Dec. 13, 2009
Final Stats
Box Score in PDF Format 
New Mexico State outscored UTEP 31-13 over the final 7:36 on its way to a stunning 87-80 upset of the Miners on Sunday night at the Don Haskins Center.
The Aggies (3-5) shot 55.6 percent from the field and scored 52 points in the second half in posting their first win in four road games this season.
UTEP, which led 45-35 at the half and 67-56 with 8:51 to play, was denied a sweep of the I-10 series and suffered its first loss of the season following a 5-0 start. The Miners won 79-58 on the Aggies' home floor on Dec. 1.
"From day one I warned our guys that the last game had nothing to do with how this game was going to go, and I couldn't grab their attention," UTEP coach Tony Barbee said. "I expect that out of a team filled with freshmen and sophomores. But this is an experienced team, and I warned them about it all week and it still came back to bite us."
After Jeremy Williams' basket put the Miners up by 11 at 67-56, New Mexico State went on a 22-5 run to seize a 78-72 advantage on two free throws by Jonathan Gibson with 1:08 remaining.
A three-pointer by Randy Culpepper lifted UTEP to within two points (79-77) with 45 seconds left, but Hernst Laroche and Jahmar Young combined to go 8-for-8 from the line in the final 37 seconds as the Aggies won at the Don Haskins Center for the first time in three years.
New Mexico State was 28-for-32 from the charity stripe, including 17-for-17 in the second half. In the first matchup between the teams earlier this month, the Aggies shot 35 free throws to UTEP's 21.
Culpepper scored 14 of his 24 points in the second half for UTEP, which once again had four players in double figures. Williams added 14 points, Christian Polk 13 and Arnett Moultrie 12.
Louisville transfer Derrick Caracter made his UTEP debut, playing his first college game since March of 2008. He was on the floor for 12 minutes and finished with two points and two rebounds, taking three shots.
Young scored 24 points for NMSU and Las Cruces native Gordo Castillo snapped out of a shooting slump by nailing 5-of-7 shots and 3-of-5 three pointers on his way to a 17-point night. Gibson and Hamidu Rahman chipped in with 14 and 12 points respectively.
UTEP shot 55.6 percent in the first half in building the 10-point lead, but it was fool's gold.
"I thought the big thing was we didn't have the sense of urgency coming out of the locker room to start the game," Barbee said. "We were lucky to have the 10-point lead because they missed a lot of shots when we went to the zone."
The Miners will take on 25th-ranked Mississippi (8-1) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MT in Southaven, Miss. The game will not be televised but can be heard in English on KOFX 92.3 FM and in Spanish on Jose 1650 AM.
