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LUBBOCK – The UTEP track and field team completed its first indoor event with a successful Saturday showing at the Texas Tech Corky Classic in the Sports Performance Center.

Shakeem Smith broke a 20-year old UTEP indoor track and field record, clocking in a personal-best 7.90 in the men’s 60m hurdles and finishing third in the final.

The senior broke Lee Mays’s mark of 7.91. Smith posted a 7.96 in the first round of 60m hurdles, placing first. Smith’s previous was PR was a 7.95 at last year’s Conference USA Championships.

“Typical opener for the season, mixed bag. We got a little bit of everything,” UTEP Head Coach Mika Laaksonen said. “The men’s team definitely looked better than a year ago. We even got one school record which is unusual in a first meet of the year. We’re proud of Shakeem Smith, who broke a 20-year old school record in the 60m hurdles.”

The men dominated the 3000m with the top-three finishers. Budding star freshman Titus Cheruiyot took gold, recording a time of 8:42.53. Teammates Rodgers Korir (8:44.44) and Boaz Ronoh (8:47.70) took silver and bronze, respectively.

On the women’s side, Carolyn Chepkosgei raced out to a first-place finish in the women’s 800m, clocking in a time of 2:12.22.

Samantha Cordier registered a personal-best toss of 15.50 in the weight throw, while Chantoba Bright recorded a 12.95 in the triple jump, securing a second-place finish.

Freshman Davion Bynaum, who competed in his first collegiate event, posted a 6.79, finishing tied for sixth in the 60m first round. Bynaum followed with a fifth-place showing in the 60m final, beating his first time with a 6.77.

Freshman Yasmine George also competed in her first collegiate event, finishing seventh in the 400m with a time of 58.44.

Michael Sims clocked personal-best 4:34.72 in the mile. Maribel Caicedo placed seventh in the first round of the women’s 60m hurdles, registering an 8.68 and advancing to the finals.

Emilio Rios tied his personal best with a 1.97 lead in the men’s high jump, while freshman Markiet Loggins recorded the same mark. Austin Ondijo also registered a 1.97.

In the women’s 4x400m, George, along with Madison Gibson, Aphiniti Cupper and Natalia Roberts, posted a 3:58.45, while on the men’s side, Sean Bailey, Jevaughn Powell, James Flournoy and Smith clocked in a 3:16.42 for a seventh-place finish.

“It’s going to be a quick turnaround for us, as we travel to Albuquerque for out next indoor competition this coming Thursday. I’m expecting more of our athletes to get it going there.”

Up next,  UTEP will take the track at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collegiate Invitational hosted by New Mexico in Albuquerque on Jan. 24-25.

SAN ANTONIO – UTEP used a 17-2 run after being down 23 points to get within six. However, UTSA wouldn’t allow another historic rally as the Roadrunners (9-10, 3-3 Conference USA) defeated the Miners (11-8, 2-4 C-USA), 86-70, on Saturday afternoon in the Convocation Center.

Bryson Williams led the way with 21 points (9-17 field goals) and seven rebounds, while Souley Boum tallied 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line. Daryl Edwards recorded a career-high five assists to lead the Miners.

The loss dropped UTEP to 0-6 on the road with two more road contests coming up next week at Rice and North Texas.

UTSA’s one-two punch of Jhivvan Jackson (23 points) and Keaton Wallace (21) combined for 44 points, while Atem Bior chipped in with a career-high 13 points.

“We let them go early in transition. We can’t let a team like that get transition baskets like that to start the game,” second-year UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry said. “We didn’t have the urgency to get back and get stops when we needed them on defense.”

The Roadrunners shot 48.3 percent overall, including a scorching 63.3 (19-30) in the first half. The Miners shot 37.7 percent from the field and 18.8 from the three-point line (6-32). UTSA outhustled UTEP on the boards, 47-32.

UTEP, down 62-39, fought back as it did on Wednesday night and went on an 17-2 run to get back within six points (64-58) with 7:25 left in the contest. Deon Stroud came off the bench and provided a spark when threw down a thunderous one-handed slam on a fast break to cut the deficit to single-digits (64-56). Williams then followed by drawing a foul under the basket and hit both free throws to get within six points.

However, UTSA answered that with a 10-2 spurt to take a 74-60 lead after a Wallace jumper at the 3:50 mark.

UTSA took another big lead into the locker room as it ended the first half by hitting its last five field goals, while UTEP finished the period 1-of-7 from the field.

After falling behind by 10 points (26-16) at the 9:29 mark, the Miners used an 8-0 run to get within two points (26-24). Boum started the run with a made free throw, while Edwards followed with a three-point bucket. Williams converted a second-chance basket and Tydus Verhoeven ended the run with a hard-two-handed dunk.

But UTSA ended the run with a Bior three-pointer that banked off the glass. The Roadrunners outscored the Miners, 22-7, to take a 17-point lead into the locker room.

