SAN ANTONIO - Tylie Jones was lights out from the three-point line all night. The junior transfer started a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc, and led the team with 17 points. After UTSA missed a free throw that left the door open for a potential game-tying three, Jones found herself with the biggest shot of her career. The off-balance shot couldn't find its way to the rim, and UTSA squeaked out a three-point victory in the Aggies' road opener. NM State moved to 0-2 on the young season, and UTSA improved to 1-1. 

First Quarter

The Aggies got out to a hot start, after Molly Kaiser and Sylena Peterson nailed consecutive three-pointers to put them ahead 13-6 at the first media timeout. Sabou Gueye later got involved in the action, with a steal that turned into two points on the other end. Five team fouls and four turnovers, however, would assist UTSA in climbing back, as they tied the game at 15 apiece heading into the second frame.  

Second Quarter

The Roadrunners carried their momentum into the start of the second, going on a 5-0 run within two minutes. Tylie Jones set her eyes on the rim, and scored the next 11 Aggie points, highlighted by three three-pointers on as many attempts. Jones sparked almost all of a 16-4 run that eventually put NM State ahead 31-26 at halftime; their first mid-game lead of the season. 

Third Quarter

The home crowd got much more involved as the Roadrunners put together an 8-0 run, including six of those points coming across three field goals to start the half. The Aggies went nearly the first five minutes of the quarter without scoring, and that drought gave UTSA the chance they needed to take the lead for one final time. Despite knotting things up on three more occasions, NM State couldn't pull ahead the rest of the way. With just over three minutes left in the quarter, Jones knocked down her fourth three-pointer on as many attempts. It was the final make from behind the arc for both Jones and the team, despite coming with over 13 minutes remaining. 

Fourth Quarter

While it was the first quarter that cost the Aggies against Arizona, the fourth quarter against UTSA turned out to be just as poor offensively. The team missed five of their ten free throws in the frame, did not sink a three-pointer and canned just five of 15 total field goals. Sabou Gueye provided four of the five field goals, and grabbed three steals in the quarter as part of a four-steal night. The Aggies utilized solid defense to claw back to a 57-55 deficit with less than a minute remaining. The ball found its usual suspect in those occasions; Molly Kaiser. The senior guard drove right, but was blocked with less than 10 seconds remaining. The Aggies intentionally fouled the Roadrunners with 3.8 seconds left, and watched the first free throw miss, opening the door for a last-second shot. The second free throw was true, leaving Jody Adams to draw up a play down by three with just a few ticks left on the clock. Fittingly, the ball found its way into the hands of Tylie Jones, who threw up an off-balance heave that hit the backboard, but couldn't fall in to force overtime. 

Head Coach Jody Adams, on the loss: "I thought it was a great defensive battle between both teams. It came down to making free throws. I think we executed some things really well, but there were other times that we came up short. I'm just proud of our players continuing to play. It was an extremely physical game, and sometimes it's really hard, when things aren't going your way, to keep playing your game. I'm just really proud of our effort."

Head Coach Jody Adams, on the struggles in the third quarter: "For three quarters we played really well. I blame myself more than anything. I probably should've called a timeout and gotten us into a good flow. That third quarter was a tough quarter for us, just like the first quarter of the Arizona game. We need to put a complete good game together."

Numbers of Note

• In 2022-23, the Aggies sank 67.2% of their free throws. That number increased to 68.4% in conference play. This season, the team is shooting 60.5% from the charity stripe (23-for-38)

• Jody Adams' squad only missed nine or more free throws in just four games a season ago. The 2022-23 team shot 55.0% or worse from the line just seven times total. The Aggies hit both of these marks against UTSA. 

• Tylie Jones recorded an NCAA career high by logging 17 points. She broke her previous mark (five) on just her third shot of the game, coming in the middle of her 11-point quarter.

• The offense began to slow down after halftime, as evidenced by just one assist in the final 20 minutes of the game (from Molly Kaiser). 

Up Next

The Aggies will stay in San Antonio, taking an off day on Saturday before returning to action on Sunday. The Incarnate Word Cardinals are the next opponent on the schedule, with the game set to tip off at 12:00 PM MT (1:00 PM CT). The matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+, and will be able to follow via UIW's Sidearm Stats.

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