Jan. 2, 2011
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LAS CRUCES, N.M.- Juniors Kim Smith (16 points) and Erika Warren (13 points) each set career highs in scoring to help the UTEP women's basketball team earn a season split in the SONIC® ® America's Drive-In® battle of I-10 with a 74-67 victory at New Mexico State inside the Pan-American Center Sunday afternoon.
The Miners (8-4) trailed by five (36-31) with 15:33 remaining in regulation before ripping off a game-changing 11-1 run in a span of 3:33. The sequence afforded UTEP a five-point led (42-37), and it would never trail the Aggies (6-8) from that point on. NM State tried to rally down the stretch, but the Orange and Blue took care of business at the free-throw line. UTEP connected on 11-of-14 at the charity stripe over the final 1:23, effectively erasing any chance for NM State to rally.
"It was a great win for us today," UTEP head coach Keitha Adams said. "We had a group that got a rhythm with one another. We just let the momentum build for the group we had on the floor."
The Miners knocked down 45.6 percent (26-57) of their shots, including a stout 51.6 percent (16-31) in the second half. Smith and Warren, who both equaled their seasonal total for scoring with their career efforts, led the charge for what was a balanced UTEP attack. Junior Dietra Caldwell and senior forward Ashley Milian each pitched in nine points while sophomore post Anete Steinberga registered eight. Freshmen Kelli Willingham (seven) and Kayla Thornton (six) also got involved in the scoring.
UTEP's bench combined to outscore NM State, 39-14. The Miners also did a good job at the line, knocking down 20-of-30 tosses. Smith was 8-of-10 to set the tone in that department while Thornton filled up 6-of-8 tries and Warren went 5-of-8.
It was a three-headed attack for the Aggies, with Madison Spence (20 points), Jasmine Lowe (17 points) & Tabytha Wampler (12 points) accounting for the bulk of their scoring. NM State, though, was never able to get on track offensively across the board. The Miners' stingy defense forced the Aggies into a paltry 31 percent (22-69) from the field.
Rebounds were even at 43, but the Miners did have some standout performances in that department. Thornton grabbed a career-high 13 boards while Milian pulled down six and Steinberga notched five.
NM State started fast, pushing out to respective leads of 5-2 and 8-5 in the opening minutes before UTEP struck back in a big way. The Miners tightened up defensively while using good motion on offense to rattle off 11 straight points. Smith capped the surge with a layup, affording the visiting side a 16-8 advantage with 10:30 to play in the period.
The two teams traded baskets over the next couple of minutes, and the Miners' lead was at six (18-12) with 6:47 on the clock. NM State continued to chip away, though, and it finally broke through in the form of its own 11-0 run. The push turned what was a four-point Orange and Blue edge (21-17 with 4:38 left) into a 28-21 lead for the homestanding Aggies. The Miners halted the surge with a bucket from Willingham but still found themselves down by seven (30-23) entering the locker room.
The Aggies had a little surge to start the second half, extending their lead out to nine (34-29) but UTEP kept its composure. It continued to play hard, keeping within striking distance.
The approach would pay dividends in a big way, with the Miners seizing control of the contest with the aforementioned 11-1 run. Warren started it with a make at the free-throw line, and Caldwell capped it by drilling the second of just two three pointers on the day for the Orange and Blue.
UTEP will christen its 16-game Conference USA slate by playing host to East Carolina at the Don Haskins Center at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday.
