Nov. 14, 2008
Final Stats
CLICK-Photo Gallery by Ivan Pierre Aguirre
UTEP-TSU Box Score (PDF) 
Julyan Stone scored a career-high 19 points as UTEP held off a pesky Texas Southern team, 69-63, in the 2008-09 season opener for both teams on Friday at the Don Haskins Center.
The Miners led 36-26 at the half and 51-37 midway through the second period, but had to sweat it out in the final minutes before improving to 3-0 in season openers under coach Tony Barbee.
The Tigers, under first year head coach Tony Harvey, looked nothing like last year's 7-25 squad, pulling within four points (65-61) with 15 seconds to play before Isaac Gordon and Stone hit free throws to ice the win for the Miners.
"A win is a win," UTEP coach Tony Barbee said. "We did some good things, but we have a long way to go to be a finished product. You have to give credit to Texas Southern and what they did to slow the game down. They knew they couldn't run with us."
UTEP survived off shooting nights from Randy Culpepper, who was 0-for-8 from three point range despite scoring 16 points, and Stefon Jackson, who tallied 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting. The Miners also went 18-for-31 from the line and were matched by TSU on the boards 44-44.
"We've got to do a better job of rebounding," Barbee said. "You can't give up 18 offensive rebounds to a team whose biggest player is 6-7."
Stone's 19 points easily surpassed his previous best of nine points, achieved on two occasions last season. He was 5-for-7 from the floor, 2-for-2 from outside and 7-for-11 from the line while adding eight rebounds, two steals, five assists and no turnovers in 37 minutes.
"How much better has he gotten?" Barbee asked. "He was huge tonight."
The Miners also received 10 points and six boards in a career-high 30 minutes from Memphis transfer Kareem Cooper.
"Kareem has been out of basketball for two years," Barbee said. "He averaged about 10 minutes a game at Memphis, and he played 30 minutes tonight. He's going to be fine. He blocked out a little too much tonight, instead of pursuing rebounds."
UTEP ended the first half with a 9-2 run to build a 10-point cushion at the midway point. The Miners took their largest lead of 14 points three times in the second half, the last at 51-37 on a Culpepper free throw with 10:29 to go.
The lead was 60-50 with just over two minutes remaining before TSU used an 11-5 spurt, capped by a Matthew Miller free throw, to pull within 65-61.
"The late game situations ... that is on me and not the players," Barbee said. "We haven't spent enough time working on it, but we'll clean it up."
Michael Drewry scored 15 points for the Tigers, and DeAndre Hall netted nine of his 11 points in the second half.
UTEP's Tavaris Watts had a career-high five blocks in 14 first half minutes before exiting the game with a knee injury.
"We'll keep our fingers crossed on Tavaris," Barbee said. "We're going to need his senior leadership, and we missed his presence in the second half too."
UTEP will host Georgia Southern (2-1) on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. The Eagles were 20-12 last year and have beaten Houston early this season at the 2K Sports Classic.