Efe Odigie played multiple minutes off the bench during the second-half run, and overall put up solid numbers scoring six points and tallying five boards. Kaden Archie hit two treys down the stretch, scoring six points. Eric Vila, who played major minutes on Wednesday night, made his first start in four games. Vila scored UTEP’s first four points on a three-pointer and free throw, but was shut down the remainder of the contest.

Up next,  UTEP will continue its road swing with contests at Rice (Jan. 23) and North Texas (Jan. 25). The Miners and Owls will tipoff at 6 p.m. MT, while the Mean Green contest will start at 4 p.m. MT.

Both contests can be heard on 600 ESPN El Paso with “The Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher calling the action, while both games will be streamed on ESPN+.

LUBBOCK – The UTEP Track & Field team completed a successful first day at the Texas Tech Corky Classic Friday evening at the Sports Performance Center.

“It was a good first day of competition,” UTEP Head Coach Mika Laaksonen said. “These results were positive and should set us up going forward this season. I’m looking forward to Saturday’s events.”

Rodgers Korir captured a first-place finish in the 5000m, clocking a time of 15:06.44, while teammate Boaz Ronah was right behind him, recording a time of 15:22.24.

Senior Sean Bailey raced out to a second-place finish in the 600y, recording a time of 1:09.95. Bailey improved his time from last season’s Corky Classic (1:10.07).

Senior Madison Gibson took third in the 200m, clocking a time of 25.01.

UTEP was top-heavy in the men’s 200m, as Davion Bynaum finished in second (21.63). James Flournoy (21.73) and Jevaughn Powell (21.73) placed third and fourth, respectively.

Carolyne Chepkosgei clocked in a personal-best time of 2:52.50 in the 1000m, crossing the finish line second.

In the men’s 1000m, Kenneth Talavera finished in second, clocking a time of 2:31.31. Texas Tech’s Alfred Chawonza edged out Talavera with a time of 2:31.29. Titus Cheruiyot finished in fourth, registering of time of 2:31.51.

Devin Mungro finished with the longest leap in the long jump, recording a 6.90.

The Corky Classic will continue on Saturday; live results are available via this website.

UTEP made history on Wednesday night, rallying from a 24-point deficit and coming back to defeat UTSA, 80-77, in overtime, while ending a five-game losing streak to its Conference USA foe in the process.

Now, the Miners (11-7, 2-3 C-USA) and Roadrunners (8-10, 2-3 C-USA) will see each other again, this time at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, on Saturday, Jan. 18. The Texas rivals are set to tipoff at 2 p.m. MT.

Saturday’s contest will feature the top three scorers in C-USA. UTSA boasts the number one and three scorers in junior guards Jhivvan Jackson (26.0 points per game) and Keaton Wallace (17.2 ppg). Jackson also ranks second nationally in that department. Redshirt junior forward Bryson Williams ranks second in the league at 19.3 points per contest.

UTSA averages 77.9 points per game, ranking second in C-USA and 39^th nationally, while it gives up 75.5 (13^th in C-USA). The Roadrunners shoot at a high rate, ranking 15^th nationally with 509 three-point attempts. The Birds rank first in conference and 10^th nationally in three-pointers made (181), and third in three-point percentage (35.6).

“We have another tough game coming up,” second-year UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry said. “UTSA is hard to guard and we’ll have to rely on our defense. We’ll have to go over there and guard as hard as we can and try to have as much energy you can have in this ball game on Saturday.”

UTEP has put a clinic on at the charity stripe as of late. The Miners are shooting 89.7 percent (70-78) from the line during the last three games, and 77.0 percent overall. They rank second in the league and 18^th nationally in free-throw percentage, while making 281 free throws – good for second in conference. In C-USA only games, UTEP is shooting a league-best 83.6 percent from the line.

On the Wednesday night, the Miners found themselves down 54-30 with 14:43 remaining in the contest. Going into the locker room at the half, Jackson and Wallace had outscored UTEP, 32-28, in the first half alone.

But behind Williams’s career-high 34 points Daryl Edwards career-most five three-point buckets, UTEP surged to its greatest comeback in program history, while it tied for 24^th biggest victorious rally in NCAA history.

Williams and Edwards, along with Nigel Hawkins, Souley Boum and Eric Vila played the final 17:33 of the game, outscoring UTSA, 44-21 during that span. Williams and Edwards each played a career-high 42 minutes.

The UTEP defense stepped up, forcing nine turnovers in the final 25 minutes of action. With the Miners down 24 points, they used a 20-2 run to get within six points (56-50) at the 10:00 mark. UTEP forced four turnovers during that span.

UTEP took its first lead, 71-70, since the 14:26 mark (12-11) in the first half on an Edwards’s three-pointer in the overtime period. The Miners outscored the Roadrunners, 12-9, in the extra five minutes on 4-of-7 shooing. Williams and Edwards combined for eight points, while Vila and Boum each scored two in overtime. Vila also added a pair of assists.

