SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — The Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners used a dominant first quarter and a stifling defensive performance to secure their first win of the season, defeating the visiting Texas State Bobcats 64-41 in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Thursday night at the Convocation Center.

The Roadrunners, now 1-2, seized control from the opening tip, outscoring the Bobcats 21-12 in the first period and never looking back. Texas State, which fell to 0-3, struggled mightily with its shooting throughout the contest, a factor that proved insurmountable.

Cheyenne Rowe and Mia Hammonds led the offensive charge for UTSA, each scoring 16 points. Rowe, a forward from Ajax, Canada, added four assists, while Hammonds, a guard from Cibolo, Texas, recorded three blocks in her 31 minutes on the court. The Roadrunners’ offense operated efficiently, shooting 48.9% from the floor and posting an offensive rating of 93.5 on 68 possessions.

The Bobcats, conversely, could not find their rhythm. The team shot a frigid 25.8% from the field, converting just 16 of 62 attempts. Their offensive rating of 58.8 on 70 possessions underscored the difficulty of the night. Texas State was led by Kyra Anderson, who scored 10 points, but no other Bobcat player reached double figures.

After the initial burst from UTSA, the Bobcats managed to stay within striking distance in the second quarter, being outscored by only three points, but the deficit was already 37-25 at halftime. Any hope of a comeback was extinguished in the third quarter as the Roadrunners tightened their defensive grip, holding Texas State to just six points while extending their lead to 54-31.

The Roadrunners also capitalized on their opportunities at the free-throw line, making 14 of 22 attempts, while the Bobcats hit 7 of 12. UTSA’s defense was active, forcing 15 turnovers and blocking seven shots, with Idara Udo contributing two of those blocks to go with her nine points.

Despite committing 21 turnovers of their own, the Roadrunners’ superior shooting and early-game execution made it a comfortable victory in front of a home crowd of 1,221.

The game was the first of a four-game homestand for Texas-San Antonio, which will look to build on the momentum when it travels to face Incarnate Word on Wednesday. Texas State, still in search of its first win, returns home to host Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Monday.