Dec. 20, 2007
UTEP-USC Upstate Game Notes (PDF)
The UTEP basketball team will pursue its first State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament championship since 2004 this weekend at the Don Haskins Center.
The Miners (6-2) will face USC Upstate (2-8) in opening round action of the event on Friday at 7 p.m. MDT. Buffalo (5-4) will take on Wyoming (4-4) in Friday's nightcap at 9 p.m. The consolation game is slated for 5 p.m. on Saturday, with the championship to follow at 7 p.m.
UTEP has posted an all-time record of 70-22 in the tournament, which has had multiple names. The Miners have won titles on 26 occasions, most recently in 2004. Last year UTEP went 1-1 in the tourney, losing to Jackson State 100-97 and beating Toledo 92-71. The Miners' last title game appearance was in 2005, a 76-64 loss to Georgetown.
The USC Upstate Spartans are coming off a 58-56 victory at SMU on Tuesday. USC Upstate battled back from a 14-point deficit to beat the Mustangs and secure its first win over a Division I opponent. This is the Spartans' inaugural year playing on the Division I level. USC Upstate posted a record of .500 or better in each of its first five seasons under the direction of coach Eddie Payne, but is 2-8 this season -- including 1-4 on the road.
Senior guard Luke Payne, the head coach's son, is averaging a team-leading 15.7 points per game and has made 27 three-point field goals in 2007-08. He is shooting 40.3 percent from beyond the arc. Junior forward Bobby Davis is second on the squad in scoring at 7.8 ppg.
USC Upstate is shooting 37.9 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three-point territory as a team. The Spartans have limited foes to a .483 field goal percentage while forcing 16 turnovers per contest.
UTEP's Stefon Jackson averaged 26.5 points versus Jackson State and Toledo in last year's State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament, earning him a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He scored 33 points against Jackson State, just missing a triple double with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Jackson did not play in the tournament as a freshman, missing both games with a broken jaw.
Marvin Kilgore also played well in last year's tournament, averaging 17.5 points and shooting 61 percent (14-for-23) from the field.
With 970 career points, Jackson is just 30 away from becoming the 38th Miner player to join the 1,000 point club.
