UTSA Visits Charlotte Still Searching for First American Conference Win
UTSA will try to stop a season-long slide when the Roadrunners travel to Halton Arena on Sunday, February 15, 2026, for a noon ET tip against Charlotte. The Roadrunners enter the rematch with a prolonged losing streak, while the 49ers have climbed into the upper half of the American Conference standings.
Roadrunners’ slide, injuries and roster outlook
UTSA arrives in Charlotte with a 4-20 overall mark and 0-12 in conference play, mired in a 17-game losing streak and having won just once in their last 19 outings. Offensively the Roadrunners are producing 68. 8 points per game on 39. 5 percent shooting, pairing that with 36. 4 rebounds per game. One of the few bright spots has been the team’s shot-blocking, with 4. 5 blocks per game that rank among the better marks nationally and inside the conference.
Graduate guard Jamir Simpson leads UTSA at 15. 9 points per game and has been the long-range leader with 46 three-pointers on the season. Junior Austin Nunez provides a secondary playmaking option at 9. 8 points and a team-high 2. 8 assists per game, while freshman Dorian Hayes adds 8. 4 points and ranks second on the team in triples. Recent outings showed glimpses of life from Brent Moss and Daniel Akitoby, the latter delivering a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) in a road game that highlighted UTSA’s ability to compete in stretches when its veterans click.
Depth and availability have weighed on the Roadrunners during the slide; the team is traveling again this week and will need contributions from its perimeter scorers to keep pace in a matchup likely to be decided by athleticism and size at the rim.
Charlotte’s balanced attack and the betting landscape
The 49ers have steadied their season under coach Aaron Fearne and sit at 13-11 overall, 7-4 in conference play. Charlotte plays at one of the slowest tempos in the country but still averages 73. 3 points on 45. 7 percent shooting. The roster mixes interior size with perimeter options; Anton Bonke is the team’s workhorse inside, averaging 8. 0 rebounds and contributing roughly 10 points per game, while Ben Bradford and transfer guard Dezayne Mingo provide perimeter scoring and playmaking.
Defensively Charlotte allows 43. 5 percent shooting overall and holds opponents to 34. 4 percent from three, a profile that has produced a 9-4 home record this season. The 49ers tend to spread scoring across the lineup rather than rely on a single go-to scorer, and that balance has helped them climb into a tie for third in the league standings.
Oddsmakers and handicappers have placed Charlotte as a large favorite in this matchup, with some lines close to a 20-point spread. Given UTSA’s scoring struggles, extended skid and travel demands, the expectation is that the 49ers will control tempo, protect the paint and attempt to turn this into a decisive home win.
Matchup keys and what to watch
Rebounding and interior defense will likely determine the game flow. If Charlotte can limit second-chance opportunities and force UTSA into contested perimeter shots, the game could tilt toward a comfortable home victory. Conversely, UTSA will need efficient three-point shooting from Simpson and Hayes and a strong defensive effort around the rim from Njie and Akitoby to keep the game within reach.
With a noon ET tip at Halton Arena on Sunday, the matchup shapes up as a test of whether UTSA can find any late-season momentum or whether Charlotte will use this rematch to reinforce its position among the conference leaders.
