Dec. 16, 2011
UTEP-Southern Game Notes (PDF)
THE TIP-OFF
UTEP (2-5) will play back-to-back home games for the second time this season, hosting Southern (3-7) on Saturday and McNeese State (4-5) on Monday. Tip-off for both games is 7:05 p.m. Counting their participation in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Dec. 22-25 in Honolulu, the Miners will play five games in the next nine days.
All copper reserved tickets are $9 for both the Southern and McNeese State games, a 50 percent savings from the regular price.
The Miners (2-2 at home) have won two of their last three games in the Haskins Center, topping UC Riverside on Nov. 13 (52-41) and NM State on Dec. 11 (73-69). UTEP is 17-1 in its last 18 December home games dating back to the 2006-07 season with a current 10-game winning streak.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN
Located in Baton Rouge, La., Southern University is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Jaguars have played their last nine games away from home after opening the season with a 67-48 victory over Dillard University at the F.G. Clark Activity Center. Southern will be facing a C-USA opponent for the third time this season after losing at Rice on Nov. 17 (80-65) and at Tulane on Nov. 30 (78-53). The Jaguars are 0-5 on the road in 2011-12, including losses to Texas A&M (83-58) on Nov. 13, Providence (59-53) on Nov. 22 and Southeastern Louisiana (65-61 in overtime) on Dec. 12.
Junior guard Derick Beltran leads Southern in scoring (12.2 ppg), while senior forward Quinton Doggett chips in with 11.3 ppg. Also on the Jaguar roster is junior center Madut Bol, the son of the late 7-7 Manute Bol who played 10 seasons in the NBA.
THE SERIES
UTEP and Southern have split two previous meetings -- both in El Paso. On Dec. 6, 1983, the Miners beat the Jaguars 83-67, and on Dec. 31, 1984, Southern escaped the Haskins Center with an 84-75 victory.
UTEP's Tim Floyd has coached against Southern once previously. On Dec. 27, 1993, his New Orleans Privateers knocked off the Jaguars, 79-72, in the USF&G Sugar Bowl Tournament at Lakefront Arena.
The Miners are 40-4 all-time versus SWAC schools.
THE LAST MEETING
Byron Gabrel scored 27 points and went 15-for-22 from the line as Southern surprised the Miners, 84-75, on Dec. 31, 1984 in El Paso.
James Lee added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Jaguars. Gabrel and Lee were both on the floor for the full 40 minutes.
Dave Feitl had a double-double of his own for the Miners, finishing with 23 points and 13 boards. Juden Smith (14 points) and Donnell Allen (11) also scored in double figures for UTEP.
The Miners fell behind 40-27 at halftime and couldn't rally for a victory. The closest UTEP could get in the second half was four points (71-67) with 1:44 to play before Gabrel made two free throws to begin a run of six straight points.
Southern shot 59 percent from the field and went to the line 39 times, making 26.
UTEP IN THE C-USA STATISTICS
(Through games of Dec. 15)
Category Stat Rank
Scoring offense 58.6 11
Scoring defense 64.9 10
Scoring margin -6.3 12
Free throw % 61.1 12
Field goal % 43.3 5
Field goal % defense 44.3 12
3-point field goal % 29.9 9
3-point field goal % defense 42.7 12
3-pointers per game 4.1 11
Rebound margin +0.1 10
Blocked shots 4.4 7
Assists 13.3 5
Steals 4.7 10
Turnover margin -2.6 11
Assist/turnover ratio 0.9 9
Individual Category Stat Rank
J. Bohannon Blocked shots 1.0 t15
C. Lang Blocked shots 1.0 t15
J. Streeter Assists 4.4 2
J. Streeter Assist/turnover ratio 1.7 8
J. Washburn Minutes 33.7 8
FAJARDO IS SATURDAY'S MINER LEGEND
For the second year in a row, UTEP is honoring past great players at halftime of this season's games. Saturday's Miner Legend is Sharif Fajardo.
Fajardo played four seasons for UTEP (1995-99). He was the Miners' leading scorer during the 1997-98 (15.4 ppg) and 1998-99 (14.3 ppg) campaigns, their final two years under the direction of coach Don Haskins. He concluded his career with 1,118 points and 557 rebounds and is tied for 22nd on UTEP's all-time scoring list. His career free throw percentage of .751 rates 10th in UTEP annals, and his 61 blocks are tied for 14th.
