Game Notes In PDF Format
 

OPENING TIP

The UTEP men's basketball team (16-12, 9-7) will look to complete a season sweep of Rice (15-13, 7-9 C-USA) in a nationally-televised contest at 7 p.m. MT at the Don Haskins Center Thursday. The Miners were edged by UAB, 69-66, on Feb. 26 while the Owls snapped a four-game skid with a 77-72 OT win against Southern Miss on Feb. 26. The contest is the second of three straight to close out the regular season at home for the Miners, who will play host to league-leading North Texas on "Senior Day" at 1 p.m. MT on March 5. There will be $10 tickets in four (Bronze, Copper, Green, Navy) sections for the game against the Mean Green as part of "Fan Appreciation Day." With a victory in one of their final two games, the Miners can lock up the number four seed in the C-USA West Division. They can also ensure the first winning record in league play since going 12-6 in 2016-17. Jon Teicher (41st year) and Steve Yellen (19th year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network with Chris Hassel and Michael O'Donnell describing the action. UTEP is 9-6 at home (4-3 C-USA) and the Owls are 4-6 on the road (2-5 C-USA). For tickets, fans may call the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office at (915) 747-UTEP, email tickets@utep.edu, visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets or in person (Brumbelow Building on UTEP campus, 201 Glory Road).

 

SERIES HISTORY: UTEP LEADS, 29-14

The Miners own an 29-14 mark against the Owls, aided by winning six of the last eight meetings. UTEP claimed the first match-up of the season at Rice, 72-70, on Feb. 5, and now is shooting for its second sweep of Rice in the past three years. The Miners are 17-5 at home all time against the Owls. The first meeting occurred in 1997 when both teams were members of the WAC.

 

THIS & THAT

-    Souley Boum (20.2 ppg) leads Conference USA in scoring while Jamal Bieniemy (15.2 ppg) is seventh. The only time a Miner has paced C-USA in ppg was Stefon Jackson (23.6 ppg) in 2007-08.The last occasion UTEP had a 20.0 ppg scorer was Jackson (24.5 ppg) in 2008-09.

-    Souley Boum has had nine 20+ point outputs the past 12 games.

-    Souley Boum tops C-USA in free throws made (145-12th NCAA) and attempted (170-24th). He has made at least five free throws in 17 different games. He also has attempted at least 10 free throws in seven contests, including four of the past five.

-    Souley Boum (36.3 mpg-second C-USA/17th NCAA) and Jamal Bieniemy (34.1 mpg-seventh C-USA) both find themselves in the top 10 in Conference USA for playing time.

-   Keonte Kennedy returned to play against UAB (Feb. 26) after missing 15 straight games with an injury. He had 10 points and three boards in 22 minutes.

-   Tydus Verhoeven (1.04-11th) and Jamari Sibley (1.0-12th) are both in the top 15 of the league for blocked shots per contest.

-   Jamal Bieniemy (2.4/game-10th C-USA) and Souley Boum (2.2/game-15th C-USA) are both in the league leaders for 3-pointers per contests.

-   UTEP has committed 10 or fewer turnovers in three straight games for the first time of the season. The Miners have gone 10/eight/eight the past three tilts.

-    The Miners have won eight of 12 improve to 9-7 in C-USA after a 1-3 league start. It's the most league victories since 2016-17 (12-6). They are also one win shy of locking up a winning league record, something that hadn't happened since 2016-17.

-    UTEP finished the regular season at 7-6 on the road, its first winning road record since 2013-14 (8-2). That's also the most wins on the road since 2013-14.

-    The Miners went 5-4 away from home in league play for their first road winning mark in C-USA action since also going 5-4 in 2016-17.

-    UTEP's five league road wins surpassed its total (four) of such games from the prior three seasons combined.

-    The Miners secured their first road win at LA Tech since 2004, at New Mexico since 2009, at ODU since 2015 and at UTSA since 2015. They also secured the first road sweep of the LA Tech and Southern Miss trip in six tries.

-    UTEP had a six-game conference USA winning streak (Jan. 15 to Feb. 5), which was its longest since also posting six straight wins  in 2016 (2/4-20/16). It marked the fifth winning streak of at least six C-USA games since the Miners joined the league in 2005-06.

-    UTEP won its last five games in January for the first time since also doing it in 2014.

