Wallace scores 23, UTSA beats UTEP, 75-60 in C-USA opener

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Keaton Wallace put up 23 points and had a career-high four blocked shots and UTSA rode a strong defensive effort to a 75-60 victory over UTEP in the Conference USA opener for both schools on Thursday night.

The teams will play a rematch Saturday in El Paso. The Roadrunners now have won four straight over the Miners.

Adrian Rodriguez hit a jumper with :33 left to send UTSA into intermission with a 33-24 advantage and Jhivvan Jackson sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around Byron Frohnen's jumper as the Roadrunners pushed the advantage to 41-24 less than two minutes into the second half.

Jackson finished with 13 points for UTSA (7-7, 1-0), which was 29 of 71 from the field (40.8 percent), including 6 of 21 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Freshmen Nigel Hawkins and Efe Odigie scored 21 and 19 points, respectively, for UTEP, which was 17 of 50 from the field (34 percent), including 2 of 17 from distance.