Michael Berlfein

UTEP Returns Home to Square Off With North Texas

2/1/2022 11:32:00 AM

UTEP Game Notes

EL PASO, Texas – Following a pair of games in Florida last week, the Miners (12-7, 4-5 Conference USA) look to get back to their winning ways inside the Don Haskins Center this week, starting with a Thursday meeting with North Texas (8-9, 2-5 Conference USA) at 7 p.m. UTEP has won eight of 10 games at home this year, including the last two in a row over Old Dominion and UTSA.

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN
The Miners and Mean Green can be heard on 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners app with Mando Medina calling the action. The contest will also be streamed on ESPN+.

SERIES VS. NORTH TEXAS
UTEP holds a 10-7 lead in the all-time series against North Texas. In the Kevin Baker era, the Miners are 4-3 against the Mean Green, including a 62-52 win in the most recent meeting on Jan. 16, 2021, handing North Texas the first league loss of the season last year for the program after they had started out 5-0. In that game, Katia Gallegos led all scorers with 21 points. UTEP holds a 6-2 advantage all-time in El Paso.

SCOUTING NORTH TEXAS
The Mean Green split a pair of home games last week, topping Southern Miss 72-66 and falling 72-60 to Louisiana Tech. Leading scorer Quincy Noble lived up to her season stat line and then some, averaging 27.5 points across the two games to go along with 7.5 rebounds. For the season, Noble averages 15.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Aly Gamez is another key contributor for North Texas, averaging 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. Last time out, Louisiana Tech splintered the nets against the Mean Green, with the 50.9 percent field goal percentage for the Lady Techsters the highest for an opponent this season. On the campaign, North Texas averages 69.6 points and 40.9 rebounds per game, with both totals ranking third in C-USA. Their 41.4 field goal percentage is fourth.

GALLEGOS GOES OFF
At FIU on Saturday, Katia Gallegos provided over half of the offensive production for the Miners, scoring 23 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor with a 10-of-12 effort from the free throw line. At the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter, Gallegos scored 12 straight UTEP points. She averaged 18 points and five rebounds per game during the trip to Florida.

STRONG OUT OF THE LOCKER ROOM
UTEP and North Texas have combined to outscore opponents by 64 points in the third quarter this season, with the Miners outscoring the opposition 323-292 and the Mean Green 305-272.

LOOKING TO GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS
The Miners have not lost more than two in a row at any point this season and have not had a three-game losing streak since Jan. 8-15, 2021.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Due to the rescheduling of the men's basketball game between North Texas and UTEP that was previously slated for Thursday, the women's game has been picked up by 600 ESPN El Paso and will air live. Mando Medina will have the call from the Don starting with the pregame show 15 minutes before opening tip. All games are also available on the UTEP Miners app.

WILSON SEEING INCREASED ROLE
Erin Wilson averaged 21 minutes per game last week in Florida, with her 23 minutes at FIU the most she has played in a game since Dec. 21 in a double-overtime win against Air Force. A native of Auburndale, Fla., Wilson averaged 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, an assist and a steal per game on the trip to her home state.

WEST DIVISION A CLOSE RACE
Behind first-place UAB, which sits at 5-2 in league play, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech and UTEP are all within one game of each other in the 2-4 spots in the division standings. The Golden Eagles are second at 4-4, followed by the Miners at 4-5 and the Lady Techsters at 3-5.

TIGHT GAMES
The Miners have played in nine contests decided by 10 points or less this season. UTEP is 6-3 for the campaign in such games. The Miners went 10-6 a year ago in games within the same margin.

GALLEGOS ASSISTS UPDATE
Katia Gallegos has dished out 65 assists this season (3.4 apg). The El Paso product sits in third on the school's all-time list with 344 assists. Kellie Willingham (2010-14) ranks second with 373, and Jareica Hughes (2006-10) leads the list with 599.

UPCOMING HOMESTAND INFORMATION
UTEP returns home for games against North Texas and Rice this Thursday and Saturday. On Saturday, the Miners will be celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) presented by Raising Cane's. Fans can receive free women in sports posters and free bag giveaways prior to the game. NGWSD celebrates the 50th year of Title IX this year, with UTEP welcoming back Ginger Kerrick to campus as the keynote speaker for the banquet. Kerrick, a native of El Paso who was a walk-on with the women's basketball program, is a physicist at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Tickets to the game start at $8 while groups of 10 can purchase tickets for $5 a piece. Fans can buy single-game tickets through the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office by calling (915) 747-UTEP, visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets, emailing tickets@utep.edu, or in person at 500 W. University Ave., 79968-0579 (Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

ARIKE BRINGING DOWN THE BOARDS
Elina Arike has been active on the boards this season, leading the team with 7.7 per game. The native of Helsinki, Finland has posted five or more rebounds in nine of her last 10 games played, including 14 in a double-overtime win over Air Force on Dec. 21. After grabbing 10 rebounds at FIU on Saturday, Arike has now posted four double figure rebounding totals this season.

SUCCESS OVER 70
The Miners are 7-1 this season when scoring 70 or more points in a game.

THURMAN CLOSE TO TOP-10
Destiny Thurman ranks ninth in C-USA with 29 made 3-pointers on the season. Thurman is six made 3-pointers away from reaching the top-10 of the UTEP single-season record book.

STEALS NOT IN SHORT SUPPLY
Over the course of the last 10 games that she has played in, Destiny Thurman has had at least one steal in each one. In total, 15 of her 19 steals for the season have come over the course of that stretch, led by a season-high three steals against UTSA. Katia Gallegos has had at least one steal in 11 straight games, including two or more six times during that stretch. Her 35 steals for the season leads the Miners and is 12th in the conference.

40 PERCENT EQUALS WINS
UTEP is 9-0 this season when hitting at a greater than 40 percent clip from the field. The 40 percent rule has applied to the 3-point field goal percentage as well, with the Miners 4-0 when shooting 40 percent or better from outside.

BEST IN C-USA AT GETTING TO THE LINE
With 412 free throws attempted this season, UTEP ranks first in C-USA and 11th in Division I. The Miners have made 71.6 percent of their attempts at the line, knocking down 295 at the stripe.

SETTING THE STARTERS
UTEP has started the five of Elina Arike, Teal Battle, Katia Gallegos, Destiny Thurman and Avery Crouse 13 times this season, the most of any starting lineup combination for the Miners. UTEP is 9-4 when that lineup combination takes the floor, including wins over Middle Tennessee, Air Force, Texas State and New Mexico State at home.

KATIA FROM THE PERIMETER
Katia Gallegos has hit 88 3-pointers in 72 career games. Gallegos ranks 13th on the school's all-time list, and needs nine to crack the program's top-10 list.

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