Overall, Williams shot 13-of-24 from field and went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, extending his streak to 21 consecutive made free throws. Williams notched his fourth double-double of the season after gathering 10 boards. He also snagged a pair of steals.

Edwards went 5-for-8 from downtown and chipped in with a trio of dimes along with a block and steal. Vila tied a career high by dishing out six assists and grabbing seven rebounds with six points.

Vila also drew his team-leading fourth charge in the final seconds in regulation. Hawkins tallied a season-high eight rebounds, and Boum tied his season high with four assists.

Fans can listen on 600 ESPN El Paso with “The Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher calling the action, while the contest will be streamed on ESPN3.

Freshmen Elena Dibattista and Lyric Bonilla have joined the Miner tennis team, UTEP head coach Ivan Fernandez announced Thursday.

Dibattista will compete with the team in the 2020 spring season, while Bonilla will have to sit out after transferring from the University of Tennessee.

Lyric Bonilla – 5’2  |   San Antonio, Texas   |   Tennessee

Bonilla is a transfer who competed in the fall of 2019 at the University of Tennessee. While lthere, she collected four total wins (two singles, two doubles) in a pair of competitions with the Lady Vol.

A native of Texas , Bonilla was ranked in the top 10 of Texas Women’s Open Division, held national rankings for U12’s, U14’s and U16’s and has been playing tennis for seven years.

In high school, she was a four-year honor roll member, in addition to being a National Honor Society member, Spanish National Honor Society Member and graduated in the top-10 percent of her class.  Tennis runs in her family as her brother, Rudy, played tennis at UIW …

“Lyric…will bring a lot of experience and energy to this team,” UTEP tennis head coach, Ivan Fernandez shared.  “She is an extremely hard worker and extremely motivated to show everyone what she can do. She comes from a very close knit San Antonio family and I am very excited that she chose to come back home to Texas.”

Elena Dibattista 6’1   |   Agrigento, Italy  |   Istituto Comprensivo Rita Levi Montalcini

Dibattista won different tournaments in Italy, was a Sicilian champion when she was 16 and competed in a semifinal in a junior ITF event She also posted a straight set (6-3, 6-4 win) against Claudia Enache of Romania in an ITF event in Turkey in Sept. 2018 and bested Emma Mazzoni (France), 7-6, 6-4, in an ITF tournament in Norway in July 2018.

She took down fellow countrymate Emma Ferrini in the same month, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6, at a different ITF event; defeated Giuliana Di Peri, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 in an IFT Tennis Europe event in Nov. 2016 and has been playing tennis for eight years.

“Elena is a very athletic and powerful player. Her game will fit in perfectly on our fast hard courts. She brings a lot of international experience and is a great addition to this program,” head coach Fernandez added.

The 2020 indoor season will commence for the UTEP Track & Field team on Friday, January 17 at the Texas Tech Corky Classic at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock.

This season year’s meet is a two-day event continuing through Saturday, Jan. 18.

The Corky Classic will start up Friday afternoon with the field events as the weight throw and pole vault B sections (women followed by men) will start at 4 p.m. CT. The long jump B section will begin at 5 p.m. CT. The running events will start with the women’s 3000m B section run at 5 p.m. CT, while the men will take the course at 5:30 for its 3000m B section competition.

For Saturday, the field events will begin at 11 a.m. CT with the weight throw and pole vault A sections.

Competing for the Miners this weekend on the men’s side are Sean Baily (600y, 4x400m), Davion Bynaum (60m, 200m), Cory Calvani (600m), Titus Cheruiyot (1000m, 3000m), Arturo Ciriza (pole vault), Benjamin Coronado (shot put, weight throw), Alek Duran (1000m, 3000m), James Flournoy (200m, 400m, 4x400m), Cornelius Kapel (1000m, 3000m), Rodgers Korir (3000m, 5000m), Markiet Loggins (high jump), Devin Mungro (long jump, triple jump), Austin Ondijo (high jump), Jevaughn Powell (200m, 4x400m), Kayn Quinones (3000m), Emilio Rios (high jump), Holden Rivera (60m hurdles), Keith Rodriguez (pole vault), Boaz Ronoh (3000m, 5000m), Michael Sims (1000m, mile), Shakeem Smith (60m hurdles, 4x400m), Kenneth Talavera (1000m) and Samuel Zambrano (3000m).

