After suffering a 55-50 loss at Rice on Thursday - its first in five games - UTEP will travel to Tulsa looking for its second consecutive win over the Golden Hurricane.
The Miners are 4-3 all-time on Jan. 8, having last played on this date in 2004 -- a 66-62 loss to Tulsa in the Don Haskins Center. Tulsa is 2-1 on Jan. 8.
About the Miners (6-6, 1-1 WAC)
UTEP saw its season-long four-game winning streak snapped at Rice Thursday. The Miners were down by as many as 27 in the first half and battled back to within three with 18 seconds remaining, but were unable to complete the comeback.
In the last six games, sophomore forward Charnette Phelps has played brilliantly with four double-doubles while averaging 14.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest.
The Miners are currently third in the WAC in field goal percentage defense (.358) and second in scoring defense (59.3). UTEP ranks second in free throw percentage (.733) despite attempting just 191 -- the third fewest in the league. The Miners are third in the league and 30th nationally in blocks at 5.2 per game.
Scouting Tulsa (9-3, 1-2 WAC)
Tulsa held off a late Boise State comeback for its first WAC win of the season Thursday.
The Golden Hurricane are 5-0 at home this season and have won seven consecutive in the Reynolds Center.
Jillian Robbins ranks among the league leaders in scoring (2nd-16.2), rebounding (1st-9.8), steals (5th-2.0) and blocked shots (3.0). Kara Pongonis leads the WAC with a .903 free throw percentage and 2.5 three-pointers per game.
Tulsa averages 65.9 ppg on a .406 field goal percentage. TU is second in the league in field goal percentage defense at .356.
UTEP Storylines
*After dropping a 55-50 decision at Rice, UTEP is 1-1 in conference play for the seventh time in 15 WAC seasons and just the eighth time in school history (24 conference seasons).
*UTEP will be looking to earn a spilt on the Rice-Tulsa road trip for the second consecutive year. Last February the Miners lost at Rice by four and won at Tulsa by three, 66-63.
*UTEP will be playing its second WAC road game today, where the Miners are 22-85 (.208) overall and 5-24 under Keitha Green. Last season UTEP was 4-5 on the road.
*UTEP is 4-8 all-time against Tulsa, including a 1-4 mark at the Reynolds Center and 1-0 at the Expo Square Pavilion.
*UTEP has yet to shoot higher than 45 percent in a game this season. The Miners have eclipsed the 40-percent barrier six times, including three of the last five games. Additionally, UTEP shot over 50 percent four times in 2003-04.
*Seniors Marta Dydek and Angie McGee have been UTEP’s leading scorers and rebounders in its six road games this season. McGee is averaging 11 points and 5.6 rebounds, while Dydek is averaging 9.6 points and 5.6 rebounds.
*Several Miners are on the verge of some milestones:
Senior Marta Dydek needs 4 points for 300
Senior Angie McGee needs 39 points for 500
Sophomore Charnette Phelps needs 13 points for 300
Looking Back At The Rice Game
*UTEP fell to 6-6 overall and 1-1 in the WAC.
*UTEP saw its season-best four game winning streak come to an end. The Miners also moved to 0-9 at Rice.
*UTEP trailed by as many as 27 in the first half before trimming the Lady Owl edge to three with 18 seconds remaining.
*UTEP shot a season-low .283 (15-of-53) from the floor.
*UTEP was 0-for-8 on three-point field goals - snapping the Miners’ 23-game streak with at least one made three-pointer.
Looking Back At The Boise St. Game
*UTEP improved to 6-5 overall and 1-0 in the WAC.
*UTEP ran its winning streak to four games overall, two over Boise State and three over the Broncos in El Paso.
*Four Miners reached double figures in scoring for the second straight game.
*UTEP overcame an eight-point deficit with 2:26 remaining in regulation. The Miners tied the game at 57-57 with eight seconds left on a Kasia Krezel layup after an Angie McGee air ball from the corner.
*UTEP attempted a season-high 25 three-pointers.
*UTEP limited Boise State to 31.6 percent from three-point range - its second-lowest total in 12 games. BSU was shooting a WAC best .393 from behind the arc.
Phelps Emerging As All-WAC Candidate
Sophomore F Charnette Phelps started slowly but has emerged as UTEP’s go-to player this season. After averaging just 4.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in UTEP’s first six games, she has scored 89 points in the last six games. She has averaged 14.8 points and 10.2 rebounds during that stretch. She is now averaging 9.6 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds on the season. She ranks eighth in the WAC in rebounds and in eighth in WAC games at 8.0 rpg. She is also tops in the league with 3.92 offensive boards per game.