-   The Miners are 14-2 on the season when drilling at least eight 3-point shots. That record includes a school-recording tying 15 makes from distance against Southern Miss in the 87-54 win on Jan. 8. UTEP nearly matched that with 14 at USM on Feb. 19.

-   The Miners stand at 12-2 when scoring 70+ points (5-0 getting into the 80's).

-   UTEP sports a mark of 15-4 on the campaign when limiting foes to 72 points or less, including 5-1 when keeping them in the 50's.

-   The Miners are 5-2 in games decided by five points or less.

-   UTEP is 15-5 when making at least 40 percent of its shots and 7-0 when the opponent falls shy of that figure. It is also 10-2 when shooting better than foes. 

-   The Miners are 13-1 when leading with five minutes to play.

-   Fourteen of UTEP's 16 wins of the year have been the come-from-behind variety, including the season-best 13 points overcome against UTSA on Jan. 11. There have been rallies of at least seven points six times total this season.

-   The Miners have secured a win in all four Mainland timezones in the US.

-   UTEP's 16 total wins surpasses the effort from last year's Covid-affected season when it finished at 12-12. The Miners were 17-15 in 2019-20.

-   UTEP has had its top three scorers (Souley Boum-18.6 ppg, Jamal Bieniemy-14.6 and Keonte Kennedy-13.3) on the court in the same game just seven times out of 28 total games this season.

 

GET TO KNOW RICE

Rice is 15-13 on the year, including 7-9 in C-USA play. The Owls were 6-4 in league play before losing five straight within conference. They got back on track last time out with a 77-72 OT win against Southern Miss on Feb. 26. Rice is paced by Carl Pierre (14.9 ppg-ninth C-USA) and Travis Evee (14.8 ppg-10th C-USA) while Max Fiedler (9.9 ppg), Quincy Olivari (9.9 ppg) and Chris Mullins (7.8 ppg) have all been consistent scorers. Fiedler tops the squad in assists (3.5-11th C-USA) and rebounding (7.8-third C-USA). Overall, the Owls are putting up 75.8 points per game (third C-USA/61st NCAA), aided by nailing 9.6 triples per contest (second C-USA/19th NCAA). Rice is also among the league and national leaders for assists per game (16.4-first/14th), 3-point percentage (37.9-first/20th), fewest fouls per game (14.0-third/21st) and field-goal percentage (46.0-fifth/78th). The Owls have been hurt by giving up 74.1 points per game (12th C-USA/293rd NCAA) and a -2.2 turnover margin (13th C-USA/309th NCAA). Notable Rice alumni include Lance Berkman (former MLB All-Star), Peggy Whitson (U.S. Astronaut) and Tim League (Founder of Alamo Drafthouse).

 

GOING BACK IN TIME (UAB 69, AT UTEP 66,  FEB. 26, 2022)

Souley Boum tallied a game-high 26 points, but a second-half surge from UAB allowed the visitors to sneak past the UTEP men's basketball team, 69-66, on Feb. 26.

The Miners were up by seven (34-27) at the break, but the Blazers did enough over the final 20 of minutes of play to escape with the win. UTEP didn't make it easy as it led by one (66-65) with 1:13 to play, but UAB scored the next four points to account for the game's 11th and final lead change. A potential game-tying three-pointer by Alfred Hollins didn't go. 

 

TIP-INS FROM THE UAB GAME

-   The Blazers entered the game leading the league and ranked 13th nationally at 80.1 points per game, with the Miners holding them 11 points below their average.

-   Keonte Kennedy made his first appearance in league play after missing 15 straight contests due to an injury. He contributed in 10 points off the bench in 22 minutes to join Boum as the only other Miner in double figures for scoring.

-   Jamal Bieniemy (nine points, four assists) and Alfred Hollins (eight points, six rebounds) also got after it.

-   The Miners forced 17 turnovers and shot 45.5 percent to the Blazers' 42.1 percent, but they were outrebounded, 42-25.

 

A GLANCE AT THE C-USA STANDINGS

North Texas (15-1) has the best league record and tops the C-USA West Division while Middle Tennessee paces the C-USA East Division at 13-3. The Miners are currently in fourth place in the C-USA West Division at 9-7, and with a win in their final two games can officially clinch that spot.

    

LOCK DOWN ON DEFENSE

UTEP has kept 15 of its past 25 opponents to at least five points below their scoring average entering the contest, including most recently against UAB on Feb 26. Those 15 foes have been held to a total of 164 points combined under the expected output, which works out to 10.9 fewer points per game by the opposition across the board. Furthermore, UTEP has only allowed 11 teams to reach the 70's and just one into the 80's. The overall affect has been a scoring defense of 66.6 to rank third in C-USA.

