SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Junior Davion Buster scored 18 points and Beaumont freshman Kasen Harrison netted a career-high 13 but LU came up short after a late UTSA run, 88-66, Tuesday evening at the Convocation Center.
 
The Cardinals finished the game shooting 24-of-56 (.429) from the field, including a 7-of-21 (.333) effort from three-point range. UTSA overcame a slow start to finish the night 32-of-63 (.508) from the field, with only five three-pointers (four of which came in the second half). UTSA won the battle on the glass, 40-36.
 
UTSA was able to hang in the game and eventually grab the lead due to advantage in fouls called. UTSA finished the game with 19 made free throws while Big Red got to the line just 17 times.
 
In addition to Buster and Harrison, sophomore Anderson Kopp scored in double figures with 10 points, while junior Quinlan Bennett added eight points and four rebounds. UTSA's Luka Barisic led four Roadrunners in double figures with 18 points.
 
Buster got the scoring started when he hit a three at the 19:16 mark for the game's first basket – and the 140^th triple of his career moving him onto the school's all-time top-10 three-point field goal list (tying current LU assistant coach Brandon Chappell). The basket sparked a 7-2 LU run to start the game as the Roadrunners didn't score their first basket until 2:17 into the game.
 
The Cardinals converted five of their first seven attempts to build a six-point lead, while UTSA opened the game just one of their first four. The home team eventually heated up hitting four of their next six to take their first lead on a Barisic basket with 12:15 remaining. LU responded with a basket from Quinlan Bennett and another Buster three-ball to reclaim the advantage.
 
Moments later UTSA pulled back even with LU only to see the Cards respond with another 5-0 run. The back-and-forth momentum for the Roadrunners started to slip. After the slow start they pushed their percentage to 50 percent before cooling off again to fall below 40 percent. The Roadrunners hit one of their next 10 and didn't score for more than four minutes, but LU didn't take advantage as they didn't hit a field goal for a four-minutes stretch that coincided with the 'Runners' drought.
 
Trailing by six late in the half, UTSA came out of the under 4-minute media timeout and responded with a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead, but Harrison ended the run with an and-one to tie the game at 31 with 2:31 remaining in the half. UTSA finished by scoring the final three points of the half.
 
The Cardinals finished the opening half shooting 13-of-29 (.449) from the field, including three triples. LU was above 50 percent for the majority of the half. The two teams finished the opening 20 minutes tied in rebounds, 22.
 
UTSA started the game slow, then heated up, then watched their percentage fall again in the final 10 minutes of the half. The Roadrunners finished the half knocking down 11-of-31 (.355) attempts, a mark that included a 1-of-12 (.083) effort on three-pointers. UTSA managed to hang in the game and claim a late lead due to the disparity in fouls. The Cardinals were called for 17 fouls while UTSA was charged with only nine. UTSA made 11 free throws (11-of-21) while the Cardinals went to the line just five times in the opening 20 minutes.
 
After two Kopp free throws pulled LU within two, the Roadrunners responded with a 7-0 run to take a nine-point lead early in the second half. After LU called a timeout, the Cards got a three-pointer from Kopp to trim the deficit down to two possessions, but UTSA responded with a 5-0 run to take an 11-point lead, 56-45.
 
Two Kopp free throws trimmed the deficit back to nine, but UTSA responded with a 7-0 run to take 16-point lead. The Cardinals scored the next five points but UTSA responded with another run to build a 21-point advantage sparked by a Keaton Willis' three-pointer. The 'Runners clung to their advantage late to pick up the win.
 
The Cardinals will be back in action Tuesday, Dec. 29^th, when they host Southeastern Louisiana in a non-conference matchup. The game against the Lions will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Montagne Center. It will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.