On the women’s side are Geraldy Barron (60m, 200m), Chantoba Bright (long jump, triple jump), Maribel Caicedo (60m hurdles), Cierra Chenault (shot put, weight throw), Carolyne Chepkosgie (800m, 1000m), Linda Cheruiyot (3000m), Samantha Cordier (shot put, weight throw), Aphiniti Crupper (200m, 4x400m), Karoline Daland (1000m), Johna Diggs (60m, 200m), Yasmine George (400m, 4x400m), Madison Gibson (200m, 4x400m), Carshaylah Harrison (60m hurdles), Madeline Jones (60m, 200m), Joan Kimaiyo (3000m), Kayla Larry (shot put, weight throw), Andrea Lucero (1000m), Natalia Roberts (200m, 4x400m) and Sah-Jay Stevens (shot put, weight throw).

UTEP saw success at last year’s event, as Chepkosgei finished in first in the 1000m, notching a person-best time of 2:53.74. Ronoh, Korir and Kapel finished one, two and three, respectively in the 3000m run, while Koncos headed the field in the weight throw, tallying a long-toss of 18.54m.

Watch LIVE here   |    Follow Live results here.

After being idle for a week, the UTEP women’s basketball team (10-5, 3-1 C-USA) will return to action at home against UTSA (6-9, 2-2 C-USA) at 1 p.m. MT Saturday at the Don Haskins Center.

“They’re a lot better than they were last year. They’re running some things now they didn’t last year. They’re moving around more on offense so they’re harder to guard than they’ve been in the past. They’ve got some young players that can really score,” UTEP head coach Kevin Baker shared. “UTSA is a very dangerous team, very much like us. I expect a really good game, a really competitive game between two teams that are kind of on the rise a bit.”

Saturday’s contest will be the first of three straight at home for the Miners. The series between the Miners and the Roadrunners dates to the 1980’s when both squads were members of the Oil Country Athletic Conference. 

The Miners are 8-3 at home, including 2-0 in league play. The Roadrunners are 1-6 on the road, but that lone road victory did come during league action. UTEP is in second place in C-USA at 3-1 in the league. The Miners have scored at least 80 points in three straight games for the first time since the 2013-14 season; they’ve never strung together four consecutive such contests.

UTEP is coming off an 87-80 setback at LA Tech on Jan. 11. The Roadrunners fell, 82-65, at Southern Miss on Jan. 11.  

In 2018-19 the Miners were decimated by injuries and finished the year at 9-22. It is a much different story this year, with UTEP (10-4) having already surpassed its overall win total from a season ago. The Miners got off to their first 3-0 start in league play in three years and enter Saturday’s contest in second place in C-USA (3-1). Last year they began league play at 1-8 en route to finishing 5-11 in conference action.

UTSA leads the series with UTEP, 22-13, but it is even at 6-6 since the Roadrunners joined Conference USA. Last year the Miners posted their first season sweep in the series since the 2013-14 campaign, including a 77-73 home win on Feb. 23, 2019. The Miners have won three in a row against UTSA to regain momentum in the match-up. UTSA had peeled off six of seven before the current UTEP surge.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids, and may be purchased by calling (915) 747-5234. The game will be streamed on CUSA.TV (subscription based) and also through the 600 ESPN El Paso website with Duke Keith and Traci Miller on the call.

UTEP Volleyball and head coach Ben Wallis unveil two spring camp offerings for El Paso and the surrounding areas.

“We are really looking forward to hosting these spring clinics and camps this year,” coach Wallis said. “This is the first time in my career we have ever done them. We thought we would start offering something for our El Paso faithful that have already been emailing us and asking us about coming to camp. We had a great lineup and following last summer, and we wanted to get a couple of opportunities for our El Paso and Las Cruces people to come out and be here for our spring clinics and camps.”

The first camp of the spring will be a comprehensive skill camp that will teach, train and develop the skill of serving for volleyball in a fun and competitive environment.

Players will be trained in all areas of the serve, standing float, jump float, topspin, short serve and strategies behind the serve. Each skill will be broken down very specifically to ensure development and learning.

This serving camp will be offered on March 22 and April 5, from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., at Memorial Gym. The cost of this one-day clinic is $55 per participant, and is open to any child from the ages of 7-18 years old.

The second camp offering during the spring will be a comprehensive all-skill camp that will teach, train and develop every skill of the sport of volleyball in a fun and competitive environment. Players will be trained in all aspects of the sport, and each skill will be broken down very specifically to ensure development and learning.

This all-skill camp will be offered on March 22 and April 5, from 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., at Memorial Gym. The cost of this clinic is $99 per participant, and is open to any child elementary to middle school aged.

“We will have our UTEP staff and players working with these guys in March and April,” coach Wallis said. “We are looking forward to getting people out and training them up out here in Memorial Gym.”

UTEP officials add that these camps are open to and all entrants, limited only by number, grade level and/or gender.

Interested participants can visit the UTEP camp page to sign up; for any questions or concerns, contact assistant coach/camp director Nikola Petrovic via email at npetrovic@utep.edu.

For complete coverage of UTEP Volleyball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPVB (Instagram) and @UTEP_VB (Twitter) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics.