 

ON THIS DATE IN UTEP HISTORY

UTEP defeated No. 7 BYU, 73-69, on March 3, 1972, to help lock up a bid for the NIT.

 

ALL ABOUT THE FANS

UTEP is averaging 4,730 fans per home game in 2021-22, which trails only the seasonal home average of 4,962 for ODU among C-USA programs. 

 

TALKING STARTING LINE-UP COMBINATIONS

UTEP has used 12 starting line-ups in 28 games, but has found stability of late with the same starting five for 15 straight contests. Overall, 11 different Miners (out of 15 on the roster) have started. Injuries, illnesses and Covid-19 protocols have played a big factor in the mix and match this season. It's a huge change from a year ago when the Miners utilized two starting line-ups with a total of six different players starting on the season. In 2019-20 there were eight, seven in 2018-19, 17 in 2017-18, eight in 2016-17 and 14 in 2015-16.

 

ALL ABOUT THOSE POINTS

UTEP has posted 80+ points in five different contests this year, including most recently tallying 84 at Southern Miss on Feb. 19. That equals the most such games since 2017-18. The Miners also eclipsed 70 points in each of the first four contests for the first time in six years. Guards Souley Boum (20.2 ppg), Jamal Bieniemy (15.2 ppg) andKeonte Kennedy (13.0 ppg) and are all in double figures for scoring average while Jorell Saterfield is at 6.9 ppg. Tydus Verhoeven (6.4 ppg) and Alfred Hollins (5.0 ppg) are also above 5.0 ppg. As a squad the Miners are accounting for 68.9 ppg.

 

THAT'S A GOOD MARGIN

UTEP has caused 17+ turnovers 12 times on the year while committing 14 or less on 22 occasions (13 games with 10 or less). Furthermore, the Miners have made the same or fewer amount of turnovers compared to the opposition in 23 of the 28 games this year. The result is a +3.5 turnover margin (second C-USA/22nd NCAA). UTEP is making 11.7 turnovers per game (fifth C-USA/79th NCAA) while forcing 15.2 (third C-USA/40th NCAA). 

 

TURN IT OVER

UTEP is third in Conference USA and 40th in the country by forcing 15.2 turnovers per game, which is aided by coming up with 7.7 steals per game (fourth C-USA/75th NCAA). Keonte Kennedy (2.0 spg),  Jamal Bieniemy (1.73 spg-fifth C-USA) and Souley Boum (1.71-seventh C-USA),have all been key to leading the charge.

 

SCORING STREAK

Souley Boum (79), Keonte Kennedy (37) and Jamal Bieniemy (27), Tydus Verhoeven (20) and Alfred Hollins (18) all have scoring streaks of at least 10 games.

 

CALLED FREE THROWS FOR A REASON

UTEP is taking care of business at the charity stripe, connecting on 76.1 percentage at the line (second C-USA/33rd NCAA). Three different Miners have hit at least 80 percent from the charity stripe this year (min. 20 attempts). They are Jamal Bieniemy (86.3 percent), Souley Boum (85.3) and Christian Agnew (81.1 percent).

 

WIN BIG

The Miners have 11 wins by at least eight points, including six double-digit efforts. UTEP even managed that feat at Old Dominion despite having only having five minutes of action in overtime (W, 78-70 on Jan. 15).

 

WIN SMALL

UTEP is 5-2 on the year in games decided by five points or less.

 

NOTHING STOPS SOULEY

Souley Boum has dealt with both a broken finger on his non-shooting hand (missed one game), Covid-19 protocols (missed two contest) and illness (missed one game) but he has produced all year long. He is pouring in 20.2 ppg (first C-USA/20th NCAA), aided by 20+ point-outings in nine of the last 12 contests and 14 times total on the season. He has 22 double-digit scoring efforts (in 24 appearances). Boum has done plenty of damage at the free-throw line, making 145 (first C-USA/12th NCAA) of 170 (first C-USA/24th NCAA). He has seven games with at least 10 free-throws attempted. Boum also has come up with 1.7 steals per game (seventh C-USA) and dishes out 2.9 assists per game for second on the team in both categories. He adds 4.0 rebounds per game (fourth on squad).