Following his time in El Paso, Fajardo enjoyed a long and productive playing career overseas before returning to UTEP to complete his course work. He graduated on Dec. 10 of this year with a degree in Criminal Justice. The native of New York City was a member of the Puerto Rico National Team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
THAT'S A FIRST FOR McCULLEY
Senior forward Gabriel McCulley played in his 109th college game on Wednesday and, for the first time, put together a second straight game scoring in double figures. McCulley followed up his career night versus NM State (18 points/13 rebounds/7 assists) by tallying 15 points and seven boards against the Runnin' Rebels. McCulley has scored in double digits 11 times in his UTEP career. He leads the Miners in scoring (11.0 ppg) and is shooting 60.9 percent from the field.
MINERS FIND THEIR SCORERS
UTEP entered the 2011-12 season not knowing where its points would come from, but the answers are starting to become more apparent. UTEP has two players averaging double figures in scoring -- senior forward Gabriel McCulley (11.0 ppg) and freshman swingman Julian Washburn (10.6 ppg) -- with a third knocking on the door in sophomore guard Michael Perez (9.9 ppg). Washburn, Perez and sophomore center John Bohannon are tied for the team lead with three double-figure scoring games, and Perez has been the Miners' leading scorer three times to lead all players.
THE GOOD & BAD FOR PEREZ
Sophomore guard Michael Perez has led UTEP in scoring in three straight games, putting up 18 points at Oregon, 19 versus NM State and 17 at UNLV. During that stretch he has shot 51.3 percent (20-for-39) from the field and 64.3 percent (9-for-14) from the line. Perez, however, committed eight turnovers at UNLV on Wednesday, the most by a Miner player since Marvin Kilgore also had eight versus Jackson State on Dec. 22, 2006.
HE'S A DIAPER DANDY
Julian Washburn is staking his claim as one of the top freshmen in Conference USA. He is one of three rookies in the league with a double-figure scoring average, along with Houston forward TaShawn Thomas (10.4 ppg) and Tulane guard Ricky Tarrant (12.3 ppg).
Washburn is averaging 10.6 ppg and has found his shooting touch over the last two games. He has made 13-of-26 shots during that span after firing at a 38.5 percent clip in the first five contests. Washburn and junior guard Jacques Streeter are the only Miners to play 30+ minutes in each of the first seven games.
AN UNEVEN YEAR FOR "BO"
If history is any indicator, look for John Bohannon to have a big offensive game against Southern on Saturday. Bohannon has scored in double figures in every other outing this season, posting 12 points versus UTSA, 0 versus UC Riverside, 11 at NM State, 2 versus Stephen F. Austin, 13 at Oregon and 0 at UNLV (he did not play in the home game against NM State). In "odd" games, Bohannon is averaging 12.0 points, shooting 71.4 percent (15-for-21) from the floor. In "even" games, he is averaging 0.7 ppg with a .100 (1-for-10) field goal percentage.
STARTERS CARRYING THE LOAD
Over the last two games, UTEP has received 113 of its 127 points (89 percent) from its starting five. In the first five games, starters scored 63 percent (178-of-283) of the Miners' points.
UTEP's bench scored a season-low three points at UNLV on Wednesday. The last time the Miners received fewer points from their reserves was on March 5, 2011 at SMU (zero).
A GRIND-OUT YEAR
With the Miners averaging fewer than 60 points per game (58.6) for the first time since the 1953-54 season (59.6 ppg), UTEP has relied on defense and controlling the tempo to stay in games. The Miners have yielded fewer than 70 points in five of seven games -- including each of their last four -- and are giving up an average of 64.9 ppg on the year. UTEP games this season have produced an average of 99.9 shot attempts between the two teams, the first time below 100 since 1982-83 (99.9).
BETTER THAN THE RECORD WOULD INDICATE
The Miners are 2-5, but have been playing much better basketball since being held to a record-low point total (35) in the Don Haskins Center by Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 26. Since then UTEP has played three games versus quality opponents (at Oregon, NM State, at UNLV) and has been in position to win all three games. The Miners trailed the Ducks by a single point (60-59) in the final minute, and were also down one to UNLV (49-48) heading into the final five minutes. UTEP beat NM State, which won at New Mexico earlier this season, 73-69 on Dec. 11.
BACK & FORTH WE GO
UTEP's game at UNLV on Wednesday produced 14 lead changes, the second-most for the Miners in 42 games under coach Tim Floyd. On Dec. 18, 2010, UTEP and Texas Tech played a game with 16 lead changes before the Miners ultimately outlasted the Red Raiders 82-71.
WHEW! THE STREAK CONTINUES
UTEP narrowly extended its string of consecutive games with a three pointer to 350 by going 1-for-10 from outside in Wednesday's loss at UNLV. The Miners also ran their streak of consecutive games in which they have led to 90. UTEP's largest lead against the Runnin' Rebels was six points (14-8) and came at the 9:15 mark of the first half.