Bryson Williams scored a career-high 34 points and added 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double, and Daryl Edwards hit a career-best five three-point buckets on his way to 18 points, as the pair led UTEP to its biggest comeback in program history, defeating UTSA, 80-77 in overtime in the Haskins Center on Wednesday night.

The Miners (11-7, 2-3 Conference USA), who were down 24 points with 14:43 remaining, got a much-needed victory as their comeback tied for 24th largest in NCAA history. UTEP rallied from 19 points down against WKU on Feb. 6, 2016.

“What a game. What a game,” second-year UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry said. “We beat a team who’s playing as well as anybody in our league. We have a lot of respect for [UTSA Head Coach] Steve [Henson], and UTSA. We know that guys can really score the basketball. They put a lot of pressure on us, defensively and we had to guard two of the better scorers in college basketball. Jackson and Wallace are elite-level scorers. They had it going early and they were making shots. We didn’t come out with the kind of intensity and effort that we’ve had in practice the last couple days.”

Jhivvan Jackson (29 points), the nation’s second-leading scorer, and Keaton Wallace (26 points) combined for 55 points. The pair outscored the Miners, 32-28 in the first half but it wasn’t enough for the Roadrunners (8-10, 2-3 C-USA), who was looking to secure their third consecutive league win.

“We didn’t come with the defensive intensity that we needed. UTSA is an elite scoring team and they came out doing exactly that,” Williams said. “We had a long talk in the locker room. We knew we had to come harder and lock down on defense. We did that tonight.”

Souley Boum, Edwards, Nigel Hawkins, Eric Vila and Williams played the last 17:33 of the contest, as UTEP outscored UTSA, 44-21 during that span.

“I give my guys a lot of credit,” Terry said. “When we went into halftime with that lack of effort, you don’t have a lot of adjustments. It’s not about the board, it’s about the heart, this is about competing, and it’s about having pride defensively. I thought our guys responded and I give them a lot of credit on how they bounced back. They showed character through adversity and persevered against a good team.”

Vila scored six points with seven rebounds and tied his career high with six assists in 31 minutes off the bench. Vila also drew a charge with the game tied with just over 37 seconds remaining in regulation, while he threw down a late dunk in overtime.

Hawkins tallied a season-high eight rebounds, while chipping in with seven points and a pair of assists. Boum scored five of his seven points in the second half, while dishing out four assists.

After taking a 42-28 lead into the locker room, the Roadrunners upped it to 24 points (54-30) at the 14:43 mark in the second half after Jackson hit a jumper and Wallace followed with a layup.

Edwards followed with a three-pointer, but Wallace, answered with another of his own to give his squad a 23-point advantage and silencing Miner Nation.

But the relentless Miners wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Down 56-33, Boum hit a three-point bucket that sparked a 17-0 run at the 13:06 mark. Williams followed with an and-1, while Vila nailed a three-pointer to make it a 14-point game. Williams converted another and-1, while he stole the ball on the other end that set up an Edwards’s trey, making the score 56-48.

Williams scored his eighth point during the run to make it a six-point contest (56-50) with 9:02 left.

“What we echoed to the guys was, ‘work the game possession by possession’,” Terry said. “We don’t need any home runs right now. But we have to put some consecutive stops together right now and guard.”

The Miners’ defense forced four turnovers during the run, while they forced nine turnovers overall in the final 25 minutes

Though Luka Barisic stopped the run with a made layup to make the count 58-50, Edwards got the Miners going again as his basket started an 8-2 run that was capped by a Vila free throw to tie the game at 60.

The two squads went basket-for-basket down the stretch as the scored stayed at 68-68 with no time left in regulation.

In overtime, UTEP shot 4-of-7 (57.1 percent) from the field, while UTSA went 3-for-8. Jackson scored the first points during the extra period, but Edwards followed with this fifth trey of the contest that gave UTEP its first lead (71-70) since the 14:26 mark of the first half (12-11).

Jackson made a pair of free throws at the 2:31 mark to give his squad a 74-73 edge. But Williams answered with a jumper and Vila’s dunk put the Miners up three points (77-74). Boum then sunk a pair of free throws that gave his squad its biggest lead of the night at five points (79-74).

Jackson made things interesting with a three-pointer, but he and Wallace missed jumpers in the final seconds, in which one was blocked by Vila. Edwards capped the comeback with a free throw with one second remaining.

UTEP tallied a season-high 19 assists, while collecting 10 offensive boards. The Miners turned the ball over eight times during the first half, but limited that number to only five in the second period and overtime.

The Miners’ hot free-throw shooting continued, as it shot 88.9 percent (16-18). UTEP is shooting 89.7 percent (70-78) from the line during its last three contests.

UTSA, after shooting 48.6 percent from the field in the first half, was held to 38.7 percent in the second half and overtime. The Miners shot 47.4 percent in the final 25 minutes after only 32.1 percent the first 20.

