, the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders, were watching the game. The Aggies went to a full court press. Molly picked up her fourth foul. And then I just wrote down the final score, 61-75 UTSA. Well, I guess the end of the game wasn’t very interesting or I wasn’t paying attention.
Okay, I think I used “UTSA” all the way through this. The last time an Aggie team played the Roadrunners, I identified their team as, “USTA,” those tennis people. I even posted it without realizing it. No offense was intended, nor was I making a joke. I just got confused.
Roadrunner Jordyn Jenkins led all scorers with 27 points. She was 8 of 8 on free throws and had 11 rebounds. Idara Udo had 11 points and Nina De Leon Negron had 14. Molly Kaiser led the Aggies with 23 points. Fanta Gassama had 11 points with 9 rebounds and Lucia Yenes had 9 points.
Stat-wise, the shooting percentage was close. UTSA was up 45% to 44%. However, the Roadrunners were 50% in shooting 3’s and 92% in free throws, while the Aggies were 33% and 75% respectively. The Aggies did get 27 points off turnovers and (I think) led 9 to 5 in steals. It felt like the Aggies just needed a bit more scoring off the bench. Lucia did a good job. Maybe she should start.
The basketball continues with the Aggie Men playing ***next.***