UTSA downs Idaho 74-56

SAN ANTONIO – Michael Hale III scored 26 points and UTSA won its third straight basketball game, defeating Idaho 74-56 Thursday night. Kannon Burrage added 16 points and Jeromie Hill had 12 for the Roadrunners (8-19, 3-12 Western Athletic), who shot 54.5 percent from the field and committed just six turnovers. Mike McChristian led Idaho (10-17, 5-11) with 19 points. Kyle Barone added 13 points and 15 rebounds, and Connor Hill scored 10 points. UTSA trailed by two at halftime but took control with a 20-3 run to open the second half. Hale scored nine points during the spurt, which put the Roadrunners ahead 58-43 with 11:03 remaining. The Vandals, who shot 53 percent from the field before the break, hit just 24 percent in the second half while scoring 16 points. The Roadrunners’ win avenged a 74-70 loss at Idaho on Jan. 26. “They came out and played with a lot more heart and played a lot harder,” said Idaho coach Don Verlin of UTSA’s second-half start. “We had a couple guys that didn’t play very well.” Offensively, the Vandals were sharp and effective in the first half though Verlin wasn’t happy with the defensive effort. “I told them to lock it down defensively,” Verlin said. “I thought we were ready to go in the first half. We didn’t sustain that energy and intensity in the second half. “We just couldn’t get them stopped. “It’s becoming a broken record.”