Kaden Archie, who make his fourth consecutive start, tallied five points and three assists. Efe Odigie tallied three boards, two points and an assist, while Tydus Verhoeven chipped in with a point and rebound.

Up next, UTEP will play UTSA again, this time in San Antonio on Saturday, Jan. 18.

Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. MT/3 p.m. CT at the Convocation Center. The Miners and Roadrunners can be heard on 600 ESPN El Paso, while the contest will be streamed on ESPN3.

Gallery by Ruben R. Ramirez – El Paso Herald Post

After coming off a tough loss to LA Tech, the UTEP men’s basketball team will be put to the test when it hosts upstart UTSA on Wednesday, January 15. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in the Haskins Center.

Miners (10-7, 1-3 Conference USA) lost their first home game on Jan. 11, and are 2-6 in their last eight contests. The Roadrunners (8-9, 2-2 C-USA), after an 0-5 start, are 8-4 in their last 12 games.

UTSA junior guard Jhivvan Jackson averages 25.8 points per game, ranking second in the nation. The Roadrunners are coming off a pair of victories in league action after an 0-2 start at Florida Atlantic and FIU. Jackson, after scoring only eight points at FAU, rebounded with 31 points at FIU. He then followed that effort with a 37-point performance against LA Tech as UTSA chalked up its first conference win.

The Roadrunners made a program-record 18 three-pointers against the Bulldogs. UTSA recently downed Southern Miss, 80-70, behind Jackson’s 23 points and fellow junior guard Keaton Wallace’s 16 points.

The Miners, after taking a 61-54 lead at the 3:19 mark, went scoreless the rest of the way and allowed LA Tech to rally behind a 10-0 run to a 64-61 win last Saturday night.

Bryson Williams tallied 17 points, while Jordan Lathon led the Miners with nine rebounds. UTEP, after shooting 34-fo-37 from the free-throw line during a 76-64 victory against Southern Miss, produced another solid night at the charity stripe, hitting 20-of-23 from line against the Bulldogs. Overall, the Miners are shooting 76.4 percent from the line, ranking second in C-USA and 27^th nationally.

UTEP boasts one of the better defenses in the league, allowing 63.4 points per game, while its three-point percent defense (29.4) ranks third in C-USA. The Miners’ defense will be put to the challenge against UTSA’s scoring offense (78.0), which ranks second in the league. The Roadrunners can also produce points from downtown.

UTSA’s 173 made three-pointers ranks first in C-USA and 10^th nationally, while its 10.2 three-pointers per game ranks first in the league and 14^th in the nation.

Wednesday’s contest will feature “Military Appreciation Night” as tickets are $10 with a valid military ID. Single-game tickets are available by calling (915) 747-5234 or by going online.

Mini plans are available by calling (915) 747-6150.

Fans can listen live on 600 ESPN El Paso with “The Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher (play-by-play) and former UTEP basketball player Steve Yellen (color analysis) calling the action.

The Miners and Roadrunners will also be streamed on ESPN+ with El Paso Athletics Hall of Famer Duke Keith (play-by-play) and Miner great Leonard Owens (color analysis) on the mic.

Head Coach T.J. Hubbard just concluded his first week of practice with his new squad in preparation for the 2020 campaign.

As Hubbard begins his tenure leading the UTEP softball program, he will be focused primarily on building relationships with his players and coaches. He has the mindset that trust and relationships must be developed first before all else.

The Helen of Troy Softball Complex, along with all of the other resources at UTEP, caught the eye of Coach Hubbard as he made the decision to come to the Sun City. He also sees UTEP softball as a sort of sleeping giant that has everything high-level prospects desire in a program.

“What’s exciting is the facilities, resources and amenities that we have access to,” Hubbard said. “We have great weather to train in and a great location. I think it is a great opportunity for any young prospect that is looking to pursue a collegiate career. Everything is here. Everything from an educational standpoint, to the facilities and staff. I looked at it as an opportunity to really get something off the ground and running. I think we will be able to target some high-level prospects, and get this thing turned around. I am excited to be here.”

Hubbard has developed a team motto that has inspired him in the early stages of the year. That motto is to climb. The climb will need to be embraced in every facet of this year’s experience. He understands that in order to get his program to where it needs to go, they will have to fight uphill together.

“A mantra I came up with as I came into this situation was to climb,” Hubbard recalled. “We are going to have to climb every day. We are not in a position to take two or three steps and be at the top of the mountain. We are at the bottom of the mountain, and every day is going to be a climb. Every day will be a journey. Success is certainly not a destination by any means. It is something you have to do every single day.”

Coach has also already enjoyed his short time in the 915. The people, the culture and the food have all made impressions on the Oklahoma native.

“At this point I have seen that El Paso has great people and a great community,” Hubbard said. “The community is what makes UTEP special and UTEP makes the community special. It is a great connection and I love it so far.”