 

JB'S WORLD

Jamal Bieniemy has played big across the board this season. He leads the team in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5-12th C-USA), assists per game (3.7-eighth C-USA) and 3-pointers made (61-ninth C-USA) while rating second in points per game (15.2-seventh C-USA) and steals per contest (1.7-fifth). He has 19 double-digit scoring games to his credit, including a career-high 36-point effort at Rice (Feb. 5) that was the most points by a Miner in 12 years. He has had double-digit scoring streaks of seven (out of the gates) and 11 games, both of which eclipsed his prior best of five. Bieniemy suffered an injury at No. 8 Kansas that caused him to miss the ensuing two tilts, before returning to play for the final two nonconference contests.

 

KEONTE DOES IT ALL

Keonte Kennedy was having a career year before sustaining an injury against Bradley on Dec. 22 that forced him to miss the first 15 league games. Kennedy returned against UAB on Feb. 26 and provided 10 points and three rebounds off the bench in 22 minutes of action. On the year he leads the team in rebounding (5.7 rebounds per game) and steals (2.0 steals per game- while rating third on the squad in scoring (13.0 points per game) and minutes per game (33.1 mpg). 

 

SATERFIELD FROM DOWNTOWN

Jorell Saterfield has proved to be a threat in his first year as a transfer from Ranger College. That is especially true from 3-point range. He is leading the team in 3-point percentage (min. 30 3FGA), nailing 45.3 percent (48-106). He has a chance to break UTEP's single-season record for 3-point percentage (min. 1.0 3/game) that is held by Roy Smallwood (1999-00, 28-61, 45.9 percent, in 28 GP). Overall, he is putting up 6.9 points per game (fourth on team) in 23.6 minutes per game. 

 

TYDUS DOING THE DIRTY WORK

Post Tydus Verhoeven is doing a little bit of everything down low for the Miners. He leads the team in blocked shots (1.04 blocks per game-10th C-USA) and offensive rebounds (38). He is also second on the team in rebounding (4.6 rpg). His scoring output has also gone up lately with at least eight points in seven of the past nine contests, putting him at 6.4 ppg.

 

TALKING 30+ POINT GAMES

Souley Boum (32-Marshall, Feb. 13, 32-FIU, Jan. 23) has a pair of 30+ scoring efforts this year. He now has three such scoring bursts in his career, making him one of 11 Miners all time with at least that many. Jamal Bieniemy (36- at Rice, Feb. 2) also has a 30+ point game to his credit, the first of his career.

 

TALKING 20+ POINT GAMES

Souley Boum has posted 14 games with at least 20+ points this season and 40 in his career between San Francisco (seven-2017-18) and UTEP (33). Jamal Bieniemy has surpassed 20 points six times in 2021-22, tripling his total (two) from last year.

 

MILESTONE TRACKER

Souley Boum (started at San Francisco) joined the 1,000 point club at UTEP, the first member in five years and 35th overall. He is now up to 1,346 points (11th all time at UTEP). For his career he boasts a total of 1,740 points while appearing in 116 games (80 at UTEP). He has also made 210 3-pointers, with 163 at UTEP (fourth all time at school). Christian Agnew (started at North Alabama) has gone past 900 points for his collegiate career (930) while playing more than 100 games (101), with 42 at UTEP. Jamal Bieniemy (started at Oklahoma) has moved past 900 career points (922) for his college career, including 593 at UTEP. He's also eclipsed 375 assists (394) for his college career, including 188 helpers at UTEP. He has appeared in more than 100 collegiate games (114), including 49 (all starts) at UTEP. Alfred Hollins(started at Oregon State) has moved beyond 600 career points (633) and surpassed 100 career games played (123). Tydus Verhoeven(started at Duquesne) has more than 390 rebounds (395) for his collegiate career, with the majority at UTEP (289). He has also topped 100 career blocks (133), with 62 at UTEP. Verhoeven is past 100 games played (111), with 85 at UTEP.

 

CAN'T CATCH A BREAK

Due to injury or illness, the Miners have lost 36 man games this year (Keonte Kennedy-15, Christian Agnew-six, Souley Boum-four, Cam Clardy-three, Tydus Verhoeven-three, Jamal Bieniemy-two, Alfred Hollins-one, Bonke Maring-one and Ze'Rik Onyema-one). No individual has started in every single contest, and UTEP has used 12 different line-up combinations. At least one starter has missed a game in 17 straight tilts at one point and 20 times total on the year. Additionally, no one on the roster has appeared in every contest. 

