March 1, 2008
UTEP-SMU Box Score (PDF)
Jon Killen scored a career-high 33 points, including 29 after halftime, as SMU won its third Conference USA game of the year, upsetting UTEP 99-96 in double overtime on Saturday at Moody Coliseum.
Killen, who had four points at halftime, tallied 21 in the second half, three in the first overtime and five in the second overtime. He was 11-for-17 from the field, 7-for-11 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the line, and added nine assists and three steals while playing the full 50 minutes.
"He made some big shots, made some big threes," UTEP coach Tony Barbee said. "We had our opportunities. We just couldn't put them away. We were up 11, and we turned it over three straight times. We just had no value for the possession. We're not very mentally tough. And we got out-scrapped for loose balls and got out-toughed. They made plays when they had to and we didn't. Too many of our guys were tentative. You've got to play with courage, play with heart."
UTEP (16-11, 7-7 C-USA) which slipped into a four-way tie for fifth place in the C-USA standings with Marshall, Southern Miss and Tulsa, had won nine straight over the Mustangs (9-18, 3-11) and hadn't lost to SMU in five years.
The Miners lost a 63-50 lead over the final 9:37 of regulation, and an 84-79 lead with 2:36 to go in the first overtime. UTEP took its last lead with 51 seconds left in the second overtime, 94-93, on a tip-in by Gabriel McCulley. SMU's Bamba Fall hit two free throws with 48 seconds remaining to give the Mustangs the lead for good, 95-94. Fall scored a career-high 19 points.
Killen scored 57 points in two games versus UTEP this season, including 24 in El Paso on Jan. 9.
Marvin Kilgore scored a career-high 28 points for UTEP and Stefon Jackson added 27, including a bank three pointer with two seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Tavaris Watts added a career-high 18 points.
UTEP shot 50.7 percent from the field, but committed 18 turnovers. SMU's 99 points were a season-high after the Mustangs entered the game averaging 63.5 points.
UTEP will play at Southern Miss on Tuesday at 6 p.m. MST before closing out the regular season schedule against Houston on "Senior Night" next Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