A native of Trenton, N.J., she has turned in four of her team-best five double-doubles in the last six contests. She now has seven for her career.
She is actually averaging more points in 19 career WAC games (7.4) than in 21 non-conference games (7.3).
Last season, she was named to the WAC All-Freshman team with averages of 6.1 ppg and 5.0 rpg.
Dydek and McGee: Showing Some Senior Leadership
Seniors Marta Dydek and Angie McGee have taken it upon themselves to make their final season at UTEP memorable. Each player has a higher scoring and rebound average than last year, while McGee - who is in her third season at UTEP - has improved every season.
Dydek is averaging 9.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 2.3 bpg compared to 6.4, 4.8 and 1.4 last season.
McGee's averages have gone from 3.9 ppg and 2.9 rpg as a sophomore, to 8.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg as a junior, to 9.6 ppg and 6.7 rpg this season.
Dydek Closing In On 200 Career Blocks
It;s no secret that senior Marta Dydek is one of the most impressive shot blockers in UTEP history. In fact, she enters today's game with 198 career blocked shots in three-plus seasons of college basketball. On Thursday she altered her 69th shot in her second season as a Miner after 129 blocks in two seasons at Seward County Community College. She will conclude her career at UTEP with the second-most blocks in school history behind Kim Watts' 264 from 1978-82.
Taylor Settling In At Point Guard
Freshman Shalana Taylor is beginning to assert herself as one of the WAC's most consistent point guards. Since becoming UTEP's starting point guard prior to the NMSU game, the native of Flint, Mich., has led UTEP to a 4-2 (she did not start at Rice) record while averaging 6.8 assists per game. In that time, she also has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.6:1. She enters the weekend fourth in the WAC with 4.6 apg. She has also scored at least four points in six of her last seven games, including eight against Boise State on Saturday - with six coming in overtime - and 10 at Rice. Taylor's games of note include:
No. Colo.: 6 pts, 10 ast, 2 stl, 32 min
at Ill. St.: 4 pts, 3 reb, 13 ast, 4 trn, 4 stl, 45 min
at No. Illinois: 5 pts, 4 ast, 1 stl, 40 min
Arkansas St.: 3 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl
Boise State: 8 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 30 min
at Rice: 10 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 34 min
Piekarska Contributing Off The Bench
Freshman C Izabela Piekarska has done a solid job as UTEP's sixth woman this season. She ranks among the top five on the team in scoring (4th-8.7), field goal percentage (2nd-.486), free throw percentage (5th-.773), rebounds (4th-4.6), assists (5th-0.7) and blocked shots (2nd-1.1).
The Warszawa, Poland, native has been playing her best ball over the last five games. She has scored in double figures in four of the last five games while averaging 13.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and a .556 (25-45) shooting percentage. Piekarska has also made 12-of-14 (.857) from the free throw line. She has also blocked eight of her 14 shots during the last four games.
She led UTEP against Arkansas State with a career-high 18 points off the bench Wednesday night. She finished 8-for-10 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. At Rice on Thursday she made her first career start and finished with 10 points, four rebounds while setting career highs for blocks (3) and minutes played (27).
Krezel Has More Steals Than Fouls
Freshman F Kasia Krezel leads the team and ranks third in the WAC with 2.17 steals per game. In fact, the Krakow, Poland, native has 26 steals and just 22 fouls in 279 minutes this season. She tied her career-high with six thefts against Boise State and followed with a game-high four at Rice.
Having more steals than fouls is unusual. It has been accomplished by a UTEP player just nine times since 1983-84 and only twice in the last 14 seasons.
Oddly enough, senior Angie McGee has 15 steals and 12 fouls.
Overtime Success For UTEP
With two overtime victories in its last four games, the UTEP women's basketball program is now 8-5 all-time in extra session contests. The Miners are 3-2 under Keitha Green and have won three consecutive OT games.
Other sports at UTEP have fared well in overtime this season as well. Football went 1-0 and women's soccer was 2-2-1. Miner athletic teams have fashioned a 5-2-1 record thus far in the 04-05 academic year.
