Nov. 18, 2007
Box Score
UTEP-Texas Southern Box Score (PDF)
Stefon Jackson scored 17 points to lead five UTEP players in double figures as the Miners beat Texas Southern, 78-57, on Sunday night in the Don Haskins Center.
UTEP climbed to 3-1 on the young season, shooting 54.7 percent from the field and 55.6 percent (10-for-18) from three-point range. The Miners also outrebounded the Tigers 46-16.
Freshman Gabriel McCulley scored 12 points, making 5-of-6 shots, for UTEP. Marvin Kilgore, Jeremy Sampson and Tavaris Watts added 10 points apiece for the Miners.
"While it's nice to win by 21 points, there were some things I didn't like," UTEP coach Tony Barbee said. "Our body language was bad and our execution was bad ... we've got some things we need to clean up in the next nine days. We have a long way to go to get to where we need to be."
Sollie Norwood scored 21 points and buried five three-pointers for Texas Southern, which shot 32 percent in the second half in being outscored 38-24.
The Miners scored the game's first five points and never trailed, opening a 21-6 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. After Texas Southern pulled to within seven points (40-33) at the midway point, UTEP began the second half with an 11-3 run to build a 51-36 advantage. The Miners maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Barbee said that freshman forward Manuel Cass has been suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. He did not play on Sunday.
UTEP will have a nine-day break between games before hosting I-10 rival New Mexico State on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 7:05 p.m. MDT.
"The break will help because of the nagging injuries that we have," Barbee said. "We need these nine days to get healthy and get better."