UTEP begins its season on Feb. 7 in Las Cruces, N.M., and coach Hubbard is fully embracing the time before opening day to build relationships with his team and enjoy his new home.

For complete coverage of UTEP Softball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepsoftball (Instagram) and @UTEPSoftball (Twitter) or click here to visit the official home of UTEP Athletics.

Bryson Williams scored a game-high 17 points and Souley Boum scored 11 of his 12 points in the second half, but LA Tech (12-4, 3-1 Conference USA) used a 10-0 run down the stretch to hand UTEP (10-7, 1-3 C-USA) its first home loss, 64-61, on Saturday night in the Haskins Center.

“It was a really good game tonight, but obviously we don’t like the outcome of the game – being on the wrong side of it,” second-year UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry said. “It was another close ball game where we have to execute on both ends of the floor. We have to be able to get stops and we have to be able to come down and execute on the other end as well.”

The Miners rallied after being down 10 points early in the second half. Jordan Lathon made a pair of free throws to put the Miners up 61-54 with 3:19 left in the game, bringing crowd of 5,731 to its feet and into an uproar.

Derric Jean started the Bulldogs’ run on a driving layup. Following a missed Boum three-point attempt, Mubarak Muhammed made the count 61-58 on another LA Tech layup.

Cobe Williams connected on a pair of three throws with 1:38 left in the game, getting the Bulldogs within a point (61-60). Jean connected on another layup for the go-ahead basket (62-61) after a turnover by Eric Vila with 24 seconds remaining. Lathon tallied another UTEP crucial turnover with 15 seconds remaining and Amorie Archibald hit both his free throws after being fouled in the closing seconds.

UTEP had a chance to tie the contest as Williams missed a three-point attempt. Vila grabbed the offensive board for another chance to tie, but turned the ball over again after Williams snagged the ball to seal the victory.

LA Tech controlled the first half, shooting 43.3 percent to UTEP’s 36.4. The Bulldogs took a 34-28 lead into the locker and built that lead to 10 points (38-28) at the 19:13 mark in the second period.

“I thought in the first half, we gave away the ball too much,” Terry said. “We had 11 turnovers at the half and they were scoring and converting off our turnovers. It’s really hard to defend that. We have to do a better job at protecting the ball, continuing the keep working and keep plugging away.”

Despite the double-digit deficit, the Miners kept fighting on their home floor as Daryl Edwards gave some spark to the offense after nailing a three-pointer. Though DaQuan Bracey answered with a jumper to make it a nine-point game (40-31), Vila connected on his second three of the game, bringing the Miners within six points (40-34).

Vila’s trey was big as it started a 17-1 run. Edwards hit another three and Williams followed with a bucket in the paint, making the score 40-39.

“That run was all predicated on how hard we guarding and we were getting stops,” Terry said. “Then we were able to get out and play in transition.”

Boum gave the Miners a 42-41 lead on a three-point bucket, while Williams went on to score the next five points that included an and-1 play. Boum capped the run with a made free throw as the Miners took a 48-41 lead at the 10:59 mark.

After Williams was called for stepping out of bounds on baseline, a technical was called on Terry and LA Tech went on a 6-0 run, making the score 48-47. The two squads went back-and-forth as the two were tied 50-50 with 7:17 remaining. UTEP used an 11-4 to take the seven-point advantage before the Bulldogs locked down and shutdown the Miners’ offense the rest of the way.

Williams added five rebounds, a UTEP career-high three blocked shots and two steals, while Lathon led the team with nine rebounds. Edwards chipped in with nine points and led the team with three assists. Vila added six points on a pair of treys and grabbed seven boards.

Archibald led La Tech with 14 points, while Jean scored 13 and Bracey 12 points. Muhammed recorded 13 rebounds and eight points.

The Bulldogs took advantage of 17 Miners’ miscues that led to 24 points off turnovers.

UTEP continued its clutch free-throw shooting, making 20-of-23 (87 percent) on the night.

Up next, UTEP will host UTSA (8-9, 2-1 C-USA) on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in the Haskins Center. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+, while fans can listen to the action on 600 ESPN El Paso with “The Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher and Steve Yellen calling the action.

Gallery by Andres ‘Ace’ Acosta – Chief Photographer, El Paso Herald Post

RUSTON, La. – ​UTEP shot 47.9 percent (23-48) from the floor and nailed a season-high 10 triples, but it sustained its first Conference USA loss of the year in an 87-80 setback at LA Tech Saturday afternoon.

“If you’re going to beat them here, you’ve got to do something special.” UTEP head coach Kevin Baker said. “We were unable to get it done today, but I like the way we played. I was really impressed with the things we did out there. Our problem was in the first quarter we just kept turning it over. They hit shots when they needed to hit shots. I think we brought the best out of LA Tech tonight.”