Block This
With five players standing 6-1 or better, UTEP will likely have a size advantage in the frontcourt on most of its opponents. The Miners have made the most of that advantage through 12 games, altering 63 shots for a 5.3 blocks per game average. That currently ranks third in the WAC and 30th in the nation. Marta Dydek has a team-high 27, followed by Izabela Piekarska with 14 and Kasia Krezel with 10.
Miners Loving The Charity
For much of the season, UTEP's opponents had made more free throws than the Miners had even attempted, which led to the 2-5 start to the season.
But in its last five games, UTEP has won the free throw battle, outshooting its opponents 79-for-104 (.760) to 77-for-112 (.688). The Miners have made 19 and 20 free throws in their last two games, marking their two highest totals all season.
Better To Give Than To Receive
The Miners have registered 152 assists through 12 games for an average of 12.7 per game (seventh in the WAC). An assist has been credited on 56.9 percent of UTEP's field goals. Last year's team averaged 13.6 assists per contest with 62 percent of its baskets being assisted on.
Searching For 70
It has become apparent that UTEP's magic number is 70. The Miners are 3-0 this season when scoring 70-plus points. In Keitha Green's three-plus seasons, UTEP is now 10-2 when scoring at least 70 points and 11-3 when eclipsing the 80-point barrier.
Lineup Shuffle
Head coach Keitha Green has put five different starting lineups on the court this season. Prior to the Illinois State game, a different starting five was used in each of the four prior games. Only Marta Dydek, Jonna Launiainen and Angie McGee have started all eleven games.
Deep Miners
Through 12 games, 13 different players have seen game action for the Miners with eight averaging double-digit minutes. Seven players are averaging more than 20 per contest. Senior Angie McGee leads the team at 35.1 minutes per game.
Put Me In Coach... And Don’t Take Me Out
Against Illinois State, point guard Shalana Taylor played all 45 minutes, while senior foward Angie McGee was in for 42 minutes. Two days later, Taylor played all but the final 27 seconds of the first half at NIU.
Since Taylor took over the starting point guard spot seven games ago, she has averaged 32.3 minutes per contest. McGee leads the team at 35.1 mpg.
Dissecting the RPI
UTEP enters the weekend ranked as high as 185 and as low as 188 in the various RPI rankings. On the season, the Miners have been as high as 132 (Nov. 24) and as low as 318 (Dec. 18). The chart below shows where UTEP, Rice and Tulsa fall in the varous ratings:
Final Non-Conference Mark: 5-5
With the win over Arkansas State, UTEP concluded the non-conference portion of its 2004-05 season with a 5-5 record. It marks the third consecutive season the Miners have finished at .500 or above.
UTEP Avenges 24-Point Loss At Arkansas St. With 67-61 Win in El Paso
It wasn't the prettiest game UTEP has played but the Miners concluded their non-conference schedule with a 67-61 win over Arkansas State on Wednesday. The win evened the season series at 1-1 after ASU handed the Miners their first loss of the season, 87-63, on Nov. 26.
Launiainen Sets Career High With Seven Assists on Wednesday
Sophomore Jonna Launiainen dished out a career-high seven assists against Arkansas State on Wednesday. She was forced to move back to the point guard spot -- where she started the season -- after Shalana Taylor got into foul trouble.
Jump Ball Mania
The UTEP-Arkansas State game featured one center jump, one half-time alternate possession and 10 held balls. The tie-ups figured in on four of UTEP's 15 turnovers. Had the Miners not lost the ball on those occassions they would have committed a season-low 11 turnovers, bettering their 13 in the season-opener against UT-Dallas.
Miners Snap Losing Streaks
UTEP's win at Illinois State on Dec. 19 snapped a pair of losing streaks. Most importantly, it ended a five game skid since opening the season with two consecutive victories. Additionally, the win stopped a seven-game skein in non-conference road games.
Offense Comes Alive at Illinois State
UTEP went into the locker room at the half at Illinois State down by 16 points and had shot just 38.5 percent. The Miners were also being out-rebounded by seven and had just one offensive board.
But in the second 20 minutes, UTEP had its best offensive performance of the season, shooting nearly 49 percent while outscoring ISU 38-22.
UTEP finished the game with a season-high 43.3 (29-of-67) percent and eclipsed the 70-point plateau for just the second time this season. It was the second time this year the Miners had shot at least 40 percent. Last year, UTEP shot over 40 percent 12 times, with four coming against non-conference teams.
