AMERICAN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2026

Karen Aston

Idara Udo

Cheyenne Rowe

Legacy Arena At The BJCC

UTSA Roadrunners

Postgame Press Conference

UTSA 62, South Florida 51

THE MODERATOR: We are joined on the podium but UTSA head coach Karen Aston, Cheyenne Rowe, and Idara Udo.

KAREN ASTON: I thought this was a tremendous performance by our team. It's hard to not, you know, let them get too high and all that kind of stuff, but it was just such a great performance and just a total commitment to four quarters of basketball, really.

We were pretty relentless defensively and I just thought that our team shared the ball well. They made the right decisions and they hung in there defensively all night long so couldn't be prouder.

Q. Yeah, Coach Aston, congrats on the victory. I was just curious about your thoughts on the way your team played down the stretch, particularly I think y'all had a couple hit a shot, had a couple of turnovers. You called a time-out right there. Do you remember what the message was in the huddle right there and how do you feel like your team performed and hung on down there at the end?

KAREN ASTON: I thought we hung on really well. We knew that they would try to purge us at some point and I thought they came out at halftime really intentional about getting out in transition and we regrouped a little bit after the first five minutes of the third quarter and I thought we got back to attention to detail defensively.

As far as the time-out, I think it was it was just finish. We played so well the whole game, let's not get rattled or get down on ourselves at this point. Let's just finish the job. We called a couple of plays and just fumbled around with it.

I thought both times we were trying to get Chey the ball because she was cooking tonight, but we didn't get it done. I thought we called the right thing and the execution was there. We just fumbled the ball around a little bit. Got an illegal screen. Just in too big of a hurry to get it done.

But, again, it's tournament time. You don't really worry about how ugly it is or anything like that. You're trying to win. You're trying to survive and advance and we did that today.

Q. Cheyenne, I wanted to say happy birthday. They announced that own TV for everyone to hear. How does it feel for the team to start to play this way after everything that you guys have been through this year, to get into this groove at the end of the year? You've beaten Rice at the end of the season and knocked off South Florida, another top team. How does it feel for you to see the team respond this way?

CHEYENNE ROWE: Yeah, first of all, thank you for the birthday wish, but I'm very proud of our team. We had faced adversities, you know, and it's just amazing to see how we pushed through them and it's great to see everyone playing together, playing with each other, playing to have fun.

Basketball is supposed to be fun and we play with each other to have fun and we want to win. Everyone does, so, yeah, I got to say I'm very proud of everyone.

Q. Idara, what did you think of the way Cheyenne played tonight?

IDARA UDO: I'm extremely proud. I'm going to say that over and over again. Just watching Chey's growth and her journey from the day she stepped on campus at UTSA until now is just very inspiring. I can take some things from the way she showed up for this team day in and day out.

I'm extremely proud of the way she played, but it's not a surprise. That's just who Cheyenne is: consistent and efficient. I'm just proud of her.

Q. I wanted to ask about your young players, your feelings on the way Mia and your freshman point guard, Damara; How do you feel like those three did today?

KAREN ASTON: I thought they did great. I thought everyone that stepped on the floor today did great. Everybody had a hand in this. Even if they didn't play, they had a hand in our preparation.

But I thought everybody made a play and everybody contributed in some manner. But as far as the young guards are concerned, Damara had I think nine rebounds; Mia was fantastic defensively but also had a really big bucket down the stretch; and Adriana just keeps growing.

I said this to Neil on the radio. I think that's happening is -- I mean, it's better late than never, but I think you're watching this team grow up right in front of your eyes.

We made a decision after we lost to Tulsa. And it didn't been happening. It didn't just magically happen that day, but I think they didn't want this to be over and they wanted to have some goals going into the tournament, and they're taken ownership in that. Again, it just looks like they're growing up right in front of me.

Q. What do you think it's going to take to beat East Carolina tomorrow night?

KAREN ASTON: Well, I don't know. I haven't thought about East Carolina yet but coaches have already gone back to the hotel to get ready. Staff has done a tremendous job all year long. They'll get us prepared and we'll be ready to go.

At this point I think you're playing to get into the championship game. I don't think fatigue will matter. I think it's just a matter of continuing to stay focused and continuing to stay detail-oriented. Maybe we need to have ice cream with the cheer leaders again. We did that last night. Maybe we'll try that again. I think Chey gets cupcakes today maybe. So, yeah, happy birthday again. I knew you weren't going home on your birthday.

CHEYENNE ROWE: I did not want to do that.

KAREN ASTON: Yeah, we'll get ready. They're a tough out for sure. They finished second for a reason. They're a good team, but I think we're playing well right now.