Melvin Johnson III scored just four points in the second half of the University of Texas-San Antonio's NCAA tournament play-in game against Alabama State, but he didn't need to score any more. His 25-point barrage in the first half was enough to propel his team to victory.
Johnson scored a career-high 29 points in the Roadrunners' 70-61 victory over Alabama State, leading his team to its first-ever NCAA tournament.
UTSA took complete control of the game's momentum in the first half, leading the Hornets 48-21 at the break. Johnson was unstoppable, attacking the net from all angles, and even draining deep threes from beyond the arc.
"It's been a while since I played like I did today, I've been in kind of a slump," Johnson said in a postgame interview. "I was still in a bit of a slump with my 3s, but I just did everything I could."
His everything was enough for USTA, as they are thrilled to move on to the next round where they'll take on the No. 1 seed in the East, Ohio State. The Roadrunners made the four-hour trek to Cleveland on Wednesday night, where they will prepare for their Friday afternoon matchup with the Buckeyes.
"We're going to play our hardest," Johnson said. "We've been playing good teams all year and they're the No. 1 team in that division, so we're just going to play our hardest."
The Roadrunners and the Buckeyes are set to tip off at 4:40 p.m.
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