Taylor The Record Breaker
Against Northern Colorado, freshman guard Shalana Taylor showed why she may one day re-write the UTEP record books for assists with 10. Two days later at Illinois State, she started re-writing it as she tied the single-game record with 13 assists. She also set Redbird Arena record in the process as she played all 45 minutes. She also had four steals to counter her four turnovers.
Taylor's Family Missed Career Game With Engine Trouble
Unfortunately, Shalana Taylor's family wasn't able to attend Sunday's game at Illinois State. The chartered bus carrying 44 family and friends had a malfunctioning heater and was forced to return to Flint, Mich. (Taylor's hometown) three hours after departing at 5:45 a.m. Shelly Taylor, Shalana's mother decided to drive to Normal, Ill. but abandonded her journey 40 miles outside of Chicago when a lake-effect storm dropped nearly a foot of snow on Northwestern Indiana.
The story does have a happy ending as 20 family members attended the NIU game two days later.
Phelps Plucks The Redbirds
Sophomore F Charnette Pehlps had her best game in two seasons at Illinois State. The Trenton, N.J., native had 22 points and 16 rebounds. She also scored UTEP’s final eight points in regulation, including the game-tying layup with 34 seconds remaining. She had just four points and four rebounds at the half. The 16 boards are the third-highest total in the WAC this season.
McGee, Phelps Double Up On UNC
Senior Angie McGee and sophomore Charnette Phelps led the Miners against Northern Colorado. McGee had 11 points and 10 rebounds for her second career double-double. Phelps had 14 and 10 for the fourth of her career. It marked each player’s second in 2004-05.
In the season-opener against UT-Dallas Phelps and Marta Dydek each recorded double-doubles.
Phelps Shatters Miners’ 04-05 Season Highs For Free Throws
Sophomore F Charnette Phelps was a force inside against Northern Colorado. Not only did she lead UTEP with 14 points but she got the free throw line more than any Miner this season. Her 7-for-11 night from the charity stripe were both UTEP season highs. The previous high was Jonna Launiainen's 4-for-4 showing against New Mexico State in the second game of the season.
Taylor Makes First Career Start at NMSU
Freshman G Shalana Taylor made her first career start at point guard at NMSU. The last time a true freshman started at point guard was two years ago when Ana Valtierra started at both guard positions throughout the year.
In 30 minutes against NMSU, Taylor finished with six points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and five turnovers. She was forced to the bench after picking up two fouls in the first nine minutes of the game, at which point she had two points on a breakaway layup off one steal, one assist and four turnovers. She came back and played the entire second half and dished out four assists with just one turnover, which came on an offensive foul.
The 5-4 Flint, Mich., native averaged seven assists and four steals per contest as a senior at Flint Northern HS.
Ingrid = Instant Offense
With C Marta Dydek forced to the bench with foul trouble and Izabela Piekarska unavailable due to tendonitis, junior C Ingrid Goslin got some quality playing time at New Mexico State. She played 25 seconds in the first half and then finished the game with a season-high eight minutes. And she made the most of those minutes, as she scored eight points on 4-of-7 shooting, had two rebounds and a steal in the middle of the second half. Following the contest head coach Keitha Green referred to Goslin as "Instant Offense" on the post-game radio interview.
Dydek Shows Strong Play at Arizona
Senior C Marta Dydek finished with a team-high 12 points and seven rebounds in just 22 minutes at No. 25 Arizona on Nov. 29, but both figures could have been much higher had Dydek not fallen into foul trouble. She picked up three fouls in the first 4:45 of the game. The Zabki, Poland, native sat out much of the remainder of the first half and went into the locker room with six points and three rebounds in 10 minutes.
Her second half was very impressive as she scored six points on 2-of-3 shooting and pulled down four rebounds while dishing out an assist. Additionally, she did not commit any fouls and drew two of her three charges on consecutive possessions against UA C Shawntinice Polk.
80 Points in Back-To-Back Games... Not Since 1976-77
In its opening two games, the UTEP defense limited its opponents to 80 combined points - UTD 36 and NMSU 44. That marks the first time that has occurred since the 1976-77 season when the Miners held Odessa College and Western New Mexico to 74 points. That is a span of 749 games.
Last season, the Miners held Fresno State and Nevada to 81 combined points in mid-February.