 

THE BASIC FACTS ON UTEP

-   This is the 101st season of UTEP men's basketball. The Miners made history by starting five African-Americans to defeat Kentucky, 72-65, and win the 1966 NCAA Championship on the way to inspiring the Disney hit movie Glory Road. Overall, UTEP has 17 NCAA Tournament appearances (last in 2010), 11 NIT bids (last in 2015), 12 conference championships (last in 2010) and 26 seasons with at least 20+ victories (last in 2015). The Miners have won five league tournaments (last in 2005).

-   UTEP is 16-12 in 2021-22, which surpasses its win total from last year's Covid-affected season (12-12 finish). There are 17 home games (9-6 thus far) and 13 road contests (finished 7-6) prior to the C-USA Championships (March 8-12, 2022).

-   The Miners returned four starters (Jamal Bieniemy, Souley Boum, Keonte Kennedy and Tydus Verhoeven) and eight lettermen overall. Other returning lettermen are Christian Agnew, Cam Clardy, Gilles Dekoninck and Ze'Rik Onyema. Emmanuel White, who redshirted, also came back.

-   UTEP has six newcomers: Kezza Giffa, Alfred Hollins, Kevin Kalu, Bonke Maring, Jorell Saterfield and Jamari Sibley.

-  The Miners brought back four of their five leading scorers from 2020-21 in the form of Souley Boum (18.8 ppg), Keonte Kennedy (8.6 ppg),Jamal Bieniemy (8.6 ppg) and Christian Agnew (6.1 ppg).

 

COMING SOON TO EL PASO

JUCO standout Jon Dos Anjos (nationally-ranked Florida SouthWestern State) has signed a national letter of intent to enroll at UTEP and play for the men's basketball team beginning in 2022-23. Dos Anjos will have two years of eligibility for the Miners. He was a first-team all-league performer for the Bucs in 2020-21, helping them go 18-5 and advance to the semifinals of the FCSAA State Tournament. He averaged 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while playing in all 23 games, including 20 starts.

 

SPORTSCENTER TOP-10 PLAY

Senior Alfred Hollins tipped in a shot at the buzzer to lift  UTEP to an exhilarating 70-68 win over then Conference USA East Division leader Florida Atlantic at home on Jan. 27. The play went on to gain national notoriety, earning the number three spot for the daily Sportscenter top-10 plays list on ESPN's signature program. 

 

THE COMEBACK AT CHARTWAY

UTEP trailed Old Dominion (Jan. 15) by seven points (63-56), with 77 seconds remaining before tallying the final seven points in regulation to force OT. The Miners went on to claim the 78-70 triumph for one of their most memorable comebacks. The game was also the first of a six-contest winning streak. Here's the breakdown to force OT beforeSouley Boum tallied 13 of UTEP's 15 points in the extra session for the notable win.

Team Play                                                                                        Time       UTEP       ODU

UTEP Tydus Verhoeven free throw made                            1:08         57                 63

ODU   C. Smith missed 3-pointer                                                 00:57      57                 63

UTEP Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound                        00:57      57                 63

UTEP Jamari Sibley 3-pointer (Souley Boum assist)         00:39      60                 63

ODU   A.J. Oliver two missed free throws                                  00:32      60                 63

UTEP Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound                        00:32      60                 63

UTEP J. Bieniemy 3-pointer made (Souley Boum assist) 00:13      63                 63

 

GOING BACK IN THE ARCHIVES

After research from local media, members of the athletic department and even the Miners' passionate fan base (via Twitter), the closest comeback that can be found similar to that was in the 1987 NCAA Tournament at Arizona on March 13, 1987. In that tilt, UTEP trailed by five with 50 seconds left (78-53) before forcing OT on the way to the 98-91 OT win.

 

MEMORABLE WIN VS SOUTHERN MISS

UTEP blasted Southern Miss, 87-54, on Jan. 8. The 33-point victory was UTEP's biggest in league play in seven years when it waxed USM by 34 (74-40) on Jan. 10, 2015. The Miners nailed a school-record tying 15 triples, the most by the Miners at home 12 years when they also had 15 against East Carolina on Feb. 13, 2012. 

