Roadrunners junior guard sets school record with 15 straight made free throws, finishes with 31 points in 89-67 win over A&M-Corpus Christi
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The 939 Roadrunner fans who filed into the historic Convocation Center on Tuesday night had no idea they would be witness to history. A record fell in the Roadrunners 89-67 win over the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders.
For nearly 27 years the UTSA record for most made free throws without a miss in a game has been 14-of-14 set by Afis Olajuwon against Sam Houston on January 9, 1993. On Tuesday night a new Roadrunner etched his name onto that record. Olajuwon's record was just 37 days short of making it another year.
Keaton Wallace went to the free throw line 15 times in the game against the Islanders. All 15 times he put the ball into the net although the 14th attempt bounced around on the rim before going in, as though the basketball gods had second thoughts about wiping the name Olajuwon from a record book.
"That's actually pretty crazy," Wallace said when asked after the game about his accomplishment. "I didn't know I'd shot all those free throws. This is the most free throws I've ever shot in a game, probably in a workout. I've never shot that many free throws before."
Those 15 made free throws made up a good chunk of Wallaces team-high 31 points. The remaining 16 points Wallace scored came inside the arc. He only attempted one three point shot the entire night and it didn't go in. They were all much needed points for the Roadrunners to hold off the Islanders and notch their second win of the season.
"We know that we need Keaton to get going," UTSA Head Coach Steve Henson said after the game. "We knew he was ready at any moment to pop it. It was really good to see that happen."
Other notable Roadrunners on Tuesday night were Jhivvan Jackson, Knox Hellums and Jacob Germany who all three finished with 12 points. Luka Barisic added seven points and Makani Whiteside pitched in with six points.
Germany also finished the night with a team high three blocks and four rebounds.
"When the lights go on Jacob is usually ready," Henson said. "He does some amazing things. He's got to improve defensively. He brings some difference to our team. He blocks shots, which gets your attention. He's got a flare for the dramatic. He's going to keep getting better and better."
In all the Roadrunners had all 13 players see the floor and 11 of those 13 scored. The Roadrunners rebound leader was, you guessed it, Keaton Wallace who finished at nine rebounds, one short of a triple double. Wallace also led with five assists.
If Saturday's clunker against Prairie View was the worst of times for UTSA shooting, Tuesday night against the Islanders was the best of times. The Roadrunners shot 54.5% from the field (30-of-55) and 46.2 from beyond the arc (6-of-13). UTSA also shot 88.5% from the free throw line, making 23 out of 26 attempted.
"We needed this from a confidence standpoint," Henson said. "Maybe something like this will jumpstart us. That's the hope."
After the Islanders got on the board first with a layup the Roadrunners offense got going. In the next four minutes of action the Roadrunners went on a 9-2 run. By the time they hit the under-12 media timeout the Roadrunner lead had grown to 16-6.
UTSA came out of that timeout and kept the good times rolling. Wallace made a pair of free throws to push the score to 18-6. By the under-eight minute media timeout the Roadrunners lead was up to 25-8.
Once again Wallace made a pair of free throws coming out of a timeout and UTSA went ahead by 19 points. In the first half the Roadrunners got up to as big a lead as 20 points twice. The Islanders closed out the half on a 7-3 run to cut the deficit to 41-25 at halftime.
By the time the Islanders got their first bucket in the second half the Roadrunners had increased their lead to 47-25. Much of the second half turned into the two teams trading buckets back and forth.
The Islanders got as close to 11 points down at the 10:33 mark but Wallace quickly pushed it back to a 13-point lead. Eventually the Roadrunners closed out the Islanders and the lead grew to a high-water mark of 24 points with 48 seconds left when Makani Whiteside put the Roadrunners up 88-64. It eventually ended with the Roadrunners singing the school song with a bit more cheer as they could put an 89-67 victory into the ledger.
After the game Wallace stood in front of the gathered media, smiled, looked up to the rafters and saw the banners and retired numbers recognizing the history of UTSA men's basketball.
"I feel great about it," Wallace said of his night at the free throw line. "Think about all the guys who've been here and maybe someday I can be up there on one of those pillars."
Even if the number 22 is never lifted to the rafters of the Convocation Center (or future Convocation Center), Wallace will still have a place in the Roadrunner record book as something for future Roadrunners to chase.
Of course he could push his own record up even higher down the road. With Wallace there is no limit to what can happen on any given night.
UTSA Basketball: 2-6
Next game: Saturday Dec. 7 at Texas State, 4 p.m.
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