Krezel Goes Off Against NMSU
Freshman Kasia Krezel had an outstanding game against New Mexico State on Nov. 23. She finished with game-highs in points (22), steals (6) and blocks (2). She also had five assists. The 6-1 forward from Krakow, Poland, played 16 minutes in the first half and scored 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 3-for-4 from three-point range. She also had four steals and three assists at the intermission.
Dydek/Phelps Shine Against UTD
Senior C Marta Dydek and sophomore F Charnette Phelps each had impressive outings in UTEP's 75-36 win over UT-Dallas on Nov. 20.
Dydek finished with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 11 rebounds and a career-high tying five blocks. Phelps added 12 points, 11 rebounds and three steals.
It marked the first time since March 6, 2003, that UTEP had two players record double-doubles in the same game. On that night, a 87-84 overtime loss to San Jose State, Dragana Zoric (15p/11r) and Ingrid Goslin (12p/15r) provided the spark for the Miners.
Eating Some Glass
UTEP was a force on the boards against UT-Dallas, outrebounding the Comets, 59-41. What was more impressive was the Miners ability to attack the offensive boards. UTEP finished with 27 offensive rebounds (UTD had 11) and scored 18 second-chance points. The 27 rebounds were the most since pulling down 28 against Lamar on Nov. 20, 1998.
Putting the 'D' in UTD
For all of the offensive firepower the Miners displayed in the exhibition season, it was the defense that showed up - and in a big way - against UT-Dallas on Nov. 20.
UTEP held the Comets to 19 percent shooting on 10-of-51 from the floor. The 10 field goals are the second lowest in school history, just behind the nine allowed against Texas-Pan American on Dec. 22, 1996.
Additionally, the 36 points allowed are tied for the seventh-lowest single-game total in school history.
Just how impressive was the UTEP defense? Consider that UTD was held to just six points in the final 8:13 of the game, with all six points coming from the charity stripe. UTD went 0-for-7 and was forced into nine turnovers.
Miners Hold Block Party
No we aren't talking about something on Cincinnati Street or Kern Place. This one happened at the Haskins Center on Nov. 20.
Five UTEP players combined to block 10 UTD field goal attempts. Marta Dydek led the way with five - which tied her career high set against Alabama State last season. Kasia Krezel had two blocks, with Charnette Phelps, Izabela Piekarska and Stephanie Rayos each deflecting one Comet attempt apiece.
The last time UTEP blocked as many attempts was on Jan. 10, 2004 against Rice.
True Freshman Starts In Opener
As expected, true freshman Kasia Krezel started the season opener against UTD. Krezel became the first true freshman to start a season opener since Franki Jimmerson in 2001. The 6-1 F from Krakow, Poland, did not disappoint either as she had eight points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and four steals.
Super 6, Plus 1
The most obvious addition to the 2004-05 Miner basketball team are the six freshman and one junior college transfer.
The freshmen include Niki Avery (G, 5-4, Manhattan, NY), Kelly Hughes (G, 5-8, Vancouver, Wash.), Kasia Krezel (F, 6-1, Krakow, Poland), Dana Penno (G, 5-9, Wedel, Germany), Izabela Piekarska (C, 6-5, Warszawa, Poland), Shalana Taylor (G, 5-4, Flint, Mich.), with juco transfer Erica Yancey (G, 5-9, Kansas City, Mo.)
On The Road Again
UTEP will definitely get its frequent flyer miles this season. The Miners are scheduled to play 14 road games and travel to the WAC Tournament in Reno, Nev. In all, UTEP will travel approximately 13,038 miles. This week the Miners will knock off one more state as they travel to Oklahoma.
Home Sweet Haskins
Last season, UTEP went 9-4 in the friendly confines of the Don Haskins Center and 6-3 in WAC home games. The nine wins tied the school record which was set in 1992-93, 1994-95 and 1997-98.
UTEP has a taken advantage of its home-court, compiling a 103-90 record in the facility -- which was built in 1977.
04-05 Miners: Second-Tallest Team In School History
It is well known that the 2003-04 UTEP squad was the tallest in school history. But did you know that the 2004-05 edition of the Miners are just seven inches shorter than their predecessors. The 14 players on last year's team were a combined 1000 inches tall, whereas this year's group is 993 inches tall. Those average out to 5-11 1/2 and 5-11 1/4, respectively.
Giving Back To El Paso
For all the support that El Paso has given the women’s basketball program over the years, the team has returned the favor in the form of community relations.