The Miners (10-5, 3-1 C-USA) were hurt by committing 28 turnovers and allowing the Lady Techsters (9-5, 1-2 C-USA) to drill 53.8 percent (28-52) from the floor, including 50.0 percent (11-22) from 3-point range.

Freshman Katia Gallegos flirted with a double-double (15 points, seven assists) to pace a trio of players in double figures. Katarina Zec (13 points) and Ariana Taylor (11 points) buoyed her, while Sabine Lipe (nine points, three assists) and Jade Rochelle (eight points, two assists) led the efforts off the pine.

It was a seesaw battle with 11 ties and 14 lead changes. The game was knotted at 71 with 9:34 to play before LA Tech took control with an 8-0 surge. The Miners battled back, trimming the margin to three (81-78) after a Zec free throw with 3:19 remaining.

That was as close as they would get, with the Lady Techsters staving off every remaining push from the Orange and Blue to improve to 8-2 on the year at home.

LA Tech was led by Keiunna Walker’s double-double (28 points, 10 rebounds). Three other Lady Techsters also reached double digits in scoring, in the form of Grayson Bright (14 points), Raizel Guinto (13 points) and Amber Dixon (12 points).

UTEP jumped out to an 9-4 lead, including a mini 5-0 run by Zec, two minutes into the contest. LA Tech responded with 10 straight points and eventually led the Miners by six (21-15) with 46 seconds to play in the opening quarter. UTEP struck back with consecutive triples by Gallegos and Taylor, respectively, to pull even at 21 through 10 minutes of action.

The home side went back ahead midway through the second frame, with UTEP trailing by four (34-30). Once again, the Orange and Blue had an answer. This time it was with five straight points to regain an advantage at 35-34 with 1:31 left in the first half. It was back-and-forth the final 91 seconds of quarter, and UTEP entered the locker room armed with a two-point edge (38-36).

It was a high-scoring third quarter, with the two teams combining for 62 points in the frame. UTEP’s 30 points in the frame marked its highest scoring road quarter in program history. Overall it tied as the fifth-most points the Orange and Blue have ever tallied in a quarter.

After each team got a triple at the onset of the fourth quarter, LA Tech went on the aforementioned 8-0 that ultimately doomed the Orange and Blue.

UTEP will be idle for a week before it starts a three-game homestand when it plays host to UTSA at 1 p.m. on Jan. 18. Tickets are $5 for kids and $3 for adults, and may be purchased by calling (915) 747-5234.

For complete coverage of UTEP women’s basketball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPWBB (Twitter), @utepwbb (Instagram) and on Facebook or click here to visit the official home of UTEP Athletics

UTEP men’s hoops will continue its home stand when it hosts LA Tech in Conference USA action on Saturday, January 11. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in the Haskins Center.

“They’re coming off a loss [at UTSA] and we know we’ll get a team coming in here ready to play and we’ll get their best game,” second-year UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry said. “We’ll have to execute, we’ll have to play hard and take pride in getting stops against a team that prides itself on shooting the ball. We’ll have to keep them off the glass as they rebound really well and they’re well-coached, they’re a good team.”

The Miners (10-6, 1-2 C-USA) are coming off a 76-64 victory over Southern Miss on January 9, where UTEP connected on a 34-of-37 free throws led by Souley Boum’s 14-for-14 effort.

Boum scored a game-high 26 points, including 19 during the second half. Bryson Williams added 20 points, while he was also perfect (10-10) from the charity stripe. Its 34 free throws made were the most for UTEP in a conference game since Jan. 31, 2009 versus Southern Miss (35).

The Bulldogs (11-4, 2-1 C-USA) are coming off an 89-73 loss at UTSA as the Roadrunners’ Jhivvan Jackson went off for 37 points. UTSA also hit a program-record 18 three-pointers. Kalob Ledoux and DaQuan Bracey each led LA Tech with 12 points, while Derric Jean chipped in with 11 points and led the way with seven boards.

The Bulldogs’ are one of the top defending teams in C-USA as they rank second in scoring defense (61.6) and first in field goal percentage defense (38.3). LA Tech ranks third in steals per game (8.7) and ranks first in scoring margin (16.3).

Saturday’s game will also feature “Youth Day”. Youth basketball teams of 15+ receive group ticket prices starting at $13. There will be a free pregame clinic for kids 12 and under.

To sign up email – paydirtpete@utep.edu. There will also be a free postgame autograph session with the team exclusively for all clinic participants. Call (915) 747-6065 to get group tickets.

Fans can also listen live on 600 ESPN El Paso with “The Voice of the Miners” Jon Teicher (play-by-play) and former UTEP basketball player Steve Yellen (color analysis) calling the action.

The contest will also be streamed on ESPN+ with El Paso Athletics Hall of Famer Duke Keith (play-by-play) and Miner great Leonard Owens (color analysis) on the mic.

Single-game tickets are available by calling (915) 747-5234 or by going online. Mini plans are available by calling (915) 747-6150.