 

BOUM NAMED C-USA PLAYER OF THE WEEK     

Souley Boum was named the Conference USA Men's Basketball Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Jan. 31. He became the first Miner to be so recognized since Daryl Edwards on Feb. 24, 2020. Boum had the best two-game scoring stretch of his career in helping lead the Miners to a perfect 2-0 record with wins over Florida Atlantic and FIU. He put up 60 points on the weekend (28 vs. FAU) and a season-high 32 points against FIU on 21-of-34 shooting, including 9-18 on 3-point shots. 

 

KALU NETS FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

UTEP forward Kevin Kalu was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Dec. 20. He became the first Miner to claim the honor since Jordan Lathon did during the 2018-19 season (Feb. 25, 2019). The Baltimore, Md., product came alive with career highs in points (eight) and assists (two) while adding four rebounds to help hold off upset-minded McNeese, 82-72, on Dec. 16. Kalu played 25 minutes and didn't miss a shot from the field (2-2) or at the charity stripe (4-4).

 

GOLDING ERA UNDERWAY

Joe Golding is in his first year at UTEP, and as the 20th head coach in program history. He is the eighth head coach for the Miners since legendary Hall of Fame Coach Don Haskins retired following the 1998-99 season. Golding is 174-156 in his 11th season as a collegiate head coach, including 16-12 at UTEP. He spent 10 years at ACU (158-144), helping it transition from a Division II to a Division I program. Golding led the Wildcats to the 2019 and 2021 NCAA Tournaments, including a stunning upset as a 14-seed of third-seeded Texas in the first round of the 2021 Big Dance.

 

POISED TO JOIN AN EXCLUSIVE GROUP

First-year head coach Joe Golding (16-12 thus far) is poised to have a winning season in his first season on the sidelines with the Miners, which would make him part of an exclusive group. Of the previous 19 head coaches at UTEP, only three have put together a winning record in their first year on the sidelines in the Sun City. Don Haskins became the first when he directed the Miners to a mark of 18-6 in 1961-62. Doc Sadler (27-8, 2004-05) and Tim Floyd (25-10, 2010-11) also achieved the feat. Overall, the prior 19 head coaches have combined to forge an average record of 9-13 in their first year with UTEP.

 

EXPERIENCED STAFF

The Miners have an experienced staff on the sidelines for the 2021-22 season, each of whom are in their first year in the Sun City. Between head coach Joe Golding (22 years), associate head coach Jeremy Cox(30 years) and assistant coaches Butch Pierre (37 years) and Earl Boykins (eight years), the Miner coaching staff has a combined 97 years of coaching experience  at 26 different stops along the way at varying levels of competition. Boykins is the least experienced in terms of coaching, but he's the most accomplished on the court after playing 12 seasons in the NBA.

 

PRESEASON HONORS

Souley Boum was tabbed a Preseason All-Conference honoree, it was announced before the season by the Conference USA office. A 2021 All C-USA third team member, Boum ranked third in C-USA in scoring (18.8 ppg) and fifth in the league in total points (450). He also paced the conference and was 15th in the country with 130 made free throws. Boum knocked down his free throws at a rate of 81.2 percent, which was good enough for eighth in C-USA. He also led UTEP in steals (34) and dished out 60 assists.

 

PRESEASON PREMONITIONS

UTEP was predicted to finish 10th in Conference USA (currently 9-7, fourth C-USA West), according to the preseason poll that was announced prior to the season by the league office. UAB (190 points) was slated first, followed by LA Tech (second-184 points), WKU (third-162 points), Marshall (fourth-147 points), Old Dominion (fifth-130 points), North Texas (sixth-124 points), Charlotte (seventh-110 points), Rice (eighth-104 points), Florida Atlantic (ninth-84 points), UTEP (10th-82 points), UTSA (11th-48 points), Southern Miss (12th-42 points), FIU (13th-36 points) and Middle Tennessee (14th-28 points).

 

LOOKING TO REGAIN WINNING WAYS IN C-USA

At 9-7 in C-USA play, UTEP is one victory shy of its first winning record in Conference USA since the 2016-17 season when the Miners were 12-6 to finish tied for third. That year capped a run of five straight seasons with winning marks in conference action, the longest since 11 straight such efforts under Don Haskins from the 1980-90.

 

UP NEXT

UTEP will wrap up the regular season at home against North Texas with "Senior Day." at 1 p.m. MT Saturday.  Jon Teicher (41st year) and Steve Yellen (19th yea) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be streamed on ESPN+. For tickets, fans may call the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office at (915) 747-UTEP, emailtickets@utep.edu, visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets or in person (Brumbelow Building on UTEP campus, 201 Glory Road).