Since the start of August, every player on the roster has combined to make six appearances at various schools and community outings.
The outings are the Mervyn's Back to School for underprivileged children, the Rojas Elementary Get Fit Program, the Amigo Airshow, the LBL Elementary Red Ribbon Pep Rally, serving as basketball referees at Desert View Elementary and the Helen Ball Career Day.
Miners Sign Keindra Scott in Early Signing Period
UTEP women's basketball coach Keitha Green announced that Houston native Keindra Scott (Key ahn-dra) has signed a national letter of intent to play at UTEP.
Scott, a 6-1 senior forward at Yates High School in Houston, averaged 19.7 points per game and 20 rebounds per game which led the city of Houston. She also averaged two assists, four steals and four blocks per game for the Lions.
She also played AAU ball for the Houston Elite Blue Squad and averaged 10.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in the summer of 2004. The Elite went 40-12 and finished 11th at the 64-team Adidas Showtime National Championships in Atlanta in July.
Scott chose UTEP over Tulsa, Boston College, Georgia Tech and Texas Southern.
UTEP now has two scholarships remaining for the 2005-06 academic year.
UTEP Picked Fifth In WAC Preseason Poll
UTEP was picked to finish fifth in the Western Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll.
The Miners received 55 points, behind Louisiana Tech, Rice, Tulsa three teams that advanced to the postseason last year and SMU.
Louisiana Tech received eight first-place votes with Rice receiving two.
The fifth place prediction is the highest for the Miners in Green's four seasons. Last year UTEP was picked to finish eighth.
Miners Don New Uniforms
For the first time since Keitha Green’s first season, UTEP will sport new uniforms. In the new design the “UTEP” pick-axe logo has replaced the “Miners” block lettering on the front of the jersey tops. Additionally, the Miners have new practice gear and shoes from Adidas.
Schedule Notes
* UTEP will play 14 regular-season home games tied for the third-most in school history. The Miners played 13 home games in 2003-04.
* UTEP will play two teams that participated in the 2004 NCAA Tournament for a total of three games: Arizona and Louisiana Tech.
* Three other Miner opponents Arkansas State, Rice and Tulsa played in the Postseason WNIT for a total of five different opponents to participate in postseason action last season.
* The Miners will face two teams for the first time in school history Illinois State and Texas-Dallas.
* The UTEP men and women will play three times on the same date: Nov. 14, Nov. 23 and Dec. 4.
Strength of Schedule Third in the WAC
In the WBCA/Summerville RPI strength of schedule, UTEP’s non-conference portion of its 2004-05 slate was ranked 74th nationally, and third in the WAC behind Louisiana Tech (40) and Hawaii (46). The Miners’ overall strength of schedule was 118th in the nation, behind Hawaii (80) and Nevada (101).
UTEP To Join Conference USA in 05-06
The 2004-05 season will be the Miners' last in the Western Athletic Conference. UTEP, along with current WAC members Rice, SMU and Tulsa, will leave join Conference USA beginning next season. Those four schools will be joined by Houston and Tulane in the league's western division. The eastern half will include East Carolina, Marshall, Memphis, Southern Miss, UAB and UCF.
UTEP in Season Openers
UTEP improved to 16-15 in season openers and 12-6 in openers at home after its 75-36 win over UTD. The Miners moved to 2-2 in openers under coach Keitha Green. Prior to the UTD contest, UTEP had lost to Texas State, 70-55, in 2001, won at Denver, 65-49, in 2002 and lost at New Mexico State, 53-50, last season.
From 1987-2000, UTEP was 11-3 in openers and won six consecutive during that stretch.
UTEP In Road Openers
Following UTEP's loss at Arkansas State, the Miners are 7-24 all-time in their first road game of the season. The Miners last win in their first game on an opponent's home floor came at Denver (65-49) in 2002-03.
Next Game: Nevada (4-9, 0-3 WAC)
UTEP will return home to play host to Nevada and Fresno State on Thursday and Saturday. Both games will start at 6:05 p.m. MST.
Following Thursday's home loss to Louisiana Tech, the Wolf Pack have lost five consecutive games.
Sophomore Traci Graham is second in the WAC in steals (2.42 spg) with a total of 27. Freshman Meghan McGuire is fifth in the league in field goal percentage at .818.
Nevada leads the series with UTEP 6-4, but the Miners have won three of the last four, including both meetings last year. The series is tied at 2-2 in El Paso.
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